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The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
The podcast The Science Show is created by ABC listen. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Sharks have survived 500 million years while mass extinctions have wiped out other species. Now, sharks are under threat.
Somewhere out past Mars in the early hours of Easter Monday, a space probe called Lucy whizzed by an asteroid named Donaldjohanson.
Lucy then sent back images showing Donaldjohanson is about five kilometres wide and shaped like a peanut.
It's one of a handful of asteroids on Lucy's 12-year itinerary.
So what does the billion-dollar mission hope to achieve?
Palaeontology helps reveal why some animals are in desperate need of help while others thrive.
Gout Gout is fast becoming the face of Australian athletics, regularly clocking blisteringly quick times over 100- and 200-metre sprints.
And he's only 17. Many think the best is yet to come.
So what is it about Gout that makes him such an impressive sprinter at such a young age?
A protein in the immune system, DECTIN-1 - primarily responsible for defending the body against fungal infections, has been found to control the severity of autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema, and other chronic disorders.
We've been hearing a lot about a certain proposal to get nuclear power up and running in Australia, but little's been said about what happens when plants reach the end of their life.
Decommissioning a single nuclear power plant can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take decades.
So what's involved, and why is the process so long and expensive?
Soils are too often neglected but caring for them brings many benefits for plant nutrition, human health and a boost for the farm economy.
Hearts, kidneys and now livers — over the past couple of years, surgeons have taken all these from gene-edited pigs and put them in people.
Nick Rowley reviews out progress towards net zero carbon emissions, Jared Diamond proposes mining the sea floor, and California’s legacy of Albert Einstein.
As far as planets go, they don't get much more iconic than Saturn. A huge golden ball encircled by gigantic rings. But those distinctive rings — the very things that give Saturn its pizzazz — have seemingly disappeared.
So what’s going on, and when will they be back?
Lord Howe Island may appear an island paradise, but its ecology has been under intense pressure from invasive species such as rats and pigs. Now birds are being found with stomachs full of plastic.
They might be the epitome of cool, but Formula 1 race car drivers can get hot — really hot.
An F1 cockpit can heat up to 60 degrees Celsius, and this affects cognition — the last thing you want when you're fanging around a track at 300kph.
This year, a new rule was introduced to give F1 drivers a bit of relief from that heat … which is just one of the risks of F1 racing.
Because we often hear about the performance of the cars in the race, but what about the humans behind the wheel?
80% of diseases are impacted by environment or lifestyle described as your exposome. Thomas Hartung expects information from studying the exposome will bring benefits on par with those brought by studying the human genome.
For women who get bacterial vaginosis or BV, a common condition that can cause a fishy-smelling discharge, many will get it again (and again).
Why some people were prone to recurrent BV was a mystery … until now.
Australian researchers have shown that BV-related bugs can be sexually transmitted, and treating male partners significantly cuts recurrence rates.
America’s top research institutions face an uncertain future.
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?
Naomi Oreskes talks about Donald Trump and her latest book The Big Myth ahead of her visit to Australia in early March.
The H5N1 strain of avian influenza is currently ripping through the US, infecting wild animals, livestock and people. One person has died, and around 70 more infections have been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has made massive cuts to the nation's leading science and health agencies, and announced plans to withdraw from the World Health Organization.
As the risk of another pandemic rises, what does all this mean for us in Australia?
San Antonio Texas has restored the San Antonio River encouraging plants and animals back to the city.
An asteroid dubbed 2024 YR4 is causing a stir among the space community and a frenzy in the media. It currently has a 2.3 per cent chance of crashing into Earth three days before Christmas in 2032. But this is not our first asteroid rodeo.
Get in touch with us: [email protected]
Vale the Professor of Happiness Felicia Huppert
Varroa is the parasite responsible for destroying bee colonies all around the world and is regarded as "the greatest biological threat to Australia's honey bee population."
The good news is that some honey bees can fight back. And they're being helped by breeders, scientists and artificial insemination on the tiniest scale.
Learn more on Lab Notes, the show that brings you the science of new discoveries and current events. Get in touch with us: [email protected]
Unlike other deserts, Australian deserts experience occasional high rainfall. It supports a unique ecology.
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 that full on.
So why does our sunlight have that extra "bite"?
Spoiler: it's not the hole in the ozone layer.
Learn more on Lab Notes, the show that brings you the science of new discoveries and current events.
Get in touch with us: [email protected]
Opals, ancient humans and sharks dating back 465 million years. This week we see how today’s world has been shaped from the distant past.
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) do much more than fill whales' bellies. These tiny crustaceans also play a huge role in Earth's carbon cycle.
They sequester around 40 million tonnes of carbon each year, mostly in their poo — that's the equivalent of taking 35 million cars off the road.
