Fossil graveyards an archive of past climate and ecology
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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If this thing is built, it will be a miracle to behold.
One of science's biggest promises.
It would be like the Wright Brothers moment.
Governments, spies, billion dollar investments and scientific rivalries.
The control that's required is rivaled only by what God did in creating the universe.
Will quantum computers change everything? Bill, a personal question.
How many hours did you sleep last night?
Hmm. Hard to say. I'd say between seven and eight. But it's hard to get up during these chilly, wintry Melbourne mornings. How about you?
Just about two hours. No. And as Professor Catherine Ball writes in her new book on the future of sleep, that exchange about hours slept is a puzzle. Is it smart to get very little and just crash on, as Margaret Thatcher did, like a heroic martyr, or instead go sensibly for the healthy option and kip away soundly?
I'd just love it if my future of sleep didn't involve me waking up at 3am every day. I'm Belinda Smith.
And I'm Robin Williams. And we shall explore the eternal sleep later in this science show in a fossil graveyard, as well as exploring the future with Professor Crystal Ball. We begin, though, with a serious and timely tribute. As mentioned on the science show recently, one of the greatest research leaders in the world died in April, Dame Bridget Ogilvie. and a memorial was held to celebrate her superb achievements. The tributes were just stunning. She was from Glen Innes in northern New South Wales, and that happens to be the constituency of Tim Ayres, our Federal Minister of Science. But he was not in the Institute for Innovation in Wollongong to hear the praises. However, a former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, did speak online as the chair of the Wellcome Trust in London, which Bridget Ogilvie led.
Just listen.
This year, Wellcome turns 90. It is 90 years since the death of our founder, Henry Wellcome, and the creation of the Trust. As the Board of Governors, the staff and the wider Wellcome community gather to mark this milestone, we will be thinking about the incredible contribution of Dame Bridget Ogilvie. We remember Bridget with deep affection and are profoundly grateful for her outstanding leadership as Director of Wellcome from 1991 to 1998, which was a defining era in modern science. Her most enduring institutional legacy remains her pivotal role in securing funding for the establishment of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hingston, Cambridge in 1993. Recognising the revolutionary potential of genomic medicine before it was widely accepted, Bridget championed the Institute's creation.
Under her stewardship, Wellcome guaranteed the sustained backing that allowed the Sanger Institute to make the largest single contribution to the Human Genome Project, mapping one third of the human genetic code and ensuring that this invaluable data remained free and publicly accessible to researchers worldwide. Bridget's foresight during the dawn of this scientific revolution ensured that the blueprint of human life was kept in the public domain, a gift to global science that continues to save lives today. Beyond genetics, Bridget dramatically expanded and strengthened Wellcome's commitment to global health. She possessed a rare holistic vision for science, understanding that medical breakthroughs are only as good as their real world accessibility.
She threw her weight behind major international research programs, particularly in Southeast Asia and Africa. focusing on malaria, tropical diseases and community-led healthcare systems. These very initiatives continue to thrive and make a tangible difference today. Bridget's amazing career took her from an Australian sheep farm to the heights of global scientific leadership. And she did this at a time when there were huge systemic barriers facing women in science. As an Australian, I am immensely proud of her. As a woman with my own experiences of leadership, I admire the way she blazed a trail for other women and the spirit in which she mentored and encouraged young scientists.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–8:52
2
What was Julia Gillard’s tribute to Dame Bridget Ogilvie and why does it matter?
8:52–28:03
3
How does Professor Catherine Ball describe the future of sleep and ambient AI in bedrooms?
28:03–30:47
4
What practical nearable and smart-mattress technologies could change sleep monitoring?
30:47–46:13
5
How might ambient AI and autonomous delivery reshape everyday routines and safety?
46:13–52:38
Speakers
7 identifiedMore from The Science Show
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