The Fact Detectives

Is there really a spider as big as a bird?! Why do spiders build webs? How strong is spider silk really? In this episode The Fact Detectives untangle a web of incredible facts about spiders with entomologist, Ken Walker, at Museums Victoria.  If you love finding out fun facts about cool stuff, subscribe now for a brand new episode every fortnight. And if you love us, please rate us and leave a rev...

Are meteorites really alien rocks?  What’s the difference between a shooting star,  a  meteor and a comet?    In this episode The Fact Detectives find out about meteorites - and meteor-wrongs! - with Dermot Henry, Head of Sciences at Museums Victoria.   Listen now to find out all about the awesome facts about meteorites! If you love finding out fun facts about cool stuff, subscribe now for a brand...

Master builders? Amazing  gardeners ? Supersonic strength? Is there anything ants can’t do?   In this episode The Fact Detectives dig down deep into the magical world of ants with  Simon Hinkley  who studies bugs and spiders at Museums Victoria.   Listen now to find out all the f-ANT-astic facts about ants!  If you love finding out fun facts about cool stuff, subscribe now for a brand new episode...

Are sea spiders really spiders? How do they eat with no mouth? And what is an eye tower?    In this episode The Fact Detectives head underwater to find out the facts about sea spiders with  Melanie  MacKenzie  who looks after Museums Victoria’s collection of marine life such as sea stars and sponges.  Listen now to find out all the spindly facts about sea spiders!  If you love finding out fun fact...

Do frogs lead double lives? Why don’t they freeze in the snow? And is a tiny, cute frog really one of the most dangerous creatures in the world?    In this episode The Fact Detectives find out all the slimy facts about frogs from  Stephanie  Versteegan  who takes care of live exhibits like frogs and lizards at Museums Victoria.   Listen now to find out all the ribbiting facts about frogs!  If you...

Was the earth once a giant snowball? Were there really volcanoes that erupted for MILLIONS of years ?   A nd  were there really  waves as high as skyscrapers ? !   In this episode The Fact Detectives find out all the cold hard facts about Ice Ages from Rolf   Schmidt  – a geologist who looks after the fossil collection of invertebrates at Museums Victoria.   If you love finding out fun facts about...

Are sea cucumbers the same as sea slugs...? And do they really breathe through their butts? In this episode The Fact Detectives find out the answers to these questions and more, with  Melanie MacKenzie  - a marine biologist at Museums Victoria who looks after collections of sea stars and sponges and more . If you love finding out fun facts about cool stuff, subscribe now for a brand new episode ev...

What is lightning? Does it have a smell? Should I hide under the bed in a storm…? In this episode, The Fact Detectives get some super exciting, electric-charged facts from  Rosa Zwier  who is a presenter at Scienceworks. Listen now to find out what other bolts of information struck The Fact Detectives! If you love finding out fun facts about cool stuff, subscribe now for a brand new episode every...

What's the difference between a bee and a wasp? How many bees does it take to make a teaspoon of honey? Why do bees sting? In this episode the Fact Detectives chat to  Ken Walker , an entomologist at Museums Victoria. Listen now to find out the buzz about bees! A Kinderling co-production with Museums Victoria. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are fossils just old dinosaur bones? Why do fossils go to hospital? How can old things help us plan the future? In this episode the Fact Detectives chat to Tim Ziegler, a palaeontologist at Melbourne Museum, about the importance of fossils. Listen now to find out what else the Fact Detectives ‘dug up’ ...  If you love finding out fun facts about cool stuff, subscribe now for a bra...

Why was Melbourne in Australia once known as  Smellbourne ? What does a Night Soil person do? And where does our poo and wee go when we flush?   The Fact Detectives find out all this and more when they meet Marita Dyson from Melbourne Museum who clears up all these smelly mysteries and more. Listen now t...

What's a craving? Why do I fart? Do microbes reallly control our brains? The Fact Detectives ask these questions and more when they meet microbe expert, Doctor Joanna Simkin – the manager of Museum Victoria's Health and Medicine collection. Listen now to ‘digest’ all the other cool facts that Joanna s...

n this episode the Fact Detectives ask some BIG questions about some BIG animals. Like, could a shark grow as big as a bus? Was there really a turtle as big as a hatchback? And did monster kangaroos once roam the land?! The Fact Detectives ask these questions and more when they met up with Melbourne Museum paleontologist, Tim Ziegler. Listen now to find out what other BIG questions the Fact Detect...

Are there killer butterflies? Can a moth really grow as big as a dinner plate?! And is smell-search really a thing? In this episode the Fact Detectives ask these questions and more when they meet the incredible Ken Walker who is an entomologist at Museums Victoria.  Listen now to find out what other ques...