Yet there's plenty we don't know about these thumb-sized critters.
Now a new study has revealed what they get up to under the Antarctic winter sea ice, and how this behaviour affects carbon calculations.
Dive into the secret life of krill on Lab Notes, the show that brings you the science of new discoveries and current events.Get in touch with us: [email protected]
Opalised fossils previously overlooked at the Australian Museum have overturned our understanding of the origin of mammals with the emergence of a whole new age of mammals: The Age of Monotremes.
Robert F Kennedy Jr is tipped to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. Over the years, RFK Jr has repeatedly pushed the claim that childhood vaccines cause autism spectrum disorder — a theory that's been well and truly debunked.
So where did this idea come from? What's bowel disease got to do with it? And what might the US expect with an anti-vaxxer at the helm of health and human services?
Learn more on Lab Notes, the new show that brings you the science of new discoveries and current events. Get in touch with us: [email protected]
A remote community in the western Pacific is working with scientists to battle the effects of invasive species, a leaking WW2 oil tanker and climate change.
Strewn throughout the sands of an island in the Great Barrier Reef, shards of pottery lay for thousands of years before an archaeologist quite literally stumbled across them 20 years ago.
As more pieces were lifted from the sand, a question was also raised: Who shaped and fired these clay pots?
We also get to the bottom of a strange phenomenon that had the earth ringing like a bell for nine days -- and earthquake scientists abuzz for a year.
Solve these mysteries and more with science reporters Jacinta Bowler and Carl Smith.
Hollywood promoted her as the most beautiful woman in the world. But Hedy Lamarr was more than good looks. She invented and patented a new form of communication which is used widely today and even allows mobile phones to work.
Do you get texts telling you there’s an unclaimed parcel waiting for you at the post office?
Turns out scammers can find out if we’re expecting something in the post and time a scam text to coincide with our online purchases -- and it could all be completely legal.
And while 2024 saw advances in artificial intelligence, they didn’t seem to wow us like they did in 2023. Are we simply harder to impress now?
Breaking all this down -- and more -- are technology reporters Ange Lavoipierre and James Purtill.
CRISPR is the most powerful means of gene editing ever developed. It led to Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier being awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2020. Jennifer Doudna speaks with Merlin Crossley about CRISPR, its capability, and the ethical questions which arise.
Up with the sparrows or hanging with the night owls: we humans like to put ourselves into one of two camps.
But when it comes to native animals, this idea of either being awake during the day or at night just doesn’t hold up.
And while cane toads have already traversed most of northern Australia, there is an ambitious project to stop the pests from infiltrating the Pilbara -- but time is running out to put the plan in motion.
We chat all things nature with environment reporter Peter de Kruijff and ABC presenter and nature nerd Dr Ann Jones.
It might be the largest telescope humans will ever build. Jonathan Webb visits the site in Chile’s high dry Atacama Desert.
Once considered a problem for high-income countries, being overweight is now on the rise in low- and middle-income parts of the world. At least 2.5 billion adults are now overweight or obese.
What’s causing this collective weight gain?
And if 2023 was the year of hype about weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, 2024 felt like the year of acceptance. We find out why weight-loss drugs are here to stay.
This week we’re joined by health journalist and Radio National presenter Tegan Taylor.
Paul Davies retraces one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century – the construction of a telegraph wire from the UK to Australia.
More than 30 years ago, astronomers came up with the bold idea to build the world’s biggest radio telescopes.
One is now taking shape in the Western Australian outback, where scientists and engineers are installing more than 130,000 Christmas-tree-shaped antennas onto the red earth.
And those stunning auroras over the past year? There’s a good chance we’ll see more colourful displays in 2025.
All that and more with ABC Science digital executive producer Genelle Weule and University of Sydney astronomer and 2024 ABC Science Top Fiver Dr Laura Driessen.
Bianca Nogrady traces the scientific journey of astronomer and Prime Minister’s Science Prize winner Matthew Bailes.
A signal that stumped seismologists for a year has finally been identified. And an author takes us to a distant location.
Momelotinib, a drug to help treat myelofibrosis has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, a rare achievement for an all-Australian team.
Opalised fossils previously overlooked at the Australian Museum have overturned our understanding of the origin of mammals with the emergence of a whole new age of mammals: The Age of Monotremes.
Platypuses in NSW are carrying PFAS chemicals many times over accepted levels indicate widespread contamination
Gay behaviour has been observed amongst at least 1,500 animal species.
Tianyi Ma at RMIT Melbourne has won the Prime Minister’s Physical Science Prize for his work producing cheaper hydrogen and using captured carbon dioxide for the green production of basic chemicals.
