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The Science Show - Separate stories podcast Cover
The Science Show - Separate stories podcast Profile

The Science Show - Separate stories podcast

English, Health / Medicine, 1 season, 352 episodes, 2 days, 17 hours, 21 minutes
About
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
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Exoplanets help answer big questions

What happens after our Sun expands and consumes the inner planets? Recent exoplanet discoveries suggest a possible future.
2/24/20249 minutes, 55 seconds
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Falling Walls 2023

Early history of our galaxy, extracting carbon dioxide from air, and a new cancer treatment using an existing drug.
2/24/202417 minutes, 10 seconds
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Grim outlook for Tasmania’s Maugean skate

They’ve lived since the time of the dinosaurs. But the outlook is grim for Tasmania’s Maugean skate.
2/24/202423 minutes, 21 seconds
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Joseph Needham revealed Chinese science and technology to the world

A great range of scientific and technical achievements were made in China hundreds of years earlier than in Europe.
2/17/202420 minutes, 49 seconds
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Citizen scientists document shrinking and disappearing Caribbean islands

Hotter sea water is inundation small Caribbean islands.
2/17/202410 minutes, 52 seconds
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Thompson Institute addresses mental health challenges for an ageing population

Sophie Andrews leads the Healthy Brain Ageing Research Program and describes some of the work of the Thompson Institute.
2/17/20244 minutes, 16 seconds
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Sally Hurst – Founder of Found a Fossil

Found a Fossil is an essential guide for anyone who finds a fossil or artefact.
2/17/20245 minutes, 42 seconds
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Is artificial intelligence conscious?

Experts put AI to the test.
2/16/20247 minutes, 22 seconds
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COSMOS celebrates 100th edition

Editor Gail MacCallum outlines her approach with the commemorative edition.
2/10/202410 minutes, 57 seconds
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Buildings and bridges – built to last?

New technology reveals stress levels in roads, bridges and buildings.
2/10/202413 minutes, 56 seconds
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Improving photosynthesis

More efficient molecules inside plants could bring a big increase in crop yields.
2/10/20243 minutes, 49 seconds
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Plants in the Civil War: A Botanical History

Judith Sumner views history through a botanical lens
2/10/20247 minutes, 13 seconds
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Rapid decline in Caribbean coral

Warm water, violent storms and human activity have seen coral heavily impacted in the Caribbean.
2/10/20246 minutes, 42 seconds
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Heavy metals, pesticides found in seafood

Kirsten Benkendorff has found banned agricultural chemicals in seafood.
2/10/20244 minutes, 23 seconds
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Pharmacy jabs relieves pressure on GPs

Anna Barwick is looking at new models of care to improve health outcomes across Australia.
2/10/20243 minutes, 2 seconds
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Counting koalas from the sky

Heat sensing drones are far more accurate in determining koala populations than counting from the ground.
2/3/20249 minutes, 7 seconds
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Field guide for birds in urban Australia

Identify your feathered neighbours with this new book.
2/3/202415 minutes
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Changing climate impacts PNG highlands

Failing crops and water supply is forcing change to traditional lifestyles.
2/3/202420 minutes, 45 seconds
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Campus biodiversity push a sign of things to come

Legislation is on its way which will force businesses to financially account for their impact on the environment.
2/3/20244 minutes, 24 seconds
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Connecting with those who won’t be convinced

From Hobart’s Beaker St Festival Tim Flannery and Robyn Williams tackle the problem of how to approach people who despite overwhelming evidence, won’t be convinced. 
1/6/202446 minutes, 45 seconds
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Licking tasting and eating rocks?

Jan Zalasiewicz wrote about this and is now a proud Ignobel Prize winner.
1/6/20244 minutes, 34 seconds
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Attacking cancer with tiny magnets

Magnetic nanoparticles injected near a tumour can generate heat when exposed to wave energy and kill cancer cells.
12/30/20234 minutes, 15 seconds
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Anticipating the Anglo-Australian Telescope, and a visit after 40 years

Robyn Williams visited the telescope site just prior to its completion in 1974. In 2014 he returned as astronomers celebrated 40 years.
12/30/202344 minutes, 47 seconds
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Robots to lead advanced manufacturing in Australia

Australia is an ideal place for manufacture of personalised, customised products generating high margins. And that becomes possible with the use of robotics and artificial intelligence.
12/30/20233 minutes, 32 seconds
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Why our capital cities were placed where they are

Anthony Webster’s book traces how the places chosen for Australia’s seven colonial capitals came to shape their unique urban character and built environments.
12/23/202313 minutes, 42 seconds
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Odyssey down under

Historian Tom Griffiths says a new kind of history is called for in the year of the Voice referendum. He wrote this essay Odyssey down under for Inside Story.
12/23/202330 minutes, 53 seconds
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Indigenous stories go digital

Susan Beetson is working with Indigenous communities creating digital forms of cultural stories and knowledge ensuring efficacy and economic benefit for knowledge holders.
12/23/20235 minutes, 31 seconds
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The development of RN and a possible future path

Former ABC deputy managing director Malcolm Long takes us back to the 1970s when the current RN developed and reflects on a possible future.
12/16/20236 minutes, 9 seconds
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David Suzuki – reflections of an elder

At the age of 87, the award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster has stepped down as host of CBC TV's The Nature of Things. In May, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto hosted an evening with David Suzuki: Reflections of an Elder.
12/16/202345 minutes, 28 seconds
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Carbon dioxide emissions increasing

Despite the talk of net zero by 2050, global emission are increasing. To reach zero by 2050, we’d need to see a reduction of 5-7% each year. It’s not happening.
12/9/20233 minutes, 44 seconds
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Warm currents, strong winds melting Antarctic ice shelf

There have been successive records of low ice cover in east Antarctica. The first was in 2022. Now another record has been broken in 2023.
12/9/20235 minutes, 51 seconds
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Amazon threat intensifies

Reese Halter reports on how the Amazon is now a place of heatwaves, drought and bushfires.
12/9/20235 minutes, 12 seconds
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Bob McDonald – The Future Is Now

The Future Is Now,  presents the latest on wind, solar, geothermal, tidal power, energy storage and more.
12/9/202323 minutes, 44 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools

Winner Judith Stutchbury in Queensland has galvanised her classes to rescue turtles, clean up beaches and do what’s needed to make their district thrive.
12/9/20233 minutes, 55 seconds
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The next gold rush is here. It’s batteries.

The Energy Storage Research Group at QUT tests all sorts of batteries essential for the transition to renewable energy.
12/9/20238 minutes, 49 seconds
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Sir Clarence Lovejoy

We revisit an interview with Sir Clarence Lovejoy, Australian Nobel Prize winner in the field of brain research.
12/2/202315 minutes, 13 seconds
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Best Australian Science Writing – Bragg Prize and the book

Excerpts from the 2023 awards presentation and panel discussion.
12/2/202321 minutes, 48 seconds
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Aussie STEM Star – Michelle Simmons

Nova Weetman reads from her children’s book on physicist Michelle Simmons, a pioneer in quantum computing.
12/2/20238 minutes, 33 seconds
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Cadaver research leads to prestigious science award

Dermatologists Natasha Mesinkovska and Christine Pham have won the Ig Nobel Medicine Prize for their work using cadavers to explore whether there is an equal number of hairs in each of a person’s two nostrils.
12/2/20234 minutes, 34 seconds
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High hopes for seahorses in Sydney Harbour

A decline in seahorses due to habitat loss and pollution may be reversing.
11/25/20236 minutes, 52 seconds
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Gladys and Stripey - Two little fish enthral children

Author Michele Gierck describes how she is inspired by the natural world and how she created an adventure story for children based on science and the lives of two little fish.
11/25/202310 minutes, 58 seconds
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Is uncertainty a weakness of science or a strength?

In his book, The Primacy of Doubt, Tim Palmer explores how the geometry of chaos can explain our uncertain world - from weather and pandemics to quantum physics and free will.
11/25/202322 minutes, 31 seconds
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The power of climate change images

Saffron O’Neill is exploring why particular types of climate imagery continue to thrive and circulate, whilst others don’t.
11/25/20237 minutes, 11 seconds
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Mining waste slips under the radar

Anita Parbhakar-Fox says there is large-scale waste in mining and there are big benefits, economic, environmental and social if companies look closer at their waste.
11/25/20233 minutes, 45 seconds
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The role of rocks in the carbon cycle

Fragmented rocks can absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Great! Could this save us?
11/18/20238 minutes, 17 seconds
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Australia’s nickel deposits formed following ancient volcanic activity

Mathematician Herbert Huppert explains the processes that have led to Australia’s extensive nickel deposits.
11/18/20235 minutes, 32 seconds
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What to do when you find a fossil

Sally Hurst has created the website Found a Fossil as a resource for what you can do and who to contact when you find a heritage object.
11/18/202310 minutes, 7 seconds
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Where is the Taylor Swift of geology?

