Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, and Penny Dumsday. Topics covered: Male squids appear to have sex with male and female squids , neutrinos might travel faster than light , and the DNA of an Australian Aborigine gives insights into the early migration out of Africa. Plus the discovery of a gene linking high fat food to diabetes and a study about cooperation in chimpanzees reveals stark differences to humans. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
Sep 29, 2011•39 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Penny Dumsday, and Lucas Randall. Topics covered: A new clutch of genetic mutations linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder , online gamers have deciphered the structure of an enzyme that has long eluded scientists, and Victoria’s dolphins have been formally recognised as a new species . Plus Australia's northward drift has shed light on the causes of long-term sea level change , the James Webb Space Telescope gets a ray of hope , NASA announces a new roc...
Sep 25, 2011•57 min
Hosts: Lucas Randall, Penny Dumsday, Kylie Sturgess. Topics Covered: Diamond planets, climate change and the scientific method Despite winning acclaim for his children's book on evolution, Daniel Loxton faced some challenges getting published in the US Are wild birds learning to speak from their previously domesticated cousins? New study provokes a re-think on dingoes' history It may not be up to sci-fi standards, but 'suspended animation' is ready for clinical trials as a life-saving technique ...
Sep 17, 2011•41 min
Hosts: Lucas Randall, Dr Shayne Joseph and Dr Rachael Dunlop. Topics covered: - Rachael Dunlop's research at the HRI in to the links between motor-neuron disease and blue-green algae- A gene defect appears to cause the most common sight-disorder, near-signtedness or Myopa- A team has found an association between long-term dietary patterns and the bacteria of the human gut- Blood shortages are a global problem, and a French team have now published the results of their study which may be a crucial...
Sep 10, 2011•1 hr
Hosts: Lucas Randall, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Penny Dumsday. Topics covered: - Jumping genes helped evolution- Cavemen sex gave humans a health boost- International team discovers planet made of diamond- Fossil Discovery Represents New Milestone in Early Mammal Evolution- Kamikaze Satellite Could Be Earth’s Last Defense Against Asteroid- Fossils hints on Earth’s first life- Fruit bacteria to curb dengue
Sep 01, 2011•45 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall Tom Sidwell and Mike McRae. Topics covered: Scientists reprogrammed the immune system to target cancer cells, and suicide bombing bacteria targets other bacteria. Can evolution be predicted? And a new study reveals the moon may be up to 70 million years younger than we thought. Mike McRae is a science writer for the CSIRO's education department and author of Tribal Science: Brains, Beliefs and Bad Ideas. He blogs at tribalscientist.com and is on ...
Aug 25, 2011•49 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall and Simon Taylor. Topics covered: An electronic temporary tattoo is really really awesome! When developing medications, the differences between men and women - and even individuals - aren't always taken into account. Mealybugs have bacteria living in their bacteria! The European Space Agency plans to hurl a spaceship at an asteroid to see if they can change it's course, and our panel takes the National Science Week Fact or Fiction test....
Aug 18, 2011•52 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Penny Dumsday, Lucas Randall and Kylie Sturgess. Topics covered: Earth may have had a second moon billions of years ago, 'comfort food' works not just by taste but also in the gut, and your belly button is a bacterial zoo . Scientists have 'sorta' made sperm in a lab , vampire bats have a molecular heat sensor and is there flowing water on Mars? An award-winning Philosophy teacher with over ten years experience in education, Kylie Sturgess has lectured on teac...
Aug 10, 2011•47 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Lucas Randall and Tom Sidwell. Topics covered: People living in polar regions have bigger eyes and bigger brains . Neaderthals might have been wiped out by the sheer numbers of modern humans . Trojan asteroid discovered sharing Earth's orbit . Volcanoes discovered on the moon suggest it was geologically active only 800 million years ago, much more recently than previously thought. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members . Duration:0:...