Tim Mendham tells us about Alfred Russel Wallace who worked with Darwin establishing theories of evolution and natural selection but who is barely known.
Bryde’s whale seen year-round in Australian east coast waters and reports from the British Science Festival.
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
This week we look at some brilliant figures in science who after being allowed to fade from memory are now at last being recognised.
After more than twenty years of observations, Tamara Davis has revealed that dark energy, the mysterious force driving the expansion of the universe may not be constant.
It might be the largest telescope humans will ever build. We visit the site in Chile’s high dry Atacama Desert.
Richard Fidler speaks to author Alison Bashford who has written about a hundred years of modern science and culture, told through a one family history.
Plastic is being eaten by seabirds. Some migratory birds can no longer fly. And micro amounts are entering the cells of other creatures. Including us.
The first Science Show was broadcast on 30th August 1975. This week’s program takes a suitably cosmic view of Australia, its origins and its future.
A new chemical reaction eliminates 6 steps in the manufacture of some drugs promising big savings of time and money.
CRISPR is the most powerful means of gene editing ever developed. It led to Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier being awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2020. Jennifer Doudna speaks with Merlin Crossley about CRISPR, its capability, and the ethical questions which arise.
Drought in the Amazon has left the forest tinder dry and now burning out of control. Wilderness areas and national parks across north America are on fire. The effects of climate change are hitting hard with threats of major shifts to world weather patterns as shown by the tropical island of Yap in the western Pacific coming perilously close to running out of fresh water.
We go to the Scottish Highlands where biodiversity is being reintroduced to cleared fields, and a comic book explores biodiversity in our guts where bacteria perform essential services.
As temperatures rise, it is estimated one billion people will be displaced from their land.
The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are to be combined as one in 2026.
So how do you start a new university?
You could look at the most successful universities and see what makes them great.
Stanford University, just south of San Francisco amid Silicon Valley in one of the great universities.
Its graduates have created the high-tech companies which we all now rely on.
But Stanford has a dark history with a veil of silence drawn over anyone speaking about the university’s past, or present operations.
Sharon Carleton reports.
The ocean depths may be out of sight, but they play an important role in climate and the cycling of nutrients.
From deep within a mountain in Italy, scientists hope increasingly sophisticated experiments are closing in on the hidden matter of the universe.
For the next big steps in physics many believe it's time for a shake-up of the field's core theories - including those proposed by Einstein himself.
Deep in an abandoned silver mine in Germany, seismometres monitor the song of the Earth - including its most mysterious rumbles.
Just as DNA is unique, it turns out other molecules may also be unique.
Paul Ehrlich has released a memoir. It covers his decades of science and activism. There have been some improvements. But mostly his concerns are even stronger.
I00 million years ago, there were more species of monotreme, the egg-laying mammals such as today’s platypus and echidna at Lightning Ridge in northern NSW than anywhere else on earth, past or present.
David Lindenmayer reveals the ugly truth and what’s really happening in our magnificent tall forests.
Ships which hitch a ride on small ocean currents could make big savings on fuel and reduce emissions.
There are no bone fragments or similar clues. But the structure of cells of ancient plants captured in charcoal is revealing the diet and lifestyle of the first Australians.
Large scale energy storage will allow users to rely on renewable energy alone. The US Department of Energy is funding research to make it a happen.
Scientists fear research will be hit in proposed changes at the South Australian Museum
Two inspirational books for younger readers show an intruiging world and the thrill of chasing a dream.
Friendship led ancient humans to cooperate and gain an edge over predators. Compassion is seen among 25 primates and other animals. Today we explore these qualities and meet scientists investigating the role of friendship in our evolution and our lives in the modern world.
Today we meet the people at the forefront of studying alpine plants - including how trees and plants survive in deep snow and ferocious winds. We visit the mushroom lab to discovery why fungi are essential to life on earth and find out what seed collection in the Colorado mountains is teaching us how to adapt in a changing climate. And while we're talking plants - Professor Peter Bernhardt of Missouri describes the thrill when the seventh millionth species was revealed and listed at his own formidable herbarium. All that, plus meeting the winner of the 2023 Jak Kelly Award for his fascinating research on how stars are tearing apart planets - could this have been the history of our own planet Earth?
Sir Mark Oliphant of Adelaide was the main person missing from the film Oppenheimer.
It was Sir Mark who carried the letter from European scientists to New York to convince the American President that Hitler was trying to make an atomic bomb and needed to be beaten to the chilling quest. It led to the Manhattan Project.
Mark also gave us microwave power, initially to equip planes, later to give us microwave ovens; he helped establish the ANU; was the first President of the Australian Academy of Science and became governor of South Australia.
He was the 'right hand man' of Sir Ernest Rutherford of NZ who revealed the atomic nucleus and won the Nobel Prize in 1916.