Indrani Mukherjee says geology needs a Taylor Swift to sell geology and persuade young people of the field’s importance.
11/18/20234 minutes, 44 seconds
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Bio-based glue for rehabilitating coral

Laleh Moghaddam describes a bio-based glue intended for use on coral reefs to repair corals after storms.
11/18/20233 minutes, 31 seconds
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How land clearing has affected climate

Western Australia’s rabbit proof fence provides evidence of the effect of land clearing on climate.
11/18/202315 minutes, 26 seconds
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Designer immune cells attack tumors in response to sound

Researchers at Caltech are designing immune cells whose position can be manipulated using ultrasound. These cells recognise cancer cells then damage them from the inside upon receiving a focused ultrasound stimulus.
11/11/20238 minutes, 51 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Science Prize for Innovation 2023

The winner is Glenn King for his pioneering use of peptides from Australian funnel-web spider venom for crop protection and potentially human therapeutics. 
11/11/20236 minutes
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Prime Minister’s New Innovator Prize 2023

Griffith University’s Associate Professor Lara Herrero has been awarded the 2023 Prime Minister’s Prize for New Innovators for her work on creating a drug for the treatment of Ross River Virus.
11/11/20234 minutes, 15 seconds
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Applying mathematics and fluid mechanics to lava flows

Herbert Huppert has discovered that while crystals form in cooling lava, they don’t have a major impact on lava flow. It is viscosity which plays the major role in the speed and spread of flowing lava.
11/11/20237 minutes, 13 seconds
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Science and music combine to reveal the wonders of the universe

Brian Cox and The Sydney Symphony take audiences on a tour of the universe.
11/11/20239 minutes, 28 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Physical Scientist of the Year 2023

This year’s Physical Scientist of the Year is Professor Yuerui (Larry) Lu from the Australian National University.
11/11/20232 minutes, 53 seconds
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Getting to know the sea snakes of Western Australia

Scientists are catching and tagging sea snakes in Exmouth Gulf to learn more about their abundance and range.
11/11/202314 minutes, 24 seconds
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Parasites - more than half the world’s species

Ryan Hechinger describes a parasite which has different stages of its life cycle in a snail, in fish, and animals that eat fish, including humans.
11/4/20237 minutes, 42 seconds
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Teams key to big problem solutions in health data research

Ben Goldacre continues this week explaining that it is teams of specialists working together which produce the ideas and methods for health research projects.
11/4/20234 minutes, 18 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools 2023

Winner Donna Buckley teaches mathematics at the John Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle. She inspires students with diverse, creative backgrounds to apply mathematics to real-world problems, and introduces them to careers in science. 
11/4/20236 minutes, 20 seconds
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Isaac Newton Institute - UK hub for mathematical sciences

Based in Cambridge, the Isaac Newton Institute welcomes scientists from all disciplines eager to immerse themselves in maths and stats.
11/4/20238 minutes, 48 seconds
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Mathematics – the tool that will change the world

Kate Helmstedt at QUT applies mathematics to natural resource and environmental management.
11/4/20239 minutes, 27 seconds
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Using sound recordings to monitor and measure animals in natural environments

Freddie Poznansky is working with local communities in Borneo giving them skills in recording environmental sounds. Computers then analyse the recordings producing a measurement of biodiversity and change over time.
11/4/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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Genome science used to ensure safe seafood

Rachel Hartnell describes some of the work undertaken to maintain safe seafood in the UK.
11/4/20234 minutes, 51 seconds
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Teaching basic mathematical concepts to junior students

Gabrielle Oslington describes some of her approaches for introducing junior students to basic concepts in mathematics.
11/4/20237 minutes, 26 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year

The winner of the Prime Minister’s 2023 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year is Professor Chris Greening for his discovery of how microbes in soil and water absorb gases and impact climate.
10/28/20235 minutes, 47 seconds
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Big league opportunity for Australian science

Australian Academy of Science CEO Anna-Maria Arabia reviews a big year for the academy and the chance for Australia to join a coalition of science collaboration, Horizon Europe.
10/28/20238 minutes, 2 seconds
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Security guaranteed as UK health records used for research

OpenSAFELY guarantees the use of health records without identifying who the records belong to.
10/28/202316 minutes, 6 seconds
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Varroa mites may assist native bees

Varroa mites do not affect native bees and the mites may even be helpful for native bees following the reduction in feral honeybees impacted by the mites.
10/28/20239 minutes, 53 seconds
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Climate change - the lens for the rest of our lives

Changing climate will be with all of us for the rest of our lives. Writer Lauren Fuge says we need to hear stories about how people are changing the way they live.
10/28/20235 minutes, 44 seconds
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Shack - changing climate through the eyes of kids

The play sees nine school kids trapped in Antarctica. How will they survive?
10/28/20236 minutes, 7 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Prize for Science

Physicist Michelle Simmons accepts the top award for her work in atomic electronics.
10/21/202312 minutes, 30 seconds
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How the human brain responds to social interaction

It’s not just one-on-one. Group intelligence can be seen when people engage with others in activities together such as exercise, singing, chanting or dancing.
10/21/202313 minutes, 14 seconds
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School student looks for empathy from peers towards older people

Senior high school student Penelope Jin has read extensively on Alzheimer’s Disease. She hopes young people will come to appreciate the challenges faced by older folk.
10/21/20239 minutes, 18 seconds
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Rewilding Loch Ness

Pine plantations in the Scottish Highlands are being removed and replaced with native species, with ancient peat bogs preserved.
10/21/202318 minutes, 17 seconds
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Canadian forest fires off the charts

9 times more forest than average has burnt in Canada in 2023. Reese Halter reports.
10/14/20234 minutes, 36 seconds
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Energy transition underway in Southeast Asia

Sustainability consultant Brendan May says the countries of southeast Asia are embracing the energy transition and are on board with nature conservation policies.
10/14/202310 minutes, 28 seconds
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How behaviour changed during Covid lockdowns

For some it was a welcomed return to village living. For others extended stay-at-home was a tragedy.
10/14/20237 minutes, 11 seconds
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New Covid vaccine for variants to come

Pamela Bjorkman and her colleagues at Caltech in Los Angeles are developing a protein-based vaccine which targets aspects of SARS-CoV-2 which are in common among variants.
10/14/202310 minutes, 3 seconds
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Evidence for the source of SARS-CoV-2

Did SARS-CoV-2 escape from a lab, or did it evolve in nature? Science writer Ella Finkel has collected the facts and presents them as if evidence in a court room.
10/14/202320 minutes, 39 seconds
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Nobel Prizes 2023

Shelby Traynor reports on the Nobel Prizes for physics, medicine and chemistry announced this week.
10/7/20235 minutes, 20 seconds
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We had good fortune with COVID – David Baltimore

The response was quick as RNA vaccines were being developed that could be applied to COVID.
10/7/202310 minutes, 42 seconds
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A tribute to Evelyn Fox Keller

Rachel Ankeny presents a tribute to outspoken scientist and philosopher Evelyn Fox Keller.
10/7/20236 minutes, 42 seconds
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A tip for scientists as they speak about their work and the big challenges

Science writer Georgina Ferry has seen a suspicion from scientists towards the media who say their work is often dumbed down or not understood.
10/7/202310 minutes, 2 seconds
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Wellcome Trust takes science to the public using the arts and linking cultures

The trust facilitates conversations around science among people from diverse areas including arts, business and government, based on a solid scientific foundation.
10/7/202310 minutes, 3 seconds
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Perseverance continues its search for signs of life on Mars – with help from Queensland

David Flannery at the Queensland Institute of Technology describes his role in the Mars mission and the challenge in controlling a rover on another planet.
10/7/202310 minutes, 27 seconds
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Female scientists missing from school textbooks

The finding that prominent female scientists are missing from school curricula shocked many of us. So why is representation so important?
9/30/20238 minutes, 51 seconds
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Why don't we know the names of star scientists?