Aug 04, 2011•29 min
On Thursday Dr. Leslie Cannold - author, ethicist, commentator and award-winning columnist - spoke to a packed audience at Embiggen Books. She spoke about the various social and economic forces undermining trust in science, and what can be done to restore that trust. Embiggen Books is Melbourne's newest bookshop, specialising in scientific and skeptical books. According to their website, they boast “the biggest range of popular science titles instock in the observable universe”. They also have a...
Jul 30, 2011•1 hr 28 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall and Belinda Nicholson. Topics covered: Belinda tells us a bit about working at the Gemini South Observatory in Chile, and the possible cancellation of the James Webb Space Telescope . We talk about Pluto's new moon , the mouse that stole a poison-resistance gene from another species, and the mouse that runs a lot more because it's missing a gene. A high school class DNA-tested lots of tea and found some surprising extras. And while...
Jul 27, 2011•41 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall and Dr. Krystal Evans. Topics covered: We find out about Dr. Krystal's work developing a live malaria vaccine. The internet and search engines are changing how our memory works , a study sheds new light on the effectiveness of carbon sinks , but parks and gardens in cities are often overlooked carbon sinks . Genome-wide association studies lack racial diversity , a 'Roundup Ready' GM lawn could make stronger weeds , and the crops G...
Jul 20, 2011•46 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, and Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: The end of an era - Space Shuttle Atlantis launches for the last time ever. Is Australia overdue for volcanic eruptions ? Polar bears share a common ancestor with brown bears . NASA tests a suit that recycles astronaut's urine , and humans cling to old beliefs even when repeatedly shown contradictory evidence . Shayne and Ed rant about Greenpeace protestors destroying GM wheat experiments . Our theme music, Step On It, kindly ...
Jul 14, 2011•49 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Tom Sidwell Topics covered: E coli outbreak blamed on Egyptian fenugreek seeds , Gossamer puts DNA together , Fossils reveal rapid evolution in ancient eyes , Bringing Prehistoric Colors Back to Life, Humans dwarf volcanoes for CO2 emissions , Lord Christopher Monckton interview with Adam Spencer . Tom Sidwell has completed a Bachelor of Science, with majors in immunology and microbiology (minors in molecular biology and biochemistry). He is currently doing...
Jul 07, 2011•39 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Lucas Randall Topics covered: Should pregnant women sleep on their left ? Will the end of the sunspot cycle counteract global warming? Geysers reveal likely ocean on Saturn moon. Do dogs bark because humans guided their evolution ? A new ointment could help the treatment of snakebites . New tribe of humans found in Brazil that have had no contact with the outside world. And a technique to control gene expression with the flick of a light swit...
Jun 30, 2011•47 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, and Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Ecologists say not to worry about invasive species if they don't cause problems, pristine meteorites suggest the building blocks of life came from outer space , NASA's DAWN probe nearly at the asteroid Vesta , Tamarind seeds regrow nerves and is your coffee causing you to hallucinate ? Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members . Duration: 0:36:19....
Jun 16, 2011•36 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Simon Taylor Topics covered: DNA Sequencing Germany's 'Super Toxic' E. coli bacteria , Emperor penguins do the Mexican wave , the deepest multi-celled animal ever found , a look at the latest 'link' between mobile phones and cancer , a new look at moral dilemmas in hospitals and how do babies distinguish race ? Simon Taylor is a magician, comedian, entertainer and writer with a fascination for the mind. His latest project, Flim Flam , is a we...
Jun 09, 2011•44 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday and Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Europe battling massive outbreak of rare and unusual bacterial infection , another look beneath Hawaii knocks islands off their riser pipe , bacteria create hail stones , a stomach bug may be linked to Parkinson’s , low solar activity may have caused a little ice age and a sad farewell to Mars rover Spirit . Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members . Download here. Duration: 0:41:35...
