The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
Exoplanets help answer big questions
What happens after our Sun expands and consumes the inner planets? Recent exoplanet discoveries suggest a possible future.
2/24/2024 • 9 minutes, 55 seconds
Falling Walls 2023
Early history of our galaxy, extracting carbon dioxide from air, and a new cancer treatment using an existing drug.
2/24/2024 • 17 minutes, 10 seconds
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.
2/24/2024 • 23 minutes, 21 seconds
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.
2/17/2024 • 20 minutes, 49 seconds
Citizen scientists document shrinking and disappearing Caribbean islands
Hotter sea water is inundation small Caribbean islands.
2/17/2024 • 10 minutes, 52 seconds
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.
2/17/2024 • 4 minutes, 16 seconds
Sally Hurst – Founder of Found a Fossil
Found a Fossil is an essential guide for anyone who finds a fossil or artefact.
2/17/2024 • 5 minutes, 42 seconds
Is artificial intelligence conscious?
Experts put AI to the test.
2/16/2024 • 7 minutes, 22 seconds
COSMOS celebrates 100th edition
Editor Gail MacCallum outlines her approach with the commemorative edition.
2/10/2024 • 10 minutes, 57 seconds
Buildings and bridges – built to last?
New technology reveals stress levels in roads, bridges and buildings.
2/10/2024 • 13 minutes, 56 seconds
Improving photosynthesis
More efficient molecules inside plants could bring a big increase in crop yields.
2/10/2024 • 3 minutes, 49 seconds
Plants in the Civil War: A Botanical History
Judith Sumner views history through a botanical lens
2/10/2024 • 7 minutes, 13 seconds
Rapid decline in Caribbean coral
Warm water, violent storms and human activity have seen coral heavily impacted in the Caribbean.
2/10/2024 • 6 minutes, 42 seconds
Heavy metals, pesticides found in seafood
Kirsten Benkendorff has found banned agricultural chemicals in seafood.
2/10/2024 • 4 minutes, 23 seconds
Pharmacy jabs relieves pressure on GPs
Anna Barwick is looking at new models of care to improve health outcomes across Australia.
2/10/2024 • 3 minutes, 2 seconds
Counting koalas from the sky
Heat sensing drones are far more accurate in determining koala populations than counting from the ground.
2/3/2024 • 9 minutes, 7 seconds
Field guide for birds in urban Australia
Identify your feathered neighbours with this new book.
2/3/2024 • 15 minutes
Changing climate impacts PNG highlands
Failing crops and water supply is forcing change to traditional lifestyles.
2/3/2024 • 20 minutes, 45 seconds
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.
2/3/2024 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
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.
1/6/2024 • 46 minutes, 45 seconds
Licking tasting and eating rocks?
Jan Zalasiewicz wrote about this and is now a proud Ignobel Prize winner.
1/6/2024 • 4 minutes, 34 seconds
Attacking cancer with tiny magnets
Magnetic nanoparticles injected near a tumour can generate heat when exposed to wave energy and kill cancer cells.
12/30/2023 • 4 minutes, 15 seconds
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.
12/30/2023 • 44 minutes, 47 seconds
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.
12/30/2023 • 3 minutes, 32 seconds
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.
12/23/2023 • 13 minutes, 42 seconds
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.
12/23/2023 • 30 minutes, 53 seconds
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.
12/23/2023 • 5 minutes, 31 seconds
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.
12/16/2023 • 6 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
12/16/2023 • 45 minutes, 28 seconds
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.
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.
12/9/2023 • 5 minutes, 51 seconds
Amazon threat intensifies
Reese Halter reports on how the Amazon is now a place of heatwaves, drought and bushfires.
12/9/2023 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
Bob McDonald – The Future Is Now
The Future Is Now, presents the latest on wind, solar, geothermal, tidal power, energy storage and more.
12/9/2023 • 23 minutes, 44 seconds
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.
12/9/2023 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
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.
12/9/2023 • 8 minutes, 49 seconds
Sir Clarence Lovejoy
We revisit an interview with Sir Clarence Lovejoy, Australian Nobel Prize winner in the field of brain research.
12/2/2023 • 15 minutes, 13 seconds
Best Australian Science Writing – Bragg Prize and the book
Excerpts from the 2023 awards presentation and panel discussion.
