Shirtloads of Science

When Nature magazine published the top 10 researchers of 2017 there was one Australian. A radio astronomer ? no. A paleontologist? no. She is a professor of Molecular Oncology working with the "the Post-Truth Initiative". Doctor Karl interviews our world leading researcher on how she beat fake science. "Seek and Blast" is the software she helped develop in her spare time. An uplifting story on beating the cheats.

Hypersonic space injection is different. It's fast like a Kangaroo, Air breathing like a lungfish and reusable like a keepcup. UQ's Professor Michael Smart takes Dr Karl through an Australian development that could jumpstart the space program downunder. It has been part of a research program spanning 30 years and Hypersonics could be ready to fly in 5 years says Professor Michael - (with an injection of money).

Dr Karl and Dietetics Professor Claire Collins measure popular weight-loss supplements against the scientific literature. She finds one supplement you could easily overdose on. She finds another that has only ever worked in Japan. How much actual evidence is there ? Save your money and Listen. Proven and affordable solutions are here.

Infrared Invisibility from Polar Bears, Secret Elephant Sounds and Tentacle Camouflage.

Before the Space Race there was a race to find and name new elements. Atom smashers and reactors were the tools to make new super-heavy metals - unknown on earth. Who leaked the announcement of two new radioactive elements on a Children's Quiz show ? Transfermium wars - What were they ? Who died getting Einsteinium ? Chemistry World journalist and author, Kit Chapman, tells Dr Karl about the people behind the unpronounceable names with big atomic numbers at the bottom of the table and the race that is still running.

Before the Space Race began there was a chemistry race - the hunt for new elements. The Russians may have organised the periodic table but it was the Americans that began filling in the blanks. These heavy elements could not be found in nature, you had to create them in cyclotrons and reactors. Chemistry World journalist and author, Kit Chapman, tells Dr Karl about the people behind the 20 or so unpronounceable names at the bottom of the table. In this podcast we count up from atomic number 93. Who wrote a personal letter to Stalin urging a soviet atomic program ? What was the Frankenstein-like moment in San Francisco (just before Pearl Harbour) that changed the war? Which superhero prompted the raid on the offices of DC Comics ?

Lose weight by drinking special Tea - that sounds easy... but is it good ? Dietetics professor Clare Collins, takes Dr Karl through seven Botanical tinctures that make this claim. Snake Oil or Science ? http://theconversation.com/science-or-snake-oil-do-skinny-teas-boost-weight-loss-87353 https://www.newcastle.edu.au/online-learning/moocs/the-science-of-weight-loss

The stars at night are only a fraction of what we know should be there. So where are all those missing bits from our universe? This is a lifelong quest for Professor James Green from Colorado University in Boulder. Since his student days, he has been designing payloads for NASA rockets (and the Hubble space telescope) looking at invisible stuff. So how do you see in the cold black soup of space? What is a Sounding Rocket? Why do Wimps beat Macho's ? These and many more questions are answered in Dr Karl's latest podcast.

What would a biohacked future look like ? What would stop Supervillians creating seceret labs ? Who polices the Cyborgs ? What is the controversial 5th pillar of biohacking ? Doctor Karl and Australia's most famous biohacker discuss.

Imagine visiting a doctor in the not too distant future. Afterwards she sends off data to a local gene lab to give your body a small upgrade. This is the world of biohacking. A place where biololgy is being controlled and shaped to our will - just like we have mastered computers. This episode bounces from In-Vivo to In-Silico and back again, visits the Last Universal Common Ancestor and involves a real human cyborg. Doctor Karl and Mr Meow Meow (Australia's most famous biohacker) explain this brave new world. Part One of a two part podcast.

Doctor Alice on Interstellar Chemistry. Doctor Karl answers the vital question "Do Fish Drink?". Dr Almost Jessica on where it is best to listen to podcasts. A Deep edition. The Shirtloads podcast Team back for 2018.

Doctor Karl takes the Healthy Eating Quiz followed by a dietary checkup with Professor Claire Collins. Have you tried being Flexetarian ? 24 minutes of simple, healthy, free and inspiring suggestions. For maximum effect take the quiz before the podcast and compare your score with the Doctors. healthyeatingquiz.com.au

From Floppy Hats, to Firebirds, The Dark Knight and the Broken Escalator Phenomenon. Doctor Karl is joined by Alice and Jessica as the explore the science behind three observed phenomena. The fire carrying birds of Northern Australia, the dark orbiter that will not die and why people brace themselves when there is no apparent danger.

