The Science Show
Episodes
Maths is here, it's there, it’s everywhere
04 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mathematics is a key tool in every scientific discipline
Australia may join world coalition of collaborative research
28 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Life Scientist award for work on microbes and their role in regulating climate plus Varroa mites – a positive for native bees?
Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and new insights into the benefits of social interaction
21 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Simmons had received The Prime Minister's Science Prize for her work on quantum electronics.
Lockdown behaviour, vaccines for new variants, and evidence for coronavirus source
14 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Here come the superstars
07 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nobel Prizes, Covid good luck and Mars Rover's link to QUT
Why do textbooks leave out so many scientists with one thing in common?
30 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers have found school curriculums are missing the contributions of female scientists. Why is it so important we know the people behind the di...
What counting trees tells us about the health of the planet
23 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mathematicians and their models might just be the world's most inconspicuous climate heroes.
A battle between consciousness theories, and harnessing resources from thin air
16 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when two theories are pitted against one another? Are we any closer to knowing where consciousness arises?
Sir John Eccles and the invaluable work of his daughter Rose
09 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This Australian father-daughter duo played a huge part in the science and philosophy instrumental in the mind-brain problem.
Sir John Eccles, one of the big brains in neuroscience
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sharon Carleton takes a look at his decades of work in this 2003 feature, coinciding with this year's Eccles Institute seminar at ANU.
Cyber hygiene, deep sea parasites and what weeds can teach us about cancer
26 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All the science underway to protect our health, our environment... and our smartphones?
Big ideas at Beaker Street Festival
19 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the science on display at this year's Hobart-wide celebration of the big, small and occasionally glowy.
What can we learn from five minutes of silence?
12 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we all need to sit in silence ... but is there ever really silence? Take a seat and let your ears provide the answer.
The Oppenheimer who influenced our modern science centres
05 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Exploratorium in San Francisco opened in 1969, and went on to inspire our own science centres in Australia.
Pioneering particles, time-travelling molecules and outer space poets
29 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists are harnessing the very small to explore very big things — from faults in massive structures to time reversal at the molecular level.
There's no age limit to science
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From a teenage enthusiast to a 100-year-old Nobel Prize winner, The Science Show explores the agelessness of wonder.
Protecting habitats and the creatures that dwell within
15 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is already having far-reaching consequences, for our forests, our oceans and ourselves.
Torres Strait VR, taming CERN's magnets and Fiji's fight against varroa mite
08 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Testing magnets for CERN'S Large Hadron Collider is a high-stakes job, with serious consequences.
Where science can lead: An isolated island, the slimy forest floor, and centre stage for stand-up
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Come along for a midnight hunt at a secluded resort, and a dawn boat trip to the speck of land where Hollywood Blockbuster Castaway was filmed.
Communities team up with scientists to tackle flooding
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet two groups — one in Scotland, the other in the US state of Georgia — using science against floodwaters.
Helping marine life thrive — from Fiji to Goondiwindi
17 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tag along for a trip out to sea to meet a woman from the Solomon Islands who is tracking this looming danger in the Pacific Ocean.
Come inside the vault preserving Pacific plants for future generations
10 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Smith takes a trip to the Pacific to catch up with scientists working to conserve the region's biodiversity.
The surprising past — and promising future of women in science
03 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A woman was among Australia's first three science graduates. But it's still far from a level playing field.
The botanist behind Dame Edna's favourite flower, and the virtuous side of weeds
27 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's a scientific story behind Dame Edna's famous Gladioli, and it involves one of Australia's top botanists.
Nearer the Gods: The enduring legacy of Isaac Newton
20 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
He's one of the most famous scientists ever. But who was Isaac Newton, really? Sharon Carleton presents a portrait like no other about the myths sur...
Unravelling the mysterious workings of the epigenome — and the universe
13 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dark matter is assumed to be responsible for holding the universe together. So where is it?
Celebrating David Attenborough on his 97th birthday
06 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Reflecting on Sir David Attenborough's decades-long contribution to our understanding of the natural world.
A lab for seas and winds, measuring carbon dioxide and monitoring animal ecology
29 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Keeling started measuring carbon dioxide in 1958, Dave’s son Ralph continues his father’s work today.
Astronomers watch as black hole pulls dust cloud apart
22 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
And bee venom shows promise treating a range of cancers.