With the news that our school curricula are missing the names of female scientists, it begs the question: Why aren't prominent scientists household names?
9/30/20235 minutes, 15 seconds
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Planting pocket-forests in urban areas

Hundreds of Western Australian students are getting their hands dirty, helping transform degraded urban areas into pockets of greenery.
9/30/20235 minutes, 29 seconds
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Copping out on promises made at COP26

The British PM, Rishi Sunak, announced last week he's dropping the plan to reduce UK's CO2 emissions so soon, despite their promise at the UN Conference on Climate.
9/30/202327 minutes, 55 seconds
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The plastic problem on the Galapagos Islands

This volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean has a problem with plastic, and unique challenges when it comes to overcoming it.
9/23/20238 minutes, 35 seconds
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Can we trust artificial intelligence with air traffic control?

Researchers are trying to figure out whether AI could relieve stress in human air traffic controllers and save fuel.
9/23/20237 minutes, 2 seconds
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Science in action, open to the public

The Exeter Science Park brings together developing research, and the people it might go on to benefit.
9/23/20237 minutes, 28 seconds
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Turning diesel guzzlers into e-vehicles

How do we transform the vehicles our society relies on to a more sustainable form of transport?
9/23/20236 minutes, 51 seconds
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We Still Have a Chance: 12 climate stories

12 scientists, health practitioners, activists and artists have written stories for the anthology published in English and Arabic.
9/23/202312 minutes, 28 seconds
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How mathematics might save forests

Knowing the number of big and small trees can tell us a lot about a forest's overall health.
9/23/20234 minutes, 21 seconds
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The UK rejoins Horizon Europe research programme

UK researchers were locked out of the scheme for three years over Brexit disagreements.
9/16/202310 minutes, 3 seconds
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Theories on consciousness go head-to-head

A scientific battle has been fought in New York in an attempt to find out how consciousness arises from the brain
9/16/202317 minutes
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Will AI make us dumber?

Are our mental faculties diminished when we delegate too much thinking to AI? 
9/16/202312 minutes, 37 seconds
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Diagnosing disease with a single breath

Work is underway to detect tiny markers of disease present in a person's breath.
9/16/20233 minutes, 17 seconds
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Pulling drinking water out of thin(ish) air

What if we could capitalise on humidity to boost water reserves? Well researchers from the University of Newcastle are being funded to do just that.
9/16/20234 minutes, 23 seconds
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Capturing the biodiversity of Transylvania

Transylvania is one of King Charles' favourite regions. In 2018 he commissioned artworks celebrating its floral diversity.
9/16/20234 minutes, 45 seconds
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Sir John Eccles and the invaluable work of his daughter Rose

This Australian father-daughter duo played a huge part in the science and philosophy instrumental in the mind-brain problem. 
9/9/202349 minutes, 26 seconds
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Earle Hackett's moon poem

As we set our sights on future moon missions, let's take a look back at the very first.  Dr Earle Hackett was one of the team of special commentators who contributed to ABC Radio's coverage of Apollo 11 in July 1969.
9/2/20232 minutes, 25 seconds
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The life and work of Sir John Eccles

Australian scientist, Nobel Prize winner Sir John Eccles, devoted his working life to unravelling the complexities of the human brain.
9/2/202347 minutes, 40 seconds
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How is your cyber hygiene?

An effective way to stay secure might be to limit our use of devices. 
8/26/20236 minutes, 28 seconds
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Salmon farming feeds jellyfish blooms

One expert claims salmon farming is changing ecosystems to the detriment of wildlife and humans. 
8/26/20238 minutes, 56 seconds
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The global fight to protect our reefs

UN scientific advisors have once more advised against declaring the Great Barrier Reef 'in danger' while warning Australia must do more to protect it. 
8/26/20238 minutes, 12 seconds
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Winning student might've solved a pesky problem

Kai Turner won the robotics category at ISEF for building a drone that helps fix powerlines — automating a dangerous task. 
8/26/20236 minutes, 35 seconds
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The Sloth Lemur's Song: Madagascar's past and present

Both Australia and Madagascar have been geographically isolated, enabling them to develop unique flora and fauna.
8/26/20236 minutes, 8 seconds
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What weed management teaches us about cancer treatment

Both weed management and cancer treatment require targeted measures, to avoid doing more harm than good. So what can oncologists learn from farmers? 
8/26/20237 minutes, 17 seconds
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The wild and varied world of parasites

Parasites can be found almost anywhere you look — you're probably carrying some around right now, in your intestinal tract.
8/26/20238 minutes, 46 seconds
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Another peek at the science-minded oratorio 'Origins'

The oratorio 'Origins' had its world premiere in Melbourne last month. Here's another segment of the performance: Extinction. 
8/19/20235 minutes, 2 seconds
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Leading scientist's climate call-out

Professor Emma Johnston warned the Royal Society of NSW about the violence of climate change.
8/19/20239 minutes, 10 seconds
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The brain behind Beaker Street

An annual showcase of science and art, the event sprung from a failed attempt to open a science-themed pub.
8/19/202310 minutes, 19 seconds
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How Antarctic ice affects Australia's climate

many of us might realise. One marine scientist has shown how salt from Antarctic ice is affecting weather patterns in parts of Australia. 
8/19/20239 minutes, 40 seconds
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Everything that glows goes

Dr Lisa Gershwin is shining an ultra-violet light on everything she can get her hands on: from tennis balls, to hair, to jars of peanut butter. 
8/19/20239 minutes, 5 seconds
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Science Vs ... Robyn Williams?

Now she's back in Australia, what does Wendy Zukerman have to say about the difference between the US and Australia when it comes to science communication?
8/19/20239 minutes, 54 seconds
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Listening to silence

One lecturer is asking people to sit in silence for five minutes and notice what they hear. What are your ears really telling you?
8/12/20239 minutes, 43 seconds
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The Nobel laureate who lost his hearing

Sir John Cornforth's experience of sound was minimal. He was deaf at school and at the University of Sydney – for most of his long life, in fact.
8/12/20234 minutes, 19 seconds
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The rhythmic patterns of our emotions

Sentics is the study of how emotions are generated, for instance, while listening to music. 
8/12/20235 minutes, 50 seconds
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Top 10 Australian animal sounds

We're looking for the most loved native animal sound in celebration of National Science Week. Carl Smith takes us through the finalists.
8/12/20237 minutes, 1 second
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How the changing climate is changing bird migration

Each year some birds migrate thousands of kilometres. But there's evidence climate change is already affecting this seasonal survival strategy. 
8/12/20238 minutes, 55 seconds
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Why don't larger animals get more cancer?

Animals with 1,000 times more cells than humans — like elephants or whales — don't seem to have an increased cancer risk.
8/12/20237 minutes, 39 seconds
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An oratorio on the origins of life

The composition 'Origins' had its world premiere in Melbourne in July, and it received a standing ovation. 
8/12/20237 minutes, 26 seconds
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Trying to read people's minds with biosensors

Scientists are measuring the activity of neurotransmitters to create a chemical map of the brain.
8/5/20239 minutes, 36 seconds
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An exhibition of plants that heal

Medicinal plants are the focus of a new art exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney — Botanica de Materia Medica.
8/5/20236 minutes, 3 seconds
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What is a time crystal?

Time crystals are states of matter whose patterns repeat at set intervals of time rather than space.
8/5/202310 minutes, 55 seconds
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A look back at Frank Oppenheimer's Exploratorium

The Exploratorium in San Francisco, opened in 1969, inspired our own science centres in Australia.
8/5/202326 minutes, 9 seconds
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Can you X-ray a mountain?

Device scans the internal makeup of structures and substances – natural or artificial – using subatomic particles called muons.
7/29/202312 minutes, 32 seconds
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The poetry of outer space

The anthology Outer Space: 100 Poems journeys through time, exploring the common themes and changing perspectives of poets from the 12th century BCE to today.
7/29/20238 minutes, 9 seconds
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A Plant Punk says goodbye!

Tim Entwisle is well known to RN listeners, and to botanists globally. This week he says farewell as director of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.
7/29/20239 minutes, 26 seconds
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Can time go backwards in biology?