Econobabble is an invented language that deliberately obscures what you think words describe. Words like "unemployment" and "subsidy" are simple at first glance. Wait till you find out what they really mean ! Are you wasting your time looking for certain jobs, investing your savings in the wrong place or voting against you best interests? Are your definitions up to date? 1962, William S. Burroughs suggested that language could be a virus in his book "The Ticket That Exploded". This 30 minute podcast might be the inoculation you've been looking for. Note: Statistics and examples are for illustrative purposes only. Some are out of date and possibly wrong. The interview was recorded this in late 2017 before the Queensland state election.

August 17 2017 will go down in in Astrophysics history . A LIGO event triggered a 50 telescope 24 hour 360 degree operation which yielded astronomy gold. Prof Tara Murphy was at ground zero when the results came in but she would have to be patient for the ripples to show up on Australian Radio Telescopes. In the data was the solution to a Cold war mystery. A compelling first hand account of a new frontier of discovery.

If every death was a good death, then euthenasia would be widespread. Today most countries ban it. Why? Professor Linda Shields has unearthed some of the reasons and they are within living memory. She is a Professor of Rural Health and has written of an under-reported genocide. One-third of a million disabled people (adults and children, male and female, physical and intellectual) were killed during the Nazi regime and the people who did that killing were nurses. Her book is Nurses and Midwives in Nazi Germany: The "Euthanasia Programs.

Dietitian, Care Collins gives Dr Karl a full 360 on a diet that is getting researchers pumped up. Imagine a menu that stimulated the blood brain barrier, made you think you were full early and might starve cancer cells. Sounds good but there are dangerous side effects in the long term. Ketogenic is a medical diet, is difficult to stick with and may actually have no long term weight loss benefits.

We are what we eat. Organic, low fat, pesticide-free, High Fibre ; Consumers pay extra for foods with health benefits like these. But when food is packaged, how do you know what is really inside ? Welcome to the world of Food Fraud. This Shirtloads podcast stars two British Scientists who have investigated and written about it in their book "Sorting the Beef from the Bull". Bio-Geo-Chemist Richard Evershead and Biologist Nicola Temple expose food criminals with forensic science. (first podcast in 2017)

Marine biologist, diver and author Dr Helen Scales takes Dr Karl deep beneath the waves to share her passion for the ocean. Helen talks about the secret life of molluscs (shellfish). Hear about 'clacking' oysters, the legend of the Golden Fleece (sea silk) and a creature resembling a pinecone crossbred with a slug. There's maths in the spirals, slave trading in the cowrie and just imagine a Harry Potter golden snitch of the sea… it's real and plays an incredibly important role.

Dr Karl and Dr Alice put their heads together to discuss the latest research into hairy leaves and burning plants? Dr Karl's amazing fruit and veggie classification system. What do killer kangaroos have to do with sleeping in an unfamiliar bed? And, if you talk to dogs (like Dr Alice does) there's an experiment you might just want to try. Listen up as two Doctors tackle these and more. (First Podcast in 2016)

Dr Michael has found some fascinating new applications and treatments using worms. From gut health, treating Coeliac disease and healing chronic wounds - there's relief to be found in our tubular friends. Join Dr Karl with Dr Michael Smout (from the Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine) at James Cook University. If words like bile, kilodaltons and cysts put you off - stick with this - it's an uplifting tale of research that could make us feel a lot better.

Dr Karl takes up the challenge of saving the world . Joining him are fellow doctors Derek Muller and Petr Lebedev. All three are in the Science communication business. So how do we convince the world to act on climate change ?

The people of Madagascar have fascinating stories. Did you know the first settlers came from South East Asia ? That some of their traditions are almost 2,000 years old ? That 90% of Madagascan flora and fauna are found nowhere else on earth. Dr Karl and local guide Lala Harivelo takes us on a cultural tour of the world's 4th largest island.

Bill Nye is a household name in the United States. Former Engineer for Boeing, he has a real knack of explaining things. On the panel are Peter Lebedev (investigating how YouTube videos could be made better) and Tom Gordon from Sydney University (resident science communicator at the School of Physics). Clear and accurate communication is fundamental to Science. In 2017, how do you counter beliefs that are ultimately harmful to others and the world at large ? Fascinating discussion.

Edwin Hubble is world famous for his discoveries. Henrietta Swan Leavitt is not. Henrietta was on a team that found a way to measure and classify the universe. They were employed as "human computers" (before the machines existed). Dava's book "The Glass Universe" refers to the half million glass slides Henrietta and other women used to document both the northern and southern skies. An inspiring story of collaboration and discovery.

How do you repel Cyber Espionage ? Architecture says Dr. Barry - The carefully designed structure of things like networks, software and the organisations around them. The latest wave of attacks is Ransom-ware. Dr Karl finds out how to avoid being held hostage. Dr Barry also gives Karl a bunch of tips for keeping your files secure at home and atwork. How often should you update your operating system software? Data backups - how many and where ? Wifi security, Script Kiddies and more.

