While Moderna has announced it will be making mRNA vaccines on Australian shores by 2024, there are places that could already be doing parts of the process. One such facility is based in Adelaide, and run by BioCina. BioCina has the technology and regulatory approvals to do microbial cell culture: the first step of the mRNA production process, and is currently using the technology to make other pharmaceutical products. Cosmos Journalist Ellen Phiddian wrote and produced today’s episode where we ...
Feb 08, 2022•12 min
In this episode of our weekly series where journalists from the Cosmos newsroom bring you their highlights from the week in science, we hear about the climate change threat to the Winter Olympics, a smart phone that might be able to tell if you have COVID, and a 750-kilometre-long lightning bolt. And our journalists today are Lauren Fuge, Amalyah Hart and Matilda Handsley-Davis. Find the science of everything at the Cosmos Magazine website Subscribe to Cosmos Magazine (print) or the Cosmos Weekl...
Feb 02, 2022•16 min
Today, Cosmos journalist Lauren Fuge reads a story that she wrote for the Cosmos website, and you can find the link to the story in the description. Ash Barty’s recent win at the Australian Open brought universal praise, but there’s one particular shot that is a weapon for the world number one, so we looked at just what the science, and physics in particular, behind her backhand slice. You can find the original article at https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/physics/the-physics-of-ash-bartys-backh...
Jan 31, 2022•9 min
This is the start of a new weekly series where journalists from the Cosmos newsroom bring you their highlights from the week in science. Today we are joined by Ellen Phiddian, Amalyah Hart and Jamie Priest to talk hippos, little green men and long covid – amongst other things! Find the science of everything at the Cosmos Magazine website Subscribe to Cosmos Magazine (print) or the Cosmos Weekly Watch and listen to all our Cosmos Briefings Special 10% discount on Cosmos magazine print subscriptio...
Jan 27, 2022•12 min
Today, Cosmos journalist Lauren Fuge reads a story that ran in Cosmos Weekly. Wildlife tourism is the fastest growing sector of the travel industry, bringing in billions of dollars a year worldwide. In South Australia, tour operators and researchers have teamed up to protect a species they both love: white sharks. You can find the original article at https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/marine-life/shark-bait-tourism/ Find the science of everything at the Cosmos Magazine website Subscribe to Cosmos...
Jan 24, 2022•14 min
Today, Cosmos journalist Ellen Phiddian reads a story that ran in Cosmos Weekly. It looks at placebos. Right now “Honest placebo pills” are on the market, but does the science support them? You can find the original article at https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/placebo-pills/ . The two studies that the article reference are Maher et al., 2021, ‘Placebos in clinical care: a suggestion beyond the evidence’, Medical Journal of Australia, https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51230 , and Faasse &...
Jan 17, 2022•9 min
Who’s afraid of cobras? Not gorillas and chimps! Recent research has shown that an ancient ancestor of chimps, gorillas and humans evolved strong resistance to venom – specifically, to neurotoxins in snake venom – and passed it on to us. Today, Cosmos journalist Dr Deborah Devis speaks to the study’s lead author, Associate Professor Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland (AKA Venom Doc), about how this was part of an ongoing evolutionary arms race between African apes and deadly venomous sn...
Jan 11, 2022•20 min
Today Royal Institution of Australia Editor-in-Chief Ian Connellan talks to astrophysicist Professor Alan Duffy. Alan has just stepped down as the Royal Institution of Australia's lead scientist after four years in the role. He is simply too busy these days to fit everything in, especially since his appointment earlier this year as director of the space technology and industry Institute at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. To say it's been great to have Alan, and that the Royal In...
Dec 13, 2021•31 min
With half of the world’s population now living in cities, a number that is projected to reach two thirds in the coming decades, people are becoming increasingly disconnected from their food both geographically and conceptually. Food travels greater distances, leading to increased waste and supply chain vulnerability. History tells us that during times of stress people turn to urban agriculture. Therefore, it is no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a resurgence of urban agriculture for...
Dec 08, 2021•21 min
Today the Cosmos editorial team are giving us their take on the highlights of the more than 1500 stories they have published this year. From Covid and climate, to fat bears and swearing ducks, Dr Deborah Devis, Lauren Fuge and Ellen Phiddian take us on a 2021 recap. Find the science of everything at the Cosmos Magazine website Watch and listen to all our Cosmos Briefings Subscribe to Cosmos Magazine (print) or the Cosmos Weekly. Special 10% discount on Cosmos magazine print subscriptions (1 or 2...
