The Science Show

LAB NOTES: Lead may be hiding in your clothing

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered how your sweater became bright orange, or how your leather shoes were made? Chances are, at some point in the process, hazardous chemic...

Sex testing at the Olympics: beware the exceptions

22 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The IOC will test athletes for a sex gene. But as Jenny Graves explains, human genomics is diverse. Some athletes may be genetic exceptions and will ...

Lab Notes: Giant dino discovery fulfils a childhood dream

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new giant dinosaur has been uncovered in Thailand: the largest ever found in South-East Asia.More than 100 million years ago, Nagatitan towered ove...

Science and the budget, bird flu closer to Australia and a guide to pollination

15 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Belinda Smith reports on the winners and losers in science following the federal budget brought down this week by treasurer Jim Chalmers.

Lab Notes: Can AI chatbots make you delusional?

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Stories of AI chatbot users drifting from our shared reality are increasingly common, often described as cases of AI delusions, delusional spirals, o...

Celebrating David Attenborough’s 100th birthday and a new way of making vaccines

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The much-loved naturalist David Attenborough is 100. And still working!

Lab Notes: What happens if a major ocean current … stops?

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a vast current that helps move water and energy right around our planet, from top to bottom...

Australian science under strain

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s research potential is not matched by funding. Belinda Smith speaks to scientists impacted and science minister Tim Ayres responds.

Lab Notes: AI data centres are coming to remote Australia

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Kimberley region is more than 2000 kilometres north of Western Australia's capital city, Perth. The area is both extremely remote and extremely b...

Response to Australia’s ASO rejection

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the many benefits from a multi-country collaboration on a major astronomy project, Australia will not be part of the European Southern Observ...

Response to Australia’s ESO rejection

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the many benefits from a multi-country collaboration on a major astronomy project, Australia will not be part of the European Southern Observ...

Lab Notes: Aussies loved Artemis II — and they want more

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australians were captivated by the recent Artemis II mission — and they’re hungry for more. New YouGov polling reveals surging national interest ...

Getting more from fertiliser, viral DNA's vital role and help from hookworms!

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Secretions from hookworms are being used to develop treatments for autoimmune diseases which include food allergies.

Lab Notes: Is measles back?

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 2024, measles claimed an estimated 95,000 lives around the world – despite the fact that we have an effective, affordable vaccine. In Australia,...

Australia says no to European Southern Observatory collaboration, applications of quantum mechanics and testing trees’ response to rising carbon dioxide

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The biggest science infrastructure requires collaboration. Australia has said no to joining the European Southern Observatory and will not share in t...

Australia says no to European Space Agency collaboration, applications of quantum mechanics and testing trees’ response to rising carbon dioxide

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The biggest science infrastructure requires collaboration. Australia has said no to joining the European Southern Observatory and will not share in t...

Lab Notes: What can we grow on the Moon?

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The main aim of NASA's Artemis program is to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon — so what will we eat? And can food be actually be gr...

Australian and New Zealand research presented at Falling Walls Berlin

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Carl Smith reports from Falling Walls 2025 and speaks to presenters from Australia and New Zealand who were there sharing their research with the wor...

Lab Notes: Can we replace lab animals?

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have done experiments on animals for thousands of years — but animal testing has always been controversial because of the concerns for ani...

Saving Australia’s R&D, robot for cleaning up oil, and quantum physics with Paul Daviese Show

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Davies explains some of the weirdness that is quantum physics

Lab Notes: NASA's mission to the Moon

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's more than 50 years since humans went anywhere near the Moon — but that's about to change. After a series of delays, NASA's Artemis II mission ...

Two ancient Australian possums, thought to be extinct, are now known to survive in Indonesian Papua

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Two ancient Australian possums, thought to be extinct, are now known to survive in Indonesian Papua

Lab Notes: Super-K flu is here … but it's not our biggest problem

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A fast-moving strain of influenza known as "Super-K" is circulating in Australia and has been driving up flu numbers around the world. Virologists ar...

New idea for the origin of language

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Conventional explanations for how humans became ‘the language animal’ focus on our need to cooperate to hunt, fight or make tools. Now, evolution...

Lab Notes: Slip! Slop! Slap! SUCCESS!

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world — but there's some good news for Aussie kids. The presence of moles is a strong predictor of ...

Astronomy and toxicology converge at Caltech

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When raised lead levels were noticed in Los Angeles last year, a chemist — who usually examines asteroids — quickly saw that the fires that ravag...

Lab Notes: Why air traffic won’t return to normal for months?

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Major international airports in the Middle East have been closed this week due to the war with Iran, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stra...