It is often reported that they "split the atom" and so enabled the incredible power therein to be released.
It was this, as well as the Manhattan Project, that made Sir Mark Oliphant such a voice for peace and tolerance, as this Science Show from 1986 remembers.
The Iter Tokamak nuclear fusion reactor is due for completion next year. In the US, a smaller cheaper reactor is also gearing up.
Join Robyn Williams and meet scientists at one of the world’s centres for the study of climate and weather.
Microplastics are everywhere and impacting ecosystems.
A supernova has been observed in great detail just 3.5 light years from Earth… and that’s close!
They’ve lived since the time of the dinosaurs. But the outlook is grim for Tasmania’s Maugean skate.
A great range of scientific and technical achievements were made in China hundreds of years earlier than in Europe.
More efficient molecules inside plants could bring a big increase in crop yields.
Failing crops and dwindling water supply are forcing change to the traditional lifestyles of PNG highlanders.
People know their sports stars, and their rock stars. Why don’t they know the stars of science who have helped shape our world? The Science Show’s Top 100 Australian Scientists hopes to generate discussion and raise the profile of Australia’s world class scientists.
Aspects of mental health and psychology.
Diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) doubled over the past year, and the cost of doing that increased substantially too.
And why do parents take so readily to singing to their babies—especially when it's time to change the nappy?
With Presenter of All in the Mind Sana Qadar
and Investigative Journalist Ange Lavoipierre
Hosted by Science Editor Jonathan Webb
He imagined the atomic bomb, believed in a world government, wrote books about science and science fiction and was the first popular communicator of scientific ideas. Today we commemorate the life and achievements of Herbert George Wells.
Clearly, there's no such thing as too much AI, you can't escape it; and we can't ignore avian 'flu, or 2023 being the hottest year on record; But, meanwhile ... CERN measured the dynamics of falling antimatter; primatologists measured menopause in chimps; Jupiter got new moons, Beethoven's hair gave up genetic intel, and the James Webb telescope filled in some knowledge gaps.
We're with Science Journalist Genelle Weule and Science Reporter Belinda Smith
He developed laws of motion, gravitation and mathematical calculus. But with his genius came myths and legends. Sharon Carleton presents a portrait of Isaac Newton.
If there’s one medication that’s got everyone talking it’s the antidiabetic medication semaglutide. The drug is often better known by one of its brand names, Ozempic, and it’s exploded in popularity mainly because of its weight loss effects. So what’s happened due to the popularity and what could be coming next?
Also, while COVID has become less relevant in everyday discussions it certainly hasn’t gone away. We haven’t seen the rise of a major new variant, but SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t been sitting still.
This week we’re joined by health reporters Tegan Taylor and Paige Cockburn.
Tim Flannery and Robyn Williams discuss how to communicate in a world of denialism, disinformation, and deep fakes.
The hottest tech story in 2023 has been the rise of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT burst onto the scene and became the fastest-growing internet app of all time, reaching more than 100 million users in only a few months. So what has been the result of ChatGPT and other generative AI?
Robyn Williams visited the telescope site prior to its completion in 1974. In 2014 he returned as astronomers celebrated 40 years.
It’s been a big year for environment news: records broken, a new El Nino, and dire forecasts for a hot summer.
In this bonus episode, we’re diving deep into what happened in environment news in 2023, including ... the next frontiers of mining and potential environmental outcomes, possible good news about Amazon deforestation, and very worrying news about black swans.
Historian Tom Griffiths says a new kind of history is called for in the year of the Voice referendum. He wrote his essay Odyssey down under for Inside Story.
At the age of 87, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster David Suzuki has stepped down as host of CBC TV’s The Nature of Things. In May, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto hosted an evening with David Suzuki - Reflections of an Elder.
Carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise. Antarctic ice shelves melt and the Amazon burns. Bob McDonald says the future is now.
We revisit a bold new Sunday night program in 1975, and coverage of the Apollo missions.
Nicky Phillips has won this year’s Bragg Prize for Science Writing.
They were close to extinction. Now seashorses in Sydney Harbour may have survived.
Landscape may be an important unrecognised contributor to climate change.
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Mathematics is a key tool in every scientific discipline
Life Scientist award for work on microbes and their role in regulating climate plus Varroa mites – a positive for native bees?
Michelle Simmons had received The Prime Minister's Science Prize for her work on quantum electronics.
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Nobel Prizes, Covid good luck and Mars Rover's link to QUT
Researchers have found school curriculums are missing the contributions of female scientists. Why is it so important we know the people behind the discoveries?
Mathematicians and their models might just be the world's most inconspicuous climate heroes.