12/2/2023 • 21 minutes, 48 seconds
Aussie STEM Star – Michelle Simmons
Nova Weetman reads from her children’s book on physicist Michelle Simmons, a pioneer in quantum computing.
12/2/2023 • 8 minutes, 33 seconds
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.
12/2/2023 • 4 minutes, 34 seconds
High hopes for seahorses in Sydney Harbour
A decline in seahorses due to habitat loss and pollution may be reversing.
11/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 52 seconds
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.
11/25/2023 • 10 minutes, 58 seconds
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.
11/25/2023 • 22 minutes, 31 seconds
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.
11/25/2023 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
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.
11/25/2023 • 3 minutes, 45 seconds
The role of rocks in the carbon cycle
Fragmented rocks can absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Great! Could this save us?
11/18/2023 • 8 minutes, 17 seconds
Australia’s nickel deposits formed following ancient volcanic activity
Mathematician Herbert Huppert explains the processes that have led to Australia’s extensive nickel deposits.
11/18/2023 • 5 minutes, 32 seconds
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.
11/18/2023 • 10 minutes, 7 seconds
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.
11/18/2023 • 4 minutes, 44 seconds
Bio-based glue for rehabilitating coral
Laleh Moghaddam describes a bio-based glue intended for use on coral reefs to repair corals after storms.
11/18/2023 • 3 minutes, 31 seconds
How land clearing has affected climate
Western Australia’s rabbit proof fence provides evidence of the effect of land clearing on climate.
11/18/2023 • 15 minutes, 26 seconds
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.
11/11/2023 • 8 minutes, 51 seconds
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.
11/11/2023 • 6 minutes
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.
11/11/2023 • 4 minutes, 15 seconds
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.
11/11/2023 • 7 minutes, 13 seconds
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.
11/11/2023 • 9 minutes, 28 seconds
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.
11/11/2023 • 2 minutes, 53 seconds
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.
11/11/2023 • 14 minutes, 24 seconds
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.
11/4/2023 • 7 minutes, 42 seconds
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.
11/4/2023 • 4 minutes, 18 seconds
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.
11/4/2023 • 6 minutes, 20 seconds
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.
11/4/2023 • 8 minutes, 48 seconds
Mathematics – the tool that will change the world
Kate Helmstedt at QUT applies mathematics to natural resource and environmental management.
11/4/2023 • 9 minutes, 27 seconds
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.
11/4/2023 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
Genome science used to ensure safe seafood
Rachel Hartnell describes some of the work undertaken to maintain safe seafood in the UK.
11/4/2023 • 4 minutes, 51 seconds
Teaching basic mathematical concepts to junior students
Gabrielle Oslington describes some of her approaches for introducing junior students to basic concepts in mathematics.
11/4/2023 • 7 minutes, 26 seconds
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.
10/28/2023 • 5 minutes, 47 seconds
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.
10/28/2023 • 8 minutes, 2 seconds
Security guaranteed as UK health records used for research
OpenSAFELY guarantees the use of health records without identifying who the records belong to.
10/28/2023 • 16 minutes, 6 seconds
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.
10/28/2023 • 9 minutes, 53 seconds
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.
10/28/2023 • 5 minutes, 44 seconds
Shack - changing climate through the eyes of kids
The play sees nine school kids trapped in Antarctica. How will they survive?
10/28/2023 • 6 minutes, 7 seconds
Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
Physicist Michelle Simmons accepts the top award for her work in atomic electronics.
10/21/2023 • 12 minutes, 30 seconds
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.
10/21/2023 • 13 minutes, 14 seconds
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.
10/21/2023 • 9 minutes, 18 seconds
Rewilding Loch Ness
Pine plantations in the Scottish Highlands are being removed and replaced with native species, with ancient peat bogs preserved.
10/21/2023 • 18 minutes, 17 seconds
Canadian forest fires off the charts
9 times more forest than average has burnt in Canada in 2023. Reese Halter reports.
10/14/2023 • 4 minutes, 36 seconds
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.
10/14/2023 • 10 minutes, 28 seconds
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.
10/14/2023 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
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.
10/14/2023 • 10 minutes, 3 seconds
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.
10/14/2023 • 20 minutes, 39 seconds
Nobel Prizes 2023
Shelby Traynor reports on the Nobel Prizes for physics, medicine and chemistry announced this week.
