That's What I Call Science!

In the final episode of our plastics series, we head to the world’s most remote continent, Antarctica. PhD candidate Vaibhavi Dwivedi (University of Tasmania) joins us to explore how plastic pollution, including micro- and nanoplastics, is reaching the Southern Ocean. With a background in law and environmental management, Vaibhavi examines how plastics are governed across international treaties, n...

This episode continues our microplastics mini-series with a focus on engineering solutions.  Dr Anna Wróbel an environmental engineer from the School of Engineering at the University of Tasmania joins us to talk all things microplastics and the key role that engineers can play in reducing future microplastics and removing existing microplastics from the environment.  We’ll explore a range of quest...

In this episode we continue our microplastics mini-series, this time considering the intersection between agricultural systems and engineering.  Our two guests, Sadique Bawa Anyame and Carmel Towns are PhD students studying different aspects of agricultural systems and microplastics.  Both come from industry backgrounds, and share their extensive experience in their fields as well as the innovativ...

Microplastics are everywhere, in the ocean, our food, and even the air we breathe. But what exactly are they, where do they come from, and why should we care? In this episode, we chat with Elise Tuuri, a marine scientist who has just submitted her PhD on microplastic pollution. Elise shares her journey into marine science, what sparked her interest in studying tiny plastics, and what she discovere...

How do you track the invisible spread of disease or predict the risks of invasive species? In this episode, we speak with ecological modeller, Nick Beeton, who uses maths, stats and a whole lot of code to make sense of complex environmental challenges. Nick shares his journey from growing up in Tasmania to working at CSIRO, where his projects have included modelling for wildlife disease like Devil...

In this episode, we’re exploring the fascinating world of oscillating chemical reactions — those rare reactions that don’t just proceed in one direction, but actually cycle , changing colours as they go. Our guest is mathematical chemistry PhD candidate Heath Dimsey, who helps us unpack how these mesmerizing reactions work, why they defy what we think we know about chemical processes, and how they...

Returning guest Priya Kitchener joins us to unpack Australia’s PISA study results and what they say about how well our students are performing in mathematics. With experience in both public and private school systems and now working as an engineer at a scientific software company, Priya shares her insights on how teachers, schools, and communities can use data to make meaningful change. From maths...

Nearly 50% of Tasmanians struggle with literacy. Kaitlyn shares her lived experience with literacy and the changes she decided to make for herself by joining 26Ten as an adult learner. She shares her past struggles, and we celebrate her newfound love of reading and writing. Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod Thank you to the whole TWICS team for the incredible behind-the-scenes volunteering every wee...

Ever wondered why librarians tell you to only use sources from the last 5 years? Or what makes research "powerful"? Join us as we chat with a 25-year veteran librarian from the University of Tasmania who's been helping students crack the code of academic research for decades. Our guest describes themselves as a "jack of all trades and a master of none," but don't be f...

In this episode, we sit down with proud Kamilaroi man, author, and science champion Corey Tutt to talk about his latest book Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles . We explore how this vibrant and educational book blends Indigenous knowledge with western science to inspire a new generation of curious minds - especially kids - about Australia’s most misunderstood creatures.  Corey shares his...

Could you play Minecraft on a quantum computer? In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Susan Coppersmith from the University of New South Wales to explore the strange and fascinating world of quantum computing. We talk about why quantum computers are so different from the ones we use every day, what a qubit is, what makes this technology so powerful, and how it could reshape things like encryp...

How does your phone know when to turn off the screen? Why can we build ultra-fast computers and super-sensitive sensors? And how does a DSLR camera capture images? Well, it’s all to do with quantum mechanics! In 2025, we’re celebrating the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, so there’s no better time to explore the strange but powerful rules that govern the quantum world. In this...

This week we chat with Jo Watkins, CEO of Australian Earth Science Education (AusEarthEd), a national not-for-profit bringing Earth and Environmental Science to classrooms around the country. From metro Perth to remote communities in the NT, Jo and her team are delivering hands-on STEM education through school incursions, teacher PD, and curriculum-aligned resources. We talk about Jo’s journey fro...

