
Dr Karl Podcast
475 episodes — Page 3 of 10

Terraforming Mars, intergalactic travel and the Perseverance Rover
What impact would living on Mars have on our bodies? Could we ever have 'Earth' on our identification? And how are the astronauts stuck on the International Space Station going?Dr Karl and special guest Dr Adrian Brown answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

String theory, Benford's Law and the discovery of Pi
Is math a human invention or something we discovered? How many ways are there to count? And can math offer a solution to microplastics? Dr Karl and special guest Matt Parker answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Breath work, species adaptations and peak solar energy
How realistic are shark attacks in movies? Why are there no monkeys in Australia? And how important are breathing exercises? Science communicators Zoe Kean and Ruben Meerman answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Shark repellants, going grey and the sixth sense
Will humans ever evolve to be immune to cancer? How effective are shark bands for surfers? And are our dreams made of atoms? Science communicators Zoe Kean and Ruben Meerman answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Hurricane Milton, the shadow biosphere and preventing CTE
Why do some people have a higher caffeine tolerance? How common is shingles in people under the age of 30? And why don’t any mammals have green fur? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Jordan Barr.

Moo Deng, koala contraception and de-extinction efforts
Do animals get jet lag? How do snakes dig holes if they have no arms? And what impact would the reintroduction of extinct animals have on existing species? Dr Karl and special guest Dr Marissa Parrott answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Latchkey incontinence, sleep cycles and targeted pain relief
Why do I need to pee every time I get to my front door? How long could you survive in a car with just air conditioning? And does your sleep schedule matter as long as it's eight hours?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Chemo curls, tinnitus and Bluetooth explained
Are electric vehicles still better for the environment if you charge them with a non-renewable energy source? What happens if you hold your urine for too long? And can you get the physical symptoms of anxiety without feeling anxious? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Nocturnal teens, space hygiene and Chernobyl fungus
How much air pollution do space launches cause? Why don’t babies get bad breath in the morning? And is it true your immune system doesn’t know you have eyes? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Wind farms, hair growth and inherited fears
Why does my Bluetooth speaker glitch when I'm using the microwave? Can fears be genetically passed down? And will there be another major evolutionary period for humans?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Bec Charlwood.

Spider silk, super human strength and wild winds
How small does an animal need to be to survive a great fall? Is it safe to reheat tea or coffee in the microwave? And how are magnets made? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Fire ants, bees knees and metamorphic mush
Are we really eating spiders in our sleep? Do bees have knees? Why are cockroaches so resilient?Dr Karl, Dr. Robert Puckett and Jess Ward-Jones answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

AI consciousness, hugging trees and deep fakes
Can AI rewrite its own software? How much water would we need to take to the moon to make it inhabitable? And are robots going to take our jobs?Dr Karl and special guest Dr Matt Agnew answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Olympic emotions, sourdough starters and dominant hands
Why are we seeing Olympic records in some sports but not others? Does cracking your fingers actually give you arthritis? And if someone ate a diet of only lavender, would their farts smell nice?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Exoplanets, slingshotting spacecrafts and the moon landing
Are there more planets than grains of sand on earth? Does food go mouldy in space? And have we started training astronauts to visit Mars? Dr Karl and special guest Katherine Bennell-Pegg answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Birth control, stem cell modification and the orgasm gap
Is urine sterile enough to clean a wound? Why do our noses run so much in the cold? And can you change your sex drive?Dr Karl and Dr Naomi Koh Belic answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Cremations vs. burials, walking sharks and consciousness
Is height predetermined at birth? Could plants have memories? And when we die, is it more environmentally friendly to get cremated or buried? Dr Karl and special guest Zoe Kean answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Cool burning, phantom vibrations and the other side
How do some trees survive extreme bushfires? Where did AI begin? And what's the climate change issue that's not getting enough coverage?For this NAIDOC Week special, Dr Karl is joined by Tiahni Adamson to answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Ageing brains, poo colour and conspiracy theories
Why does it become harder to learn things as we get older? If you injured yourself in space, would it hurt as much as it would on earth? And why does cheese taste better melted? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Crying headaches, subtitles and human evolution
Can long term use of cannabis change your eye colour? Why do adults feel the cold more than kids? And what will the next stage of human evolution look like? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Blood types, nanny naps and the winter solstice
Why does our skin dry out more in winter? If you were born deaf and blind, how would you think? And is sparkling water just as hydrating as regular water? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Cryogenic freezing, cravings and the placebo effect
What role do genetics play in determining how smart someone will be? Why are rainbows always the same shape and colour? And where do the vitamins in fruit and vegetables come from?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Microplastics, genetic modification and fire vs ice
If all planets are stuck in the sun's gravitational pull, what stops them from being completely pulled into the sun? Does melting cheese change its nutritional value? And could we genetically modify before birth?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Harnessing earthquakes, dog bellybuttons and baby clouds
Can we harness the power of earthquakes? Why don't dogs have bellybuttons like us? And why tf do you sometimes see one little cloud in a clear sky?Dr Karl answers these questions and more, on triple j Mornings with Ruby Miles.

