The Science Show - Full Program Podcast

Around 1.5 million years ago, in what's now Kenya, a human-like figure walked across the savannah. He was probably quite short by our standards, no taller than Danny DeVito. But unlike Danny DeVito, this ancient figure was not human. He was a long-extinct relative of ours called Paranthropus boisei. And now his fossilised hand bones are giving us never-before-seen insights into how he and his species lived. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.Get in touch with us: [email protected]: Carrie Mongle, palaeoanthropologist at Stony Brook University and the Turkana Basin Institute More information: New fossils reveal the hand of Paranthropus boiseiFossil hand bones hint that ancient human relative Paranthropus made tools 1.5 million years agoThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Jonathan Porritt’ recent book, Love, Anger and Betrayal charts the lives of young British climate campaigners. Meanwhile in Australia under-16s are about to be banned from using social media.

Few astronomical wonders are as spectacular as a total solar eclipse, when the Moon fully covers the Sun, plunging us into daytime darkness. If we're lucky, we can see this epic phenomenon as it happens — through special glasses, of course. But our preoccupation with looking at the sky means we may not notice what's happening to the animals around us. When it comes to birds, many of which rely on the Sun to tell them when to sing a dawn chorus, how does a solar eclipse change how they behave? And what are the wider implications in this artificially lit world? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.Get in touch with us: [email protected]:Liz Aguilar, PhD student in bird reproductive behaviour at Indiana University BloomingtonMore information:Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds: Insights from acoustic recordings and community scienceThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Richard Robson from the University of Melbourne has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, the nation’s first Chemistry Nobel in 50 years.

This has been a bumper year for whale-watching on Australia's east coast, with thousands of humpbacks spotted cruising along their annual migration route. This population was almost wiped out by whalers last century but has bounced back — and then some. A new estimate suggests there are now more of these humpbacks than in pre-whaling times. So why are the eastern Australian humpbacks going gangbusters while other populations aren't doing nearly as well? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.Get in touch with us: [email protected]:Wally Franklin, marine scientist at Southern Cross University and the Oceania Project More information:Eastern Australian humpback whale population now well above pre-whaling levels, report findsBoom to bust? Implications for the continued rapid growth of the eastern Australian humpback whale population despite recoveryThe Oceania ProjectIf you want to hear about how other Australian whales are going, check out The plight of the southern right whales. This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

The BA, as it was known, established in 1831, was set up to advance science in the interest of the people, old and young, professional and lay. So, how well is it doing now amid international turmoil.

For decades, climate scientists have been tracking a curious phenomenon. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are steadily increasing overall but they also rise and fall in an annual rhythm — like the planet is breathing.Each spring, in the southern hemisphere, carbon dioxide levels start to plateau or maybe even drop slightly before shooting up again after summer.So what's driving these seasonal changes?You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.Get in touch with us: [email protected]:Nick Deutscher, atmospheric chemist at the University of WollongongThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Iconic jellyfish in saltwater lakes are disappearing.

If you've been watching the Women's Rugby World Cup, you may have noticed players have been wearing special mouthguards that light up when they've suffered a significant knock to the head.It's the first time these concussion-predicting mouthguards have been trialled at a major competition.So in the wake of recent concussion concerns, from professional AFL and rugby league to community competitions, is this the future of sport?You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.Get in touch with us: [email protected]:Kate O’Halloran, digital journalist with ABC Sport More information: Women's Rugby World Cup players trialling flashing mouthguards to help predict concussionsThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Sophie Ly takes us to Palau to meet scientists and traditional knowledge custodians who are working together to uncover the secrets of Palau’s ancient terraces.

Australia’s known for having some of the world’s toughest sunscreen standards, but in June, that reputation was rocked. Independent testing of 20 sunscreens found 16 did not meet their advertised SPF50 rating, including three children's sunscreens and three sold by the Cancer Council. So how are sunscreens tested, and what can we learn from these recent SPF revelations?You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.Get in touch with us: [email protected]:John Staton, scientific director at SciPharm More information:Choice report finds popular Australian sunscreens fail to meet SPF claims on labelThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Just as quantum physics is poised to launch computing into a new era of capability, researchers are seeing the first signs of quantum effects in biology.