10/7/2023 • 5 minutes, 20 seconds
We had good fortune with COVID – David Baltimore
The response was quick as RNA vaccines were being developed that could be applied to COVID.
10/7/2023 • 10 minutes, 42 seconds
A tribute to Evelyn Fox Keller
Rachel Ankeny presents a tribute to outspoken scientist and philosopher Evelyn Fox Keller.
10/7/2023 • 6 minutes, 42 seconds
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.
10/7/2023 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds
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.
10/7/2023 • 10 minutes, 3 seconds
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.
10/7/2023 • 10 minutes, 27 seconds
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?
9/30/2023 • 8 minutes, 51 seconds
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?
9/30/2023 • 5 minutes, 15 seconds
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.
9/30/2023 • 5 minutes, 29 seconds
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.
9/30/2023 • 27 minutes, 55 seconds
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.
9/23/2023 • 8 minutes, 35 seconds
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.
9/23/2023 • 7 minutes, 2 seconds
Science in action, open to the public
The Exeter Science Park brings together developing research, and the people it might go on to benefit.
9/23/2023 • 7 minutes, 28 seconds
Turning diesel guzzlers into e-vehicles
How do we transform the vehicles our society relies on to a more sustainable form of transport?
9/23/2023 • 6 minutes, 51 seconds
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.
9/23/2023 • 12 minutes, 28 seconds
How mathematics might save forests
Knowing the number of big and small trees can tell us a lot about a forest's overall health.
9/23/2023 • 4 minutes, 21 seconds
The UK rejoins Horizon Europe research programme
UK researchers were locked out of the scheme for three years over Brexit disagreements.
9/16/2023 • 10 minutes, 3 seconds
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
9/16/2023 • 17 minutes
Will AI make us dumber?
Are our mental faculties diminished when we delegate too much thinking to AI?
9/16/2023 • 12 minutes, 37 seconds
Diagnosing disease with a single breath
Work is underway to detect tiny markers of disease present in a person's breath.
9/16/2023 • 3 minutes, 17 seconds
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.
9/16/2023 • 4 minutes, 23 seconds
Capturing the biodiversity of Transylvania
Transylvania is one of King Charles' favourite regions. In 2018 he commissioned artworks celebrating its floral diversity.
9/16/2023 • 4 minutes, 45 seconds
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.
9/9/2023 • 49 minutes, 26 seconds
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.
9/2/2023 • 2 minutes, 25 seconds
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.
9/2/2023 • 47 minutes, 40 seconds
How is your cyber hygiene?
An effective way to stay secure might be to limit our use of devices.
8/26/2023 • 6 minutes, 28 seconds
Salmon farming feeds jellyfish blooms
One expert claims salmon farming is changing ecosystems to the detriment of wildlife and humans.
8/26/2023 • 8 minutes, 56 seconds
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.
8/26/2023 • 8 minutes, 12 seconds
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.
8/26/2023 • 6 minutes, 35 seconds
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.
8/26/2023 • 6 minutes, 8 seconds
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?
8/26/2023 • 7 minutes, 17 seconds
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.
8/26/2023 • 8 minutes, 46 seconds
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.
8/19/2023 • 5 minutes, 2 seconds
Leading scientist's climate call-out
Professor Emma Johnston warned the Royal Society of NSW about the violence of climate change.
8/19/2023 • 9 minutes, 10 seconds
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.
8/19/2023 • 10 minutes, 19 seconds
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.
8/19/2023 • 9 minutes, 40 seconds
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.
8/19/2023 • 9 minutes, 5 seconds
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?
8/19/2023 • 9 minutes, 54 seconds
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?
8/12/2023 • 9 minutes, 43 seconds
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.
8/12/2023 • 4 minutes, 19 seconds
The rhythmic patterns of our emotions
Sentics is the study of how emotions are generated, for instance, while listening to music.
8/12/2023 • 5 minutes, 50 seconds
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.
8/12/2023 • 7 minutes, 1 second
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.
8/12/2023 • 8 minutes, 55 seconds
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.
8/12/2023 • 7 minutes, 39 seconds
An oratorio on the origins of life
The composition 'Origins' had its world premiere in Melbourne in July, and it received a standing ovation.