Jun 02, 2011•42 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Lucas Randall. Topics covered: Planets without stars , malaria prevents new super-infections , dark energy and other Einstein predictions proven , mobile phones are not killing bees . Our theme music, Step On It, is kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
May 26, 2011•52 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Nematodes reveal the secret to a long life , Unusual AIDS vaccine shows promising results in monkeys , Scientists find genetic link to depression , Desk job ups bowel cancer risk . Our theme music, Step On It, is kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
May 19, 2011•23 min
An event organised by the Melbourne Skeptics and the Melbourne Eastern Hills Skeptics saw a science, religion and philosophy teacher and a science-oriented bookseller discussing their favourite books. Kylie Sturgess is an award-winning blogger and fellow podcaster , a Philosophy and Religious Education teacher and writer for a number of Skeptic publications. In 2010 she co-authored a paper about superstition in Queensland , which was published in a peer-reviewed journal . Warren Bonett is from E...
May 17, 2011•1 hr 11 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Indian scientists drilling deep to predict earthquakes , Babysitting birds , Port Phillip Bay used to be a lake , and Faulty chaperone protein stops sperm finding eggs . Our theme music, Step On Up, is kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
May 12, 2011•31 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Penny Dumsday Topics covered: Fire Ants Surf Floods on Rafts of Their Own Bodies , Laser Hole-Punch Turns Hair Into Forensic Time Machine , Oral Contraceptive Pill Increases Blood Clots , Groupthink Not a Problem in Simulated Mars Mission , Bacteria May or May Not Use DNA as an Antenna . And at the end, we rant a little bit about homeopathy. Our theme music, Step On Up, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
May 05, 2011•39 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall Topics covered: Language may have helped early humans spread out of Africa , Pluto's mysterious bulging atmosphere , Worlds with two suns may have black planets , Three 'types' of human gut bacteria found , Whales swim in a straight line , and a family of our ancestors get trapped down a hole . Our theme music, Step On Up, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
Apr 27, 2011•45 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Older brains and multitasking , Cells grown in a dish have schizophrenia , Antibacterial duck sperm , Early birds had super smell , Earth's crusts float like yo-yos . Our theme music, Step On Up, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
Apr 21, 2011•36 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Shayne Joseph and Lucas Randall Topics covered: Star-Eating Black Hole May Be Producing Universe's Biggest Explosion , Weight lowers dementia risk , Researchers Grow Protoeye in Dish , Magnets aid brain recovery , Cannibal viruses found in Antarctica , Discoveries Need Dollars , and Sex After a Field Trip Yields Scientific First Lucas Randall is an amateur astronomer, a skeptic and avid science lover. His Skeptic FAQis one of the best summaries of scientific skept...
Apr 14, 2011•54 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday and Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Salamander Eggs and Symbiosis , Dead Stars and Exoplanets , Wasps vs Ants , Yuri's Night , Bacterial Toothpaste and An Ancient Mayfly Fossil Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
Apr 07, 2011•32 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday and Shayne Joseph We had some audio problems and unfortunately this episode still has a crackle we were unable to remove. :( Topics covered: Cane Toads Break Evolution Rules, Damping Down Fear With Cortisol, Yuri's Night, Photos from Mercury, Geologists Aim For Mantle of the Earth, Most Ancient Fossils Aren't Life, Girls Fear Vaccines and Risk Cancer Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members.
Mar 31, 2011•40 min
Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Supermoon , New Horizons Flies by Uranus , MESSENGER First Spacecraft to Orbit Mercury , Sperm's egg-seeking secrets revealed , Yuri’s Night , 59 year old experiment gives new clues to origins of life , How A Dinosaur Is Like A Vacuum Cleaner , Sex Really Can Be Deadly, Study Finds Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members ....
Mar 24, 2011•41 min
Our first test run has some issues - Penny is sick, half way through the interview Skype cut out, and then the internet gremlins destroyed the second half (which really was much, much better than the first half!). So here's where it all started, our first pilot episode. Hopefully we'll be more professional from now on! :) Guests: high school science teacher Penny Dumsday, microbiologist Shayne Joseph. Why we like science, passionate teachers, soil-dwelling flesh-eating bacteria and Shayne's 'int...
Mar 17, 2011•14 min
