Self Improvement Wednesday

How we give big tasks to the tiniest of creatures

Find out all about the curious white whale Migaloo, who looks like an iceberg underwater. Your teacher for Self Improvement Wednesday is Dr Vanessa Pirotta, Wildlife Scientist at Macquarie University.

Ever wondered how those ethereal mineral formations are created in caves? Prof Andy Baker, cave and karst expert at UNSW’s School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences is your teacher this week for Self Improvement Wednesday.

Learn all about the the prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle. It's the largest freshwater turtle in North America and among the largest in the world. With its spiked shell, beaklike jaws, and thick, scaled tail, this species is often referred to as the "dinosaur of the turtle world." Ben Britton, Director of the Wild Cat Conservation Centre joins Richard Glover for Self Improvement Wednes...

Australians consume on average almost twice the recommended amount of salt per day.

They're the most diverse plant family in the world and they've managed to survive in all kinds of environments thanks to a whole lot of kooky and deceptive survival techniques. Learn about some of the sneaky tactics used by orchids with Distinguished Professor Kingsley Dixon from the School of Molecular and Life Sciences at Curtin University.

Train carriages, station platforms and other transport like buses and ferries are also some of the most-used public spaces in our cities – many thousands of us share these intimate spaces with strangers every day.

The lines of succession to the British Throne

Virgil was the Roman poet credited with keeping the flies out of Naples.

The wet weather has driven many insects out of their homes to seek shelter elsewhere — often in our homes.

The Sydney region was absolutely plagued with bushrangers, as well as cattle thieves, illegal distillers and even a few pirates, right up to the 1840s.

It's the iconic flower that has attracted attention since it was first observed by Aboriginal people thousands of years ago. Take a dip into the inner workings of the waratah with Dr Brett Summerell.

Where might the next volcanic eruption occur in Australia?

Professor Fred Watson explains how asteroids can cluster near planets in a gravity-neutral space

Just like a visit to a GP, there are ways to test the health of the environment. Richard Kingsford is professor of Ecosystem Science at UNSW and explains how the stethoscope is applied to an ecosystem.

It's the iconic flower that has attracted attention since it was first observed by Aboriginal people thousands of years ago. Dr Brett Summerell takes a dip into the inner workings of the waratah.

The series ran for 27 years with every episode written by Gwen Meredith. Professor Michelle Arrow from Macquarie University explains why it was so captivating.

If you've ever seen a spider wrapped up in a leaf on its web, that's the leaf-curling spider. Learn more from Dr Jess Marsh, an arachnologist at Murdoch University.

When you think of the story of Jesus' birth, you might be confused with the different stories you've heard about how it all happened. The Reverend Professor Dorothy Lee from the University of Divinity unpacks the two versions of the story found in the Bible.

We thought this was one species, but we've actually got three different species.

Having dogs as companions is a recent thing, isn't it? Not at all. Just ask the ancient Greeks and Romans

Why do we say the Big Bad Wolf, instead of the Bad Big Wolf? Tiger Webb, the ABC's Language Expert explains the hierarchy of how adjectives have to appear in the English language

A fascinating lesson on how the tallest trees manage to transport water from their deepest roots right through to their furthest limbs

Imagine a more relaxed commute with more space and fresh air. The key could be getting rid of many of our cars

It's considered so light an amusing, but Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is darker than you might think