That's What I Call Science!

Out on Bruny Island one rainy and windy night, Edith Shum rested in a cosy cabin after a busy day out in the field. Joined by Olly on her adventure, the two took up the chance while warming themselves by the fire to talk about Edith’s past adventures.  Having worked in Queensland with sea turtles, Edith now works in Tasmania on exploring how species shape our connection to places in the context of...

We love a good science and sport cross-over. In this episode, Olly and Georgia chat to forensic scientist, Craig Gardner about his dual passion for science and rugby union refereeing. What does it take to solve a crime with science? How do you analyse the evidence and importantly, how do you know you’re right? Craig has all the answers for us. Plus, we talk about Craig’s other passion; rugby union...

Space is full of amazing stuff we can’t see with the naked eye! Join Olly and Georgia in this episode as they embark on a journey to the distant reaches of the universe with Sophie Young, a first-year PhD student in astrophysics. Sophie shares insights into her award-winning research on Active Galactic Nuclei—the powerful galaxy centres known for emitting massive jets of superheated plasma that ca...

In August each year, a horde of science communicators arrive in lutruwita/Tasmania, ready to share their work with the public at the Beaker Street Festival. One of the many special events across the festival is the Roving Scientist Bar.  With a table per scientist and the public free to move between them, the room quickly fills with the sounds of STEMM-tastic stories being shared. Join Olly and Si...

In August each year, a horde of science communicators arrive in lutruwita/Tasmania, ready to share their work with the public at the Beaker Street Festival. One of the many special events across the festival is the Roving Scientist Bar.  With a table per scientist and the public free to move between them, the room quickly fills with the sounds of STEMM-tastic stories being shared. Join Olly and Ge...

Unsurprisingly, we love science communication here at That’s What I Call Science, as do the hosts of the Let’s Talk SciComm podcast at The University of Melbourne. Naturally, we thought this made for a perfect chance to have a crossover episode! Join Olly as Let’s Talk SciComm co-hosts and science communicator extraordinaires Jen Martin and Michael Wheeler tell her all about their exciting show as...

In this episode, we catch up with Anna, a co-manager and founding member of TWICS. After switching gears from tech to communications, Anna opens up about her late ADHD diagnosis and what it means to live and work with neurodiversity. And we get a peek into what’s been happening behind the scene at TWICS!  Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod   Host: Olly Dove (@olly_dove) Production: Ryan Smith Media &...

Urban tree ecophysiologist Dr Christoph Bachofen tells us how plants, chemistry, physics and art are intertwined through the lens of city trees. Join Christoph and Dr Kate Johnson to learn how trees and humans experience the urban environment and find out answers to questions such as; why would a student walk around Geneva with a high-tech backpack? How do trees alter the environment in cities? Do...

Have you ever used a FitBit? Quit an addiction using an app? Did you wonder why they are so successful at helping people change their behaviours? These technologies are called ‘Persuasive Technologies’, applications specifically designed using behavioural psychology to help people alter the things they do. Our guest this week is researching how to make sure technology designers make more effective...

Ever been faced with technology problems you have no idea how to fix? Error messages popping up, got another call to fix your nan’s remote control, your new smart tv making you feel…not so smart? Our guest this week is researching how you approach these different tech problems and model a way to make future tech problems easier to solve. Join us to find out how this is being done. Show theme music...

The online world is full of great content to consume. But for every piece of useful information, there are innumerable sources of harmful and disturbing content that can be accessed. Content that is not just harmful to the consumer but to the people being exploited in the creation of it. What is standing between that harmful content and the person trying to access it? The answer is not much. Our g...

Each year, Science in the Pub Tasmania’s Inspiring Women in STEMM Fellowship not only recognises incredible women working in STEMM in Tasmania, but also provides the chance for them to conduct outreach in their home community. In today’s episode, Olly hears from the 2024 fellows, Ella Smalley, Esmat Sarafraz, and Saranya Viswanathan, as they tell her all about their incredible projects. It’s safe...

Welcome, listeners, to Part 4 of our mini-series recorded on the CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator ! There’s a lot of water out there in the ocean, and the scientists in today’s episode are determined to understand as many drops of it as they can. With robust equipment, they can collect water from thousands of metres below sea level. What they do with the water after that, you’ll just have t...

