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 presente...
Oct 21, 2025•14 min
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.
Oct 17, 2025•54 min
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? An...
Oct 14, 2025•15 min
Richard Robson from the University of Melbourne has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, the nation’s first Chemistry Nobel in 50 years.
Oct 11, 2025•54 min
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 Not...
Oct 07, 2025•14 min
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.
Oct 04, 2025•54 min
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 prese...
Sep 30, 2025•14 min
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.
Sep 27, 2025•55 min
Iconic jellyfish in saltwater lakes are disappearing.
Sep 27, 2025•55 min
If you've been watching the Women's Rugby World Cup, you may have noticed players have been wearing special mouthguards that light up when they've suffered a significant knock to the head. It's the first time these concussion-predicting mouthguards have been trialled at a major competition. So in the wake of recent concussion concerns, from professional AFL and rugby league to community competitions, is this the future of sport? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science j...
Sep 23, 2025•13 min
Sophie Ly takes us to Palau to meet scientists and traditional knowledge custodians who are working together to uncover the secrets of Palau’s ancient terraces.
Sep 20, 2025•55 min
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? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app ...
Sep 16, 2025•14 min
Just as quantum physics is poised to launch computing into a new era of capability, researchers are seeing the first signs of quantum effects in biology.
Sep 13, 2025•54 min
When you think of leaders in the space sector, big hitters like NASA and private companies like SpaceX spring to mind. But since the very beginning of the Space Age, Australia has played a role in the space flight industry. And this year, an Australian company tried to launch a rocket from Australian soil. So why is Australia building and launching rockets at all, especially when so many nations are already miles ahead? You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist...
Sep 09, 2025•14 min
As The Science Show concludes its celebration of 50 years, we remember John Clarke’s contributions to early Science Shows and point to a film just released looking at John’s life, produced by his daughter Lorin.
Sep 06, 2025•54 min
One in four Australians get hay fever, and as the planet warms, our seasonal sneezes and sniffles are tipped to get much, much worse.
Sep 02, 2025•13 min
Join us for highlights from fifty years of The Science Show including Fred Dagg, who helps us with the big questions: what is it all about and why are we here?
Aug 28, 2025•55 min
Every now and again, dozens or even hundreds of perfectly healthy looking whales strand themselves on a beach. Scientists have a few theories on why they do this.
Aug 26, 2025•14 min
Samples from asteroids have helped build a theory of the origin of complex molecules and how they made it to Earth.
Aug 23, 2025•54 min
Fresh Australian dietary guidelines are due next year, and they’ll likely focus on the health of the planet as well as people.
Aug 19, 2025•14 min
Small chemical groups inserted or removed from around DNA may affect gene expression and so be a way to control genetic blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia and beta thalassemia.
Aug 16, 2025•54 min
Meat ants don't sound like the most endearing Australian animals. These purple-red insects are super territorial, swarming and biting anything that threatens their nest. But it turns out they're not just aggressive, flesh-tearing fighters. They're also farmers, architects, and — best of all — cane toad exterminators.
Aug 12, 2025•11 min
Is the US shooting itself in the foot, or shooting itself in the head? As Donald Trump removes funding for medical research, climate research and more, Matthew England reflects on how science will help us cope with a changing world.
Aug 09, 2025•54 min
Is the US shooting itself in the foot, or shooting itself in the head? As Donald Trump removes funding for medical research, climate research and more, Matthew England reflects on how science will help us cope with a changing world.
Aug 09, 2025•54 min
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?
Aug 05, 2025•13 min
A 100-yr flood is now a more regular occurrence in the German town of Passau, bringing widespread destruction, another local impact of a planet getting hotter.
Aug 02, 2025•53 min
It feels like you can't go a week without hearing about some new quantum technology which promises to change our lives for the better. But quantum mechanics is already well and truly present in our daily life — and you don't even have to be a physicist to be using it.
Jul 29, 2025•14 min
There was a famous debate. And truly weird ideas about how the universe works at a subatomic level. Shelby Traynor traces the history of quantum mechanics.
Jul 26, 2025•54 min
If you've given birth to three daughters, what are the odds that your next child will also be a girl? One in two, right? Well … maybe not. The odds of having a fourth girl could be a fair bit higher than 50 per cent, according to a new study into families with single-sex sets of siblings.
Jul 22, 2025•14 min
Discover the story of a pair of brothers who invented an early electric scooter, humidicrib, fax machine, Olympic scoreboard — and much more! — in their South Australian workshop from the 1930s to the 60s. We also learn about a trial that's generated energy from the waves, and unearth two rare photographs of a long-lost bandicoot species.
Jul 19, 2025•42 min