What happens when two theories are pitted against one another? Are we any closer to knowing where consciousness arises?
This Australian father-daughter duo played a huge part in the science and philosophy instrumental in the mind-brain problem.
Sharon Carleton takes a look at his decades of work in this 2003 feature, coinciding with this year's Eccles Institute seminar at ANU.
All the science underway to protect our health, our environment... and our smartphones?
Some of the science on display at this year's Hobart-wide celebration of the big, small and occasionally glowy.
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 Exploratorium in San Francisco opened in 1969, and went on to inspire our own science centres in Australia.
Scientists are harnessing the very small to explore very big things — from faults in massive structures to time reversal at the molecular level.
From a teenage enthusiast to a 100-year-old Nobel Prize winner, The Science Show explores the agelessness of wonder.
Climate change is already having far-reaching consequences, for our forests, our oceans and ourselves.
Testing magnets for CERN'S Large Hadron Collider is a high-stakes job, with serious consequences.
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.
Meet two groups — one in Scotland, the other in the US state of Georgia — using science against floodwaters.
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.
Carl Smith takes a trip to the Pacific to catch up with scientists working to conserve the region's biodiversity.
A woman was among Australia's first three science graduates. But it's still far from a level playing field.
There's a scientific story behind Dame Edna's famous Gladioli, and it involves one of Australia's top botanists.
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 surrounding the genius.
Dark matter is assumed to be responsible for holding the universe together. So where is it?
Reflecting on Sir David Attenborough's decades-long contribution to our understanding of the natural world.
Dave Keeling started measuring carbon dioxide in 1958, Dave’s son Ralph continues his father’s work today.
And bee venom shows promise treating a range of cancers.
And one hundred years ago, a scientific expedition in Australia showed Einstein was right.
As pressure on the natural world increases, new technology is bringing fast results as scientists monitor fauna and flora and identify new species.
By performing their waggle dance, bees communicate information about direction, distance and quality of a food source.
And soft tissues can be fossilised. They help piece together the history of life on Earth.
The Australian Academy of Science has called for a review of science funding in Australia.
In this episode of Strange Frontiers, Carl Smith takes us into the vault at one of the world’s greatest archives of natural history.
If successful, ITER promises to provide abundant clean energy.
Small unremarkable fish use light to detect and avoid predators.
Carl Smith takes us to the Estonian capital Tallinn to ride an autonomous minibus.
Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute honours the well-known warrior for the environment.
Carl Smith takes us to the Antimatter factory.
Hope from COP27 and atmospheric research from Germany’s highest peak
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 remarkable scientific family.
A cosmological Science Show and competition emerging for Haydn’s Creation!
Following experiments with peas and other plants, Gregor Mendel proposed a theory of inheritance which became the basis of modern biology.
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 Todd.
She was a world expert on fleas. Despite being self-taught, she was awarded doctorates from Cambridge and Oxford.
By mid-century, human activity will have doubled atmospheric greenhouse gases compared to the pre-industrial level.
DNA analysis suggests tuberculosis may have jumped to humans from seals.
PM’s Prizes for Science, koalas, COP and Catherine the Great
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Subconsciously humans learn from their experiences. Giving this same information to computers is a big challenge.
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 will be immense.
Around 4,200 years ago, horses began accepting humans. Greger Larson describes the change in a species which changed the course of human history.
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr...
We celebrate the life of James Lovelock, father of the Gaia hypothesis which describes how the Earth keeps things in balance favourable for life.
Climate change to bring mass migrationAdrian Smith leads the Royal SocietyExhibition shows the role of microbes in chocolate productionAussie Stem Stars - Emma JohnstonProsthetic device offers help for people with damaged or missing fingersWe need to fix this. Fast.
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 communication between Australia and the rest of the world. It was one of the great engineering feats of 19th-century Australia and was a significant milestone in Australia’s development. The line was built due to the determination of one man, a government employee, Charles Todd. As we celebrate 150 years since the line was completed, Sharon Carleton looks at the Charles Todd story, who it turns out was the first pioneer of STEM, way before the acronym had come into use.
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 Sydney, explores developments in the twentieth century. In physics, communications technology saw valves come, and go, replaced by transistors, then silicon chips, leading to increased capacity and miniaturisation. In music, accepted conventions of harmony came under attack and composers experimented with more freedom. Musical styles developed using new electronic instruments offering new sounds and capability. In the end, Ian Johnston says the desires of music and physics are the same – both search for harmony.
In the nineteenth century western music moved from classicism to romanticism, and our knowledge of physics progressed in electricity, electromagnetism and the wave properties of sound. We also began to understand how the ear and brain work allowing us to perceive and appreciate music.
We continue our series of programs about the connections between physics and music presented by the late Ian Johnston from The University of Sydney.