Beaming energy to Earth from space
15 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
And one hundred years ago, a scientific expedition in Australia showed Einstein was right.
Technology helps scientists discover new species
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As pressure on the natural world increases, new technology is bringing fast results as scientists monitor fauna and flora and identify new species.
Bees communicate intricate information with their dance and Moon mission to map water
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
By performing their waggle dance, bees communicate information about direction, distance and quality of a food source.
World’s biggest coal port could become the world’s biggest hydrogen port. And Vale Will Steffen
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
And soft tissues can be fossilised. They help piece together the history of life on Earth.
Academy calls for increased science funding, DNA used to nab wildlife smugglers, and worms reveal secrets of brains and memory.
18 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Australian Academy of Science has called for a review of science funding in Australia.
Helping young children after burn injury, inside the minds of teens, and behind the scenes at London’s Natural History Museum
11 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Strange Frontiers, Carl Smith takes us into the vault at one of the world’s greatest archives of natural history.
Visit the world’s biggest fission reactor under construction in France and discover the wonders of algae
04 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If successful, ITER promises to provide abundant clean energy.
The value of seagrasses, fish with remarkable powers and how parasites threaten aquatic life
25 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Small unremarkable fish use light to detect and avoid predators.
Autonomous minibus and predicting the behaviour of pedestrians
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Smith takes us to the Estonian capital Tallinn to ride an autonomous minibus.
Harry Butler honoured and how a scientist fell in love with a fossil
11 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute honours the well-known warrior for the environment.
A tour of the antimatter factory and John Wheeler remembered
04 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Smith takes us to the Antimatter factory.
Hope from COP27 and atmospheric research from Germany’s highest peak
28 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hope from COP27 and atmospheric research from Germany’s highest peak
The surprising Huxley family, certainty, and climate prospects for 2023
21 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From T. H. Huxley - ‘Darwin’s Bulldog’ – to author Aldous Huxley to Nobel Prize winner Andrew Huxley, a new book tells the tale of this remar...
The evolution of galaxies and chasing the big cosmological questions
14 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A cosmological Science Show and competition emerging for Haydn’s Creation!
Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics
07 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Following experiments with peas and other plants, Gregor Mendel proposed a theory of inheritance which became the basis of modern biology.
Celebrating Charles Todd and the overland telegraph
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The overland telegraph connecting Australia to the world was completed 150 years ago. It was built due to the dedication of a public servant, Charles...
A portrait of Dame Miriam Rothschild
24 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
She was a world expert on fleas. Despite being self-taught, she was awarded doctorates from Cambridge and Oxford.
Human impact on and response to changing climate
17 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
By mid-century, human activity will have doubled atmospheric greenhouse gases compared to the pre-industrial level.
Smart cameras watch for anomalies, Prime Minister’s awards for top science teachers and DNA reveals the history of disease
10 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
DNA analysis suggests tuberculosis may have jumped to humans from seals.
PM’s Prizes for Science, koalas, COP27 and Catherine the Great
03 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
PM’s Prizes for Science, koalas, COP and Catherine the Great
Recovering aluminium from tailings, aluminium formate to absorb carbon dioxide from power station exhausts, and a Neanderthal family like us
26 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Best Australian Science Writing winners and prospects for computing
19 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Subconsciously humans learn from their experiences. Giving this same information to computers is a big challenge.
New technology brings added value to museum collections
12 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More than 5 million specimens have been digitised at London's Natural History Museum. Just 75 million to go. It’s a slow journey, but the benefits ...
How crows use deception, saving freshwater turtles and the history of horses
05 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Around 4,200 years ago, horses began accepting humans. Greger Larson describes the change in a species which changed the course of human history.
Storms changing our coasts, plastic in the ocean, and a call for geoengineering
29 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
How carbon is our friend and unravelling the mystery of communication in plants
22 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Grid batteries made in Australia and pumped hydro using abandoned underground mines
15 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Nobel Prizes, climate extremes and how science can help save us
08 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Vanillin from plastic, battery trailers for EVs, and UK fossils rewriting the story of life
01 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Cheap solar, materials to capture carbon dioxide and a cancer test based on breath
24 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
UN Peacekeepers train with virtual reality, drones for the battlefield and the transformation of Newcastle
17 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
Testing Einstein, designing a lunar rover and help for stretched emergency departments
10 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
2022 Eureka science awards, new insights in the giant dinos and AI concerns
03 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
Australia’s megafauna, new building materials, and dung beetles
27 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
The story of mammals, how they coexisted with dinosaurs for 225 million years and survived when dinos couldn’t
20 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trees – allowing native species to return in Scotland, clearing them away in the Amazon, and seeing how they work in Tasmania
13 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Vale James Lovelock
06 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We celebrate the life of James Lovelock, father of the Gaia hypothesis which describes how the Earth keeps things in balance favourable for life.
