The Science Show

And botanists intervene to save a plant that may have become sterile

It's been three months since the first case of bird flu was found on the Australian continent. Many cases have been found in birds since then, along with other mammals. So where has it spread? And what can we expect to see as spring and summer arrive? Jonathan Webb speaks with Peter de Kruijff, who's been following bird flu since the very beginning. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Peter de Kruijff, environment reporter This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

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

Most people know the feeling of ticklishness, whether it's the tickle attacks that bring about uncontrollable laughter or the feather-like touch from something brushing against your skin. But why do we feel ticklish? Can we stop it? And why did we — and all our ape cousins — evolve this sensation? Jonathan Webb speaks to Dr Anina Rich to explore the science of this everyday experience. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Anina Rich, Macquarie University Further information: Human ticklishness is a widespread, culturally shared and bodily organized sensory experience This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Dust storms on Mars make the biggest on Earth seem like a gentle breeze. Chelsea Huang describes the Martian conditions which produce humungous dust storms that cover the entire planet.

These little spiders that live in the dark corner of your garage have a pretty crazy sex life. Researchers have known for a while that male redback spiders get eaten during sex — but not only that, they somersault themselves right onto the fangs of the female. Considering the ultimate aim of this process is to create more spiders , this seems pretty counterintuitive. So it begs the question: why do they do it? Jonathan Webb and Ellen Phiddian get caught up in the science of this act, discussing what researchers have uncovered in the genes of the redback spider and its relatives. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Ellen Phiddian, science reporter Further information: Male redback spider's dramatic death somersault during sex coded in its DNA Crossing experiments suggest a simple genetic basis of complex male self-sacrifice phenotypes in widow spiders This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Plus hope for corals, and the story of a museum thief who liked butterflies.

Right now, a high-stakes mission is underway to save NASA's Swift telescope before it falls back to Earth. There's just one problem… the rescue satellite has run into some issues. So who rescues the rescuer? Jonathan Webb and Dr Sara Webb launch into this issue to see what scientists are doing to get this satellite back on track, and whether it can save Swift in time. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Editor's note: the day after this episode was published, Australian time, NASA announced that its plan to boost the Swift Observatory was being abandoned because of ongoing issues controlling the pointing of the LINK spacecraft. It will still test out "rendesvous and proximity operations" which might provide useful results for similar missions in the future, but will not attempt to grab and lift the telescope as planned. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Sara Webb, Swinburne University of Technology This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* The attraction of smelly feet  * Plants that trap insects * Pollen grains reveal Australia's first flowering plants * Vale botanist Peter Raven * Australians smashing it at CERN

The last days of winter are here and already you may be seeing flowers blooming around you. Why is that? How do flowers know when to bloom, and is it always around springtime? Jonathan Webb digs into these questions with Dr Greg Moore to try and uncover the mechanisms behind flowering plants. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Greg Moore, The University of Melbourne Further information: What is Australia's most amazing Wildflower? Vote now Dinosaur Died. No flowers at funeral This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* Mathematics as the basis of western musical harmony and how J. S. Bach loved numbers * Victoria's first dark matter detector fires up * Hurdles for new battery technology * Vale Bill Oddie

It's census time, which means lots of us are about to submit personal information via the Internet. Whether it's the ABS or your favourite online shop — how safe is our data in an era when AI models have shown they can hack companies without even being asked to? Jonathan Webb opens a back door to this new normal of cybersecurity with Professor Toby Murray. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Professor Toby Murray, The University of Melbourne This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* Fluorescent sensors bring cell contents to life * Plotting the Oceans: Stories of Powerful Maps and Their Makers * Animal senses that work as well in water as on land * Mushroom Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Fungal Lives * Descend two kilometres underground to the cleanest lab on Earth