8/12/2023 • 7 minutes, 26 seconds
Trying to read people's minds with biosensors
Scientists are measuring the activity of neurotransmitters to create a chemical map of the brain.
8/5/2023 • 9 minutes, 36 seconds
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.
8/5/2023 • 6 minutes, 3 seconds
What is a time crystal?
Time crystals are states of matter whose patterns repeat at set intervals of time rather than space.
8/5/2023 • 10 minutes, 55 seconds
A look back at Frank Oppenheimer's Exploratorium
The Exploratorium in San Francisco, opened in 1969, inspired our own science centres in Australia.
8/5/2023 • 26 minutes, 9 seconds
Can you X-ray a mountain?
Device scans the internal makeup of structures and substances – natural or artificial – using subatomic particles called muons.
7/29/2023 • 12 minutes, 32 seconds
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.
7/29/2023 • 8 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
7/29/2023 • 9 minutes, 26 seconds
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.
7/29/2023 • 6 minutes, 2 seconds
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.
7/29/2023 • 4 minutes, 44 seconds
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.
7/29/2023 • 11 minutes, 35 seconds
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.
7/22/2023 • 9 minutes, 2 seconds
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.
7/22/2023 • 11 minutes, 34 seconds
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.
7/22/2023 • 5 minutes, 28 seconds
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.
7/22/2023 • 7 minutes, 48 seconds
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?
7/22/2023 • 10 minutes, 19 seconds
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?
7/22/2023 • 10 minutes, 46 seconds
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.
7/15/2023 • 4 minutes, 29 seconds
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.
7/15/2023 • 10 minutes, 22 seconds
Collecting koala sperm to boost dwindling populations
Efforts are underway to not only protect existing koala populations, but to replenish those that have dwindled.
7/15/2023 • 8 minutes, 4 seconds
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.
7/15/2023 • 6 minutes, 8 seconds
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.
7/15/2023 • 8 minutes, 39 seconds
Young people gather to discuss ocean conservation
The Ocean Youth event in Townsville was one of many organised to connect like-minded people.
7/15/2023 • 6 minutes, 33 seconds
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.
7/8/2023 • 6 minutes, 58 seconds
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.
7/8/2023 • 11 minutes, 46 seconds
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.
7/8/2023 • 27 minutes, 13 seconds
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.
7/8/2023 • 7 minutes, 6 seconds
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.
7/1/2023 • 29 minutes, 12 seconds
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.
7/1/2023 • 15 minutes, 52 seconds
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.
7/1/2023 • 9 minutes, 49 seconds
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.
6/24/2023 • 26 minutes, 16 seconds
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.
6/24/2023 • 26 minutes, 50 seconds
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.
6/17/2023 • 30 minutes
Growing microalgae in rural Queensland
We journey to Goondiwindi to see why one farm is growing marine algae there — 400 kilometres from the ocean.
6/17/2023 • 17 minutes
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.
6/10/2023 • 30 minutes, 14 seconds
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.
6/10/2023 • 12 minutes, 29 seconds
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.
6/10/2023 • 9 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
6/3/2023 • 9 minutes, 43 seconds
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.
6/3/2023 • 6 minutes, 45 seconds
Becoming a Botanist: The vibrant career of Carrick Chambers
Peter Bernhardt tells the story of botanist Carrick Chambers, whose biography has just been published.
6/3/2023 • 7 minutes, 51 seconds
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.
6/3/2023 • 7 minutes, 51 seconds
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.
6/3/2023 • 7 minutes, 51 seconds
The hot and cold effects of our hormones
Research shows there are gender differences in temperature regulation, and oestrogen may play a part.
6/3/2023 • 8 minutes, 57 seconds
The advantages of machine learning
The ability to learn without instruction is making machines faster and more powerful.
6/3/2023 • 3 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
5/27/2023 • 7 minutes, 43 seconds
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.
5/27/2023 • 10 minutes, 6 seconds
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!
5/27/2023 • 7 minutes, 29 seconds
Decarbonising our railways
Most freight trains and long distance passenger trains still run on diesel. And possible alternatives still pose engineering challenges.
5/27/2023 • 5 minutes, 55 seconds
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.
5/27/2023 • 8 minutes, 43 seconds
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.
5/27/2023 • 5 minutes, 52 seconds
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.
5/27/2023 • 6 minutes, 53 seconds
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.
