Shirtloads of Science

Australia has a new Antarctic Vessel. Jono Reeve takes Dr Karl on a virtual tour of the features of the RSV Nuyina.  drkarl.com RSV Nuyina

There were high hopes for the Hubble space telescope. Eventually they were realised with  pictures of galaxies beyond our widest visions. This century the James Webb  promises both time and space with a different universal perspective. Dr Jessica Bloom on why this is a game changer.

The diseases of ageing are already overwhelming health care facilities. In the decades ahead, our older populations will put even more pressure on health unless there are medical breakthroughs. These diseases are proving stubborn to medicate and cures are very rare. A human fountain of youth has yet to show itself. In other animals, things appear easier to treat with less complex biochemistry to g...

In 1966, two Soviet cosmologists proposed the existence of primordial black holes. 55 years on, evidence mounts that these ancient bodies actually exist. They are the stem cells of the cosmos scattered on a universal matrix and may be pre-atomic. Professor Lewis takes Dr Karl back to the very beginning for an encounter with these dark beasts. drkarl.com geraintflewis.com

A zap from a doorknob or a lightning bolt that sets fire to a forest, these events are notoriously unpredictable. If there is an imbalance of electric charge, a Static Electricity event "might" happen. Things like air humidity or microscopic superficial bumps can play a role – but how much? Professor Lewis explains the known physics and yet-to-be discovered secret life of static electricity with D...

What happens when a star gets hungry? Could it eat another star? Cosmic cannibalism is a thing. 500 million years ago in a galaxy far, far away – to be precise, about 500 million light years away one of two stars gobbled the other. Professor Lewis explains to Dr Karl the physics and cosmology of devouring your neighbours. drkarl.com geraintflewis.com

Covid continues to test public health and communications. Our best explainers have put themselves in the front line to keep us safe. Some, including Professor Julie Leask, have been threatened. Dr Karl discusses why health professionals have been under attack for doing their Job.  drkarl.com

Venus and Mars may have once supported life. What went wrong? Professor Tuthill walks Dr Karl through the physics of changing climates on our neighbours. There are lessons for us Earthlings.   drkarl.com

The 60s, 70s and 80s was when their prize-winning work was done., Their modelling made "Groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex systems".  These Nobel physicists explored how to estimate climate changes with greenhouse gasses.  Nobel-2021 drkarl.com  

Cybernetics meets anthropology - Professor Genevieve Bell loves blended disciplines. She is a renowned anthropologist, technologist, and futurist. She spent more than two decades in Silicon Valley. Her passion - making tech work better with humans and social systems. Too often technologists forget human needs or exploit weaknesses. Both can lead to disaster. Dr Karl in conversation with a progress...

Artificial Intelligence is proliferating so how deep will it penetrate society. Are Robot domestic helpers, interpreters, navigators, lawyers or judges on their way?  What about autonomous nuclear submarines? Should we be drawing lines? AI expert professor Toby Walsh has answers for Dr Karl's questions. https:\\drkarl.com @TobyWalsh

Artificial Intelligence is here and embedded in modern life. So how best to traverse those "uncanny valleys" between robots and humans? Can computer Art or Sculpture express human feeling? Could AI math (re-factorable numbers) keep us safer?  Professor Toby Walsh is an expert and has answers for Dr Karl. https:\\drkarl.com @TobyWalsh

October 15th is Ada Lovelace Day and celebrates women in science, tech, engineering, and math.  Ada was Lord Byron's daughter but most significantly she realised the potential of computers two centuries ago. Ada is now believed to be the first person to publish an algorithm. She is one of many women forgotten by science as Dr Jessica Bloom tells Dr Karl.  https:/drkarl.com  

Doctor Karl talks with the Chief Scientist of Australia. Superconductors, Sunscreen, LEDs, Phonons, Vaccines  - is anything off limits? In an age where science is everywhere how does a Chief Scientist operate ?     https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/ Twitter @ScienceChiefAu drkarl.com

Dr Karl and cosmologist professor Paul Davies discuss what we are still learning about the Universe.  Antigravity, inflation, Olbers' paradox, extraterrestrial life - have been eternal puzzles. Piece by piece we are assembling a bigger picture ... but is it getting any clearer ? https://drkarl.com/ https://beyond.asu.edu/ deepthought@asu.edu

Is our universe one of a long cycle of repeating universes? Or is it something different? Dr K takes a ride with Prof Geraint through concepts of cycling universes. http://www.drkarl.com http://www.geraintflewis.com

130 million years ago marsupials roamed the earth along with dinosaurs.  Today only marsupials survive. Dr Karl meets Professor Kathy Belov to  discover their secrets of survival and what we are now learning from them. Anyone for koala peptides ?  http://www.drkarl.com https://twitter.com/kathybelov

Globular clusters are spherical collections of stars. The Milky Way has 150. Most galaxies have them. Professor Lewis gives an update on these freaky outliers. Are they are older and wiser residents of galactic space?  http://www.drkarl.com http://www.geraintflewis.com  

Did the Big Bang make a noise? Can we measure the acoustics of a star? Neutrons or Protons - which lasts longest ? A 20-year experiment has answers to questions we never thought of asking. Professor Geraint Lewis reveals to Dr Karl the power of the baryon.  http://www.drkarl.com http://www.geraintflewis.com

On Wednesdays Dr Karl meets with school students around Australia (and sometimes overseas). He loves hearing what the curious young minds are thinking about. Their questions often set off new ways of thinking. Occasionaly the simplest questions are the hardest. This episode of Shirtloads is a Q&A session with the students from Aspendale Primary School, Victoria in May 2021. Enjoy! https://drkarl.c...

Dr Karl investigates Australia's latest CubeSat mission. It's called "CUAVA-1" and aims to measure blue carbon from space. Geosciences Associate Professor Eleanor Bruce is coordinating the team of researchers mapping coastlines for aquatic vegetation. Space Physics Professor Iver Cairns is squashing the technology into a package the size of a fat packet of biscuits.  Dr Karl uncovers a truly Austr...

Dr Karl uncovers a truly Australian "Apollo 13" story . It includes a fishing line, amateur radio enthusiasts and a clever ground crew who "worked the problem". The mission was INSPIRE-2. Professor Eleanor Bruce and Professor Iver Cairns tell this extraordinary story.  drkarl.com Inspire2 Cubesat @arc_cuava

In 2015 our observable universe unofficially added a new dimension. Dr Karl talks with ANU Professor Susan Scott about why she had to keep the discovery of gravitational waves a secret. Also how gravitational waves are helping us understand black holes so much better. @ozgravityguru drkarl.com

In 2016 our observable universe officially added a new dimension : Gravitational waves. On that international LIGO team was an Australian theoretical physicist. Dr Karl talks with ANU distinguished professor Susan Scott about those observations and what Neutron stars may be revealing about their insides.  @ozgravityguru drkarl.com

The fastest circumnavigation route by sea is via the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. It is also the most dangerous. Australian solo sailer, Lisa Blair,  has been there once already. She now is trying again . Dr Karl finds out why. lisablairsailstheworld.com drkarl.com