This Nobel Prize winner is on a mission to uncover anything that might violate the principle of time reversal symmetry.
7/29/20236 minutes, 2 seconds
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Unravelling untruth at Beaker Street Festival

A foretaste of what Tim Flannery will say about the spreading of untruth at this year's Beaker Street Festival in Tasmania.
7/29/20234 minutes, 44 seconds
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How status impacts the long-term health of animals

The macaques can tell us a lot about how our status in society affects our wellbeing. 
7/29/202311 minutes, 35 seconds
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The kids are alright: Talking science with Townsville teen

Robyn Williams caught up with a former Sleek Geek winner to find out what’s been capturing his interest.
7/22/20239 minutes, 2 seconds
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Helping children reach their full potential

The University of Wollongong's Early Start program is designed to help kids flourish — especially those in regional and remote Australia.
7/22/202311 minutes, 34 seconds
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The old age of Royal Society presidents

The Royal Society is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. And the long lives of its presidents caught the attention of Professor Herbert Huppert.
7/22/20235 minutes, 28 seconds
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The life of the oldest Nobel Prize winner John Goodenough

John Goodenough's career spanned seven decades, during which his discoveries sparked the wireless revolution.
7/22/20237 minutes, 48 seconds
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Getting the most out of your renewable energy

Is there a way to make a quick buck on the energy your home is generating through renewable sources?
7/22/202310 minutes, 19 seconds
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Using sunlight and water to generate fuel

What if we could harness the nitrogen in our atmosphere, sunlight and water to create fuel and fertiliser?
7/22/202310 minutes, 46 seconds
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High temperatures fuel fires in Canada

Soaring temperatures have been fuelling wildfires across Canada — which have had far-reaching effects in the US and Europe. 
7/15/20234 minutes, 29 seconds
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Restoring the scattered remnants of an ancient rainforest

Once the largest expanse of lowland subtropical rainforest in Australia, only 1% of the Big Scrub now remains.
7/15/202310 minutes, 22 seconds
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Collecting koala sperm to boost dwindling populations

Efforts are underway to not only protect existing koala populations, but to replenish those that have dwindled.
7/15/20238 minutes, 4 seconds
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First Nations knowledge in koala conservation

As a young Indigenous woman, Teresa Cochrane in NSW is keen to apply traditional knowledge of care to conservation.
7/15/20236 minutes, 8 seconds
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Fewer gimmicks, more solid preparation

Professor tells how teaching basic techniques is better for students than trying to entice them with cute robots and other stunts.
7/15/20238 minutes, 39 seconds
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Young people gather to discuss ocean conservation

The Ocean Youth event in Townsville was one of many organised to connect like-minded people. 
7/15/20236 minutes, 33 seconds
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Take a virtual trip to the Torres Strait Islands

Dr Rhett Loban has developed a VR game to communicate Torres Strait culture and knowledge, centred on a traditional Tombstone Opening.
7/8/20236 minutes, 58 seconds
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Maintaining the giant magnets in CERN's Large Hadron Collider

Come for a tour of CERN's cryogenic test facility to see how engineers meticulously test and understand the unique personalities of each magnet.
7/8/202311 minutes, 46 seconds
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Bee biosecurity in the Pacific

For this final taste of ABC Science's series Pacific Scientific, Carl Smith gets swarmed and stung in a mission to discover how one country is learning to live with the pest.
7/8/202327 minutes, 13 seconds
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Supporting beekeepers in Australia and the Pacific

In countries like Fiji and Papua New Guinea, beekeepers have learned to live with varroa mite — the colony-killing pest that's only just recently found its way into Australia.
7/8/20237 minutes, 6 seconds
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Glimpsing endangered iguanas in Fiji

In this episode of Pacific Scientific, we meet a man with a fascinating but fraught job, working at the edge of conservation and ecotourism.
7/1/202329 minutes, 12 seconds
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Scientists brave stand-up comedy experiment

Producer Shelby Traynor followed a group of early-career scientists taken under the wing of a couple of comedians, to inject some humour into their presentations.
7/1/202315 minutes, 52 seconds
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The race to save Australia's dirty frogs

Australia's frogs have a secret in their skin … and it could be the key to fighting drug-resistant bugs.
7/1/20239 minutes, 49 seconds
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How scientists are helping flooding communities

When it comes to protecting flood-prone areas, large-scale infrastructure is often costly and slow. So, some communities are choosing to fight against flooding in their own backyards.
6/24/202326 minutes, 16 seconds
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A graveyard of abandoned cars

There are thousands of old cars hidden in the jungles and fields of Tonga. Join ABC Science Reporter Petria Ladgrove as she untangles the kingdom's messy history of waste. 
6/24/202326 minutes, 50 seconds
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Ocean acidification - a rising threat in our seas

Tag along for a trip out to sea to meet a woman from the Solomon Islands who is tracking this looming danger in the Pacific Ocean.
6/17/202330 minutes
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Growing microalgae in rural Queensland

We journey to Goondiwindi to see why one farm is growing marine algae there — 400 kilometres from the ocean.
6/17/202317 minutes
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A secretive vault full of sprouts in stasis

A glimpse inside the Pacific's gene bank, CePaCT, where rows and rows of tiny sprouts sit in stasis as backups for the region's most important crops.
6/10/202330 minutes, 14 seconds
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Protecting Fiji's important species, in treetops and on ocean currents

Scientists are keeping track of biodiversity in the Pacific to ensure the safety of species, like the giant tree gecko, well into the future. 
6/10/202312 minutes, 29 seconds
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Supporting Fiji's small-scale farmers

The vast majority of workers in Fiji are involved in agriculture. But the economic contribution of most small-scale agriculture remains low.
6/10/20239 minutes, 9 seconds
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Taking to the Field: A history of Australian women in science

In 1885, Edith Emily Dornwell was among the first three science graduates in Australia. 
6/3/20239 minutes, 43 seconds
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Scaffold that regenerates bone could replace metallic implants

We might soon move away from metallic implants. Researchers have developed a scaffold that can regenerate bone, before dissolving. 
6/3/20236 minutes, 45 seconds
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Becoming a Botanist: The vibrant career of Carrick Chambers

Peter Bernhardt tells the story of botanist Carrick Chambers, whose biography has just been published.
6/3/20237 minutes, 51 seconds
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Could light pollution dim our passion for astronomy?

This year's Sydney Observatory residents span the arts and the sciences.  Shelby Traynor meets an astrophysicist and photographer, who plans to compare the night skies of Sydney to elsewhere.
6/3/20237 minutes, 51 seconds
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The next generation of telescopes in search of ET

What might it take to find alien life? New instruments are being developed to aid the search. 
6/3/20237 minutes, 51 seconds
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The hot and cold effects of our hormones

Research shows there are gender differences in temperature regulation, and oestrogen may play a part. 
6/3/20238 minutes, 57 seconds
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The advantages of machine learning

The ability to learn without instruction is making machines faster and more powerful. 
6/3/20233 minutes, 9 seconds
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Year 12 students win passage to London for International Youth Science Fair

Hallie Richmond and Sophie Yates get a “life-changing” chance to rub shoulders with top scientists.
5/27/20237 minutes, 43 seconds
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It's gladdie time! The story behind Dame Edna's favourite flower

The story of how the Gladiolus found its way to the stage involves one of our top botanists, and some fascinating research into plant genetics.
5/27/202310 minutes, 6 seconds
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The virtue of weeds

One scientist argues these plants are weedy by name, but not by nature. They can be immensely useful, even ones that spread like Triffids! 
5/27/20237 minutes, 29 seconds
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Decarbonising our railways

Most freight trains and long distance passenger trains still run on diesel. And possible alternatives still pose engineering challenges. 
5/27/20235 minutes, 55 seconds
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Crowdsourcing the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Are we alone in the universe? The UCLA SETI group has launched a citizen-science project to find out. 
5/27/20238 minutes, 43 seconds
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The machines are learning fast ... what are we teaching them?

There are eight billion of us humans, all with our unique problem-solving and decision-making skills. But with artificial intelligence, we could add a few billion more minds to the mix. 
5/27/20235 minutes, 52 seconds
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Fighting Fate: Justin Yerbury celebrated for research into motor neurone disease

Justin Yerbury joined started researching motor neurone disease when he uncovered a family history of MND. He was diagnosed himself in 2016. 
5/27/20236 minutes, 53 seconds
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Nearer the Gods: The enduring legacy of Isaac Newton

He's one of the most famous scientists ever. But who was Isaac Newton, really? Sharon Carleton presents a portrait like no other about the myths surrounding the genius.
5/20/202353 minutes, 59 seconds
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Monkeys aged prematurely after Hurricane Maria

Monkeys that lived through hurricane appeared to age two years more than expected.
5/13/20232 minutes, 50 seconds
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Epigenetic inheritance: Understanding how stress traverses generations

Epigenetics shows how stressors such as hunger and even slavery, can alter your genome.
5/13/20238 minutes, 52 seconds
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Could this hypothetical particle, named after laundry detergent, be dark matter?

