The Science Show

66 years ago, three researchers published a paper in the Journal Science titled Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026. In it, they predicted the end of the world, but a few assumptions they made make the event unlikely. Jonathan Webb unravels this prediction with our myth-busting science reporter, Ellen Phiddian, explaining why we shouldn't worry… hopefully. 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: This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

The Whitlam Institute at Western Sydney University is home of the What Matters? Writing Competition, one of Australia's longest-running and largest national writing competitions for young people. We hear from 4 of this year’s finalists.

We don't know a lot about deep-sea eels, so when 2.8 million of them are found in the same place every year, scientists (and science reporters) get excited. Why are they there? Where are they coming from, and why should we care about these creatures from the depths? Jonathan Webb dives into this world of eels off the coast of Tasmania with environment reporter Peter de Kruijff. 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 Further information: Australia's giant spawning eel ball estimated to contain 2.8 million eels This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Robyn Williams reports from The British Science Festival in Southampton UK.

Across south-eastern Australia, bogong moths seem to be everywhere. A few years ago, it was a different picture: scientists witnessed a population crash, and habitat threats put the species on the IUCN Red List. Are we seeing a bogong bounce-back? Jonathan Webb speaks to Dr Kate Umbers about these incredible critters, the many unsolved mysteries of their lives — and what their future could look like. 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: Associate Professor Kate Umbers, Western Sydney University Further information: iNaturalist Bogong watch Bogong watch project This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Plus a call for accuracy in dinosaur displays.

Over the past few years, our environment seems to have experienced multiple extreme events in quick succession. With a summer fuelled by what may be the strongest and wettest El Niño ever, can our wildlife withstand more extremes? Jonathan Webb speaks with Professor Euan Ritchie about what we're currently seeing with flying foxes, what could happen to other species over the summer, and what we can do to help our native creatures. 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: Professor Euan Ritchie, Deakin University Further information: WIRES wildlife rescue assistance on 1300 094 737 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

And palm oil producers in South-East Asia have changed their ways, considering the environment more than they did. Brendan May is turning his attention now to nickel mines in tropical countries.

In March 2018, a South African astronomer looking into the distant universe "discovered" a bright red spot in the sky that hadn't been there previously; it felt like an exciting potential discovery. A message was sent to other astronomers, asking them to look at this new dot and study it further. After forty minutes and a few more calculations, he realised this "star" was much closer to home and nothing new at all: it was the planet Mars. According to Dr Kat Ross, making this kind of mistake is something of a rite of passage for astronomers. 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 Kat Ross, Curtin University This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* 2026 Nobel prizes in science * Air fryer vs deep fryer: Which produces more indoor air pollution? * First major biography of Francis Crick

If you reach for the old tea towel in the cupboard, this episode is for you. It's time to talk textiles: why older towels seem to be better at drying, and when it may be time to throw out your more well-worn towels. Jonathan follows the thread with Ellen Phiddian to find out what we can do with our linen. 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 Or get yourself a Radio National tea towel commemorating Science Week 2026! Featuring: Ellen Phiddian, Science Reporter ABC This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

And genetics reveals further details of a great friendship story – humans and dogs.

Your phone battery doesn't like being fully charged or discharged. This is why it's sometimes advised that to extend its life, you shouldn't charge your phone beyond 80 per cent, or let it drop below 20 per cent. But what's actually happening inside a lithium-ion battery to cause this effect, and what does it mean for battery engineering — and the life of the battery in your phone, or your electric car? Jonathan Webb powers through the chemistry of batteries with Professor Neeraj Sharma. 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: Professor Neeraj Sharma, University of New South Wales This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Millions, perhaps billions of sharks teeth lie on the ocean floor. Valuable mineral deposits collect on their fossilised remains. Now they are viewed as a resource and if exploited devastation will come to an little known ecosystem.

