Lost in Science

Stu and Claire give us a run down of events in Melbourne, in Victoria, around the country and online for National Science Week (13-21 August 2022), including the schools program based on the International Year of Glass. And Claire gives a taste of questions for Lost in Science's annual trivia night on Monday 15 August. Find out more about National Science Week at scienceweek.net.au

Chris talks to PhD candidate Jennifer Ervine about her review paper of the mental health cost of unpaid domestic labour which is largely borne by women, and Stu checks out the winners of the 2022 Eureka Prizes for science from the Australian Museum. 

This week on the show Stu talks us through the two new research papers on the origins of the spread of the covid-19 virus to humans from the wet market in Wuhan. Also on the show, do you think AI can become sentient? Chris looks into the spurious claims that the laMDA AI chat from google is actually a sentient being.

Chris talks about some of the discoveries the new JW space telescope has possibly discovered since booting up in the last few weeks, and Stu looks at a new technique for bringing dead skins back to life which may hold the key to genetic diversity in endangered animal populations. 

This week we replay a couple of recent favourites: Claire reveals the surprising observation of parthenogenesis, aka 'virgin birth', in the endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), and explains how this is possible, and why the chicks are male thanks to bird sex chromosomes being different from ours; and Stu tells us how it's possible to get frogs to regrow amputated limbs, raising...

Claire talks to Dr. Jay Iwasaki about the invasive pest of honey bees the Varroa mite which was discovered in hives around Newcastle in NSW for the first time. 

This week on the show Chris dives into the recent research about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, bringing us closer to understanding a biological cause. Also on the show, did you know it's International Year of Glass? Stu talks about why this humble material is so important in our lives, and for science. 

Recycled cotton and polyester are often seen in clothing shops, but Claire tells us about the challenges to making it work, and how there are other ways to reduce waste; and Stu runs us through recent research showing much more common variations in human sex chromosomes beyond the XX and XY you might have learned at school (see more at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2022.05.011)

This week on the show Stu speaks to researcher Chris Rinke about his fascinating research investigating how superworms, the larval stage of some beetles, can eat and digest polystyrene breaking it down into organic components. Also on the show Chris gets experimental again, this time showing how twisting threads creates enough friction to make incredibly strong twine and rope.

A new disease on the block is cause for concern, but how much should we be worried about the erroneously named Monkeypox virus? Claire finds out more on this week's show. And Chris explains what the Hubble constant is, and how it should be able to tell us how fast the universe is expanding, but it may reveal potential flaws in the way we think about physics. Photo by Brett Ritchie on Unsplash

Claire speaks to Barkandji woman, researcher, storyteller and writer Zena Cumpston about the new exhibition Emu Sky at the University of Melbourne, which shines a light on knowledge systems informed by careful observation and scientific methodologies and understanding that have been a fundamental part of the how Aboriginal peoples thrive and shaped this continent continuously for over 65 000 years...

This week on the show Chris talks with the animals - dolphins in particular, and the new research showing how they communicate with each other verbally and with their urine. Also this week Stu looks at the scientific evidence around human overpopulation

This week on the show Chris talks with the animals - dolphins in particular, and the new research showing how they communicate with each other verbally and with their urine. Also this week Stu looks at the scientific evidence around human overpopulation

Claire tells us about new research finding that scarring of the retina from toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that comes from cats, is surprisingly common; and Stu reveals the amazing feats of some migrating animals, and others that seem to get lost along the way.

Do dog breeds have distinctive personalities based on their genetics? A study into Canis familiaris and their individual canine behaviour questions the assumption that not all dogs are equal. And Claire looks into some astounding discoveries around rocks found on earth that are older than the solar system, and what they might tell us about the origins of terrestrial biology. 

Stu reveals how one of Australia's best-loved and tiniest livestock animals is actually an invasive species that displaces native pollinators; and Chris discusses black holes and how what was believed to be the closest one to Earth is probably a vampire star instead.

Chris fills us in on the widely reported and misunderstood news about changes to physics as we know it, and Claire chats to Elodie Camprasse about the mass moulting of spider crabs in southern waters of Australia and how anyone can help better understand these creatures by joinging in a citizen science project to track their movements. 

This week on the show Claire chats to Dr Jarrod McKenna about the incredible Egypian Spiny mouse and why it is so useful as a model for human reproduction. Also on the show Stu digs into research just published that reportedly fungi can communicate with each other.

Chris continues his investigation into fraudulent, dodgy and mistaken science research, and Claire talks to Hazel Richards about the new exhibition at the Museum of Victoria featuring the world's most complete Triceratops fossil ever discovered. 

This week on the show Chris speaks to Professor Ben Mol about his research investigating fraud and misconduct in medical research and his claim that up to 20% of medical research trials are false. Also on the show Stu looks at some new research just released about an old issue, the hole in the ozone layer, and how climate change and catastrophic bushfires effects it.

Claire tells us about research from Cairns about which animals are most likely to have people go to hospital due to their bites, and what the outcomes are; and Stu explains how anaesthetics that work on humans can also affect plants too.

Claire talks about the recent outbreak of so-called Japanese encephalitis and how it spreads, while Chris takes a look at the greatest hits of global extinction events on earth. 

This week on the show it's our annual International Women's Day special as we celebrate, advocate and work towards a more sustainable and equitable world for women. Claire is joined by climate scientist Dr Linden Ashcroft and neuroscientist and gender equity advocate Dr Emma Burrows.

This week, Stu explains how new advice about feeding children allergens earlier seems to be slowing the as-yet unexplained rise in rates of food allergies; and Chris bring us more news from a controversial site with fossils supposedly from the impact that (probably) finished off the dinosaurs, suggesting the asteroid struck in the northern hemisphere spring.