Preview: Science - ABC Radio National
 Science PodcastRadio National's Robyn Williams and Natasha Mitchell have made science the most popular specialist subject on the network. Every week The Science Show, Ockham's Razor and All In The Mind tell us something new about life and the world around us.Copyright: Copyright 2012, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
The Information Bingers Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:30:00 +1100 We often hear the term 'information overload' but is it a case of over-consumption as much as filter failure? There’s a school of thought that says we now take in information in the same way we consume fast food—without control or moderation.
NBN Co to spend two billion dollars servicing remote communities Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:05:00 +1100 The National Broadband Network announced it will launch two satellites to provide internet access to people living in remote areas.
Science with Chris Smith: printing bones Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:35:00 +1100 While broken bones can be fixed, treating bone infections has always been more challenging.
The genome promise Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:05:00 +1100 The genome era began in 2001, with the successful reading of the three billion letters of DNA that make up the human genome. That triggered frenzied research activity, and high expectations of medical breakthroughs and new understandings of living things. So what's the upshot? Has the genome project delivered? Science writer Elizabeth Finkel spent five years researching and interviewing scientists around the world for her book The genome generation.
Holiday images of king tides give us a picture of the future Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:47:00 +1100 Holiday snaps taken by people on Queensland beaches could become part of a significant citizen science project that will help Australian governments prepare for the future impact of climate change.
Maths proficiency Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:27:00 +1100 Australia faces a mathematical skills shortage, and many policy makers are asking what can be done to solve the problem.
Mating habits of the spotted tree frog all too familiar Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:35:00 +1100 Mount Buffalo Alpine National Park in Victoria will welcome a few long lost amphibian friends this week.
Grindr hacked, music subscription and Twitter censorship Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:30:00 +1100 It's the $4 billion industry that wants to see you get more sex. We examine the psychology and business behind Digital Dating in light of the gay hook-up iPhone app Grindr being hacked by a NSW teenager. And only in our second episode we declare that Radio is Dead! Long Live RDIO. Do music subscription services like Spotify and the newly launched RDIO mean a genuine competitor for iTunes? We also examine Twitter's decision to allow country-by-country censorship -- is it actually a good thing? And as a little treat, imagine if you could take over the official Twitter feed of an entire nation... what would you say?
Robots, humans and the future Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:30:00 +1100 In the first of a two-part series on modern robotics we look at so-called socially assistive robots and also explore why understanding dog behaviour could be crucial to the future of human-robot interaction. (The second part of the series will be coming up in March).
Distillation Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:45:00 +1100 Trevor McAllister, a retired chemist from Melbourne, discusses the history of whiskey distillation in Ireland.
Charlie Svenson: from science to wine Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:47:00 +1100 Charlie Svenson was a successful lecturer in microbiology at the University of NSW. But he’s left the lab behind. These days, Charlie spends most of his time on the slopes of Mt Canobolas in central western NSW.
Really Rare Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:27:19 +1100 Extinct, disappearing or just highly elusive, we’re on the trail of the antique and the apocryphal but also an almost mythological beast like the Tasmanian tiger – has it gone or is it just hiding.
Rewriting the history of photography Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:47:00 +1100 Many people know about the early history of photography involving images on silver plates. But these well known results were based on earlier experiments by a range of people over earlier decades. John Wood and Sally Hoban fill in the gaps, including evidence that another process of creating images was used before the silver plates method. It involved using poisonous cyanide leaving traces around fern leaves. The mystery extends to letters revealing rivalry and bribes. Perhaps the early history of photography is about to be rewritten.
Persistent organic pollutants found on New Zealand glaciers Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:41:00 +1100 Despite being banned by the Stockholm Convention, a range of POPs, or persistent organic pollutants can be found in the environment. They bio-accumulate in food webs and are toxic to humans and wildlife. Samples containing these pollutants were collected from New Zealand glaciers. Elemental analysis can pinpoint the origin of the pollutants. Some of these chemicals, despite being banned, persist for many years, travelling around in air and water.
Atlas of Living Australia Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:33:00 +1100 Groups such as state herbaria, Birds Australia and numerous individuals hold detailed information about Australian animals and plants. The Atlas of Living Australia brings this information together in one place.
Stresses on ecological communities Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:28:00 +1100 As temperatures rise, plants and animals are migrating away from the equator causing ecological fragmentation. Rising temperatures are also causing fragility. While these two factors are linked, Giselle Perdomo suggests the combination of fragmentation and increasing temperatures is producing a result greater than the sum of each.
Compound eyes show origin of acute vision Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:20:00 +1100 A fossil deposit in the Emu Bay Shale on Kangaroo Island off South Australia has fossils dating back 515 million years. The unique thing is the fossils show the soft parts of organisms. Most are arthropods, but others represent worms and molluscs. A major find at Emu Bay has been Anomalocaris, a giant Cambrian predator. Interestingly it had stalked compound eyes. The eyes contain up to 16,000 lenses in each eye, far more than any of today’s Arthropods. It is thought sight gave Anomalocaris a great advantage. Eyes of this sophistication have not been found previously so early in time.