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 production, on ecology and farming. And a new $2 coin is being released featuring bees, golden honeycomb and Eucalyptus flowers.
* Environmental laws for today, not tomorrow
* 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 archaeology
* Primary students present E=mc2 The Musical* Giant strides in energy storage and plastic recycling* Seaweeds – thousands of species many with untapped potential* Giant kelp in massive drastic decline* UV light reveals rare fossilised spiders* Tasmania home to 2,499 species of beetles
* Black hole images allow theories to be tested* Journals slow to act despite evidence of scientific fraud or misconduct* Parrots and humans – extreme species with shared behaviours* New technology brings new life to exhibits at Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery* Vale Caroline Jones
* Science needs to develop trust for links to grow* Kids space adventure combines human fight for survival with planetary science* Where did the universe come from?* There’s more to geoscience than mining
* A call for more controls over possible brain manipulation and monitoring* Global risks require new approach to governance* Consumption linked to biodiversity and extinction risk* Missouri Botanical Gardens moves its annual orchid show online* Australian sea lions in an ongoing decline
* Thankyou Australia and goodbye* Lyrebird song a possible indication of population health* Twelve experiments that changed our world – the story of how we came to understand the universe* Science Media Centres – linking the media to scientists
Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics
* University plays a key role as Wollongong transforms* New ideas about evolution and spread of monotremes* Space missions excite school students for STEM* High anxiety remains after Tongan tsunami
* New idea explains the enormous heat of the Sun’s corona* All environmental problems traced to immense human impact* This teenager loves science* Centre for the Digital Child studies impact of technology on children
* Election hopes for science* Carbon – the element with a nice voice* Secondary science – more analysis, less rote learning, not so much time for history* Catastrophe – higher risk than most people might think
* The end of astronauts?* The First Astronomers* Kiama students' hopes for International Youth Science Forum* Derek Denton – working and publishing science at age 97
* Soviet scientists locked up or killed for accepting Mendelian genetics* E-boats bigger and stronger* Birds – today’s link to dinosaurs* David Stewart – 40 years recording bird calls
* Scientific collaborations in doubt following Russia's attack on Ukraine* Warnings on climate and flooding seen in today’s massive property losses* Parkinson's Disease – it’s like walking through honey* New approach for those with OCD to cope with unwanted mental images* Creswell Eastman discovers iodine deficiency disorder, then helps millions of children* Sea stars and urchins move south with warmer waters changing ecosystems* George Ivanoff helps us survive the supernatural
Horridus to help answer questions about Triceratops and other dinosCharlotte McConaghy’s compelling novels built on complex characters in a fast-changing natural worldVale Richard Leakey
Artificial intelligence – promises and threatsDrone helps control invasive species on Norfolk IslandTriceratops comes to MelbourneHydrogen coming for Cape York communitiesPandemic – how we were warned
Human population the driver of greenhouse emissions and all environmental wowsMeg Lowman - a voice for treesFlying foxes crashing
Politicians unfairly maligned – Robin BatterhamRisk of tsunami on east Australian coastSubmerged mats could dissipate energy of tsunamiDespite all we know, biodiversity loss is at an all-time highWA to end logging in native forests
Scientists: don’t feed the doubt machineMysterious object in our galaxy sends pulses every 18 minutesFred Watson – celebrating 25 years on ABC radioIQ tests, genes and environment - views from 1984 and today
Connection with nature linked to genesVale E. O. WilsonGeothermal on the cusp in Australia?Ancient Serbian settlement changes the view of early human society in Europe
He imagined the atomic bomb, he believed in a world government, he wrote books about science and science fiction and was the first popular communicator of scientific ideas. Today we commemorate the life and achievements of Herbert George Wells. (this program was first broadcast June 2016)
Geology departments becoming smaller or closingWhitley Awards celebrate 50 yearsNorfolk Island – food bowl for Australia’s first European settlers
Do fish and crabs feel pain, what went down at COP26, and how might climate change dampen the spirits of homeowners in low-lying areas? Plus and environmental scientist explains his theory that the earth has a spirit and we meet a researcher with an unusual obsession with slime.
Time to take kids more seriouslyNorfolk Island once a convict hellholeHedy Lamarr - actress, inventor, amateur engineer
What can we learn from fake news, going electric and formerly Facebook's fate.
Rare new fossil site gets palaeontologists excitedThe first computer – a product of Victorian England
A look back at 2021 – a new malaria vaccine and an Alzheimer’s drug get the thumbs up, COVID vax facts and nutritional myth busting.
We continue Ian Johnston’s story of the parallel developments of physics and music. Some combinations of notes we find pleasing. Others less so. How is this explained by physics?
