Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Shirtloads of Science

Science EN ↓ 467 episodes

Dr Karl's a curious optimist – a great combination for a science lover. Join him and his guests for weird facts, amazing conversation and remember, it's never too late for a happy childhood. Series Producer: Isabelle BentonTechnical Producer: Maya Cook

Author

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Category

Science

Latest episode

Jul 4, 2026

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Episodes

The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook (184) 03.05.2020

Dr Karl & Prof G. Lewis discuss the gaps and guesses that string together our understanding of the Cosmos. So what happens if we find a mistake in one of Einstein's predictions ? It's one of the discussion points in Geraint Lewis' latest book written with Luke Barnes. https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-cosmic-revolutionary-s-handbook-luke-a-barnes/book/9781108486705.html drkarl.com http://www.physic...

Squeezing Stars with Prof Geraint Lewis part two (183) 26.04.2020

It's part two of the Neutron star exploration with Professor G. Lewis. He takes Dr Karl layer by layer down to the core. Things are so squashed in there that quantum physics takes over. Escape from the lockdown inside a star where things go subatomic. http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

Squeezing Stars with Prof Geraint Lewis part one (182) 19.04.2020

What happens when you squeeze a star ?  Dr Karl gets inside one with Professor G. Lewis. They travel from the subatomic level up with the latest on Neutron Stars. Trigger Warning - Quarks and Bosons are mentioned . It's part one with more from the Neutrons next time.   http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

Stellar tides with Prof Don Kurtz & Dr Simon Murphy (181) 12.04.2020

To study the stars, look to the ocean. Water ebbs and flows under the influence of gravity. Astronomers see tides in moons, stars and around black holes. Dr Karl talks with two astrophysicists who recently measured a bulging star with earth-like tides.   

A Perfect Poo with prof Claire Collins (180) 05.04.2020

A perfect poo has metrics. Dr Clare and Dr Karl describe the best solid expressions. Length, thickness, mass and diet. What makes the perfect poop ?  https://theconversation.com/had-constipation-here-are-4-things-to-help-treat-it-123364

Einstein, Newton & Frame Dragging with Prof Geraint Lewis (179) 29.03.2020

Seventy-five percent can be described by Einstein. The remainder? It drove Albert to question his work till his dying day. Dr Karl and Dr Lewis discuss evidence for the missing theory .  http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

3 doctors on Carbon, the Sun and Xenobots (178) 22.03.2020

They're back ! Dr Karl on why carbon dioxide is so insidious in the atmosphere. Dr Alice Motion on the best Instagrams yet of our sun and Dr Jessica Bloom on the rise of bio-robots. The original shirtloads gangsters are in the lab.

Dr Michael Mann (177) 15.03.2020

American climatologist  Michael Mann drew a chart  back in 1999 .   It's called "The Hockey Stick Graph" because of the way it shoots up.  There was no new information in it and it drew on agreed international temperature data.  Like Charles Darwin, Dr Mann dared to publish. His "hockey stick" still makes him a target for fossil fuel lobbyists.  So what happens when a scientist is taken on by powe...

Hyper Velocity Stars with Prof Geraint Lewis (176) 08.03.2020

One star, observed in outback Australia, may hold new clues to dark matter and black holes. It's a milky way neighbour but moving very fast. Prof Geraint Lewis takes Dr Karl on his quest for answers. http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

Corey Tutt - NSW Young Australian (175) 01.03.2020

The Young Australian of the Year Award recognises 16- to 30-year-old Australians. It rewards their achievements and contributions. Dr Karl meets Corey Tutt, the NSW winner for 2020. Corey has already made an extraordinary difference with his Deadly Science initiative.

The Hubble Tension with Prof Geraint Lewis (174) 23.02.2020

The Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990. It is named after the American astronomer who found our universe was expanding. Ninety years on, with much better kit, Hubble's ideas still hold. The question is how fast are we inflating? This is the Hubble tension and Prof Geraint Lewis leads Dr Karl through the deep space discussion. http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

Cats & "Toxo" - from Kitty Litter to the eyeballs with Professor Justine Smith (173) 16.02.2020

What is the science behind warning pregnant women to stay away from cat faeces ? It involves a parasite (called "Toxo" for short)  that migrates between humans and their cats. The risk to unborn children is real and world renowned expert, Professor Justine Smith, takes Dr Karl through the life cycle from Kitty Litter to the eyeballs. https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/justine.smith

Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks and the harm they do. (171) Rpt 02.02.2020

A dietary study in Europe reveals a connection between processed foods (and drinks) and cancers. 8 years of research they tried to eliminate factors such as socioeconomic and diet preferences from the data but the link remains strong. What does it mean for you ? Doctor Karl and Professor Claire Collins discuss.  https://theconversation.com/research-check-will-eating-ultra-processed-foods-give-you-...

