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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

ABC Australia

The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.

The Science Show

Plus the tree bark which hosts a whole world of methane-absorbing microbes

The big cats that stalked early humans and why ancient concrete outlasts the modern stuff

AI is getting so good at maths that it is now tackling, and apparently solving, some of the hardest mathematical problems that exist. But as huge companies like OpenAI and Anthropic race to outdo each other, human mathematicians are getting caught in the crossfire... and their field is changing forever. 

Jonathan Webb speaks to ABC AI Technology Reporter Cam Wilson about the furore over the Navier-Stokes equations and the million-dollar Millennium Prize.

Featuring:

 • Cam Wilson, AI Reporter at ABC.
 • Professor Tristan Buckmaster, Mathematician at New York University.

You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au

This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Kaurna people.

Lab Notes: The AI maths wars

And botanists intervene to save a plant that may have become sterile

AI boost for people with dyslexia and how algorithms shape what we read

It's been three months since the first case of bird flu was found on the Australian continent.

Many cases have been found in birds since then, along with other mammals. So where has it spread? And what can we expect to see as spring and summer arrive?

Jonathan Webb speaks with Peter de Kruijff, who's been following bird flu since the very beginning.

You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au

Featuring:

 • Peter de Kruijff, environment reporter

This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Lab Notes: Where could bird flu go next?

The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate.

As fire ravages the Northern Hemisphere, is Australia ready for a record-breaking El Niño? And why optimists live longer than pessimists

Most people know the feeling of ticklishness, whether it's the tickle attacks that bring about uncontrollable laughter or the feather-like touch from something brushing against your skin.

But why do we feel ticklish? Can we stop it? And why did we — and all our ape cousins — evolve this sensation?

Jonathan Webb speaks to Dr Anina Rich to explore the science of this everyday experience.

You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au

Featuring:

 • Dr Anina Rich, Macquarie University

Further information:
Human ticklishness is a widespread, culturally shared and bodily organized sensory experience
This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Lab Notes: Why are we ticklish?

Dust storms on Mars make the biggest on Earth seem like a gentle breeze. Chelsea Huang describes the Martian conditions which produce humungous dust storms that cover the entire planet.

A moon beyond our Solar System, dust storms on Mars and questioning of reality

These little spiders that live in the dark corner of your garage have a pretty crazy sex life. Researchers have known for a while that male redback spiders get eaten during sex — but not only that, they somersault themselves right onto the fangs of the female.

Considering the ultimate aim of this process is to create more spiders , this seems pretty counterintuitive. So it begs the question: why do they do it?

Jonathan Webb and Ellen Phiddian get caught up in the science of this act, discussing what researchers have uncovered in the genes of the redback spider and its relatives.

You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au

Featuring:

 • Ellen Phiddian, science reporter

Further information:
Male redback spider's dramatic death somersault during sex coded in its DNACrossing experiments suggest a simple genetic basis of complex male self-sacrifice phenotypes in widow spiders
This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Lab Notes: The redback sex-death somersault

Plus hope for corals, and the story of a museum thief who liked butterflies.

The debate over who should be in the genus Homo, and the trailblazing botanical illustrators, Harriet and Helena Scott

Right now, a high-stakes mission is underway to save NASA's Swift telescope before it falls back to Earth.

There's just one problem… the rescue satellite has run into some issues. So who rescues the rescuer?

Jonathan Webb and Dr Sara Webb launch into this issue to see what scientists are doing to get this satellite back on track, and whether it can save Swift in time.

You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

Editor's note: the day after this episode was published, Australian time, NASA announced that its plan to boost the Swift Observatory was being abandoned because of ongoing issues controlling the pointing of the LINK spacecraft. It will still test out "rendesvous and proximity operations" which might provide useful results for similar missions in the future, but will not attempt to grab and lift the telescope as planned.

Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au

Featuring:

 • Dr Sara Webb, Swinburne University of Technology

This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Lab Notes: The 'Hail Mary' effort to rescue a telescope

Once considered a problem for high-income countries, being overweight is now on the rise in low- and middle-income parts of the world. At least 2.5 billion adults are now overweight or obese. 

What’s causing this collective weight gain?

And if 2023 was the year of hype about weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, 2024 felt like the year of acceptance. We find out why weight-loss drugs are here to stay.

This week we’re joined by health journalist and Radio National presenter Tegan Taylor.

Science Extra: Weight of the world

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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