Welcome, listeners, to Part 3 of our mini-series recorded on the CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator ! You’ve likely learnt long ago to keep electronics as far away from water as possible. But, in this week’s episode, we’re going to hear from two teams that use a whole lot of technology right in the middle of the ocean. From seeing never-before mapped seafloors to making sure everyone aboard c...

Welcome, listeners, to Part 2 of our mini-series recorded on the CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator ! Have you ever tried your hand at a lucky dip? What about hook-a-duck? In this week’s episode we’re going to hear about the deepest lucky dip possible: scooping rocks with a net on the bottom of the ocean.  Chief Scientist Professor Jo Whittaker tells us about how this is possible, and is join...

Welcome, listeners, to Part 1 of our mini-series recorded on the CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator ! In March 2024, Olly headed out to sea and interviewed not 1, not 2, but 26 of the adventurers aboard! Over the next four weeks, you’ll be hearing from scientists, staff, crew, and students on the ship. This week, we’re starting with the undergraduate students. Led by senior lecturer Dr Pier v...

What does it take to be an Olympian, and where do you go afterwards? In this episode, join Olly and Georgia for a compelling conversation with former Australian Olympic rower turned civil engineer Meagan Volker. Tune in as Meaghan shares the incredible journey that led her to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics, rowing in the women's eight for Australia. Learn how the discipline and determinatio...

Explore Dr Anna Matala's extraordinary journey from violinist to pioneering scientist in this compelling episode. From her groundbreaking work in pyrolysis modelling to her pivotal role at Tasmania's Fire Centre and Hydro Tasmania, Dr Matala seamlessly bridges the worlds of fire and water. Discover the fascinating intersections between her passions and the profound impact of her multidis...

Join us in this engaging episode as we delve into the fascinating world of mathematical modelling with David Horsley, a portfolio optimisation analyst at Hydro Tasmania. From statistical models of climate change to stochastic optimisation for hydro scheduling, David shares insights from his extensive experience. With a PhD in Applied Maths from UTAS and previous work on NASA's Space Geodesy P...

How do you build a storm? Dr Courtney Quinn’s maths journey has taken her all over the world, and she has combined this passion with her fascination of extreme weather events. She’s now an expert in the field of dynamical systems where she models the complexities of atmospheric and large-scale weather systems. In this episode, Olly and Georgia discover what goes into the mathematical building bloc...

The hot, dry Mediterranean, the depths of the tropics and the computer screen, Dr Helena Vallicrosa works in a range of environments to understand how chemical elements, the building blocks of the earth, cycle through ecosystems. The ‘annoying kid’ who always asked questions, a lack of representation in science meant that Helena didn’t always think a career in science was available to her. Now Hel...

In this episode, Olly and Sarah explore the world of electromagnetics with expert guest Dr Antony Lui. Antony’s career in research has focused on applications related to electromagnetic theory, including medical diagnosis, and antennas for sensing and communications. Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod Host: Olly Dove (@olly_dove) Co-Host: Sarah Lyden Production: Simin Salarpour (@SalarpourSimin)

Join Olly in Sarah in this episode as they talk to engineer and chemist Tim Jessup about Jetpacks, Mass-spectrometers and applying the scientific method to creating the ultimate brownie recipe. Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod Host: Olly Dove (@olly_dove) Co-Host: Sarah Lyden Production: Ryan Smith Media & Promotion: Katya Bandow (@katyabandow)

Rex Moncur graduated in Communications Engineering.  He was Director of the Australian Antarctic Division from 1988 to 1998.  Rex was awarded the Australian Public Service Medal and is a Fellow of the University of Tasmania for helping set up Antarctic Research at the University.  On retirement his interest is Amateur Radio and he holds a number of World records. Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod Ho...

In this episode, Georgia and Sarah learn all about hydrogen energy technology and its role in Australia’s sustainable future. Our guest is Dr Krystina Lamb, a leader in renewable and hydrogen energy technology research, now working for Jupiter Ionics. Tune in to hear about Krystina’s journey and learn how hydrogen can be used to store energy, where it can be put to use and the many benefits it can...