How close the US came to losing half its science funding

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Robyn Williams reports from the 2026 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Lab Notes: The surprising history of the backyard sprinkler

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Backyard sprinklers have transformed the Aussie urban landscape. But their path to domination of our suburbs was haphazard — and hinged on the inve...

Stories told by feet

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An ancient human may be a new species, and extinct giant kangaroos - could they hop? 

Lab Notes: Why buying a star name is nonsense

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A quick online search reveals multiple paid services for naming stars as commemorative gifts. You'll be provided with a certificate and a map for fin...

Ancient humans lived in an Indonesian cave until Homo sapiens arrived

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A cave in Sulawesi was home to our ancestors for tens of thousands of years. Archaeologists are piecing together the story.

Lab Notes: Skincare, pregnancy and a minefield of mixed messages

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Retinoids are big business for reducing wrinkles and treating acne — but there's conflicting advice on their safety for pregnant women.Should manuf...

Social media ban impacts political knowledge of young Australians

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s social media ban aims to protect young people from online threats, but it may also restricts their access to discussion of democracy an...

Lab Notes: Can we tap the brakes on energy-hungry AI?

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

AI seems to be absolutely everywhere at the moment. While we're still waiting for the productivity revolution — or the jobs apocalypse — the ener...

Humpbacks threat, green cities and EVs, and origins of life

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How did life begin? It may not have been on Earth, with asteroids carrying a range of organic molecules

Lab Notes: What's behind the rising tree death rates?

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Fire, insects and disease all pose a threat to Australia's forests but scientists are now seeing a rise in natural tree deaths right across the count...

Mysterious stellar object discovered

24 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Natasha Hurley-Walker considers what might explain a mysterious stellar object which shines every 18 minutes.

Lab Notes: The oldest rock art in the world…that we know of

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A faint orange hand stencil on the wall of a cave in Indonesia just became the oldest art known to science.   The art, made by splattering ochre ov...

Kiruna: The city that moved to make way for a mine

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the Swedish city of Kiruna, an entire community is being relocated to accommodate the expansion of the world's largest underground iron ore mine.

Lab Notes: Why UV levels are so high in Australia

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's summer UV levels are high enough to cause sunburn in as little as 11 minutes.Yet the summer sun in the Northern Hemisphere rarely feels t...

A portrait of Dame Miriam Rothschild

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Lab Notes: The Treaty of the Metre: how the metre came to be

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 sy...

Mary Somerville - Brilliant polymath, scientific genius

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Lab Notes: Why do whales strand en masse?

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every now and again, dozens or even hundreds of perfectly healthy looking whales strand themselves on a beach. And despite people's best efforts, ma...

Celebrating 50 years of The Science Show

26 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Norman Swan, Fiona Stanley and Lorin Clarke describe their involvement with Robyn Williams and The Science Show with MC Richard Glover at a party cel...

Lab Notes: Tips to reduce microplastics exposure

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 aroun...

The Science Show

20 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.

Émilie du Châtelet - portrait of a leader of the Enlightenment

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

She battled rigidities of 18th-century Europe. But with writer and philosopher Voltaire, Émilie du Châtelet led the Enlightenment.

Émilie du Châtelet - portrait of a leader of the Enlightenment

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

She battled rigidities of 18th-century Europe. But with writer and philosopher Voltaire, Émilie du Châtelet led the Enlightenment.

Lab Notes: How is sunscreen SPF tested?

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's known for having some of the world's toughest sunscreen standards, but in June, that reputation was rocked.Independent testing of 20 suns...

Author Terry Pratchett’s links to science and Adelaide

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Retiring Vice Chancellor of the University of South Australia David Lloyd awarded Pratchett two honorary degrees. In exchange, the author honoured th...

Lab Notes: How maths explains nature's weirdness

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A huge cold blob of air above Antarctica and bushfires spreading along ridgelines don't appear to have anything in common, yet the strange behaviour ...

Evidence shows no link between pain relief drugs and autism

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In her book Prove It! Elizabeth Finkel presents the evidence showing no link between pain relief drugs and autism

Lab Notes: Are bioplastics the future of packaging?

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Step into the supermarket and there's plastic around just about everything, even mangoes — and not all that packaging will be properly disposed of....

3 young high achievers in science, and Sydney hosts space conference

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The International Astronautical Congress held in Sydney showed how space science is vital to our modern world.

Lab Notes: Why aurora season isn't over yet

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Astrophotographers have had another great month, with the aurora australis lighting up night skies as far north as southern Queensland.And while you ...