The longest survey of our southern skies — The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) — has just begun from the Vera Rubin Observatory in the Chilean Atacama Desert. Over the next 10 years, the largest digital camera on Earth will look at the same patches of sky time and again, aiming to record exploding stars, new asteroids, and maybe find what's behind dark energy. Jonathan Webb gets sucked into grand cosmic questions with Dr Anais Möller, as they discuss how astronomers are getting a head start on their research from the survey. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Anais Möller, Senior Research Fellow Swinburne University Further information: Rubin's Ocean of Stars Fink broker This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* Celebrating Charles Todd, father of the overland telegraph * Diverse background ideal for leader in pioneering science * Mirror life risks catastrophe * Future Right Now reveals concerns of young people * Botany courses becoming an endangered species

This year has been one of the worst starts to the snow season since records began. And it's a trend that researchers say will only continue in the years to come.  But what's causing this change? What's the outlook for the rest of this ski season, and should we all just be booking a holiday to Japan?  Jonathan Webb goes off-piste with climate reporter Romy Stephens about what this all means.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Romy Stephens, climate reporter Further information: How snow machines have become the key ingredient for ski seasons This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* Gillard tribute to Ogilvie * The future of sleep * Fossil graveyards an archive of climate and ecology * How bacteria behave in the body * White possums in peril

Before any new therapy or medicine is placed on the shelves of a pharmacy, it needs to be tested in humans first. What does that process look like? And who are the people testing these new drugs? Jonathan Webb goes behind the curtain of clinical trials with health reporter Lauren Roberts to take a look at what happens in Australia. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Lauren Roberts, health reporter Further information: Richard Scolyer encouraged Australians to enrol in research. Here's how to get involved Australian Clinical Trials This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

A team from Caltech is using ultrasound to reveal processes at work one kilometre under Antarctic ice.

AI chatbots are helping to crack long-standing mathematical problems, including some of the famous Paul Erdős conjectures that have remained unsolved for nearly 80 years. It's not just researchers finding these solutions, either: it's also amateur mathematicians armed with off-the-shelf ChatGPT. Jonathan Webb wheels out the chalkboard with Dr Melissa Lee to discuss how AI is shaping the field of mathematics, and if anyone can be a mathematician these days. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Melissa Lee, Senior Lecturer Monash University Further information: An AI solution to an 80‑year‑old problem has shocked mathematicians Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

We visit a wildlife sanctuary north of Canberra where enclosures are being built to quarantine the eastern quoll, a species already endangered. Will it work and is this a long-term solution?

Old satellites and bits of space junk regularly fall back to Earth, burning up as they pass through the atmosphere. All this burning metal causes a chain reaction and ultimately destroys ozone molecules, which keep us safe from most of the Sun's harmful UVB rays. Could a new era of satellite "megaconstellations", like the one run by SpaceX's internet company Starlink, undo humanity's hard work repairing the ozone layer? ‌Jonathan Webb launches into this issue with Dr Alice Gorman (AKA Dr Space Junk), taking stock of just how many satellites are burning up and what can be done to solve the problem. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Alice Gorman, Flinders University This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

We also celebrate mathematician Terence Tao’s King’s birthday honour, and go in search of subatomic particles, 2Km underground.

A deadly variant of H5N1 avian influenza has finally reached mainland Australia: the last continent without it.  Although the risk to human health remains low, this virus has spread through many different species overseas — and not just birds. So are our animals vulnerable?  Jonathan Webb speaks with Dr Tiggy Grillo about which animals could be at risk, and what is being done to protect them. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Tiggy Grillo, Chief Operating Officer of Wildlife Health Australia Further information: Animal disease hotline: 1800 675 888 What we know about how H5N1 bird flu got here and where it may appear next Why bird flu poses a high risk to many Australian native mammals For more on avian influenza and humans, have a listen to the latest Health Report bonus episode. This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

If insects feel pain, do they deserve animal rights as apply to mammals?