Saturday 04 February 2012 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:05:00 +1100 Stimulating the brain enhances mathematical ability, Compound eyes show origin of acute vision, Stresses on ecological communities, Atlas of Living Australia Persistent organic pollutants found on New Zealand glaciers, Rewriting the history of photography
Stimulating the brain enhances mathematical ability Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:05:00 +1100 The area of the brain which deals with maths lies just beneath the skull, and responds easily to stimulation. A combination of learning and stimulation can enhance ability. Mathematical skills can be doubled with electrical and magnetic stimulation, and be retained for 6 months.
Science with Chris Smith: listening to the brain Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:36:00 +1100 The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith.
Facebook moves to list on stock exchange Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:50:00 +1100 Facebook is today expected to file paperwork in the US will begin the process of listing on the stock market. The initial public offering (IPO) will seek to raise at least $5 billion. The paperwork will reveal the company's revenue model and how much money the website actually makes.
The Green Desert Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:41:00 +1100 Imagine the view of Australia from space right now. La Nina and her flooding rains have had a huge impact on our nation and not just on the coastline. The flaming reds and burnished browns that our sunburnt country is renowned for have been replaced by huge swaths of green and are positively humming with life. Peter Elfes has spent the past three years documenting the transformation.
Ray Kurzweil Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:05:00 +1100 From heavy brick-sized mobile phones to multi-functional smart phones - technology has developed with an astonishing pace and one of the modern drivers of this race is Ray Kurzweil, one of America’s greatest thinkers and entrepreneurs. He is the inventor of optical character recognition, text-to-speech recognition technology and electronic keyboard instruments. At the Creative Innovation Conference in November last year, Ray Kurzweil talked about how creativity and innovation grow at an increasing pace and that in the not so far future medicine, biology, economy and social relationships will be subject to information technology and the law of exponential return.
Mobile payments, piracy and facial recognition Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:30:00 +1100 Imagine doing away with your password and logging on to a website using facial recognition technology. We also examine the possibility of your mobile phone replacing your credit card. And we wade though the numbers to find out just how much damage piracy is really doing to the entertainment industry. This week's guest panel includes Nick Ross, editor of the ABC's Games and Technology website and Patrick Gray, cyber-security journalist from Risky.Biz
Digital archaeology and the temporary nature of technology Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +1100 As our fast paced digital world continues what does that mean for the way we think about preserving things like old webpages and obsolete media formats? Are there possible lessons from our digital past for our digital future? We explore the fragility of our electronic data and also the temporary nature of the technology we use to access it. We also join the excavation of a 1970s computer chip called the 6502!
The day Charlie Parker flew into my loneliness Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:45:01 +1100 A parrot flies into the home and heart of a musician, helps him eat breakfast and make music and then promptly departs. This jazzy short work was a contribution to the Birdland project on ABC Pool.
The Gardens of Stone Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +1100 Exploring the Gardens of Stone, an area rich in geo- and bio-diversity located off the back of the Great Dividing Range, north-west of Lithgow, NSW.
The genetic explanation for addiction Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:50:00 +1100 Instinct is an action performed by a species without any instruction. We now know these are hardwired systems in the brain which provide a survival advantage. Examples are thirst, and the need for salt. The surprising result, arising by accident is the discovery that the genes identified with addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine have a relation to those genes associated with sodium deficiency. The suggestion is that addictive drugs have usurped the neural pathways which are deeply imbedded in the brain. This is why battling addiction can be so difficult. This knowledge may provide new methods of treating addiction.
Theory of dark matter challenged Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:40:00 +1100 Eighty per cent of everything in the universe is dark matter. Debate continues about the structure of the elementary particles composing dark matter. One thought describes these particles as super symmetric particles. This is the cold dark matter theory and relates to the very early moments of the universe. But recently dwarf satellite galaxies, composed of dark matter, don’t fit with the accepted theory. So have physicists been on the wrong track? Is super symmetry wrong? Now there’s a new theory. Get ready for warm dark matter. Carlos Frenk explains.
The golden age of discovering planets Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:35:00 +1100 The space telescope Kepler is monitoring about 100,000 stars simultaneously. In just a few months of operation it has found 1,500 new planets. The planetary world is markedly different from the view we had just 10 or 15 years ago. The aim is to find planets similar to Earth. But now astrobiologists are asking whether water needs to be the necessary solvent for life to exist. On Mars life may exist very deep where it is warm, rather than on the surface where it is very, very cold.
More planets than ever expected Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +1100 For 12 years John Greenhill has been looking for planets. He uses the microlensing technique, utilising light effects when one star passes in front of another. Light is bent by gravity, and allows detection of planets between the size of Earth and Jupiter. The surprise is that Earth-like planets are very common. Almost every star has at least one Earth-like planet associated with it, meaning there are 100,000 million Earth-like planets in our galaxy alone. This has excited those searching for extraterrestrial life.