Rare earth minerals – we’ll need geologists to find them

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

University departments of geology and geophysics are getting smaller or closing. So how will we find new mineral deposits?

Lab Notes: How are long-range weather forecasts made?

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It looks like most of Australia is in for a warmer-than-usual summer this year.That's according to the Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast, w...

Bragg winners for science writing, more from the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science and water droplets used for geoengineering

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In just 75 years the Earth’s average temperature is predicted to be close to 3 degrees above pre-industrial levels. We are in the fast lane to a di...

Lab Notes: How breastfeeding can protect against cancer

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks in part to 18th-century nuns, we now know that having children and breastfeeding reduces a mum's risk of developing breast cancer for years, e...

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science and a dilemma over the appropriate use of artefacts from a Roman shipwreck

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Robyn Williams reports from the 2025 Prime Minister's Prizes for Science ceremony in Parliament House Canberra.

Lab Notes: How your brain chooses your next snack

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's mid-afternoon and time for a treat! Do you choose a healthy piece of fruit, or do you head straight for the chocolate? It turns out that well b...

The history of life on Earth may be very different to what we think

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve built a picture of the evolution of biodiversity based on a few accessible fossils. But the real story may be very different.

Lab Notes: Times we thought we found aliens

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have a mysterious visitor to our little patch of the cosmos this week: A comet called 3I/ATLAS. This icy, rocky ball is only the third interstell...

Paint additive boosts plant growth in greenhouses

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An additive in paint converts ultraviolet light into red light allowing plants to grow more producing higher yields, a boon for greenhouse agricultur...

Lab Notes: The extinct ape-like human relative that made tools

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Teenagers encounter their challenges

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Porritt’ recent book, Love, Anger and Betrayal charts the lives of young British climate campaigners. Meanwhile in Australia under-16s ar...

Lab Notes: How solar eclipses trick birds into singing

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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'r...

2025 Nobel Prizes plus more from the British Science Festival

11 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Lab Notes: How humpback whales bounced back

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This has been a bumper year for whale-watching on Australia's east coast, with thousands of humpbacks spotted cruising along their annual migration r...

Reports from The British Science Festival in Liverpool England

04 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, h...

Lab Notes: Why CO2 peaks at this time of year

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, climate scientists have been tracking a curious phenomenon. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are steadily increasing overall but ...

Climate change and pollution effects seen on Palau

27 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Iconic jellyfish in saltwater lakes are disappearing.

Lab Notes: These high-tech mouthguards predict concussions

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 su...

Uncovering the mystery of Palau’s ancient terraces

20 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Lab Notes: After the SPF scandal — how is sunscreen tested?

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s known for having some of the world’s toughest sunscreen standards, but in June, that reputation was rocked. Independent testing of 2...

Quantum biology, two botanic gardens, and the importance of archaeology

13 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 biol...

Lab Notes: Move over, NASA — Australia's heading back into space

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Bird navigation, reducing food waste and a tribute to John Clarke

06 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Lab Notes: Why your hay fever will get worse with climate change

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

The Science Show celebrates 50 years

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Lab Notes: Why do whales beach themselves?

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Complex molecules in space – how they formed and how they got here

23 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Lab Notes: The fall of the food pyramid

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Gene editing brings promise for genetic blood disorders

16 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 sickl...

Lab Notes: The native ants that take down cane toads

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meat ants don't sound like the most endearing Australian animals. These purple-red insects are super territorial, swarming and biting anything that t...

Back to the dark ages for American research?

09 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 mor...

Lab Notes: How do I avoid eating and breathing microplastics?

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Climatic changes everywhere as the world’s oceans become hotter

02 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 getti...

Lab Notes: What's quantum mechanics ever done for me?

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Tracing the 100-year history of quantum mechanics

26 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 mech...

Lab Notes: Why some mums have all boys or all girls

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Australia's forgotten inventor brothers

19 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Discover the story of a pair of brothers who invented an early electric scooter, humidicrib, fax machine, Olympic scoreboard — and much more! — i...

Lab Notes: Can bottom trawling be a sustainable way to fish?

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 bo...

The trees that harness lightning to kill their rivals

12 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Lab Notes: The telescope redefining the Universe

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

What does it take to bring back an extinct animal?

05 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We hear from scientists who push the boundaries of creation, whether that's building wild and wacky snack flavours (successfully) or cloning extinct ...

Lab Notes: What we can learn from the world’s cleanest air

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

A portrait of philosopher Karl Popper

28 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Karl Popper (1902-1994) is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science of the twentieth century. Alan Saunders presented this portrait of...