The largest, deepest and oldest whale graveyard has been found off the coast of Western Australia: teeming with life.  Jonathan Webb takes a deep dive with environment reporter, Peter de Kruijff, into the science behind whale falls and their importance to underwater ecosystems. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Peter de Kruijff, environment reporter Further information: World's biggest whale graveyard found in Indian Ocean off Australia A 5.3-million-year-old deep-sea whale necropolis in the Diamantina Zone This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

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

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? This week, Jonathan Webb finds this out by speaking to Dr Rebecca Hsu, the lead researcher behind the project to find The Heaven Sword. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Rebecca Hsu, Taiwan Institute of Forestry Further information: The journey of finding the tallest tree in Formosa Taiwan Finding and saving the world's biggest trees before they disappear This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Evidence is mounting that Indigenous people were in Australia early than the 65,000 date most now know. And there are suggestions the continent supported a population of at least 2 million people. Authors Sean Ulm, Billy Griffiths and Larissa Behrendt explore these ideas in their book The First Inventors.

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 response to different sounds. Dr Samarth Kulshrestha, a molecular biologist from the University of Canterbury, is one of these researchers, looking at the mechanisms behind plant senses.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Dr Kulshrestha, University of Canterbury  Further information: The secret sensory life of plants: researchers are discovering how they see, hear, feel – and even remember Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insect herbivore chewing Tuned in: plant roots use sound to locate water This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

AI offers instant translations between human languages. So will we one day communicate with whales? And while we marvel at the possibilities, the challenge today is preventing collisions between sea creatures and ships, or whales and turtles becoming tangled in nets.

Ever wondered how your sweater became bright orange, or how your leather shoes were made? Chances are, at some point in the process, hazardous chemicals like lead or azo dyes were used.  Jonathan Webb speaks to Ellen Phiddian, science reporter with Radio National, about whether these chemicals are dangerous to us, and if we should be worried about them.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Ellen Phiddian, science reporter Further information: Lead may contaminate our clothes but there's no requirement to test for it This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

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 need to be handled with care and sensitivity.

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 over the Earth — and has now been described by a team of researchers from the UK and Thailand.   Jonathan Webb speaks with Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, a PhD student at University College London who was part of the team that discovered and named this prehistoric behemoth. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, PhD student University College London Further information: The first sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation of Thailand enriches the diversity of somphospondylan titanosauriforms in southeast Asia This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

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

Stories of AI chatbot users drifting from our shared reality are increasingly common, often described as cases of AI delusions, delusional spirals, or AI psychosis. New research from Stanford University and the Human Line Project investigates the mechanisms behind these delusions, asking whether AI is making people more delusional or whether these chatbots are simply agreeing with delusional thinking. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: James Purtill, technology reporter Further information: The Dynamics of Delusion: Modeling Bidirectional False Belief Amplification in Human-Chatbot Dialogue Characterizing Delusional Spirals through Human-LLM Chat Logs This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

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

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a vast current that helps move water and energy right around our planet, from top to bottom. Scientists say it is slowing down — and might stop altogether, with dire consequences for the global climate if it does.  So how do major ocean currents work, why is it slowing down, and what will happen if it collapses? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Laurie Menviel, climate researcher at UNSW This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

The Kimberley region is more than 2000 kilometres north of Western Australia's capital city, Perth. The area is both extremely remote and extremely beautiful. So why is it the proposed location for Australia's biggest "AI factory"? Why do we need this massive AI data centre? And are these factories likely to be built in other remote parts of Australia?  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Jess Baker, ABC rural reporter More information: Australia's biggest AI factory planned for remote WA This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Despite the many benefits from a multi-country collaboration on a major astronomy project, Australia will not be part of the European Southern Observatory after 2027.

Australians were captivated by the recent Artemis II mission — and they’re hungry for more. New YouGov polling reveals surging national interest in space exploration and its future. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Brooke Schlesinger, associate director at YouGov Australia This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Kaurna and Menang Noongar people.

In 2024, measles claimed an estimated 95,000 lives around the world – despite the fact that we have an effective, affordable vaccine. In Australia, at least 80 cases have been recorded this year. So is measles back?