5/20/2023 • 53 minutes, 59 seconds
Monkeys aged prematurely after Hurricane Maria
Monkeys that lived through hurricane appeared to age two years more than expected.
5/13/2023 • 2 minutes, 50 seconds
Epigenetic inheritance: Understanding how stress traverses generations
Epigenetics shows how stressors such as hunger and even slavery, can alter your genome.
5/13/2023 • 8 minutes, 52 seconds
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.
5/13/2023 • 5 minutes, 19 seconds
The quest to find dark matter
One scientist is working on a new apparatus underground, to detect the ever-elusive dark matter.
5/13/2023 • 8 minutes, 25 seconds
The cultural significance of celestial navigation
Sydney Observatory resident Shireen Taweel creates artworks that reflect what sacred architecture might look like on Mars.
5/13/2023 • 9 minutes, 59 seconds
Slimy surfaces and how they might endanger ecosystems
Slime, more scientifically known as biofilm, develops when cells stick together and also to surfaces.
5/13/2023 • 6 minutes, 28 seconds
Are climate targets working?
Are sustainability targets doing what they set out to do? Or could a different approach deliver better results?
5/13/2023 • 6 minutes, 54 seconds
Celebrating David Attenborough on his 97th birthday
Reflecting on Sir David Attenborough's decades-long contribution to our understanding of the natural world.
5/6/2023 • 54 minutes, 10 seconds
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.
4/29/2023 • 12 minutes, 48 seconds
Algae used for new materials and energy
Robert Skip Pomeroy describes products being developed and the challenges in entering established markets.
4/29/2023 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
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.
4/29/2023 • 10 minutes, 55 seconds
Carbon dioxide increase brings ominous future
Ralph Keeling continues to measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, work begun by his father in 1958.
4/29/2023 • 10 minutes, 14 seconds
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.
4/29/2023 • 12 minutes, 39 seconds
Biodegradable plastics become shoes
The shoes are made from hemp, eucalyptus and cotton uppers, with soles made from algae-based foam.
4/22/2023 • 6 minutes, 18 seconds
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.
4/22/2023 • 14 minutes, 30 seconds
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.
4/22/2023 • 5 minutes, 45 seconds
Opera explores mythical side of space exploration
Composer Stefan Gregory is writing an opera as part of a residency at the Sydney Observatory.
4/22/2023 • 9 minutes
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.
Inoculation is showing promise in protecting bees from the varroa mite.
4/22/2023 • 2 minutes, 52 seconds
Honeybees – vital for crop pollination, now venom offers medicinal benefits
Bee venom shows promise treating a range of cancers.
4/22/2023 • 3 minutes, 28 seconds
1922 Aussie outback expedition helped prove Einstein's theory of general relativity
Australian scientists proved Einstein and put Australia on the scientific map.
4/15/2023 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
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.
4/15/2023 • 9 minutes, 47 seconds
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.
4/15/2023 • 5 minutes, 9 seconds
Cutting waste water in wine production
As much as 6 litres of wastewater is produced in vineyards for each litre of wine produced.
4/15/2023 • 5 minutes, 31 seconds
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.
4/15/2023 • 11 minutes, 21 seconds
Plants help us change our state of mind
Peter Bernhardt reviews Michael Pollan’s book about three mind-altering substances derived from plants.
4/15/2023 • 8 minutes, 47 seconds
Tom Lehrer celebrates 95 years
We hear one of Tom Lehrer’s most popular songs, The Elements.
4/15/2023 • 3 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
4/8/2023 • 5 minutes, 46 seconds
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.
4/8/2023 • 4 minutes, 2 seconds
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.
4/8/2023 • 6 minutes, 45 seconds
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.
4/8/2023 • 35 minutes, 14 seconds
Lunar Trailblazer to map water on the Moon
The presence and amount of water will determine where future Moon missions will be sent.
4/1/2023 • 7 minutes, 58 seconds
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.
4/1/2023 • 10 minutes, 14 seconds
Environmental concerns of King Charles
Speaking on The Science Show in 1993, then Prince Charles expressed concerns about our impact on natural ecosystems.
4/1/2023 • 11 minutes, 4 seconds
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.
4/1/2023 • 10 minutes, 27 seconds
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.
4/1/2023 • 12 minutes, 52 seconds
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.
