Audio from across ABC Radio
Inertia, apnoea and debt: the science of sleep
Dr Karl on triple j The mysteries of sleep are explored, with sleep researcher Dr Shaun Williams. Plus: how do we fall asleep?; what is sleep inertia and sleep apnoea?; and what is sleep debt?
Tricks of the mind a magical mystery
Great Moments in Science The promise of instant psychic powers can be attractive to some. Dr Karl dons his magician's cape to let you all in on a secret.
Solar max sends journos spinning
StarStuff Podcast Solar peak claims alarmist, say scientists. Plus: astronomers still in the dark over black holes; and fast-spinning asteroids split in two.
Auckland’s basalt volcanoes - Science Show
Auckland lies among 50 volcanoes in a volcanic field. The volcanoes are not described as extinct, they are dormant. So do they pose any threat? Matthew Crawford reports.
Chris Evans – communication in chickens - Science Show
Chris Evans has received many awards for his work, and now in 2010 he has a Eureka Prize. As well as discovering how chickens communicate, Chris has his own personal challenge communicating, having lost his speech as a result of debilitating Motor Neuron Disease. NeuroSwitch is a new piece of assistive technology which gives people like Chris the power to communicate. Daniel Keogh reports.
Christmas Island phosphate restricted - Science Show
In June, Sharon Carleton reported from Christmas Island. We heard how the environment has been damaged by human activity, and about hopes to expand phosphate mining. The proposal to remove forest and expand mining has been rejected by Environment Minister Peter Garrett.
Steve Schneider defends climate change to the end - Science Show
Steve Schneider appeared on the television program Insight on SBS-TV, where climate doubters fired their questions and Professor Schneider batted alone, defending climate science. Just days after the recording, he died. We hear an excerpt: Insight 7 August 2010.
Rowan Webb dies, donates his skeleton - Science Show
In July we heard from Rowan Webb, who wished to donate his body for medical and scientific research. Setting this in place wasn’t easy. Now Rowan has died and his wishes have been achieved.
Climate change and behavioural change: what will it take? - All In The Mind
Climate change is on and off the political agenda in Australia. Whether an emissions trading system or a carbon tax win the day, one big barrier stands in the way of change: human nature. How we think about the problem can trump what we actually do -- right down to shorter showers and turning off the lights. Leading environmental psychologists are now taking on the climate change challenge.
David Attenborough – Collecting - Science Show
Collecting... Books, coins, shells, beetles, postage stamps, the range is endless. Bowerbirds also collect objects. But why do we do it? Collectors are often men. So is there a biological basis for our behaviour? Charles Darwin’s collections led to him proposing his theory of evolution and natural selection. David Attenborough explores the strange affliction which he admits affects him as well.
Keeping accurate time - Science Show
Bill Phillips explains that accurate timing is used to synchronise a constellation of 24 satellites which allows the GPS system to operate. History has shown that as accuracy of time keeping has increased, people have found new ways of doing things based on this increased accuracy. Very accurate atomic clocks allow us to test aspects of nature we have assumed are constant. Physicists are now asking whether these so-called constants have changed over time. Presently we can measure time to an accuracy equivalent to one second in 100 million years.
Biofilms – new methods of attack - Science Show
When water flows over surfaces, slime can easily build up... in our bathrooms, and in our bodies. These are biofilms. In the body they can cause infection and are difficult to treat. A bacteria that aggregates as a biofilm can be resistant to antibiotics which would ordinarily kill the free floating bacteria. It’s estimated 450,000 Americans are killed by biofilm infection each year. They develop their resistant by changing their genetic expression. Researchers are looking into the messages that move around the biofilm matrix which allows the biolfim to defend itself from attack by antibacterial drugs. Now it has been found biofilms don’t like some surfaces, and find electrical currents in surfaces unpleasant. A report by Branwen Morgan.
Government ministers – job description - Science Show
With ministers about to be appointed to a new Australian federal government, one may ask, what is the job description for a minister. Patrick Weller describes the process of appointment (usually a phone call from the prime minister) and how a minister needs to become an instant expert in their new portfolio.
Government support for science and research in 2010 and beyond - Science Show
Anna-Maria Arabia presents a case for solid funding for science and research.
Crazy Like Us – The Globalisation of the American Psyche - All In The Mind
'Would you like fries with that?' America’s big brands and fast food outlets have become the dominant signatures of globalisation. But is mental illness becoming another? Is West best when it comes to the diagnosis, definition and treatment of mental illness? Ethan Watters unearths a disturbing trend, which could inform how we respond to disasters like the devastating Pakistan floods.
Resilience Science - RN Future Tense
Many scientists around the world believe that we need to focus on ways of making our urban and natural environments more resilient. So what is the idea of resilience science? And how can it help deal with future environmental challenges?