Why was Mars making news so often in 2021, what sent out mystery interstellar radio signals, and who, if anyone, won the billionaire space race?
New thinking in the Renaissance led to a new understanding of physics and with it, a new musical scale and new instruments. Physics and music bloomed.
How will quantum computing change our lives, why do lucid dreams matter and why do cockies flip bin lids? We have the answers.
The Science Show presents the first of a three-part series on how physics and music were closely linked in their early development. The series was first heard in 1994 and is presented by physicist from Sydney University the late Ian Johnston. The first universities in Renaissance times offered four subjects - arithmetic, geometry astronomy and music and there were strong connections between each. In a surprising, enthralling and personal way, Ian tells the story of the development of culture and our changing idea of our place in the universe.
Fears of new biosecurity threatsAlan Finkel’s vision for Australia in 2030Our chief scientist’s goals and hopes for science in 2030Job insecurity makes science unattractiveCosmos Magazine - the science of everythingCorey Tutt – it started with a book about snakesCarl Smith to Germany for six months journalism fellowshipChennupati Jagadish elected 20th president of Australian Academy of Science
Sharon Carleton is our guide as we marvel at species all around us and see the efforts of scientists to understand the natural world.
L’Oréal and UNESCO For Women in Science award for lithium battery researchL’Oréal and UNESCO For Women in Science award for research into nutrient value of reef fishChildren’s book considers the origin of lifePrimary students see the big picture with Einsteinian physicsNew approach for treating strep A throat infection without antibioticsUnderstanding Machiavellian personalitiesA Complete Guide to Native Orchids of Australia
The Science Brief - Hope for the Amazon and kids and their screensAlways On - the smartphone journey and the possibilities which awaitAussie STEM Stars - Alan FinkelAphasia therapy adapted for zoomHow snakes use sound in the environment and the cost of venom as a defence weapon
The Science Brief – community power takes off and fusion a step closerHow pregnancy shapes the brain – the lifelong effects of motherhoodThe Science of AbolitionMindfulness helps parents of children with behavioural problemsThe Icepick Surgeon
The prize winners, the anthology, the history remembered. The Science Show this week is all Bragg.
World sleepwalking into disaster with lukewarm climate actionInformation for families of children with chronic illnessesThe science briefNew approach for helping those addicted to methamphetaminesNew waste sorter recovers 90% of waste previously dumpedNuyina, the Australia’s new icebreaker, supply ship and floating laboratory arrives in HobartAussie STEM Stars – John Long, fossil hunterHow exercise can improve your sight
Crisis awaits if the world fails to act on climateShould nuclear power be part of the energy transition?The science briefIdentifying the risks of babies being born smallMonitoring ice north and southTime to count birds in your backyard
2021 Nobel Prizes for Medicine, Physics and ChemistryPaul Ehrlich reflects after 50 yearsAustralian finalist for first Earthshot environmental prize 2021Different cultures, different maps part 2Eureka Science Prizes 2021
Avoiding a ghastly futureThe science briefNew communications technology for astronomy and space missionsEinstein musical introduces students to physics through performancePen pal scientists inspire young studentsDifferent cultures, different maps
The science briefHopes international investment law will help speed transition to clean energyScience and the public good - mathematicsCosmic Vertigo returnsMelting ice threatens polar ecosystemsCan computers reproduce human culture?
The science briefAcacia - another climate solution in easy reachScience and the public good - physicsTargeted heat used to treat brain cancerComputer science born in Australia 70 years ago
The science briefRobots for e-wasteScience and the public good - chemistryPalm cockatoos – the singing and drumming parrots on Australia’s northern tipWeight training for general health and therapyCitizen science boosts science literacy
The science briefScience and the public goodAstrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking introduces young readers to scienceScience the basis of LA Larkin’s crime-thrillers
The Science Show celebrates 46 years and recalls a warning given at the startRemembering Douglas AdamsThe fascinating world of snakes The science brief
How basic research can lead to unexpected breakthroughsCarl’s world of scienceCurtin University builds resupply craft for Space StationBird brains more complex than ever imaginedYellow crazy ants threaten ecosystems and agriculture along Queensland coast
Electrification coming for runaboutsSlime moulds fascinate the young and oldBotanical Ark in far north QueenslandThe reality of scientific research – 1-yr study blows out to 6yrsVale Roger Short
Slime moulds – important forest dwellers that are neither plant, animal nor fungusThe story of soilShackleton’s Endurance – the extraordinary tale of endurance and unlikely survivalNZ getting serious about its snow
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
Drilling beneath volcanoesProtection against tsunamisTreasures from London’s Natural History Museum at Melbourne Museum to Jan 2022The demise of flightless birdsMessage to a developing embryoHistory of Manhattan, and continued push to return jaguars to southern US
Plants could be used to remediate polluted sitesRecycling brings benefits with low impact livingCivil society will bring a better world
Open access science leads to more citationsClimate change impacts WA biodiversitySolutions for the emerging climate disaster
The 1914 visit that changed AustraliaDeadly high temperatures hit Canada and US northwestNew exhibition presents climate solutionsLighter stronger steel for the construction industryArchaeology could extend knowledge of the history of religionIndigenous kids learn health, nutrition and how to cook for the family
Siberian cave reveals secrets of human evolutionary history.Aussie tree book for young readers.One solution for two big problems — trees.Tribute to Edward de Bono.Robert FitzRoy — Captain of the Beagle, Governor of NZ and a better scientist than Darwin?