A Nobel Prize winner is convinced axions clean up the mystery of dark matter, the missing 85 per cent of the universe. 
5/13/20235 minutes, 19 seconds
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The quest to find dark matter

One scientist is working on a new apparatus underground, to detect the ever-elusive dark matter.
5/13/20238 minutes, 25 seconds
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The cultural significance of celestial navigation

Sydney Observatory resident Shireen Taweel creates artworks that reflect what sacred architecture might look like on Mars. 
5/13/20239 minutes, 59 seconds
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Slimy surfaces and how they might endanger ecosystems

Slime, more scientifically known as biofilm, develops when cells stick together and also to surfaces. 
5/13/20236 minutes, 28 seconds
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Are climate targets working?

Are sustainability targets doing what they set out to do? Or could a different approach deliver better results?
5/13/20236 minutes, 54 seconds
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Celebrating David Attenborough on his 97th birthday

Reflecting on Sir David Attenborough's decades-long contribution to our understanding of the natural world. 
5/6/202354 minutes, 10 seconds
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Ocean conditions created in a lab

The Scripps Ocean Atmosphere Research Simulator (SOARS) creates the current and future ocean and atmosphere boundary layer allowing an understanding of how human activities are changing the chemistry of the ocean and atmosphere, and how this could impact global climate.
4/29/202312 minutes, 48 seconds
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Algae used for new materials and energy

Robert Skip Pomeroy describes products being developed and the challenges in entering established markets.
4/29/20235 minutes, 22 seconds
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Technology records every step, every waddle, every flap

The Daily Diary is technology with capability similar to a cell phone or fit bit which records the activities of animals.
4/29/202310 minutes, 55 seconds
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Carbon dioxide increase brings ominous future

Ralph Keeling continues to measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, work begun by his father in 1958.
4/29/202310 minutes, 14 seconds
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Isotopes reveal ecological changes in condors, fur seals and turtles

The lab uses stable isotope biogeochemistry to answer questions regarding diet, group interactions, population changes and habitat use. Samples are taken from shells, whiskers and teeth.
4/29/202312 minutes, 39 seconds
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Biodegradable plastics become shoes

The shoes are made from hemp, eucalyptus and cotton uppers, with soles made from algae-based foam.
4/22/20236 minutes, 18 seconds
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Hopes for energy transition and carbon capture

Harry Atwater discusses work on stripping carbon dissolved in seawater, artificial photosynthesis, and using renewable energy to produce hydrogen from water.
4/22/202314 minutes, 30 seconds
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Black hole destroys a dust cloud

In just 20 years of observation, the cloud has elongated and shows signs of being pulled apart by the black hole’s super gravity.
4/22/20235 minutes, 45 seconds
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Opera explores mythical side of space exploration

Composer Stefan Gregory is writing an opera as part of a residency at the Sydney Observatory.
4/22/20239 minutes
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Hoverflies reveal secrets of how brains process vision information

By inserting fine electrodes into the brains of flies Karin Nordström can detect and measure sensory impulses in response to stimuli such as light and images.
4/22/202311 minutes, 19 seconds
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Bees fed killed pathogen spores display pathogen resistance

Inoculation is showing promise in protecting bees from the varroa mite.
4/22/20232 minutes, 52 seconds
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Honeybees – vital for crop pollination, now venom offers medicinal benefits

Bee venom shows promise treating a range of cancers.
4/22/20233 minutes, 28 seconds
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1922 Aussie outback expedition helped prove Einstein's theory of general relativity

Australian scientists proved Einstein and put Australia on the scientific map.
4/15/20237 minutes, 38 seconds
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PhD student publishes on source of silica particles in Saturn’s E-ring

PhD student at UCLA Ashley Schoenfeld has published a scientific paper using data from the Cassini spacecraft mission to Saturn.
4/15/20239 minutes, 47 seconds
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Next step for solar energy - space

The plan is for vast arrays of light-weight solar cells to collect energy and send it to Earth in a powerful beam.
4/15/20235 minutes, 9 seconds
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Cutting waste water in wine production

As much as 6 litres of wastewater is produced in vineyards for each litre of wine produced.
4/15/20235 minutes, 31 seconds
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Singapore Gardens

Gardens by the Bay is a mixture of nature and theme park and a welcomed relief from high density living for residents and visitors.
4/15/202311 minutes, 21 seconds
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Plants help us change our state of mind

Peter Bernhardt reviews Michael Pollan’s book about three mind-altering substances derived from plants.
4/15/20238 minutes, 47 seconds
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Tom Lehrer celebrates 95 years

We hear one of Tom Lehrer’s most popular songs, The Elements.
4/15/20233 minutes, 9 seconds
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Iranian protesters hit with shrapnel and poisonous gas

Shahrzad Shirkhanzadeh describes the situation in Iran where protesters calling for democracy are being fired upon with shrapnel causing blindness and poisonous gas.
4/8/20235 minutes, 46 seconds
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Snapshot hypothesis - how bees find their nest

James Nieh describes how bees are able to find their nest after flying long distances to collect food.
4/8/20234 minutes, 2 seconds
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A new approach to valuing and conserving ecosystems

Rather than keeping people out, visitors are encouraged to visit wild places, to developed understanding and connection.
4/8/20236 minutes, 45 seconds
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New methods to map nature

As pressure on the natural world increases, new technology is bringing fast results as scientists monitor fauna and flora and identify new species.
4/8/202335 minutes, 14 seconds
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Lunar Trailblazer to map water on the Moon

The presence and amount of water will determine where future Moon missions will be sent.
4/1/20237 minutes, 58 seconds
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Exercise brings benefits for treatment of cancer

Robert Newton says exercise is a medicine bringing highly coordinated biochemical changes within the body with no side effects.
4/1/202310 minutes, 14 seconds
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Environmental concerns of King Charles

Speaking on The Science Show in 1993, then Prince Charles expressed concerns about our impact on natural ecosystems.
4/1/202311 minutes, 4 seconds
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A helping hand for business as the world changes

Forum for the Future founder Jonathon Porritt describes the challenge and opportunity for business in a changing world.
4/1/202310 minutes, 27 seconds
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Bees communicate intricate information and teach the next generation

One of the most complex forms of communication known outside humans, that of honey bees, relies on learning and culture.
4/1/202312 minutes, 52 seconds
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On The Edge – 17 days of compelling art features species at risk

David Fisher reports from the art exhibition launch at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
3/25/20239 minutes, 20 seconds
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Vale Will Steffen

Will speaks about climate tipping points and the risk of over- estimating a climate tipping point.
3/25/20239 minutes, 54 seconds
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Metal organic frameworks, or MOFs show promise as a way of storing hydrogen

If hydrogen is to be used as a fuel, it will need to be stored. MOFs or metal organic frameworks are highly absorbent compounds which absorb and easily release hydrogen.
3/25/20236 minutes, 53 seconds
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Hope to transform Newcastle from exporter of coal to hydrogen.

Newcastle is the biggest coal export port in the world. In time, it may become the biggest port exporting hydrogen.
3/25/20236 minutes, 10 seconds
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Veena’s story for primary students

The next book in the Aussie STEM Stars series features engineer Veena Sahajwalla.
3/25/20237 minutes, 39 seconds
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More Quantum Bullsh*t

Chris Ferrie reads from his book Quantum Bullsh*t.
3/25/20236 minutes, 19 seconds
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Fossilised soft tissues help piece together the story of life

Kliti Grice at Curtin University in Perth specialises in the rare cases of soft tissues being preserved as fossils.
3/25/20234 minutes, 52 seconds
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On the edge – art exhibition features species at risk

On The Edge – Species At Risk highlights nature in peril.
3/18/20238 minutes, 25 seconds
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Young artists focus on climate change at the Adelaide Festival

Create4Adelaide gives young people a voice on climate change issues.
3/18/20236 minutes, 18 seconds
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Australian Academy of Science calls for review of science funding

Science funding of 1.7% in Australia compared with similar countries spending 3%.
3/18/202312 minutes, 1 second
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DNA identifies presence of smuggled pangolins

A new technique detects DNA on bags used for carrying wildlife.
3/18/202313 minutes, 35 seconds
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Worms reveal secrets of their brains, and ours