Deep in an old gold mine in South Dakota, scientists witnessed a flash of energy in a giant pool of xenon. Some in the astronomical community are pretty excited, saying this is our best hint yet at what dark matter is. How do we know, why does it matter — and what happens next? Jonathan Webb shines a light on dark matter with Dr Theresa Fruth, who was involved in the potential discovery. 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 Theresa Fruth, University of Sydney Further information: 'Exciting hint' of dark matter spotted by LUX-ZEPLIN detector, physicists report Search for dark matter particle interactions in an extended nuclear recoil energy window with the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and…

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 DNA Crossing experiments…

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

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.…

* The attraction of smelly feet * Plants that trap insects * Pollen grains reveal Australia's first flowering plants * Vale botanist Peter Raven * Australians smashing it at CERN

The last days of winter are here and already you may be seeing flowers blooming around you. Why is that? How do flowers know when to bloom, and is it always around springtime? Jonathan Webb digs into these questions with Dr Greg Moore to try and uncover the mechanisms behind flowering plants. 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 Greg Moore, The University of Melbourne Further information: What is Australia's most amazing Wildflower? Vote now Dinosaur Died. No flowers at funeral This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* Mathematics as the basis of western musical harmony and how J. S. Bach loved numbers * Victoria's first dark matter detector fires up * Hurdles for new battery technology * Vale Bill Oddie

It's census time, which means lots of us are about to submit personal information via the Internet. Whether it's the ABS or your favourite online shop — how safe is our data in an era when AI models have shown they can hack companies without even being asked to? Jonathan Webb opens a back door to this new normal of cybersecurity with Professor Toby Murray. 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: Professor Toby Murray, The University of Melbourne This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* Fluorescent sensors bring cell contents to life * Plotting the Oceans: Stories of Powerful Maps and Their Makers * Animal senses that work as well in water as on land * Mushroom Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Fungal Lives * Descend two kilometres underground to the cleanest lab on Earth

The longest survey of our southern skies — The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) — has just begun from the Vera Rubin Observatory in the Chilean Atacama Desert. Over the next 10 years, the largest digital camera on Earth will look at the same patches of sky time and again, aiming to record exploding stars, new asteroids, and maybe find what's behind dark energy. Jonathan Webb gets sucked into grand cosmic questions with Dr Anais Möller, as they discuss how astronomers are getting a head start on their research from the survey. 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 Anais Möller, Senior Research Fellow Swinburne University Further information: Rubin's Ocean of Stars Fink broker This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and…

* Celebrating Charles Todd, father of the overland telegraph * Diverse background ideal for leader in pioneering science * Mirror life risks catastrophe * Future Right Now reveals concerns of young people * Botany courses becoming an endangered species

This year has been one of the worst starts to the snow season since records began. And it's a trend that researchers say will only continue in the years to come. But what's causing this change? What's the outlook for the rest of this ski season, and should we all just be booking a holiday to Japan? Jonathan Webb goes off-piste with climate reporter Romy Stephens about what this all means. 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: Romy Stephens, climate reporter Further information: How snow machines have become the key ingredient for ski seasons This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

* Gillard tribute to Ogilvie * The future of sleep * Fossil graveyards an archive of climate and ecology * How bacteria behave in the body * White possums in peril

Before any new therapy or medicine is placed on the shelves of a pharmacy, it needs to be tested in humans first. What does that process look like? And who are the people testing these new drugs? Jonathan Webb goes behind the curtain of clinical trials with health reporter Lauren Roberts to take a look at what happens in Australia. 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: Lauren Roberts, health reporter Further information: Richard Scolyer encouraged Australians to enrol in research. Here's how to get involved Australian Clinical Trials This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

A team from Caltech is using ultrasound to reveal processes at work one kilometre under Antarctic ice.

AI chatbots are helping to crack long-standing mathematical problems, including some of the famous Paul Erdős conjectures that have remained unsolved for nearly 80 years. It's not just researchers finding these solutions, either: it's also amateur mathematicians armed with off-the-shelf ChatGPT. Jonathan Webb wheels out the chalkboard with Dr Melissa Lee to discuss how AI is shaping the field of mathematics, and if anyone can be a mathematician these days. 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 Melissa Lee, Senior Lecturer Monash University Further information: An AI solution to an 80‑year‑old problem has shocked mathematicians Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal…

We visit a wildlife sanctuary north of Canberra where enclosures are being built to quarantine the eastern quoll, a species already endangered. Will it work and is this a long-term solution?