The biggest science infrastructure requires collaboration. Australia has said no to joining the European Southern Observatory and will not share in the discovery, the experience and many benefits.

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 grown there? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Matthew Gilliham, director the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space at Adelaide University This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

Humans have done experiments on animals for thousands of years — but animal testing has always been controversial because of the concerns for animal welfare. Recently, there have been more and more efforts to find alternatives to lab animals. So how is this quest going? What's on the horizon – and will we ever get rid of lab animals completely?  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Darren Saunders, New South Wales deputy chief scientist and engineer This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Paul Davies explains some of the weirdness that is quantum physics

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 is set to launch in early April. So what's the aim of the mission, where exactly are the astronauts headed, and why is it happening now? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:   Jacinta Bowler, ABC science reporter Extra information: NASA delays Artemis II mission to the Moon, a day after flagging March launch Former NASA engineer warns about heat shield on Artemis II moon mission This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 are constantly tracking strains like this as they come and go. Professor Kirsty Short, shares her anxiety about the flu season ahead, as well as a surprising recent win — and a call to arms about vaccination. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Kirsty Short, virologist at University of Queensland More information: Australia's 2026 influenza vaccine rollout and the Super-K strain This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Conventional explanations for how humans became ‘the language animal’ focus on our need to cooperate to hunt, fight or make tools. Now, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman suggests a new idea for origin of language: the need to share childcare.

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 melanoma and researchers in Queensland have found that the number of moles found on children's bodies has halved in recent decades. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:   Nick Martin, human geneticist at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Extra information: Halving of Australian children's naevus counts during 1992-2016 and change in sun behaviour Hopes for lower melanoma risk as study finds number of moles on children's bodies halved in 25 years This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

When raised lead levels were noticed in Los Angeles last year, a chemist — who usually examines asteroids — quickly saw that the fires that ravaged the region in January 2025 were to blame.

Major international airports in the Middle East have been closed this week due to the war with Iran, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded. So, what happens after a major airspace closure? How do pilots know where they should fly? And how long will it take to get things back to normal? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:   Amy Briggs, science reporter  Extra information:   Air travel may be disrupted by the Iran war for months. This is why This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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

Backyard sprinklers have transformed the Aussie urban landscape. But their path to domination of our suburbs was haphazard — and hinged on the inventions of several knockabout tinkerers. Meanwhile with a rapidly drying climate, we may need to re-consider our reliance on this invention. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:   James Purtill, technology reporter  Extra information: How the garden sprinkler conquered Australia This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 finding your star in the sky. But these names are not official and are not used by astronomers — or anyone else, for that matter. So what's going on, and how do stars really get their names?   ‌Featuring:   Laura Driessen, radio astronomer at the University of Sydney  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

Retinoids are big business for reducing wrinkles and treating acne — but there's conflicting advice on their safety for pregnant women. Should manufacturers of these skincare products be providing warnings? Or are the risks not that great? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Caitlyn Davey, health reporter Extra information: Retinoids are booming in the beauty industry, but are they safe to use during pregnancy? This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