In this episode, we travel beyond our solar system to learn about the weird and wonderful world of exoplanets — planets orbiting stars far beyond our Sun.  Our expert guest, Dr Erica Thygesen from the University of Tasmania, takes us on a tour through how we discover these alien worlds, where they’re hiding, and just how many we’ve found so far. But finding exoplanets is just the beginning… Tracki...

Ever wondered what it’s like to do science underwater? In this episode, marine biologist and scientific diver Dr Jennie Smith joins co-host Hannah Moore and host Dr Olly Dove to talk all things scientific diving. Jennie is a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), where she recently completed her PhD on the role of lobsters in controlling pest sea urchins i...

In this episode, we dive deep (literally) into underwater volcanology with Associate Professor Rebecca Carey, a world-renowned volcanologist and researcher at the University of Tasmania. Co-host Dr Hannah Moore (also one of Rebecca’s past PhD students) and host Dr Olly Dove speak with Rebecca about her upcoming 2025 voyage aboard the RV Investigator to Tonga, where she and her team will study the...

This week is a big one for our regular host, Olly, as she celebrates her 100th episode hosting That's What I Call Science ! To celebrate the milestone, Olly has invited her dad, Frederick Dove, onto the show to talk about his own career interviewing people across the world as a broadcaster on the BBC World Service. The two also talk about the drug that caused Fred's disability, Thalidomi...

This week we’re joined by forest ecologist, tree climber, and science tour guide Yoav Daniel Bar-Ness, founder of Giant Tree Expeditions. From climbing the world’s tallest flowering plant to mapping Hiroshima’s atomic survivor trees, Yoav has spent decades exploring the lives and legacies of trees across the globe. In this episode, we explore how Tasmania’s towering forests can tell powerful stori...

In today’s episode, we take a walk down an unusual road: the pathway inside our own brains.  Dr James Crane tells Olly about his work in neuroanatomy, how neural pathways and hormones can lead to avoidance behaviour, and how we even go about studying what’s in our heads to begin with.  Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod Thank you to the whole TWICS team for the incredible behind-the-scenes volunteeri...

From marsupial reproductive biology to microscopic anatomy - aka histology - the scale of Dr Jamie Chapman’s work in how bodies function has gotten progressively smaller over the years. What hasn’t gotten smaller is Jamie’s big-picture look at the teaching of histology within Australian medical degrees. In today’s episode, Jamie tells Olly and Meredith about histology’s place within the curriculum...

In today’s episode, Dr. Sam Rose opens the operating curtains to give us a glimpse into her journey of becoming a doctor.  Dr Sam tells Olly and Tegan about how she went from high school to medical school to becoming a paediatric advanced trainee! She talks about the highs and the lows of becoming a doctor and what her future as a doctor for kids might look like! Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod Th...

In this episode, we dive into the journeys of two Tassie scientists—TWICS’s own Dr. Meredith Castles and Dr. Jane Younger—who have been selected as part of Science & Technology Australia’s prestigious Superstars of STEM program. This initiative is designed to elevate the visibility of women and non-binary people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, equipping them with media an...

In this episode of That's What I Call Science, hosts Dr. Olly Dove and Emma Hamasaki interview Ann Kristin Lund Johansen from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. Originally from Norway and having studied in the UK before coming to Tasmania, Ann Kristin discusses her PhD research on the drivers of ice mass loss in East Antarctica. She explains the importance of studying ice mass lo...

“Education, perhaps more than anything else, is a passport to a better life” beautifully sums up the work and aim of the Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment. In today’s episode, Kate and Tegan sat down with Georgia Sutton who is the Manager of the Children’s University Tasmania, a program under the Peter Underwood Centre that provides informal learning opportunities to schools and co...

In this episode of That's What I Call Science, host Dr. Olly Dove interviews regular co-host Emma Hamasaki about her diverse career path. Emma shares her journey from studying marine science at the University of Tasmania to becoming a passionate science communicator involved with projects like Redmap and Curious Climate. She discusses her work with the Centre for Marine Socioecology, her expe...