Jules Faber, Illustrator and Cartoonist, talks with Dr Karl about the creative process using "Karl, The Universe & Everything" as a case study​​. They talk the science of illustration - and the illustration of science. Why do some images speak louder ? Do cartoonists talk a primal language ? Jules is president of Australian Cartoonists' Association and Karl will also give you a preview of some of the hot stories in his latest book ""Karl, The Universe & Everything". Shameless self publicity ? You be the judge. Jules is a prominent Australian book illustrator, but this is his first adventure with Dr. Karl. His passion for science illustration stems from the late 90s when, while studying animation, Jules was leafing through one of Karl's earlier books. Thinking aloud that he could illustrate like the ones inside, and having never considered illustrating books before, this planted a seed. Years later, when asked to illustrate the first of the WeirDo series with Anh Do, Jules recalled that moment. Thus began a bucket-list ambition - to draw for Dr. Karl. The rest, as they say, is scientifically-accurate history.

How do stock exchanges, nuclear power plants or the military check their computer security ? They hire penetration testers - Cyber security experts who secretly test both IT and organisational security. Dr Karl gets the low-down from Chris Gatford, director of a company called Hacklabs. You will not believe how some places make it easy to get inside.

We rarely get to hear "insider" stories of extraterrestrial discovery. Doctor Karl meets Warwick Holmes - Australian Avionics Systems Engineer on Rosetta. He worked on the Philae mission (the one that orbited the comet) seeking the chemical signatures of life. He gives us a blow by blow account of extraterrestrial exploration in the 21st Century. How do you test hardware to fly by the sun and withstand comet dust? How does a lad from South Australia land the best job on earth ? Beam us up Warwick ! First Podcast in 2016

Self-described 'professional space history nerd' Amy Shira Teitel and Dr Karl talk about spaceflight before NASA. Her book 'Breaking the Chains of Gravity' covers cutting edge rocket planes like the X-15 (and its surprising link with tractor seats), the team of seamstresses making high-altitude balloons to send to the edge of space, and how paper plates inspired the engineering of early spacecraft. Extraordinary, intimate stories from a time almost lost from in space-age literature. First podcast in 2016.

From 2009 to 2013, the Kepler Space telescope looked for exoplanets. It stared unblinkingly at a patch of sky which Dr Batalha had selected hoping to find potential life supporting planets in the Goldilocks zone. Then something bad happened. Find out what can go wrong and how Dr Karl's mind was blown to astronomical proportions.

From 2009 to 2013, the Kepler Space telescope looked for exoplanets – planets outside our solar system. It stared unblinkingly at a patch of sky which Dr Batalha had selected hoping to find not just exoplanets, but exoplanets in the Goldilocks zone. Find out what happened, what can go wrong and how Dr Karl's mind was blown to astronomical proportions.

SOFIA is the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. Some German astronomers have made a one hundred inch telescope that picks up infrared. They bent it and shrunk it so that it fits into a NASA provided 747 Jumbo Jet. Dr Karl was lucky enough to be taken up for a ride. He spoke with Oliver Zeile about the engineering that keeps the telescope focused and on-target, and with Melanie Chavance who is studying the birth of stars in our nearest galaxy.

Team Shirtload confesses all when they chat about how they got into science. Was it the nifty lab coats? Being able to use big words with authority? For Karl it has something to do with coathangers in the long grass. But for all it was about the beauty of the logic inherent in the scientific method. Great book recommendations as well.

On the 15 September, 2017, after a long and happy life, the spacecraft Cassini will do (or did, depending on when you listen to this) a suicide plunge into the atmosphere of Saturn, the ringed planet. This episode is a repeat, originally released in March 2017. Dr Linda Spilker has been with NASA's Jet propulsion Lab since 1977. Her work spans Voyager missions and the current Cassini mission. With 40 years of exploration experience, enjoy our extended edition of Shirtloads. Also find out how Australia may play a vital role in decoding Saturn's rings. (Warning: Contains Physics, Chemistry, inter-planetary exploration and traces of Biology).

Of all hot beverages, Coffee may be the healthiest. It is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients and it may even lower the risk of some nasty diseases. Dietitician Prof Clare Collins & Dr Karl go through the mounting Scientific evidence. Importantly Professor Collins also goes through the risk factors for some and who should avoid it altogether. Shirtloads of Espresso Science this week.

Dr Alice has a look at possible life but not as we know it on Titan. Close to but not quite, Dr Jessica on Australia's place the future shape of Space Agencies. And Dr Karl on how hungry can make you angry and irrational.

