That's What I Call Science!

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...

Join Olly and Sarah in this episode as they dive into an interesting engineering application involving lobsters.  Our expert guest Charles Sutherland is a PhD student in the School of Engineering and has been working on enabling technology to identify pre-moult lobsters.  Through this episode Charles shares the engineering journey he has been on in developing low-cost technology for this cross-dis...

In the paradise of Ticino, Switzerland palms line the foothills of the alps, but why are they here and are they a problem? Thibaut Juillard studies what makes these palms successful for his PhD in the PERL (Plant Ecology Research Laboratory) at EPFL (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland). Dr Kate Johnson and Katya Bandow ask Thibaut about ‘his’ palms and how he studie...

Join us as we journey through time and space to unlock Earth's dynamic history with expert guest Dr. Sheree Armistead. In this episode, we delve into Sheree’s groundbreaking research, from unravelling the mysteries of supercontinent Gondwana's tectonic evolution in Madagascar, India, and East Africa during her PhD studies, to exploring the ancient links between supercontinents and ore fo...

Welcome to the third instalment of our 'Geoscience Mini-Series', a four-part journey where we engage with geoscientists from Tasmania and across Australia. This week, we're thrilled to chat with Dr. Indrani Mukherjee, a geology lecturer and researcher at the University of New South Wales. Join us as we explore Indrani’s work unravelling the intricate connections between early Earth...

Welcome to our second instalment of the ‘Geoscience mini-series’, a four-part series where we talk to geoscientists based in Tasmania and elsewhere in Australia. Dr. Owen Missen, a Lecturer in Environmental Geology, shares insights into the role of critical metals, such as Cobalt and Tellurium, in Australia’s sustainable future. Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod Host: Olly Dove (@olly_dove) Co-Host:...

Welcome to our first instalment of the ‘Geoscience mini-series’, a four-part series where we talk to geoscientists based in Tasmania and elsewhere in Australia. This episode’s guest, Izzy Von Lichtan, is an esteemed expert in earth sciences, serving as curator at the Rock Library & Geological Museum and associate lecturer at the University of Tasmania. With over two decades of experience in te...

Drones, Aussie mangroves and pine forests in the Swiss mountains; come on a journey around the world with Parisian Ecophysiologist Dr Alice Gauthey. Find out how Dr Gauthey investigates the impacts of climate change including drought, heat and increasing CO2 on plants in this interview with fellow-plant-lover Dr Kate Johnson. You’ll also hear Dr Gauthey’s insights into the joys and challenges of r...

Welcome to our first new episode of 2024! We’re kicking off the year by delving into the captivating world of beetles and bugs with Tessa Smith, a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania. Tessa's not just an insect expert, she's also a rockstar in the science communication scene! From co-hosting "That's What I Call Science" to organising the super cool "Science in...

Our Australian Museum Eureka Prize miniseries wraps up this week with part 4, where we interview Lila Landowski. Lila was a finalist for the Celestino Eureka prize for Promoting Understanding of Science. A neuroscientist by day, she’s also presented a Tedx Talk with nearly 2 million views, and appears as a regular guest science communicator on major radio and television broadcasts.  Tune in to hea...

For week three of our four-part Eureka Prizes mini-series, we’re joined by two members of the Sea Slug Census team: Dr Nicole Mertens and Professor Steve Smith.  The Sea Slug Census was a finalist for the Innovation in Citizen Science category at the Eureka Prizes 2023, and brings together slug enthusiasts across the country to find these wonderful critters of all different sizes and colours. Tune...