Self Improvement Wednesday

The Bible says the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by an asteroid. Our own Astronomer-at-large isn't so sure.

It's mating season for the Alligator Snapping Turtles at the Big Cat Conservation Centre near Sydney. Ben Britton gives you a crash course on these fascinating creatures.

The slave whose life story can now be told

See if you can wrap your head around this fascinating maths lesson from your teacher Professor Nalini Joshi from the School of Mathematics at the University of Sydney as she dives into the world of unseen numbers, sequences and functions; and how they can be applied in the real world.

How do you define your place in the world? The theory of "Somewheres" and "Anywheres" was devised by British journalist and commentator, David Goodhart. It suggests some people are grounded to the place they're born, and others see themselves as a citizen of the world. Tim Dean, philosopher and author from the University of Sydney explains the theory.

Ever wondered why some pieces of music make you feel just so amazing you can't quite describe the feeling? Your teacher is Professor Emery Schubert, leader of the Empirical Musicology Lab at the University of New South Wales.

On Self Improvement Wednesday, Dr Brett Summerell dives into Myrtle Rust, a plant disease which has spread rapidly around Australia in just over a decade.

Two sightings of the Pygmy Blue Whale off Maroubra last year, but it's not the first time these mysterious creatures have been seen in our own blue backyard.

In Self Improvement Wednesday, how Australian Flora is helped along by fire and smoke.

The departing director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Liz Ann Macgregor, on the work of artist, Dale Harding, of the Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal peoples.

Ever wondered how on earth we managed to train our favourite furry friends to do both fun and very important things? Turns out the accepted methodology for training man's best friend hasn't always been the same. Your teacher Dr. Kersti Seksel, vet, animal behaviourist and Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland takes you on a short journey through the history of dog training.

A small group of Ngarigu people and academic colleagues have been working hard to revitalise an ancient snow making song, sung on Ngarigu Country at Kunama Namadgi (the Snowy Mountains). It was once observed and written down by the nineteenth century explorer John Lotsky, and your teacher this week, Professor Jakelin Troy, Ngarigu woman and Director of Indigenous Research at the University of Sydn...

Does language influence how we think? Could it affect your conception of time, or the colours you see, or even your ability to count? These questions are at the heart of what’s called the theory of linguistic relativity, sometimes known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Your teacher is Tiger Webb, the ABC’s Language Specialist.

You might be used to the idea that advertising revenue funds much of the media we access – newspapers, magazines, radio, television, digital media and more. But advertising is increasingly funding everyday public facilities and services in our cities – like buses and trains, bus stops, street signs, public toilets, and even road repairs. Your teacher Kurt Iveson, Associate Professor of Urban Geogr...

The black hole has captured the imagination of many an astronomer and our brightest boffins are constantly finding out more about one of the most mysterious phenomena in the universe. Your teacher Fred Watson, Australia's astronomer-at-large, sheds some light on some of the new research looking for different types of black holes.

It's a Greek word that has slipped into the Aussie vernacular, but the word "Eureka" was famously yelled by the great thinker Archimedes. So where did his lightbulb moment come from? And what happened next? Your teacher this week is Dr Anne Rogerson, the Charles Tesoriero Senior Lecturer in Latin at the University of Sydney.

Most people understand what architects do, but fewer understand what is involved in Landscape Architecture and what kind of skills we bring to their work. Elizabeth Mossop, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney explains how to see places in all of their natural and human complexity.

Do you have a frog in your backyard? Maybe you often hear one at night in your street. Like us, frogs have preferences when it comes to where they live. Take a listen to this week's fascinating lesson with Dr Jodi Rowley from the Australian Museum.

Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, west of Sydney, has the longest recorded flood history in modern Australia. Written records go back to 1795, but Aboriginal people also told Governor King about floods before that. Your teacher is Professor Grace Karskens from the School of Humanities and Languages at the University of New South Wales, looking at how "flood-mindedness" in the area has evolve...

Dr Eliza Middleton on the history of insects

Everyone has had a nasty encounter with wildlife, even if it’s only getting stung by a bee. Now there is a global discipline of conservation science working on managing Human-Wildlife Conflict. Professor Richard Kingsford form the Centre for Ecosystem Science, at the University of New South Wales talks about how we can better understand our relationship with the world's wildlife.

Greek philosopher Aristotle influenced everything from logic to politics. So how was he able to set the tone for over two millennia of philosophical enquiry? Dr Tim Dean, a philosopher from the University of Sydney shares his insights.

“To be or not to be, that is the question" they're some of Shakespeare's most famous words. But do we know the true meaning of them? Huw Griffiths, Chair of English at the University of Sydney and author of Shakespeare’s Body Parts gives us the answer in this weeks instalment of Self Improvement.

Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art educates us on the work of baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. An artist who turned the turmoil in her own life into incredible works of art.

Fungi can help trees communicate with each other. Dr Brett Summerell, Chief Botanist at the Institute of Botanical Science explains how this fascinating symbiotic relationship works.