When you think of leaders in the space sector, big hitters like NASA and private companies like SpaceX spring to mind.But since the very beginning of the Space Age, Australia has played a role in the space flight industry.And this year, an Australian company tried to launch a rocket from Australian soil.So why is Australia building and launching rockets at all, especially when so many nations are already miles ahead?You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

As The Science Show concludes its celebration of 50 years, we remember John Clarke’s contributions to early Science Shows and point to a film just released looking at John’s life, produced by his daughter Lorin.

One in four Australians get hay fever, and as the planet warms, our seasonal sneezes and sniffles are tipped to get much, much worse.

Join us for highlights from fifty years of The Science Show including Fred Dagg, who helps us with the big questions: what is it all about and why are we here?

Every now and again, dozens or even hundreds of perfectly healthy looking whales strand themselves on a beach. Scientists have a few theories on why they do this.

Samples from asteroids have helped build a theory of the origin of complex molecules and how they made it to Earth.

Fresh Australian dietary guidelines are due next year, and they’ll likely focus on the health of the planet as well as people.

Small chemical groups inserted or removed from around DNA may affect gene expression and so be a way to control genetic blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia and beta thalassemia.

Meat ants don't sound like the most endearing Australian animals. These purple-red insects are super territorial, swarming and biting anything that threatens their nest. But it turns out they're not just aggressive, flesh-tearing fighters. They're also farmers, architects, and — best of all — cane toad exterminators.

Is the US shooting itself in the foot, or shooting itself in the head? As Donald Trump removes funding for medical research, climate research and more, Matthew England reflects on how science will help us cope with a changing world.

It's impossible to escape microplastics. They're in our food and water, and the air around us is teeming with them.So considering they're all around us, how can we minimise our exposure to tiny plastic fragments without resorting to living in a cave?

A 100-yr flood is now a more regular occurrence in the German town of Passau, bringing widespread destruction, another local impact of a planet getting hotter.

It feels like you can't go a week without hearing about some new quantum technology which promises to change our lives for the better. But quantum mechanics is already well and truly present in our daily life — and you don't even have to be a physicist to be using it.

There was a famous debate. And truly weird ideas about how the universe works at a subatomic level. Shelby Traynor traces the history of quantum mechanics.

If you've given birth to three daughters, what are the odds that your next child will also be a girl?One in two, right? Well … maybe not.The odds of having a fourth girl could be a fair bit higher than 50 per cent, according to a new study into families with single-sex sets of siblings.

Discover the story of a pair of brothers who invented an early electric scooter, humidicrib, fax machine, Olympic scoreboard — and much more! — in their South Australian workshop from the 1930s to the 60s.We also learn about a trial that's generated energy from the waves, and unearth two rare photographs of a long-lost bandicoot species.

A huge net, weighed down by heavy chains, swiftly sweeps across the ocean floor, scooping up everything in its path. This type of fishing, called bottom trawling, was illuminated in a new documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough. Bottom trawling is known for indiscriminately gathering all sorts of marine species, as well as damaging the sea floor. But with the practice producing around a quarter of the world’s wild-caught seafood, are there ways to make it more sustainable?

In an electrifying episode of the Science Show, find out how getting struck by a bolt from the heavens can help at least one species of tall tree not only survive, but thrive. Then step back in time to solve a tool-making mystery in Samoa and discover hidden treasures in centuries-old books — including a bubonic plague flea.

In the three years since the James Webb Space Telescope sent back its first images, it's pulled back the veil on a whole bunch of mind-blowing cosmic phenomena. So how has this $13 billion bit of kit shaped what we know about the Universe — and what is yet to come?

We hear from scientists who push the boundaries of creation, whether that's building wild and wacky snack flavours (successfully) or cloning extinct tropical frogs (unsuccessfully … so far). And since President Donald Trump retook office, the state of health and science research in the US has been precarious for many who work in those areas. But there is a silver lining. Other countries such as Australia are implementing programs to recruit US researchers looking to relocate.