Despite being only 1mm long and having just 300 neurons, the roundworm is ideal for brain research.
3/18/202310 minutes, 25 seconds
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Psychological treatment helps young people exposed to trauma

Alix Woolard is working on new ways to help identify, target, intervene and improve the lives of children and young people who have experienced medical such as burn injury.
3/11/202310 minutes, 1 second
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A guide for parenting teens

In The Teen Interpreter, psychologist Terri Apter looks into teens’ minds—minds that are experiencing powerful new emotions and awareness of the world around them—to show how parents can revitalize their relationship with their children.
3/11/202314 minutes, 22 seconds
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Strange Frontiers 07 | Behind the scenes at London’s Natural History Museum

Strange Frontiers is a seven-part series taking you to remarkable, hard-to-reach, and off-limits places where scientists work.
3/11/202324 minutes, 23 seconds
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Tim Entwisle – Evergreen, The Botanical Life of a Plant Punk

Tim reads from his memoir reflecting on the place of botanic gardens today.
3/4/202311 minutes, 30 seconds
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The wonders of algae

In additional to being fascinating and beautiful natural organisms, algae produce many useful products and provide essential services such as absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide.
3/4/20236 minutes, 43 seconds
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Strange Frontiers 06 | Inside the nuclear fusion reactor ITER

Strange Frontiers is a seven-part series taking you to remarkable, hard-to-reach, and off-limits places where scientists work.
3/4/202326 minutes, 46 seconds
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The Huxleys - An Intimate History of Evolution

In his early twenties, poor, racked with depression, Thomas Henry Huxley was a nobody. And yet with partner Henrietta Heathorn he began one of the great intellectual and scientific dynasties of his age. The Huxley family through four generations shaped how we all see ourselves. By observing both nature and culture, they worked as scientists, novelists, mystics, filmmakers, poets and as public lecturers, educators and explainers.
3/4/20238 minutes, 9 seconds
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Science Olympiad for junior high school students

The Science Olympiad for senior high school students has been underway for 36 years. Now there’s an Olympiad for junior high students.
2/25/202311 minutes, 44 seconds
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Seagrasses provide immense environmental benefit

Seagrass meadows absorb and store large amounts of carbon removing it from the atmosphere for thousands of years.
2/25/202310 minutes, 15 seconds
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Strange Frontiers 05 | Marine research on the French coastline

Strange Frontiers is a seven-part series taking you to remarkable, hard-to-reach, and off-limits places where scientists work.
2/25/202324 minutes, 32 seconds
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Parasites kill up to 40% turtles in Queensland waters

Eggs of parasites accumulate in the veins and arteries of turtles and leads to death.
2/25/20236 minutes, 48 seconds
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Twins study reveals influence of genes and environment on academic achievement

Genetic differences among students are the single biggest influence on literacy and numeracy but students attending private schools make no more progress from years 3 to 9 than students attending public schools.
2/18/20239 minutes, 57 seconds
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Pedestrians pose challenge for autonomous vehicles

A pedestrian simulator is predicting pedestrian behaviour and linking results with autonomous vehicles.
2/18/20236 minutes, 50 seconds
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Strange Frontiers 04 | Autonomous minibus ready for passengers

Strange Frontiers is a seven-part series taking you to remarkable, hard-to-reach, and off-limits places where scientists work.
2/18/202321 minutes, 18 seconds
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Chemical process reduces energy, waste and time

The vortex fluidic device applies mechanical energy replacing chemical reactions.
2/18/20238 minutes, 38 seconds
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Institute honours environmental warrior Harry Butler

Murdoch University’s research and education facility brings science, business and the community together to address environmental problems.
2/11/20235 minutes, 17 seconds
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Tree planting empowers young students

The Miyawaki method of planting pocket forests is part of students’ science and environment education in some primary schools in Western Australia.
2/11/20235 minutes, 51 seconds
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Lightning Ridge a place of opals, and preserved dinosaur bones

CT scanning and 3D printing allow palaeontologists to produce replicas of bones while they remain encased in opal.
2/11/20238 minutes, 9 seconds
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Strange Frontiers 03 | How a scientist fell in love with a fossil

Strange Frontiers is a seven-part series taking you to remarkable, hard-to-reach, and off-limits places where scientists work.
2/11/202328 minutes, 15 seconds
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Can echidnas keep cool? No sweat!

Christine Cooper has found echidnas, wherever they live, hot or cold, stay comfy by blowing bubbles! 
2/11/20235 minutes, 58 seconds
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High density living brings benefits

It reduces urban sprawl and transport costs and produces lively city environments. High density living can be highly energy efficient and brings a sense of community for residents.
2/4/202313 minutes, 7 seconds
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Strange Frontiers 02 | The factory where one of the most expensive and elusive materials is made

Strange Frontiers is a seven-part series taking you to remarkable, hard-to-reach, and off-limits places where scientists work.
2/4/202323 minutes, 42 seconds
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John Wheeler remembered

Pauline Newman speaks to physicists about the work and legacy of John Wheeler.
2/4/202311 minutes, 39 seconds
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Quantum Bullsh*t – a physicist sets you on the right track

Physicist Chris Ferrie takes readers on a humorous journey revealing all about quantum physics.
2/4/20235 minutes, 25 seconds
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COP27 – a focus on action and results

Integrity Matters, a report from the COP27 climate conference examines the commitments and actions of non-state entities such as claims from businesses.
1/28/202312 minutes, 5 seconds
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Strange Frontiers 01 | From a German peak, powerful lasers are fired into the night sky

Strange Frontiers is a seven-part series taking you to remarkable, hard-to-reach, and off-limits places where scientists work.
1/28/202321 minutes, 22 seconds
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Big declines in shorebirds in NSW estuaries

Is it pollution? Is it disturbance? Or something else? Mattea Taylor at the University of Newcastle is investigating why shorebirds are in decline.
1/28/20237 minutes, 29 seconds
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Massive data and decision-making in astronomy and beyond

Sara Webb is probing how humans and machines can work better together. It involves work in astronomy, defence, public health and other space-related areas. 
1/28/20238 minutes, 32 seconds
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A spectacular scientific family preoccupied with evolution: the Huxleys

From T. H. Huxley - ‘Darwin’s Bulldog’ – to author Aldous Huxley to Nobel Prize winner Andrew Huxley, a new book tells the tale of this remarkable scientific family.
1/21/202329 minutes, 30 seconds
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How can we be certain? Bragg Student Prize runner-up on scientific certainty

This school student wants you to know how the scientific process discerns fact from fiction.
1/21/20237 minutes, 3 seconds
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Climate prospects for 2023 with Vice-Chair of the IPCC Mark Howden

The IPCC's Vice-Chair shares his thoughts on which major climate change issues might be prominent in 2023.
1/21/20239 minutes, 19 seconds
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OzGrav chases the big cosmological questions

Matthew Bailes outlines areas of research at Swinburne University of Technology’s Centre of Excellence For Gravitational Wave Discovery.
1/14/202313 minutes, 40 seconds
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Swinburne science focusses on astronomy and medical technology

Swinburne University researchers are solving real world problems for users of medical technology.
1/14/20239 minutes, 3 seconds
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The evolution of The Milky Way

Naomi McClure-Griffiths is studying the process of galaxies consuming their neighbours and she says this will happen as the Milky Way and the galaxies of the Magellanic Clouds merge.
1/14/20238 minutes, 6 seconds
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Move over Joseph Haydn, here comes Jenny Graves

Geneticist Jenny Graves and co-librettist Leigh Hay have written an oratorio based on science, to sit beside Haydn’s oratorio,  The Creation.
1/14/20238 minutes, 7 seconds
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Bragg UNSW Student Prize finalist Kaya Kimla

A finalist in 2022 was Kaya Kimla, a year 7 student at Kirrawee High School in Sydney. Kaya reads her essay The two-way science.
1/14/20235 minutes, 10 seconds
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Science journalists unite for the common cause

The Science Journalists Association of Australia supports science journalists from all parts of Australia.
1/14/20239 minutes, 12 seconds
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Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics

Following experiments with peas and other plants, Gregor Mendel proposed a theory of inheritance which became the basis of modern biology.
1/7/202354 minutes, 10 seconds
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Celebrating Charles Todd and the overland telegraph

The overland telegraph connecting Australia to the world was completed 150 years ago. It was built due to the dedication of a public servant, Charles Todd.
12/31/202254 minutes, 11 seconds
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The Mysterious Affinities of Fragments