AI seems to be absolutely everywhere at the moment. While we're still waiting for the productivity revolution — or the jobs apocalypse — the energy costs of AI are already staggering. So how should we think about those environmental impacts of AI? And what can we learn from previous turns of the great technological wheel? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:  Dr Niraj Lal, renewables expert at the Australian National University  Extra information:  Data centres are vital for the future and AI but their environmental footprint can be a problem This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 country.  New research links this background mortality to higher average temperatures. So what do these higher temperatures mean for our forests and the future of Australia's ecosystems?  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:  Professor Belinda Medlyn, plant ecologist from Western Sydney University Extra information:  Pervasive increase in tree mortality across the Australian continent Rising tree death rates in all types of Australian forest tied to climate change This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 over a hand, had been painted over by subsequent generations and was only preserved because moisture combined with the limestone of the cave to form a protective layer on top.  The finding strengthens the picture that humans migrated via Borneo, Sulawesi and Papua to reach Australia at least 65,000 years ago.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:  Jacinta Bowler, ABC science reporter  Extra information:  Hand stencils discovered in an Indonesian cave are oldest-known rock art  Rock art from at least 67,800 years ago in Sulawesi  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 system that underpins daily life.  The treaty was signed exactly 150 years ago, when delegates from 17 countries gathered in Paris to establish a new and standardised way of measuring the world around us.  But the metre's inception predates the treaty that bears its name by nearly 100 years. So how did it come about, and how has its definition changed over the centuries?  This episode was first broadcast in May 2025.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Bruce Warrington, CEO and chief metrologist of the National Measurement Institute  More information:  The metre originated in the French Revolution, but its definition has changed many times since  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  David Whiteman, medical epidemiologist and Cancer Control group leader at QIMR Berghofer More information: Why is UV so high during Australia's summer? The ozone hole is not to blame Cancer Council — UV Radiation World Health Organization — Radiation: The ultraviolet (UV) index CSIRO — The future of the ozone hole This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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 Royal Society.

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 of Isaac Newton, help discover Neptune, and write a science book which became a university text.

Every now and again, dozens or even hundreds of perfectly healthy looking whales strand themselves on a beach.  And despite people's best efforts, many — if not all of them — will die.  So why do whales strand themselves, and why do they seem to do it at the same locations?  This episode was first broadcast in August 2025.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Kate Sprogis, marine mammal ecologist at University of Western Australia  More information:   Cause of mass pilot whale stranding at Cheynes Beach still no clearer one year on  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Norman Swan, Fiona Stanley and Lorin Clarke describe their involvement with Robyn Williams and The Science Show with MC Richard Glover at a party celebrating 50 years of broadcasting.

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 us, how can we minimise our exposure to tiny plastic fragments without resorting to living in a cave?  This episode was first broadcast in August 2025.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Cassandra Rauert, microplastics researcher at the University of Queensland  More information:  Microplastics are in our food, water and air. How can we minimise our exposure to them?  Human exposure to PM10 microplastics in indoor air  Average household dishwasher releases 33 million nano and microplastic particles per year, research finds   Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution — but you can clean your clothes more sustainably  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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

Australia's known for having some of the world's toughest sunscreen standards, but in June, that reputation was rocked. Independent testing of 20 sunscreens found 16 did not meet their advertised SPF50 rating, including three children's sunscreens and three sold by the Cancer Council. So how are sunscreens tested, and what can we learn from these recent SPF revelations? This episode was first broadcast in September 2025. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring: John Staton, scientific director at SciPharm More information: What is SPF, and how is sunscreen's sun protection factor tested in the laboratory? Choice report finds popular Australian sunscreens fail to meet SPF claims on label This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Retiring Vice Chancellor of the University of South Australia David Lloyd awarded Pratchett two honorary degrees. In exchange, the author honoured the university with a special scholarship – to be offered every year forever. This week David Lloyd explains his enthusiasms for the Discworld author in front of a packed audience at the Hawke Centre in Adelaide.

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 of these natural phenomena — and many others — can be understood and explained by mathematics.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Chantelle Blachut, mathematician at UNSW Canberra

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

Step into the supermarket and there's plastic around just about everything, even mangoes — and not all that packaging will be properly disposed of. So with around 20 million tonnes of plastic polluting the environment each year, not to mention the potential health effects of microplastics, is there a better, more environmentally friendly alternative? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Edward Attenborough, chemical engineer and chemist at Monash University More information: Bacterial species-structure-property relationships of polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers produced on simple sugars for thin film applications This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Taungurung people.

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

Astrophotographers have had another great month, with the aurora australis lighting up night skies as far north as southern Queensland. And while you might've heard that the best of this bunch of auroras is behind us, don't put your camera away just yet. There's good reason to think the southern lights will illuminate the sky well into 2026. It all depends on what the Sun shoots in our direction … and we might find ourselves in the firing line more often over the next few months. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Brett Carter, space weather researcher at RMIT University More information: The Sun Reversed Its Decades-long Weakening Trend in 2008 When the southern lights are seen further north This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Taungurung people.