Dec 07, 2021•47 min
The much-anticipated 26th UN Conference of the Parties – COP26 – is over, and the response to its agreement is mixed. Some say the path to net zero is inexorable; others feel that much remains to be agreed. In Australia, a dominant theme is that private enterprise and state governments are taking the lead on the path to net zero in the absence of a clear national commitment. There are other notable ‘other than government’ initiatives at international level. What position will Australia and the w...
Dec 01, 2021•36 min
The Best Australian Science Writing is an annual collection of – that’s right – the nation’s best science writing. This year a mixture of experienced authors and newcomers have come together under the editorship of Eureka prizewinning-writer Dyani Lewis. Today Dyani talks to three of BASW 2021 ’s writers. Freelance science writer Bianca Nogrady, conservation ecologist Ella Loeffler, and the science editor at CNET.com, Jackson Ryan. We hear about their stories, why they write about science, and w...
Nov 29, 2021•40 min
Today we have a special podcast that showcases a program initiated by the Royal Institution of Australia’s Education platform. In Class With is a series where we ask students from all over the country to ask eminent scientists questions. Professor Fiona Wood, the inventor of spray-on-skin and a world-leading burns specialist, and speaking to you from Whadjuk Nyoongar land, will be answering their questions in this episode. You can visit RiAus Education to learn more about our program – and head ...
Nov 25, 2021•29 min
Distinguished Professor Chennupati Jagadish, based at ANU, has been named as the next president of the Australian Academy of Science. Jagadish is a world-renowned physicist and nanotechnology pioneer; he’s the first Australian of Indian heritage to lead the country’s premier science organisation. He was born in humble circumstances in Andhra Pradesh, south-eastern India. He moved to Australia with his family in 1990 to accept a position at ANU. Today Professor Jagadish talks to Royal Institution...
Nov 24, 2021•17 min
Today we bring you a recording from the Nature Festival in Adelaide earlier this year where a panel of Bruce Pascoe, Aboriginal Australian writer of literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays and children's literature; Major "Moogy" Sumner, a world-renowned performer and Ngarrindjeri cultural ambassador; artist Sonya Rankine; writer and curator Jared Thomas; and Warndu co-founder Damien Coulthard, discussed how nature, food and kinship intersect in Aboriginal cultures. Your host is Rebecca Su...
Nov 22, 2021•38 min
Soil carbon sequestration seems like a win for everyone: it improves soil quality, removes CO2 from the atmosphere, and provides an additional source of income for farmers via carbon credits. It forms a major part of the federal government’s plan to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050, with one official estimate suggesting that up to a fifth of our current yearly emissions could be negated with soil carbon. Is it really possible to put such a huge chunk of our emissions in the soil – and if so,...
Nov 17, 2021•44 min
What do your genes say about your risk of disease? We want to know what types of diseases we, and our children, are susceptible to so we can to our best to mitigate them. When we hear about our own risk of genetic disease, it can be frightening, but it may not mean what it seems. In reality, genetic disease is highly complex, especially when multiple genes could contribute to any given trait. So, how do we collect this information and what does it mean? Today, Cosmos journalist Dr Deborah Devis ...
Nov 15, 2021•37 min
Australian palaeontologist Professor John Long has spent a lifetime expanding what we know about ancient animals, especially fish from the Devonian age, about 400 million years ago. John grew up in Victoria and was educated at Monash University. His fossil expeditions have taken him throughout Australia and to places as diverse as Vietnam, Iran and Antarctica. His ground-breaking discoveries include contributing to our understanding of how reproduction evolved, and the reasons behind global mass...
Nov 10, 2021•19 min
Remote and wild, Antarctica is a spectacular place that most people on Earth won't ever get to. But it's a frontier for scientific research – and something we are very passionate about as The Royal Institution of Australian is the Australian Antarctic Division’s Education partner. Today Cosmos journalist Lauren Fuge speaks to Professor Nicole Webster, who took up the role as the chief scientist of the Australian Antarctic Division this year. Webster completed her PhD at James Cook University in ...