Safe cladding and plant-based foods among winners of Academy of Technology and Engineering awardsSoil microbes suspected to cause inner plant die-off in spinifexTicks offer microorganisms a free rideVale Edward de BonoWild animal fathers more than just sperm donorsKangaroo Island was nearly French!
Botanists biased towards pretty plants more than the ugliesKings Park Botanic Garden Perth great for a stroll and does top-notch botanical and horticultural researchPlay behaviour linked to brain mass and life span in a sample of Australian birdsAncient tree-climbing marsupials reveal hints of past environments
The legacy of Andrei Sakharov and the state of Russian science todayHigh levels of ocean noise a possible threat to whales and dolphinsRace to map Ashmore Reef as aquatic worlds change fast with warming watersNew ideas challenge traditional views about plant conservation and restorationLarge scale art works take visitors on a journey of ecological awarenessAsteroid sample lands in South Australian desert
A call for strengthened environmental legislationRegular forest burns reduce chances for endangered plants and animals, impact human healthLinking modern science with Indigenous knowledge to care for the landVale Ross TaylorWA Shipwrecks Museum charts early European encounters with AustraliaForensic evidence playing an increasing role in criminal investigations
Politicians need to see linkages in our worldMost Australian frogs intolerant of human modified habitatsNatural gas not a clean optionCoronavirus becomes musicHow much artificial intelligence will affect our romantic livesPollinators and PollinationNative bees of south-west Western Australia
Alan Turing – thinker ahead of his time
He is now over ninety, having done work on AIDS, on elephants, on population and condoms. We return to a feature interview from 2011 with Professor Roger Short in Melbourne.
Proposed tariff a disincentive for household renewable energyExtracting fossils from their rocky tombsPeter Raven - Driven by NatureRetired botanist becomes word doctor
Conservation, what’s that? Natural ecosystems now being removed fasterSmart irrigation keeps Adelaide’s parks greener and coolerScientists petition to end political persecution in RussiaRussian science a shadow of its former selfFungal art featured at the Royal Botanic Garden SydneyLockdown allows David Suzuki to reconnect with nature
David Suzuki deplores racism, explores its roots and prevalence todayThe Psychology of Charles DarwinAussie Stem Stars – Gisela KaplanThe return of sea birds may save Norfolk Island’s iconic pinesWinery takes a low impact approach
Seaweed a strong hope for drawdown of atmospheric carbonFestival reveals the beauty, wonder and potential of seaweedKey indicators of planetary health getting worse fasterDo trade unions speak to scientists?Climate change is f*%#ing terrifying. Has the media failed in telling the truth?Saving the threatened plants and animals of Norfolk Island
ANU plans to end neuroscience researchThe arts, humanities and sciences dance togetherCatastrophic scene as rainfall decreases on Norfolk IslandHow to fix a brain in 5 minutesAdelaide car factory becomes innovation precinctA guide to finding, identifying, collecting and preparing mushrooms for consumption
Economic arguments help win funds to restore shellfish reefsLife After Gravity - The story of Isaac Newton's decades in LondonOverlooked astronomer Vera Rubin showed existence of dark matterOverview effect offers reassurance in hard timesGreen parrots make a comeback on Norfolk Island
Stem cells - a mix of promise and hypeCanberra doctor buys fish fossil site in central NSWNative animals reintroduced on Dirk Hartog Island WAInvasive animals removed, now vegetation being reintroduced on Phillip IslandUnderstanding internet trollsPhilosopher Michael Strevens charts how science began in The Knowledge Machine - How Irrationality Created Modern Science
$2.4 billion proposal to commercialise scienceGut bacteria in infants play a vital role for life-long healthGenetic study answers key questions about the pink cockatooDung beetles. Without them, we’d be buried in it.Microscopic animal demonstrates UV resistance
Less security than a barista for early career researchers in AustraliaFossil fish site in central NSW now in safe handsA tribute to Japan’s father of seismologySeaweed festival celebrates importance and joy of seaweed
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.