Dr Lucie Green is a Solar Researcher. She studies our natural power source – that Great Nuclear Reactor in the Sky, the Sun. Come along for the ride with me, Dr Karl, as Dr Lucie helps discover how fusion works, why the light we see is ancient (as old as we are), how to tell if there's an astronomer in your car, and the best place to view planet alignments and magellenic clouds. Shirtloads with Dr. Karl is Out Of This World - with added physics.

To celebrate National Science Week in Australia, we all got together under the umbrella of the Sydney Science Festival to have a fun night called SquizCo – in other words, Science Plus Quiz = Comedy. We had two teams of top-notch scientists battling it out in an Arena of Knowledge and Wits under the watchful eye of host and fellow Sleek Geek Adam Spencer, with Dr Karl as the Brains Trust.

Dr Karl and Dr Helen - talking about ..World's longest echo, how to photograph the molecules inside an explosion, Oceans, Coffee rings and climate change. Dr Helen Czerski describes Physics today as "messy" and "complex" and she loves it.

In this episode - just about, almost on-the-verge of becoming Doctor Jessica on the physics of chemical bonding in spider's silk and how it might help us to build better stuff. Dr Alice on computer modelling predicting the shape of eggs. Dr Karl tells us about the first road trip by car.

Making sense of the Heavens above is extreme science. Add radio telescopes and that becomes multi dimensional. Then apply stresses that destroy 4 wheel vehicles in the desert and you have this week's Shirtloads guest. Dr Karl and Professor Lisa (Harvey-Smith). Radio astronomer and Ultra Marathon Runner who quit formal schooling aged 11. Unique in the science fraternity and she is focused on big Science. In her own words "There are no Bigger questions than the ones being asked by astronomers. Where do we come from? Where are we going? Are we alone?"

This week the team are all in the wild blue yonder. Dr Alice talks about mice pups and space and burying sperm deep under the lunar surface. Dr Karl dreams of carbon free plane travel and passengers making space for the lightest element in the universe. And just about a fully formed Dr Jessica on making the newest blue a physical reality.

What makes white coffee so foamy and delicious. That delightful crunch when you bite into the perfect meringue. Scientifically they're both made of the same stuff - protein. Prof Claire Collins takes us on a journey beyond the taste buds to find the perfect foam for coffee and the prime meringuine making conditions. There is Science behind our recipes and with these tips you will do better. Dr Karl and Prof Collins are here to help.

Things are not always how they seem: Dr Karl explains how to be buff, good looking and scientifically believable in order to con the gullible. Almost Dr Jessica explains how a statistical quirk could look like a collision with another universe. And Dr Alice explains that how that wine you're drinking could taste better in another bottle while listening to your favourite violinist playing a Stradivarius that may or may not sound better than an ordinary violin.

Why has Climate Science become so contested ? Dr Karl discusses with two authors. Dr Christopher Wright has written about the past 30 years of Climate Change in "Climate Change, Capitalism and Corporations: Processes of Creative Self-destruction". And Dr Michael Mann, the US researcher who published the hockey stick graph with his latest "The Madhouse Effect : How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy".

This podcast is about Science and a chart. Team leader, Professor Michael Mann, drew it 20 years ago using good science. It's been named "The Hockey Stick Graph" because of the way it shoots up. It had no new information. Instead it drew on an international scientific consensus. The issue was that it suggested that humans had already changed our climate. The other problem was the clarity with which it expressed those man-made forces. You didn't need to be a scientist read or understand it. Dr Michael Mann, like Charles Darwin, dared to publish. The self-evident conclusion by many, unleashed powerful interests against both Dr. Mann and the science community. Dr Karl Talks with him about the experience.

Blue Sky Science. This week the lamb in a bag - Dr Alice on the research that may help save premature babies. Almost Dr Jessica with a cat in a box wanted dead and/or alive. And Dr Karl on the viruses that eats bacteria - maybe there is a future for humans despite antibiotic superbugs.

We are what we eat. Organic, low fat, pesticide-free, High Fibre ; Consumers are charged extra for foods with health benefits like these. But when food is packaged, how do you know what is really inside ? Welcome to the world of Food Fraud. This Shirtloads podcast stars two British Scientists who have written all it in "Sorting the Beef from the Bull". Bio-Geo-Chemist Richard Evershead and Biologist Nicola Temple. Dr Karl talking with the "Mulder and Sculley" of the food fraud forensic world.

Natural Nukes - Dr Karl explains how the earth created a nuclear reactor billions of years before we figured out how. Extreme gravity, relativistic rotation speeds and could-have-been alien lighthouses - almost Dr Jessica explains the strange science of the Pulsar. Plus Dr Alice on things that shouldn't go boom - the Lithium-ion batteries that power all our devices.