The Science Show - Separate stories podcast

Christina Slade, president of the Royal Society of NSW summarises the report’s findings into research and development in Australia.

The main aim of NASA's Artemis program is to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon — so what will we eat? And can food be actually be grown there? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch w...

Humans have done experiments on animals for thousands of years — but animal testing has always been controversial because of the concerns for animal welfare. Recently, there have been more and more efforts to find alternatives to lab animals. So how is this quest going? What's on the horizon – and will we ever get rid of lab animals completely?  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast...

Heat tolerance varies within seagrass species. Researchers are considering the practicalities of transplanting seagrasses to areas where plants have been impacted by heat.

Paul Davies tells the story of the iconic mathematical equation that spawned a new theory of nature – quantum mechanics.

The waves are produced when black holes or neutron stars merge.

A self-propelled robot moves through oil contaminated water cleaning up as it goes.

Ambitious Australia report suggests how to fix Australia’s broken R&D sector

It's more than 50 years since humans went anywhere near the Moon — but that's about to change. After a series of delays, NASA's Artemis II mission is set to launch in early April. So what's the aim of the mission, where exactly are the astronauts headed, and why is it happening now? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC List...

Tardigrades also known as water bears or moss piglets are eight-legged segmented micro animals. Moss Piglet a science-based show for kids playing at the World Science Festival Brisbane, March 26-29 2026.

Ultra-processed food contains special carbohydrates to improve shelf life. They require special bacteria for digestion.

Pottery fragments reveal Australia’s ancient Indigenous people interacted with other Pacific communities and produced their own pottery.

Seagrass meadows act as a fish nursery and large amounts of carbon become stored as sediment collects.

Two possums, which once lived in Australia and were thought to be extinct have been found in the Vogelkop Peninsular in Indonesian Papua. 

A fast-moving strain of influenza known as "Super-K" is circulating in Australia and has been driving up flu numbers around the world. Virologists are constantly tracking strains like this as they come and go. Professor Kirsty Short, shares her anxiety about the flu season ahead, as well as a surprising recent win — and a call to arms about vaccination. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes...

Madeleine Beekman argues for a new origin of language: the need to share childcare.

New technology is allowing long chains of DNA to be manipulated opening the door for the creation of new life forms. 

A 10% honey solution can stop growth of bacteria. And strong impacts on common fungal infections have also been observed.

Despite the move to sustainable fuel in F1 car racing, the fuel powering cars cannot be tracked easily, and only amounts to 1% of the energy cost in staging a race.

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world — but there's some good news for Aussie kids. The presence of moles is a strong predictor of melanoma and researchers in Queensland have found that the number of moles found on children's bodies has halved in recent decades. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen ap...

Dr John Bolton, once of the Radiophysics Laboratory in the CSIRO to conduct secret research on radar for the military, also helped pioneer radio astronomy after the Second World War.  He was invited to Caltech to show them how to build radio telescopes — but then resigned and returned to Australia to build the legendary Parkes Telescope.  Guest Jonas Zmuidzinas  Professor of physics  Director of C...

Harriet Brettle studied finance, had several varied jobs in leadership, and now heads the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech.  Like the “professor of everything” Bob May from Australia, who once combined his mathematical physics with the head of the Bank of England, Harriet can take risks with projects based on knowing both what’s worthwhile scientifically and sensible financially.  Guest...

Erik Petigura is a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA who specialises in discovering planets smaller than giants like Neptune and bigger than Mars and Earth. Our Solar System has none of these intermediate planets, so what's the attraction? Guest Erik Petigura Professor of physics and astronomy  UCLA  Presenter Robyn Williams

Once the stuff of science fiction, self-driving cars are now a common sight in some American cities. Robyn Williams rode in a robot taxi around Phoenix, Arizona. Guest Kylie Ahern Science publisher at STEM Matters and The Brilliant Presenter Robyn Williams

When raised lead levels were noticed in Los Angeles last year, Professor Francois Tissot, who usually examines the chemistry of asteroids, quickly saw that the fires that ravaged the region in January 2025 were to blame.  He reveals the current extent of the concern and suggests Australia inspects its own burned regions too.  Guest Francois Tissot Professor of geochemistry Caltech  PresenterRobyn...