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

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, which was released in October. So — without a crystal ball — how do meteorologists make weather predictions so far out, how accurate are they, and how is climate change affecting them? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: Karl Braganza, National Manager of Climate Services at the Bureau of Meteorology More information: BOM's first long-range summer forecast shows increased chance of extreme heat This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Taungurung people.

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 different world, one that will not be friendly to the current range of plants and animals, including humans. The race is on to cool our overheating planet.

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, even until her kid is well into primary school. Now Australian scientists have discovered how breastfeeding specifically enlists the immune system to protect against an aggressive and hard-to-treat type of breast cancer. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Sherene Loi, medical oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre  Extra information:  Parity and lactation induce T cell mediated breast cancer protection  Having children and breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk by triggering immune system, study finds  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 before we consciously decide what we're going to eat, our brain has already weighed up our choices — and in a fraction of a second.  Now a new study shows which food attributes are processed by our brain faster than others, and how this might influence our dietary decisions.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Violet Chae, PhD student at the University of Melbourne  More information:  Characterising the neural time-courses of food attribute representations  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 interstellar object we've discovered zooming past our Sun.  There are scientists who think the comet may be alien technology sent from another solar system to invade Earth, but space agencies poured cold water on this idea.  So how will we know if we truly find evidence of extraterrestrial life?  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring:  Laura Driessen, radio astronomer at the University of Sydney  Astronomers discover 3I/ATLAS — third interstellar object to visit our Solar System  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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

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 taller than Danny DeVito.  But unlike Danny DeVito, this ancient figure was not human. He was a long-extinct relative of ours called Paranthropus boisei.  And now his fossilised hand bones are giving us never-before-seen insights into how he and his species lived.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au    Featuring:  Carrie Mongle, palaeoanthropologist at Stony Brook University and the Turkana Basin Institute  More information:  New fossils reveal the hand of Paranthropus boisei  Fossil hand bones hint that ancient human relative Paranthropus made tools 1.5 million years ago  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

Jonathan Porritt’ recent book, Love, Anger and Betrayal charts the lives of young British climate campaigners. Meanwhile in Australia under-16s are about to be banned from using social media.

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're lucky, we can see this epic phenomenon as it happens — through special glasses, of course. But our preoccupation with looking at the sky means we may not notice what's happening to the animals around us.  When it comes to birds, many of which rely on the Sun to tell them when to sing a dawn chorus, how does a solar eclipse change how they behave? And what are the wider implications in this artificially lit world?   You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Liz Aguilar, PhD student in bird reproductive behaviour at Indiana University Bloomington More information:  Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds: Insights from acoustic recordings and community science  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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

This has been a bumper year for whale-watching on Australia's east coast, with thousands of humpbacks spotted cruising along their annual migration route.   This population was almost wiped out by whalers last century but has bounced back — and then some. A new estimate suggests there are now more of these humpbacks than in pre-whaling times.  So why are the eastern Australian humpbacks going gangbusters while other populations aren't doing nearly as well?  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring:  Wally Franklin, marine scientist at Southern Cross University and the Oceania Project  More information:  Eastern Australian humpback whale population now well above pre-whaling levels, report finds Boom to bust? Implications for the continued rapid growth of the eastern Australian humpback whale population despite recovery  The Oceania Project  If you want to hear about how other Australian whales are going, check out The plight of the southern right whales.  This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

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, how well is it doing now amid international turmoil.

For decades, climate scientists have been tracking a curious phenomenon. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are steadily increasing overall but they also rise and fall in an annual rhythm — like the planet is breathing. Each spring, in the southern hemisphere, carbon dioxide levels start to plateau or maybe even drop slightly before shooting up again after summer. So what's driving these seasonal changes? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au  Featuring: Nick Deutscher, atmospheric chemist at the University of Wollongong This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.