Effects of alcohol and racial stereotypes on behaviour Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:25:00 +1100 People rely on stereotypes to help decide whether others are a threat. African and Middle Eastern men are often perceived as hostile. This can lead to horrible outcomes for innocent people. But luckily, with training, behaviour can be changed. Tim Schofield is studying the effects of alcohol on behaviour based on racial stereotypes. Lab results suggest people automatically control for stereotypes when there is alcohol present. This has important implications for policing.
DNA markers for facial features Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:18:00 +1100 Angela van Daal is looking for DNA markers which are predictive of hair, skin and eye colour. It is hoped this will prove useful in forensic science when there is a crime but no suspect. DNA left at the scene could help provide a description of the perpetrator. The next step will be looking for DNA markers for the shape of the face, although factors such as lifestyle would need to be considered.
Saturday 28 January 2012 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:05:00 +1100 Evidence of humans in PNG 50,000 years ago, DNA markers for facial features, Effects of alcohol and racial stereotypes on behaviour, More planets than ever expected, The golden age of discovering planets, Theory of dark matter challenged, The genetic explanation for addiction.
Evidence of humans in PNG 50,000 years ago Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:05:00 +1100 Stone tools dated at 50,000 years have been excavated from the highlands of Papua New Guinea. The functions of the tools are unknown. Perhaps they were used to cut grass. This pre-dates earlier expectations for when humans occupied this region of the Pacific. Surprisingly, the area is about 2,000m above sea level. It’s very cold up there. This evidence will help rewrite the model of when humans moved out of Africa. It provides an insight into human modernity and adaptability not found elsewhere.
The new kid on the block: The Global Mail, The Black Saturday bushfires: consent, trauma and media interviews Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +1100 Our media was filled with personal stories of loss and fear and survival and death during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, but how did people feel about being interviewed in the middle of a crisis? Can you, in fact, give informed consent when you are (possibly) in a state of trauma? The Media Report tries to find out what residents and journalists feel a few years on.
Reporting on Black Saturday Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:45:00 +1100 Our media was filled with personal stories of loss and fear and survival and death during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, but how did people feel about being interviewed in the middle of a crisis? Can you, in fact, give informed consent when you are (possibly) in a state of trauma? The Media Report tries to find out what residents and journalists feel a few years on.
Food on Friday - Religions promoting occasional abstinence from meat Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:36:00 +1100 Many mainstream religions have long traditions focusing on human restraint, fasting, or abstinence so a new campaign in Australia by a multi faith religious organisation to encourage less consumption of meat shouldn't come as a surprise.
Science with Chris Smith: spider eyes Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:35:00 +1100 The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith.
Volunteering for environmental science expeditions Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:39:00 +1100 Several years ago academic experts began noticing a disturbing trend: enrolments in university science and maths courses were declining in large numbers. There was concern that the trend would translate into a serious collapse in Australia's research capabilities.
Australian of the Year awards: Local Hero winner Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +1100 This year's Local Hero—part of the Australia Day Awards—goes to foster mother and carer Lynne Sawyers of Darbys Falls near Cowra in New South Wales.
Concerns bird virus outbreak in VIC could spread Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:49:00 +1100 There are concerns that an outbreak of a bird virus in Victoria could spread to backyard chooks and native birds.
Young Australian of the Year: Marita Cheng Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:43:00 +1100 Marita Cheng has been named the 2012 Young Australian of the Year, joining Geoffrey Rush, who is 2012's Australian of the Year.
New study says the way we view art is irrational Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:05:00 +1100 Many of us like to think that our deep appreciation of great art demonstrates sophisticated and refined tastes. Now a new study shows that we only like paintings only if we are told they are by an Old Master.
Tech review with Peter Marks: tablets and online pirates Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:13:00 +1100 The story of Kim Dotcom is sure to become an e-book at some point after the founder of file-sharing website MegaUpload was arrested in New Zealand last week.
The 2011 John Bonython Lecture Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:56:34 +1100 What does it take to be a good leader and what is a good leader?
The biggest threat to Australia's ecosystem Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:35:00 +1100 It has the potential to cause havoc in native forests and woodlands, and among industries that depend on native trees and shrubs. The fungus Myrtle Rust is a highly contagious plant disease that is moving along our east coast and attacking native species, including eucalypts.
Tim Flannery Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:05:00 +1100 Twenty-five years ago Tim Flannery was a young mammal scientist exploring remote Pacific Islands and discovering numerous new species. It was a hell of an adventure—and a far cry from his current role as federal climate commissioner. He talks about his new book Among The Islands.
Agenda 2012: Technology Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:05:00 +1100 The first in a series of discussions looking at the trends and changes predicted to affect our world in 2012.
Communities excluded from NBN find out cost today Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:19:00 +1100 Outback Queensland communities excluded from the fibre optic rollout for the National Broadband Network will find out today just how much it'll cost to get the same internet speeds as the rest of Australia.
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