Podcast Episodes

Kris sword with an intriguing history, echidnas, tropical forests and Australia’s energy potential

What might be the biggest threat to tropical forests? Climate change? Illegal loggers? Invasive species? None of the above. It’s roads. Bill Laurance…

4 months, 2 weeks ago

Lab Notes: Tallest tree in East Asia

On an island full of trees, there can only be one that is the tallest. How did researchers in Taiwan manage to find the tallest tree in East Asia?

Thi…

4 months, 3 weeks ago

The First Inventors

Evidence is mounting that Indigenous people were in Australia early than the 65,000 date most now know. And there are suggestions the continent suppo…

4 months, 3 weeks ago

Lab Notes: Plants can hear you

Plants are more aware of their surroundings then we give them credit for. A growing body of work is showing that plants can change themselves in resp…

4 months, 4 weeks ago

AI tools in ocean research and a tribute to Dame Bridget Ogilvie

AI offers instant translations between human languages. So will we one day communicate with whales? And while we marvel at the possibilities, the cha…

5 months ago

Lab Notes: Lead may be hiding in your clothing

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…

5 months ago

Sex testing at the Olympics: beware the exceptions

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 …

5 months, 1 week ago

Lab Notes: Giant dino discovery fulfils a childhood dream

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…

5 months, 1 week ago

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

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

5 months, 2 weeks ago

Lab Notes: Can AI chatbots make you delusional?

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

5 months, 2 weeks ago