The Science Show

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: labnotes@abc.net.au

Vale the Professor of Happiness Felicia Huppert

Plants could be used to remediate polluted sites Recycling brings benefits with low impact living Civil society will bring a better world

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 awards Soil microbes suspected to cause inner plant die-off in spinifex Ticks offer microorganisms a free ride Vale Edward de Bono Wild animal fathers more than just sperm donors Kangaroo Island was nearly French!

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: labnotes@abc.net.au

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: labnotes@abc.net.au

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: labnotes@abc.net.au

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: labnotes@abc.net.au

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.