3/25/2023 • 9 minutes, 20 seconds
Vale Will Steffen
Will speaks about climate tipping points and the risk of over- estimating a climate tipping point.
3/25/2023 • 9 minutes, 54 seconds
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.
3/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 53 seconds
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.
3/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 10 seconds
Veena’s story for primary students
The next book in the Aussie STEM Stars series features engineer Veena Sahajwalla.
3/25/2023 • 7 minutes, 39 seconds
More Quantum Bullsh*t
Chris Ferrie reads from his book Quantum Bullsh*t.
3/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 19 seconds
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.
3/25/2023 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
On the edge – art exhibition features species at risk
On The Edge – Species At Risk highlights nature in peril.
3/18/2023 • 8 minutes, 25 seconds
Young artists focus on climate change at the Adelaide Festival
Create4Adelaide gives young people a voice on climate change issues.
3/18/2023 • 6 minutes, 18 seconds
Australian Academy of Science calls for review of science funding
Science funding of 1.7% in Australia compared with similar countries spending 3%.
3/18/2023 • 12 minutes, 1 second
DNA identifies presence of smuggled pangolins
A new technique detects DNA on bags used for carrying wildlife.
3/18/2023 • 13 minutes, 35 seconds
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.
3/18/2023 • 10 minutes, 25 seconds
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.
3/11/2023 • 10 minutes, 1 second
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.
3/11/2023 • 14 minutes, 22 seconds
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.
3/11/2023 • 24 minutes, 23 seconds
Tim Entwisle – Evergreen, The Botanical Life of a Plant Punk
Tim reads from his memoir reflecting on the place of botanic gardens today.
3/4/2023 • 11 minutes, 30 seconds
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.
3/4/2023 • 6 minutes, 43 seconds
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.
3/4/2023 • 26 minutes, 46 seconds
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.
3/4/2023 • 8 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
2/25/2023 • 11 minutes, 44 seconds
Seagrasses provide immense environmental benefit
Seagrass meadows absorb and store large amounts of carbon removing it from the atmosphere for thousands of years.
2/25/2023 • 10 minutes, 15 seconds
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.
2/25/2023 • 24 minutes, 32 seconds
Parasites kill up to 40% turtles in Queensland waters
Eggs of parasites accumulate in the veins and arteries of turtles and leads to death.
2/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 48 seconds
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.
2/18/2023 • 9 minutes, 57 seconds
Pedestrians pose challenge for autonomous vehicles
A pedestrian simulator is predicting pedestrian behaviour and linking results with autonomous vehicles.
2/18/2023 • 6 minutes, 50 seconds
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.
2/18/2023 • 21 minutes, 18 seconds
Chemical process reduces energy, waste and time
The vortex fluidic device applies mechanical energy replacing chemical reactions.
2/18/2023 • 8 minutes, 38 seconds
Institute honours environmental warrior Harry Butler
Murdoch University’s research and education facility brings science, business and the community together to address environmental problems.
2/11/2023 • 5 minutes, 17 seconds
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.
2/11/2023 • 5 minutes, 51 seconds
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.
2/11/2023 • 8 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
2/11/2023 • 28 minutes, 15 seconds
Can echidnas keep cool? No sweat!
Christine Cooper has found echidnas, wherever they live, hot or cold, stay comfy by blowing bubbles!
2/11/2023 • 5 minutes, 58 seconds
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.
2/4/2023 • 13 minutes, 7 seconds
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.
2/4/2023 • 23 minutes, 42 seconds
John Wheeler remembered
Pauline Newman speaks to physicists about the work and legacy of John Wheeler.
2/4/2023 • 11 minutes, 39 seconds
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.
2/4/2023 • 5 minutes, 25 seconds
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.
1/28/2023 • 12 minutes, 5 seconds
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.
1/28/2023 • 21 minutes, 22 seconds
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.
1/28/2023 • 7 minutes, 29 seconds
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.
1/28/2023 • 8 minutes, 32 seconds
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.
1/21/2023 • 29 minutes, 30 seconds
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.
1/21/2023 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
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.
1/21/2023 • 9 minutes, 19 seconds
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.
1/14/2023 • 13 minutes, 40 seconds
Swinburne science focusses on astronomy and medical technology
Swinburne University researchers are solving real world problems for users of medical technology.
1/14/2023 • 9 minutes, 3 seconds
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.