Peter Underwood reflects on the human paradox. Achievement beyond belief, the ability to pursue the most challenging questions, and the ease with which we will cut life short, destroying families, achievement and potential.
12/24/20226 minutes, 17 seconds
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A portrait of Dame Miriam Rothschild

She became an expert on fleas and despite no formal education received honorary doctorates from both Oxford and Cambridge was elected a fellow of The Royal Society.
12/24/202247 minutes, 23 seconds
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Human impact on and response to changing climate

Naomi Oreskes describes how misinformation has been a successful tactic in debate over climate and Matthew England explains how humans have changed the Earth’s climate in just over 150 years, how oceans absorb gases and redistribute heat, and in the process will bring changes to all life on Earth.
12/17/202254 minutes, 10 seconds
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Smart cameras see anomalies

Rather than guards needing to monitor hundreds or thousands of video feeds from cameras around a city, cameras can now detect abnormal activity and send an alert.
12/10/20228 minutes, 54 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science Teaching

George Pantazis and Veena Nair have been awarded the Prime Minster’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching.
12/10/202211 minutes, 31 seconds
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Contraception not all joy all light

A survey of over 1,000 users of contraception revealed anger and frustration towards doctors who downplay side effects.
12/10/20224 minutes, 33 seconds
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Adelaide Botanic Garden’s roses among the best

The Adelaide Botanic Garden’s rose garden has been proclaimed a Garden of Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies.
12/10/202211 minutes, 53 seconds
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Chasing Plants – travel tales from a botanical illustrator

Peter Bernhardt reviews a book which takes us to wild and rugged places in search of botanical wonder.
12/10/20225 minutes, 54 seconds
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Tracing the history of disease

Anne Stone uses ancient DNA to trace diseases and thinks tuberculosis may have originated in seals.
12/10/20228 minutes, 23 seconds
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Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science

Excerpts from the 2022 awards ceremony including the address from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
12/3/202216 minutes, 13 seconds
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Multiple pressures on koalas

Ryan Witt describes threats for koalas and his use of drones in monitoring the marsupials.
12/3/20225 minutes, 53 seconds
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Koala: A life in Trees

In her book, Danielle Clode explores some of the mysteries surrounding koalas, tracing their evolutionary history, their lifestyle and habits including their relationship with humans.
12/3/20227 minutes, 54 seconds
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Virtual Angkor - the experience

Virtual Angkor recreates the sprawling Cambodian metropolis of Angkor at the height of the Khmer empire’s power and influence around 1300 C.E.
12/3/20223 minutes, 19 seconds
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A picture of the future - converging crises

Jim Falk attended the recent COP27 climate talks in Egypt and made this presentation bringing awareness to the threat of the rapid growth of cascading and converging risks to the world’s population and the support systems on which we rely.
12/3/20225 minutes, 16 seconds
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Catherine the Great trusted science and put her life on the line

The Empress of Russia befriended an English doctor and had herself and her son inoculated against smallpox, demonstrating the benefit of the new technique.
12/3/202215 minutes, 12 seconds
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Aluminium from tailings rather than new mines

Sara Couperthwaite is using tailings from mine sites to recover high-grade alumina, which can be used in the production of lithium-ion batteries and LED lights.
11/26/20226 minutes, 57 seconds
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Aluminium formate a carbon dioxide sponge

The pore size of this metal-organic framework makes it ideal for use with post combustion flue gases from coal burning power stations.
11/26/20225 minutes, 42 seconds
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Olivia Campbell wins 2022 Student Bragg prize for Science Writing

Olivia reflects on the importance of science, and the communication of science ideas and stories in social media and elsewhere.
11/26/20226 minutes, 9 seconds
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A call for simpler tech

Simon Rogerson says technology is obsessed with function creep. He calls for technology fit for purpose rather than the over complicated machines we are surrounded by today.
11/26/20227 minutes, 31 seconds
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Bringing dignity to technology

Lorenn Ruster is working with entrepreneurs to instil in them the idea of technology with dignity, so it underpins everything they do and they develop technology without the downside.
11/26/20227 minutes, 43 seconds
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Virtual reality brings Angkor to life

The Virtual Angkor project recreates the sprawling Cambodian metropolis of Angkor at the height of the Khmer empire’s power and influence around 1300 C.E.
11/26/20229 minutes, 32 seconds
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Remains of Neanderthal family discovered in Siberian cave

The findings also suggest that Neanderthal communities were small, and that females routinely left their families to join new groups.
11/26/20229 minutes, 9 seconds
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Best Australian Science Writing 2022

Bragg winner Lauren Fuge and runner-up winners Helen Sullivan and Olivia Willis discuss the stories behind their winning pieces with editor Ivy Shih.
11/19/202219 minutes, 18 seconds
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Heidelberg Laureate Forum – achievements in computing, and where to from here

Carl Smith reports from the forum in Heidelberg where young researchers in computer science and maths meet the high achievers in their field.
11/19/202233 minutes, 56 seconds
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International Science Youth Forum life-changing for Kiama High students

Three students recently graduated from Kiama High School tell how they were impacted by their week with other top science students at the Youth Science Forum in London.
11/12/202210 minutes, 3 seconds
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Global Jet Watch school student astronomy program discovers nova with jets

The jets are seen shooting into space from opposite directions and are mostly hydrogen plasma, but with traces of other elements.
11/12/202211 minutes, 59 seconds
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Fatal flora – a survey of the use of plants as poisons in novels and tv shows

Audiences it seems love a murder mystery based on poisoning using plants.
11/12/20229 minutes, 6 seconds
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So what’s the point of millions of museum specimens?

New technology applied to old specimens can reveal how species have changed over time.
11/12/20228 minutes, 33 seconds
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London’s Natural History Museum goes online

More than 5 million specimens have been digitised. Just 75 million to go. It’s a slow journey, but the benefits are great.
11/12/202213 minutes, 39 seconds
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How some birds use deception to trick other birds

Nicky Clayton’s work has led to a radical re-evaluation of animal cognition and raises important issues about the evolution of cognition.
11/5/202212 minutes, 10 seconds
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Tasmania’s extinct marsupial, the thylacine glowed

The discovery raises questions about the behaviour and ecology of thylacines.
11/5/202212 minutes
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Turning the tide for turtles

In northern NSW Deborah Bower and Eric Nordberg are investigating turtle ecology and hope to reverse their decline.
11/5/202214 minutes, 39 seconds
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Tracing the history of horses

Around 4,200 years ago, horses began accepting humans. Greger Larson describes the change in a species which changed the course of human history.
11/5/202210 minutes, 47 seconds
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UKRI – funding research in the UK

CEO Ottoline Leyser describes her vision for UKRI and the challenges ahead for the UK’s funding body for scientific research.
10/29/20228 minutes, 18 seconds
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Geoengineering now urgent

Reducing emissions and removing carbon dioxide won’t be enough to reduce the increase in temperature. We need to protect the planet from incoming solar radiation.
10/29/20229 minutes, 17 seconds
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Cambridge Zero

Cambridge Zero uses the university’s knowledge and initiative to develop carbon zero solutions for al.
10/29/202214 minutes, 36 seconds
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Plastic – it has been accumulating in our oceans since the 1950s

Khay Fong is monitoring plastic in Australian coastal waters.
10/29/20227 minutes, 35 seconds
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Storms are changing our coastlines

Sand is being washed away. Rocks are being exposed. Coastal development is built too close to the surf zone. Michael Kinsela says we are ignoring the dynamic nature of coastlines.
10/29/20229 minutes, 33 seconds
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Carbon — a vital part of our new energy future

Carbon based materials will be widely used in fuel cells, batteries and coatings for solar cells.
10/22/20229 minutes, 46 seconds
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How plants determine whether to grow branches

When you prune a rose, a bud on the stem gets a message and begins to grow. How is the message sent and how is it received? And how is it determined which bud begins to grow?
10/22/202211 minutes, 15 seconds
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Enter alien worlds in science fiction exhibition in London

A fully immersive experience awaits visitors to London’s Science Museum at its exhibition Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination.
10/22/202213 minutes, 6 seconds
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Geoscience expanding at UNE

Geologist and Palaeontologist Marissa Betts shares the passion for geoscience
10/22/202210 minutes, 30 seconds
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A range of threats for tree frogs

Samantha Wallace is monitoring tree frogs battling habitat loss and the Chytrid fungus.
10/22/20226 minutes, 13 seconds
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How we came to love chickens