We often hear about places where the air quality is bad, even dangerous, but what about where the air is the cleanest on Earth?That air can be found blowing onto the north-west tip of Tasmania at Kennaook/Cape Grim, where an air pollution station has quietly been keeping track of how humans have changed the makeup of our atmosphere for 50 years.So what does the world's cleanest air tell us?

Karl Popper (1902-1994) is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science of the twentieth century. Alan Saunders presented this portrait of Karl Popper for The Science Show in January 2001.

A weekly injection that stops that hankering for hot chips and donuts?Many people on Ozempic and similar medications report this phenomenon, saying they no longer have incessant thoughts about sweets and fried food.So how do these drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, work in the brain to dial down "food noise" and help people lose weight?

The overland telegraph connecting Australia to the world was completed just over 150 years ago. It was built due to the dedication of a public servant, Charles Todd.

It's the size of a sesame seed, but it could cause unfathomable destruction to Australia's forests and urban canopy.A beetle called the polyphagous shot-hole borer (Euwallacea fornicatus) is silently spreading through Perth and its surrounds, forcing councils to chop and chip hundreds of trees — even century-old Moreton Bay figs.So how does the tiny pest cause such massive problems?

Roger Short (1930-2021) discusses influences in his early life, and some of his research achievements including melatonin as a controller of circadian rhythms, and aspects of reproductive biology across the animal world.

First they learnt how to flip open wheelie bin lids. Now they're using water fountains.Masters of the urban landscape, sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) are more than capable of some quirky (and sometimes messy) antics.So what do these entertaining exploits tell us about cockie innovation — or even cockie culture?

Get ready for gravitons, dark photons and transition states. Kathryn Zurek takes us on a tour of the bewildering world of quantum physics.

A couple of months ago, a killer started mobilising off the South Australian shore — one that would wipe out marine life, make surfers feel sick, and smother picturesque beaches in thick foam.The culprit? A bloom of tiny organisms called microalgae. We can't see them with the naked eye, but in big enough numbers, they can devastate ecosystems.So what made the South Australian algal bloom so lethal, and can anything be done about blooms like it?

People have been in the Australian wilderness for generations. But can people be considered part of the natural landscape or will they always have an impact?

If you were impressed by generative AI such as ChatGPT, then artificial general intelligence or AGI promises to really knock your socks off.Over the past couple of decades, tech companies have been racing to build AGI systems that can match or surpass human capabilities across a whole bunch of tasks.So will AGI save the world — or will it spell the beginning of the end for humanity?

She could only read and write from age 10. She reared children and had a first unsupportive husband. But Mary Somerville was able to correct the work of Isaac Newton, help discover Neptune, and write a science book which became a university text.

The next time you pick up a bag of spuds from the supermarket or fill up the car with petrol, you can thank the Treaty of the Metre for the metric system that underpins daily life.The treaty was signed exactly 150 years ago, when delegates from 17 countries gathered on a Parisian spring day to establish a new and standardised way of measuring the world around us.But the metre's inception predates the treaty that bears its name by nearly 100 years. So how did it come about, and how has its definition changed over the centuries?

Amateur fossil hunters make a major discovery. And Marilyn Renfree describes the sophisticated reproduction of marsupials.

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) were named by whalers because their high oil content made them the "right" ones to kill.In the decades since whaling was banned, southern right numbers increased — but a new study shows that population growth stalled, and might've dropped a bit, despite current numbers still far below what they were in pre-whaling times.So what's going on with the southern rights?

David Walker at UCLA says he can halt aging in fruit flies. Can the same concepts be applied to humans? And two tertiary students and an artist describe combining science and artistic pursuits.

Cobras, taipans, black mambas — Tim Friede's been intentionally bitten more than 200 times by some of the most venomous snakes on Earth.And he survived, mostly because years of self-injecting venom let him develop immunity to them.(Please do not try this yourself!)Now his blood's been used to make a broad-spectrum antivenom that researchers say may protect against nearly 20 deadly snakes.But this is not how antivenom is usually made. So how are snake antivenoms produced, and where are we with a "universal" version?

Mansi Kasliwal describes how she detects supernovae – the massive stellar explosions where elements are formed. We learn how dung beetles saved the Australian environment from the big problem, and David Attenborough shares his love for Birds-of-paradise.