1/14/2023 • 8 minutes, 6 seconds
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.
1/14/2023 • 8 minutes, 7 seconds
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.
1/14/2023 • 5 minutes, 10 seconds
Science journalists unite for the common cause
The Science Journalists Association of Australia supports science journalists from all parts of Australia.
1/14/2023 • 9 minutes, 12 seconds
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.
1/7/2023 • 54 minutes, 10 seconds
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.
12/31/2022 • 54 minutes, 11 seconds
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.
12/24/2022 • 6 minutes, 17 seconds
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.
12/24/2022 • 47 minutes, 23 seconds
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.
12/17/2022 • 54 minutes, 10 seconds
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.
12/10/2022 • 8 minutes, 54 seconds
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.
12/10/2022 • 11 minutes, 31 seconds
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.
12/10/2022 • 4 minutes, 33 seconds
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.
12/10/2022 • 11 minutes, 53 seconds
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.
12/10/2022 • 5 minutes, 54 seconds
Tracing the history of disease
Anne Stone uses ancient DNA to trace diseases and thinks tuberculosis may have originated in seals.
12/10/2022 • 8 minutes, 23 seconds
Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science
Excerpts from the 2022 awards ceremony including the address from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
12/3/2022 • 16 minutes, 13 seconds
Multiple pressures on koalas
Ryan Witt describes threats for koalas and his use of drones in monitoring the marsupials.
12/3/2022 • 5 minutes, 53 seconds
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.
12/3/2022 • 7 minutes, 54 seconds
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.
12/3/2022 • 3 minutes, 19 seconds
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.
12/3/2022 • 5 minutes, 16 seconds
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.
12/3/2022 • 15 minutes, 12 seconds
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.
11/26/2022 • 6 minutes, 57 seconds
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.
11/26/2022 • 5 minutes, 42 seconds
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.
11/26/2022 • 6 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
11/26/2022 • 7 minutes, 31 seconds
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.
11/26/2022 • 7 minutes, 43 seconds
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.
11/26/2022 • 9 minutes, 32 seconds
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.
11/26/2022 • 9 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
11/19/2022 • 19 minutes, 18 seconds
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.
11/19/2022 • 33 minutes, 56 seconds
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.
11/12/2022 • 10 minutes, 3 seconds
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.
11/12/2022 • 11 minutes, 59 seconds
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.
11/12/2022 • 9 minutes, 6 seconds
So what’s the point of millions of museum specimens?
New technology applied to old specimens can reveal how species have changed over time.
11/12/2022 • 8 minutes, 33 seconds
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.
11/12/2022 • 13 minutes, 39 seconds
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.
11/5/2022 • 12 minutes, 10 seconds
Tasmania’s extinct marsupial, the thylacine glowed
The discovery raises questions about the behaviour and ecology of thylacines.
11/5/2022 • 12 minutes
Turning the tide for turtles
In northern NSW Deborah Bower and Eric Nordberg are investigating turtle ecology and hope to reverse their decline.
11/5/2022 • 14 minutes, 39 seconds
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.
11/5/2022 • 10 minutes, 47 seconds
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.
10/29/2022 • 8 minutes, 18 seconds
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.
10/29/2022 • 9 minutes, 17 seconds
Cambridge Zero
Cambridge Zero uses the university’s knowledge and initiative to develop carbon zero solutions for al.
10/29/2022 • 14 minutes, 36 seconds
Plastic – it has been accumulating in our oceans since the 1950s
Khay Fong is monitoring plastic in Australian coastal waters.
10/29/2022 • 7 minutes, 35 seconds
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.
10/29/2022 • 9 minutes, 33 seconds
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.
10/22/2022 • 9 minutes, 46 seconds
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?
10/22/2022 • 11 minutes, 15 seconds
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.
10/22/2022 • 13 minutes, 6 seconds
Geoscience expanding at UNE
Geologist and Palaeontologist Marissa Betts shares the passion for geoscience
10/22/2022 • 10 minutes, 30 seconds
A range of threats for tree frogs
Samantha Wallace is monitoring tree frogs battling habitat loss and the Chytrid fungus.
10/22/2022 • 6 minutes, 13 seconds
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.
10/15/2022 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
Promising new fast diagnosis for tuberculosis
A handheld device detects a molecular signature indicating the presence of TB.