Old satellites and bits of space junk regularly fall back to Earth, burning up as they pass through the atmosphere. All this burning metal causes a chain reaction and ultimately destroys ozone molecules, which keep us safe from most of the Sun's harmful UVB rays. Could a new era of satellite "megaconstellations", like the one run by SpaceX's internet company Starlink, undo humanity's hard work repairing the ozone layer? ‌Jonathan Webb launches into this issue with Dr Alice Gorman (AKA Dr Space Junk), taking stock of just how many satellites are burning up and what can be done to solve the problem. 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 Alice Gorman, Flinders University This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

We also celebrate mathematician Terence Tao’s King’s birthday honour, and go in search of subatomic particles, 2Km underground.

A deadly variant of H5N1 avian influenza has finally reached mainland Australia: the last continent without it. Although the risk to human health remains low, this virus has spread through many different species overseas — and not just birds. So are our animals vulnerable? Jonathan Webb speaks with Dr Tiggy Grillo about which animals could be at risk, and what is being done to protect them. 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 Tiggy Grillo, Chief Operating Officer of Wildlife Health Australia Further information: Animal disease hotline: 1800 675 888 What we know about how H5N1 bird flu got here and where it may appear next Why bird flu poses a high risk to many Australian native mammals For more on avian influenza and humans, have a listen to the latest Health…

If insects feel pain, do they deserve animal rights as apply to mammals?

The largest, deepest and oldest whale graveyard has been found off the coast of Western Australia: teeming with life. Jonathan Webb takes a deep dive with environment reporter, Peter de Kruijff, into the science behind whale falls and their importance to underwater ecosystems. 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 Further information: World's biggest whale graveyard found in Indian Ocean off Australia A 5.3-million-year-old deep-sea whale necropolis in the Diamantina Zone This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

What might be the biggest threat to tropical forests? Climate change? Illegal loggers? Invasive species? None of the above. It’s roads. Bill Laurance explains.

On an island full of trees, there can only be one that is the tallest. How did researchers in Taiwan manage to find the tallest tree in East Asia? This week, Jonathan Webb finds this out by speaking to Dr Rebecca Hsu, the lead researcher behind the project to find The Heaven Sword. 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 Rebecca Hsu, Taiwan Institute of Forestry Further information: The journey of finding the tallest tree in Formosa Taiwan Finding and saving the world's biggest trees before they disappear This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Evidence is mounting that Indigenous people were in Australia early than the 65,000 date most now know. And there are suggestions the continent supported a population of at least 2 million people. Authors Sean Ulm, Billy Griffiths and Larissa Behrendt explore these ideas in their book The First Inventors.

Plants are more aware of their surroundings then we give them credit for. A growing body of work is showing that plants can change themselves in response to different sounds. Dr Samarth Kulshrestha, a molecular biologist from the University of Canterbury, is one of these researchers, looking at the mechanisms behind plant senses. 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 Kulshrestha, University of Canterbury Further information: The secret sensory life of plants: researchers are discovering how they see, hear, feel – and even remember Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insect herbivore chewing Tuned in: plant roots use sound to locate water This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

AI offers instant translations between human languages. So will we one day communicate with whales? And while we marvel at the possibilities, the challenge today is preventing collisions between sea creatures and ships, or whales and turtles becoming tangled in nets.

Ever wondered how your sweater became bright orange, or how your leather shoes were made? Chances are, at some point in the process, hazardous chemicals like lead or azo dyes were used. Jonathan Webb speaks to Ellen Phiddian, science reporter with Radio National, about whether these chemicals are dangerous to us, and if we should be worried about them. 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: Lead may contaminate our clothes but there's no requirement to test for it This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

The IOC will test athletes for a sex gene. But as Jenny Graves explains, human genomics is diverse. Some athletes may be genetic exceptions and will need to be handled with care and sensitivity.