Best approach for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
30 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change to bring mass migrationAdrian Smith leads the Royal SocietyExhibition shows the role of microbes in chocolate productionAussie Stem St...
Celebrating Charles Todd and the overland telegraph
23 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Australian overland telegraph was a 3,200 km line connecting Port Augusta in South Australia to Darwin. It was completed in 1872 and allowed comm...
The physics of music - part 6
16 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the final part of his series on the connections between developments in physic and music, the late Ian Johnston, physicist from The University of ...
The physics of music - part 5
09 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the nineteenth century western music moved from classicism to romanticism, and our knowledge of physics progressed in electricity, electromagnetis...
The physics of music - part 4
02 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our series of programs about the connections between physics and music presented by the late Ian Johnston from The University of Sydney.
Celebrating 200 years of honeybees in Australia
25 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The first European honey bees arrived in Australia on 20th May 1822. Four bee experts recount the effects on Australia's native bees, on honey produc...
Environmental laws fail future generations and the history of Antarctic exploration
18 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Environmental laws for today, not tomorrow
Cameras used to count feral cats, and how much of pain is in the mind
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Hobart - Australian city of science* New ways of thinking about pain* Getting the cameras right to count feral cats* Boab nuts used to reflect on a...
Goodbye giant kelp – 95% lost in fifty years
04 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Primary students present E=mc2 The Musical* Giant strides in energy storage and plastic recycling* Seaweeds – thousands of species many with unta...
Parrots and humans – extreme species with shared behaviours and first image of the black hole at the centre of our galaxy
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Black hole images allow theories to be tested* Journals slow to act despite evidence of scientific fraud or misconduct* Parrots and humans – extr...
Where did the Universe come from?
21 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Science needs to develop trust for links to grow* Kids space adventure combines human fight for survival with planetary science* Where did the univ...
Musk promises brain implants for spinal injuries and AI and help for Australian sea lions
14 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* A call for more controls over possible brain manipulation and monitoring* Global risks require new approach to governance* Consumption linked to bi...
Young scientists forced abroad for work and the twelve experiments that helped make the modern world
07 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Thankyou Australia and goodbye* Lyrebird song a possible indication of population health* Twelve experiments that changed our world – the story o...
Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics
30 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics
Wollongong transformed, secrets of monotremes revealed, and help for Tonga
23 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* University plays a key role as Wollongong transforms* New ideas about evolution and spread of monotremes* Space missions excite school students for...
How our biggest threat is us
16 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* New idea explains the enormous heat of the Sun’s corona* All environmental problems traced to immense human impact* This teenager loves science* ...
Carbon movie explores the misunderstood element which has allowed life to happen
09 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Election hopes for science* Carbon – the element with a nice voice* Secondary science – more analysis, less rote learning, not so much time for...
The end of astronauts?
02 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* The end of astronauts?* The First Astronomers* Kiama students' hopes for International Youth Science Forum* Derek Denton – working and publishing...
Electric outboards making a splash and David Stewart celebrates 40 years recording bird calls
26 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Soviet scientists locked up or killed for accepting Mendelian genetics* E-boats bigger and stronger* Birds – today’s link to dinosaurs* David S...
The future of scientific collaborations in doubt following Russia's attack on Ukraine, and warnings of dire climate impacts made years ago.
19 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
* Scientific collaborations in doubt following Russia's attack on Ukraine* Warnings on climate and flooding seen in today’s massive property losses...
Compelling novels highlight ecosystems under pressure and vale Richard Leakey
12 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Horridus to help answer questions about Triceratops and other dinosCharlotte McConaghy’s compelling novels built on complex characters in a fast-ch...
We were warned of pandemic in 1994, and hydrogen for far north Queensland
05 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence – promises and threatsDrone helps control invasive species on Norfolk IslandTriceratops comes to MelbourneHydrogen coming f...