10/15/2022 • 4 minutes, 36 seconds
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.
10/15/2022 • 4 minutes, 13 seconds
Underground mines investigated for use in pumped hydro
Vast cavities from underground mines hold promise for use in pumped hydro projects.
10/15/2022 • 5 minutes, 33 seconds
New battery manufacturing plant launched in western Sydney
A facility making batteries for electricity grids based on abundant materials has been opened in Sydney.
10/15/2022 • 9 minutes, 35 seconds
A visit to CSIRO’s library of fish
The collection in Hobart contains more than 160,000 specimens.
10/15/2022 • 12 minutes, 50 seconds
Nobel Prizes 2022
The 2022 Nobel Prizes for medicine, chemistry and physics have been announced. Shelby Traynor reports.
10/8/2022 • 5 minutes, 38 seconds
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.
10/8/2022 • 6 minutes, 2 seconds
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.
10/8/2022 • 5 minutes, 45 seconds
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.
10/8/2022 • 9 minutes, 17 seconds
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.
10/8/2022 • 7 minutes, 57 seconds
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.
10/8/2022 • 19 minutes, 6 seconds
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.
10/1/2022 • 6 minutes, 7 seconds
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.
10/1/2022 • 8 minutes, 9 seconds
De Montfort University – cultural diversity in the heart of England
Vice-Chancellor Katie Normington describes De Montfort University’s new approach to education.
10/1/2022 • 6 minutes, 24 seconds
How Shakespeare got a little help from his friends
Computational analysis helps identify the source of some texts.
10/1/2022 • 12 minutes, 34 seconds
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.
10/1/2022 • 11 minutes, 39 seconds
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.
10/1/2022 • 8 minutes, 24 seconds
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.
9/24/2022 • 11 minutes, 16 seconds
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.
9/24/2022 • 6 minutes, 49 seconds
Meteorite’s 4.5-billion-year journey ended in Winchcombe UK
9/24/2022 • 9 minutes, 12 seconds
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.
9/24/2022 • 9 minutes, 15 seconds
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.
9/24/2022 • 11 minutes, 46 seconds
Breath chemicals may indicate cancer
Highly absorbent materials and high precision analytical methods may lead to the development of cancer screening using breath.
9/24/2022 • 5 minutes, 17 seconds
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.
9/17/2022 • 10 minutes, 52 seconds
A call to politicians – understand how science really works before making funding decisions
9/17/2022 • 8 minutes, 28 seconds
Local government can take leadership in climate response
Residents want action from government, and local government allows them to get involved.
9/17/2022 • 3 minutes, 24 seconds
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.
9/17/2022 • 8 minutes, 28 seconds
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.
9/17/2022 • 8 minutes, 48 seconds
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?
9/17/2022 • 10 minutes, 15 seconds
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.
9/10/2022 • 9 minutes, 57 seconds
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.
9/10/2022 • 18 minutes, 29 seconds
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.
9/10/2022 • 8 minutes, 49 seconds
Improved access for Brisbane cultural precinct
A new metro and a focus on pedestrian access promises to open up Brisbane’s cultural centre.
9/10/2022 • 7 minutes, 20 seconds
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.
9/10/2022 • 3 minutes, 26 seconds
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.
9/3/2022 • 7 minutes, 9 seconds
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.
9/3/2022 • 7 minutes, 40 seconds
Aussie Stem Stars – Ajay Rane
Writer Deb Fitzpatrick describes writing about surgeon Ajay Rane for the series of books Aussie Stem Stars.
9/3/2022 • 10 minutes, 22 seconds
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.
9/3/2022 • 16 minutes, 56 seconds
Concerns when humans and machines merge
Frederic Gilbert is exploring the psychological impacts that sometimes come with brain implants.
9/3/2022 • 10 minutes, 1 second
Exhibit shows voyages of ancient cultures around the Coral Sea
8/27/2022 • 13 minutes, 49 seconds
Australia’s marsupial megafauna – their discovery, ecology and extinction
8/27/2022 • 13 minutes, 9 seconds
New materials for smarter buildings
The new materials require less energy input, produce fewer emissions, and can even lock up carbon.
8/27/2022 • 15 minutes, 20 seconds
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.
8/27/2022 • 10 minutes, 55 seconds
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.
8/20/2022 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
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.