Greger Larson has charted the history of chickens, how they became part of the agricultural scene and how they became domesticated.
10/15/20225 minutes, 12 seconds
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Promising new fast diagnosis for tuberculosis

A handheld device detects a molecular signature indicating the presence of TB.
10/15/20224 minutes, 36 seconds
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Encouragement for Indigenous students in science and beyond

The National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP) uses STEM subjects to help Indigenous secondary students leading to tertiary education and employment.
10/15/20224 minutes, 13 seconds
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Underground mines investigated for use in pumped hydro

Vast cavities from underground mines hold promise for use in pumped hydro projects.
10/15/20225 minutes, 33 seconds
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New battery manufacturing plant launched in western Sydney

A facility making batteries for electricity grids based on abundant materials has been opened in Sydney.
10/15/20229 minutes, 35 seconds
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A visit to CSIRO’s library of fish

The collection in Hobart contains more than 160,000 specimens.
10/15/202212 minutes, 50 seconds
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Nobel Prizes 2022

The 2022 Nobel Prizes for medicine, chemistry and physics have been announced. Shelby Traynor reports.
10/8/20225 minutes, 38 seconds
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SMILE to investigate solar wind

The mission will launch in 2025 and will study charged particles which are projected from the Sun and interfere with satellites and equipment on Earth.
10/8/20226 minutes, 2 seconds
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Science, history and law all impact on how we belong

Law lecturer Zainab Naqvi discusses her award-winning presentation at this year’s British Science Festival where she addressed belonging and what influences it in people.
10/8/20225 minutes, 45 seconds
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Yackandandah – regional Victorian town pushing for 100% renewable energy

An excerpt from WHO'S GONNA SAVE US? - the ABC podcast series looking at people and solutions as we battle the climate crisis.
10/8/20229 minutes, 17 seconds
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Managing climate extremes in Australia

Danielle Verdon-Kidd is studying the nature and triggers of extreme weather events, such as droughts, bushfires and storms to help us better prepare for what lies ahead.
10/8/20227 minutes, 57 seconds
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Martin Rees ponders the role of science as the crises mount

Martin Rees argues we need to think globally, and long-term, empowered by twenty-first-century technology and be guided by values that science alone cannot provide.
10/8/202219 minutes, 6 seconds
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A surprising product from waste plastic - vanillin

The flavour ubiquitous in the food and cosmetic industries, vanillin, can be made from plastic using special bacteria.
10/1/20226 minutes, 7 seconds
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Transport options tested at De Montfort Uni engineering lab

The lab is testing an electric rally car and a range extender for other electric vehicles.
10/1/20228 minutes, 9 seconds
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De Montfort University – cultural diversity in the heart of England

Vice-Chancellor Katie Normington describes De Montfort University’s new approach to education.
10/1/20226 minutes, 24 seconds
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How Shakespeare got a little help from his friends

Computational analysis helps identify the source of some texts.
10/1/202212 minutes, 34 seconds
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UK fossils rewriting the story of life

Fossils of complex animals have been found in central England which date to a period when only unicellular organisms were thought to exist.
10/1/202211 minutes, 39 seconds
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New Scientist Live returns to London

New Scientist Live is a science festival presented by New Scientist magazine and is back in early October 2022.
10/1/20228 minutes, 24 seconds
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Printed solar for almost any surface promises new era for renewables wables

New technology allows solar energy to be collected from a roll of plastic.
9/24/202211 minutes, 16 seconds
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National Maritime Museum draws on history and science

Shaped by the Sea, Stories of Deep Time Australia explores the extraordinary forces that created our island nation drawing on scientific and First Peoples perspectives.
9/24/20226 minutes, 49 seconds
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Meteorite’s 4.5-billion-year journey ended in Winchcombe UK

9/24/20229 minutes, 12 seconds
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New materials to soak up carbon dioxide

Metal organic frameworks are materials which act like a sponge and can absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
9/24/20229 minutes, 15 seconds
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The Naked Scientists – early boost followed the worst coffee in a grotty hotel

The Naked Scientists was born more than 20 years ago. It was given an early boost after Chris Smith met Robyn Williams in a 1-star hotel in London.
9/24/202211 minutes, 46 seconds
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Breath chemicals may indicate cancer

Highly absorbent materials and high precision analytical methods may lead to the development of cancer screening using breath.
9/24/20225 minutes, 17 seconds
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Queensland physicist warned the world about ventilation

Lidia Morawska’s knowledge and work on airborne transmission of viruses was behind a WHO recommendation regarding ventilation in the early days of the COVID pandemic.
9/17/202210 minutes, 52 seconds
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A call to politicians – understand how science really works before making funding decisions

9/17/20228 minutes, 28 seconds
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Local government can take leadership in climate response

Residents want action from government, and local government allows them to get involved.
9/17/20223 minutes, 24 seconds
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Virtual reality used in defence force training

Karen Blackmore at The University of Newcastle is working with UN peacekeepers preparing them for battlefield conditions using virtual reality.
9/17/20228 minutes, 28 seconds
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Newcastle – university helping transform coal hub to a new future

The University of Newcastle is producing graduates to help transform the region from a coal hub to one with strong, clean, sustainable industries.
9/17/20228 minutes, 48 seconds
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New drones for the battlefield

Peter Hadfield reports from Farnborough where he was shown the latest in drone aircraft for the battlefield. Will artificial intelligence decide who lives and who dies?
9/17/202210 minutes, 15 seconds
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Lunar rover being designed in Australia

Thierry Peynot at the Queensland Institute of Technology is designing a rover for NASA’s lunar mission planned for early 2026.
9/10/20229 minutes, 57 seconds
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Testing Einstein

Pauline Newman reports on a physicist whose life work has been to test one aspect of Einstein’s theory, known as frame-dragging.
9/10/202218 minutes, 29 seconds
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A guide to land snails of Australia

A Guide to Land Snails of Australia is an overview of Australia's native and introduced land snails, offering a greater understanding of their role in the natural environment.
9/10/20228 minutes, 49 seconds
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Improved access for Brisbane cultural precinct

 A new metro and a focus on pedestrian access promises to open up Brisbane’s cultural centre.
9/10/20227 minutes, 20 seconds
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Zero-cost help for emergency department overcrowding

Paramedics trained in emergency nursing could help prevent unnecessary ambulance trips to hospital emergency departments. But paramedics with nursing experience are prevented from applying their skills.
9/10/20223 minutes, 26 seconds
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Science stars shine at the 2022 Eureka science prizes

How diets impact the environment, new tech allows quick and cheap cancer diagnosis and discoveries improving the treatment of sexually transmitted infections feature in the 2022 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes announced this week. David Fisher reports.
9/3/20227 minutes, 9 seconds
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How dino feet supported the reptilian giants

Steve Salisbury says the giant sauropod dinosaurs must have had pads under their feet to help support more than 10 tonnes on each leg.
9/3/20227 minutes, 40 seconds
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Aussie Stem Stars – Ajay Rane

Writer Deb Fitzpatrick describes writing about surgeon Ajay Rane for the series of books Aussie Stem Stars.
9/3/202210 minutes, 22 seconds
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A futurist’s insight into what’s possible when technology and humanity collide

Futurist Catherine Ball takes us on a journey through the big technology breakthroughs which could reshape our world.
9/3/202216 minutes, 56 seconds
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Concerns when humans and machines merge

Frederic Gilbert is exploring the psychological impacts that sometimes come with brain implants.
9/3/202210 minutes, 1 second
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Exhibit shows voyages of ancient cultures around the Coral Sea

8/27/202213 minutes, 49 seconds
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Australia’s marsupial megafauna – their discovery, ecology and extinction

8/27/202213 minutes, 9 seconds
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New materials for smarter buildings

The new materials require less energy input, produce fewer emissions, and can even lock up carbon.
8/27/202215 minutes, 20 seconds
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New dung beetles on their way to Australia

Imported cattle required imported dung beetles. But there are gaps in geography and season. Valerie Caron hopes to introduce new species of dung beetles.
8/27/202210 minutes, 55 seconds
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Fauna and flora ready to thrive in dense urban areas

When lockdown restricted student Nelson Crossley to 5Km from home, he got to know a local wetland. Despite the urban environment, he found a rich abundance of flora and fauna, including the eastern long-necked turtle.
8/20/20224 minutes, 38 seconds
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A Guide to the Creatures in your Neighbourhood

The book with all you need to know to be a naturalist in your backyard, a small local park, or a larger area.
8/20/20229 minutes, 47 seconds