Walking After Eating with Kyra Sim (169) Rpt 19.01.2020

Dr Kyra Sim treats takes Dr Karl through The benefits of exercise - after eating. @kyrasim

Ice Ages with Tas Van Ommen (168) Rpt 12.01.2020

We are officially in an interglacial period - between ice ages. Dr Karl talks with Australian Glaciologist Dr Tas van Ommen about the times when Ice sheets were a kilometre thick. What caused them and how long did they last. Understanding our climate history is our best chance for anticipating its earth's future. Recorded in Antarctica

Shark spotting with drones (167) Rpt 05.01.2020

Dr Karl and AI expert Dean Blumenstein from UTS Sydney discuss the application of drones being deployed on Australian beaches. Can deep learning improve on helicopter surveillance ? Could a drone save someone faster than lifeguards ? How safe in are we in the hands of AI ? 

Australian Bird Bonding with Prof. Gisela Kaplan (166) 29.12.2019

Guardian Australia's 2017 bird of the year was the Magpie. They are notorious for swooping and pecking bike riders so why are they so popular ? Dr Karl joins Prof Kaplan in the cradle of bird life. Australia saved the birds and some of the smartest ones are still here. https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760554200/

Fasting - Just another Fad ? Dr Nick Fuller investigates (164) 15.12.2019

Dr Nick Fuller investigates the claims behind fasting diets and why today, most of us will end up where we started and feeling Hangry. He and Karl go through a recent study to show how deceptive it can be. It's not willpower that lets us down but something much deeper.  There are proven long-term plans - fasting is not one of them. Twitter: @drnickfuller Website: www.intervalweightloss.com.au

Greening the Reef to save the fish with Dr Daniela Ceccarelli (163) 08.12.2019

Marine Biologist Dr. Daniela Ceccarelli has been studying the Great Barrier reef for around 20 years. She lives and works there and has uncovered some of the complex relationships between seaweed, algae, fish and coral. One of her surprising discoveries involves the humble Damsel fish. Dr Karl talks to her on Magnetic Island about her research and containing the damage that agricultural run-off an...

Our most important Sex Organ with Dr Amee Baird (162) 01.12.2019

What controls our sex life ? Dr Amee Baird has a tremendous insight into this. As a clinical neuropsychologist, she has studied many people whose sexual behaviour suddenly changed. It  remains a taboo subject for many, and so she has written a book about what she has learned. Dr Karl spoke with Dr Amee Baird  in Sydney  about her book "Sex in the Brain". https://newcastleneuropsych.com.au/dr-amee-...

Dr Karl's Random AR Road Trip with Dr Bernie (161) 24.11.2019

Dr Bernie probes the Augmented Realities inside Dr Karl's new book. Are the 3D animations impressive ?  Do the walking, talking virtual Karls look amazing on her phone ? Is this the new frontier in science publishing ? https://drkarl.com/books/

The Thai Cave rescue with hero anaesthetist Dr Richard Harris (160) 17.11.2019

2019's Australian of the Year Award was most unusual, shared between two extraordinary people - Veterinary Surgeon, Craig Challen and Anaesthetist Richard Harris. They were pivotal in the rescue of a Soccer team trapped in a cave deep in the mountains of Thailand. In this special 50-minute podcast Dr Richard Harris takes Dr Karl through that extraordinary cave rescue during the South-east Asian Mo...

Space Archaeology with Dr Alice Gorman (159) 10.11.2019

Dr Alice Gorman is an internationally recognised leader in the emerging field of space archaeology. So how do you create a job like that?  It begins with rubbish. Dr Alice takes Dr Karl back to the fundamentals of preservation and how to sort space junk from the keepers.  @drspacejunk.

Unboiling an Egg with Prof Colin Raston (158) 03.11.2019

How do you un-boil an egg?  A Professor of Chemistry showed what was possible and won an Ig-Nobel Prize. It's all about the structure of proteins and how you fold them.  

Fire Tornados - How Jason Sharples used Maths to predict fire behaviour (157) 27.10.2019

Firestorms attacked Australia's Capital City in 2003. Four people died. Dr Karl meets Prof Jason Sharples. His analysis has altered the world's understanding of fire. In certain conditions fires jump, dance and then go their own way . https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/our-people/associate-professor-jason-sharples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navier%E2%80%93Stokes_equations https://www.youtube.com/watc...

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