Nov 08, 2021•27 min
Now, more than ever, it's important to communicate science in an engaging and accessible way - but using traditional media isn't the only way. Today, Cosmos journalist Lauren Fuge speaks to science communicator, Rachel Rayner. With a degree in Liberal Studies majoring in Physics and Art History & Theory, and a background in strategic marketing, events, and PR, she has a unique blend of skills – and her science communication takes in everything from performance to poetry. Find the science of ...
Nov 04, 2021•26 min
Professor Fred Watson AM has been a fixture of Australian astronomy for decades, perhaps best known for his work promoting and explaining science and astronomy on television, radio and through publications. In addition to a long career at the Australian Astronomical Observatory and now as astronomer-at-large for the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, he is the author of several popular books, a regular radio presenter, and keen musician. Today, The Royal Institution of Australia’s E...
Nov 02, 2021•22 min
When we move off into the interplanetary expanse, we will still need to be well fed. But food isn’t exactly abundant in space, or on other planets like Mars. The answer? Space crops. But what are the challenges of growing plants in space? And how could we develop crops to support long-term space habitation? Today, Cosmos journalist Dr Deborah Devis talks to Professor Matthew Gilliham, the director of the Waite Research Institute at the University of Adelaide. His research focuses on crop plant n...
Oct 31, 2021•25 min
Scientists say that 2021 is our last chance to stop the effects of climate change from fundamentally disrupting the weather patterns we've relied on for millennia. After a year’s delay due to COVID, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference - also known as COP26 - is about to begin in Glasgow, providing a crucial opportunity for more than 100 world leaders to come together and chart our future on this planet. But what do the climate scientists themselves think of this pivotal moment? Thi...
Oct 28, 2021•9 min
Scientists say that 2021 is our last chance to stop the effects of climate change from fundamentally disrupting the weather patterns we've relied on for millennia. After a year’s delay due to COVID, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference - also known as COP26 - is about to begin in Glasgow, providing a crucial opportunity for more than 100 world leaders to come together and chart our future on this planet. But what do the climate scientists themselves think of this pivotal moment? Thi...
Oct 27, 2021•11 min
Scientists say that 2021 is our last chance to stop the effects of climate change from fundamentally disrupting the weather patterns we've relied on for millennia. After a year’s delay due to COVID, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference - also known as COP26 - is about to begin in Glasgow, providing a crucial opportunity for more than 100 world leaders to come together and chart our future on this planet. But what do the climate scientists themselves think of this pivotal moment? Thi...
Oct 26, 2021•12 min
Scientists say that 2021 is our last chance to stop the effects of climate change from fundamentally disrupting the weather patterns we've relied on for millennia. After a year’s delay due to COVID, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference - also known as COP26 - is about to begin in Glasgow, providing a crucial opportunity for more than 100 world leaders to come together and chart our future on this planet. But what do the climate scientists themselves think of this pivotal moment? Thi...
Oct 25, 2021•14 min
Scientists say that 2021 is our last chance to stop the effects of climate change from fundamentally disrupting the weather patterns we've relied on for millennia. After a year’s delay due to COVID, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference - also known as COP26 - is about to begin in Glasgow, providing a crucial opportunity for more than 100 world leaders to come together and chart our future on this planet. But what do the climate scientists themselves think of this pivotal moment? Thi...
Oct 24, 2021•14 min
If children are the future, then how we teach them will shape that world. But are we raising them in the right way? As STEM skills increasingly become necessary in shaping society, a data-driven approach to education may be the only way for the future generation to change the world. To explore this more, we have two fascinating guests who Cosmos journalist Dr Deborah Devis will be talking to. Linda McIver is the executive director of Australian Data Science Education Institute. Her recent book "...
Oct 20, 2021•29 min
Today we present the Nature for Everyone session from the Nature Festival held in Adelaide between the 25th of September and the 4th of October this year. Nature does indeed have something for everyone but is it within everyone’s reach? In this panel discussion we look at the diverse value of nature, some of the barriers South Australians experience in accessing it, and showcase some of the programs that are working to make it easier for everyone to connect. Our guests today are Ben Trewren, You...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr
In a few days the Aussie Backyard Bird Count begins. It’s an annual activity for all ages and involves observing and counting the birds that live near you – whether that’s in a garden, the local park, or even a town centre. By capturing the participants observations within a 20-minute period, BirdLife Australia develops an understanding of local birds, and you get to know the local wildlife better! To answer all the questions, Royal Institution Of Australia Editor-in-Chief Ian Connellan talks Se...
Oct 13, 2021•18 min