Irrational phobias, earthquakes and mathematics
What kind of math formulas go into AI? What influences our biggest fears? And can humans acclimatise to every weather condition?Dr Karl and special guest Tom Crawford answer these questions and more, on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Aurora australis, op shop smells and photographic memory
Can eating certain foods change the taste of bodily fluids? Why do I get congested after a night out drinking? And why does armpit hair stop growing at a certain length?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.
BONUS EP: Space farts, dog breath and the Laws of Entropy
If the whole population stood in one spot and ran would the earth spin like a treadmill? What would happen if gravity didn’t exist? And are farts powerful enough to propel you in space?Dave from Glass Animals asks these questions and more on this bonus episode of Science with Dr Karl.

Wine sneezes, yawning vs. swallowing and dimensions...
What's actually happening when you get the wind knocked out of you? Why does swallowing combat yawning? And could we ever visualise someone else's pain?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Planet-eating stars, Dreamtime astronomy and the Potato Radius
Why is it so dangerous to look directly at a solar eclipse? How do we know that all foods taste the same to every person? And the big question - do aliens exist? Dr Karl and special guest, Kirsten Banks, answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Tick bites, dirty diamonds and the bacteria takeover
Why does my voice wobble when I have vulnerable conversations? Why does food taste different at different temperatures? And how do you grow seedless mandarins if they have no seeds?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Bec Charlwood.

Flushing etiquette, growing pains and heat vs temperature
What impact does trauma have on your memory? Why do chillies burn your tongue and lips but not your throat? And could octopuses take over the world? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Cloning dinosaurs, inbreeding implications and the soft cheese crisis
Why do some medications reduce your sex drive? Why do dogs bite their own tail? And if you were preparing for the end of the world, what is the one medication you would take with you?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Tea wees, volcanic extinction and muscle loss
What is it about beans that make us fart? Why do we lose muscle so quickly? How does a drink's temperature impact its fizz?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Violent burps, sneezing erections and breathing bums
Why do old people have such a distinctive smell? What would happen if gravity suddenly doubled? And why do my limbs always swell during a flight?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Shooting stars, astrology vs. astronomy and spaghettification
Is it possible to speed up or slow down the speed of sound? Will stars eventually become invisible to the naked eye? And what would happen if you took your space suit off in space?Dr Karl and special guest, Dr Laura Driessen, answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Space smells, flying headaches and nails
What does space smell like? Is the youngest sibling technically more elite? And do bushfires burn at a lesser intensity when at higher altitudes?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Leap years, dizziness and epoxy resin
Why does the sun feel hotter on certain days? What would happen if an astronaut sneezed inside his helmet while in space? And does drinking lots of water make you sweat more?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Throat tickles, arctic currents and sticky surfaces
How important are orgasms to our mental health? What would happen if the world stopped spinning? And would expired milk be safe to drink if you boiled it?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Ash McGregor.

Bubble baths, sustainable populations and virtual reality
Does working out increase your sex drive? Should we be worried about seagulls eating too many chips? And how has a stingray who's had no contact with males for eight years become pregnant?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Synthetic meat, collagen and sperm races
Can drinking apple cider vinegar improve gut health? Is it okay to put chicken in the fridge while it’s still hot? And how does the carnivore diet affect the body?Dr Karl and special guest, Professor Clare Collins, answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Healing heat, barefoot skiing and dominant hands
Are we connected to all our muscles? Why do I get sleepy when I have passengers in my car? Does drinking alcohol through a straw get you drunk faster?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Fizzy poop, cold orgasms and hand drying hacks
How does a shark smell blood in water? Does jet lag feel worse when travelling east to west? Should we be worried about the bacteria between our toes? Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Lightening balls, parallel galaxies and soda water
Could you sunbathe on the moon? Does the atmosphere alter our vision? Does the earths magnetic field impact gravity?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Min Min lights, wet swimmers and antibiotics
Does sex impact sporting performance? What is antibiotic resistance? Should we give plastic trees the axe?Dr Karl answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Fish gills, earwax and bio-luminescent algae
How do we remove earwax safely? Why is it cold at the peak of a mountain if hot air rises? Why don't scars tan?Bianca Nogrady answers these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Sticky skin, thunderstorms and funnel-web spiders
Can thunder hurt you? Why is my skin sticky? Why do I have the exact same dream every night?Dr Karl answers these questions and more, on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Synesthesia, goosebumps and music taste
Why do certain tracks make us cry?How can a song take you back to a specific moment in time?What influences your music taste?Dr Karl & Dr Solange Glasser, Senior Lecturer in Music Psychology at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, answer these questions and more on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Cortisol, histamine and toe nails
If I hold my nose when i sneeze, will my eyes pop out? Why can't we grow arms and legs back? Why do we cry?Dr Karl answers these questions and more, on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith & Dr Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong.

Christmas Beetles, Venus and farts
Where are all the Christmas beetles? Why do some mammals sweat and others don't? If the cells in our body get replaced every 7 years - why do our tattoos stay?Dr Karl answers these questions and more, on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.

Hibernation, fungus and foamy trees
Why do weeds grow faster than other plants? What happens when our body cramps? How do Bears hibernate?Dr Karl answers these questions and more, on triple j Mornings with Lucy Smith.