The Science Show Podcast
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RN's science flagship: your essential source of what's making news in the complex world of scientific research, scandal and discovery. The Science Show with Robyn Williams is one of the longest running programs on Australian radio.
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Podcast Website:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/
Science Show - 2008-07-19
Author: ABC Radio National
Sat, Jul 19, 2008
Solar power in Europe
New technology uses solar energy to super-heat water which is used to drive steam turbines producing electricity. These plants are already in use in Spain. Test plants have been built in north Africa and the Middle East. Naomi Fowler reports on progress in other areas of Europe, including Italy where there is a strong political push for nuclear power. In many countries, current legislation assists existing electricity producers over new technologies.
Islands of the sub-Antarctic
The sub-Antarctic is passed through when travelling south. It is the area subjected to the Antarctic circumpolar current, plus a few islands further north. Study of the area has been minimal. The circumpolar current links the three great oceans and carries water, heat and salt. The area has been heavily exploited. A major concern is the introduction of alien species to the islands. The region is ideal for a wide range of scientific studies.
Exotic species invade warming southern waters
Water temperatures are rising along the Antarctic Peninsular. There are signs that animals and plants from northern waters are moving south. King crabs are encroaching on pristine ancient environments. The organisms which have adapted to small temperature ranges, e.g. minus one degree to zero, are not suited to temperatures just one or two degrees higher. This contrasts with tropical species which can survive in a temperature range of 20 degrees. Warming is a major threat to Antarctic life.
Behaviour of ultracold atoms
Wolfgang Ketterle was awarded the Nobel prize in 2001 for his work on ultracold matter. He describes how a gas is cooled to absolute zero, and the remarkable properties the atoms display when so cold.
Revolutionary fibres
Xungai Wang shows some of the new materials produced at Deakin University´s Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation. A treated polyester fabric is superhydrophobic - it hates water. Water just flows off and isn´t absorbed. Polymer nanofibres can be used for a variety of applications. Carbon nanotubes add strength, being the strongest material discovered. Photochromic wool is a powder but flows like a liquid. When added to synthetic fibre, such as polypropylene, it changes the properties of the fibre giving it properties of natural fibre.
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Science Show - 2008-07-12
Author: ABC Radio National
Sat, Jul 12, 2008
Mars Phoenix update
Jonathan Nally reports on results from the Mars Phoenix mission which is analysing the Martian soil and looking for signs of water on the planet.
Malaysian and Indonesian peat swamps drained and burnt for palm oil production
Most peat swamps are in the Indo Malaysian region. Peat a spongy wet mass and can support trees up to 70m in height. The environment is water-logged with high acidity, up to pH of 2. Dropped leaves don´t decompose. Cellular contents leak out, but leaf structure remains. Peat swamps are estimated to have formed over 5,000 years. As well as a large range of plants, surprisingly there is diverse animal life as well. But peat swamps are being destroyed originally for timber but now for palm oil for American fast food and as a biofuel. Peat swamps are drained and the peat is burnt.
Trinidad´s Pitch Lake
The Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago has a natural wonder of the world - a Pitch Lake. It´s a basin of emulsified asphalt. Pauline Newman reports on efforts to study the area and the hope of discovering new forms of life.
Flacco - George Pell
Flacco raises his own concerns about Sydney´s Cardinal George Pell.
The Eden Project
An old clay quarry has been turned into a tourist attraction which focuses on how people interact with plants. The site consists of domes which act as greenhouses. The Eden Project has a partnership with Brisbane City Council. Paul Willis reports.
The expressive side of the face
60% of people turn their head when asked to pose for a portrait. A prime example is that of Mona Lisa. So why does this bias exist? When people try to express emotion, they turn the left side of the face.
Physics website wins award
The Department of Physics has created an award-winning website, Physclips, introducing people to the main concepts in physics.
New baits target feral pigs
Feral pigs are one of Australia´s most destructive pests. Now a pig-specific bait has been developed. Nicky Phillips reports.
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Science Show - 2008-07-05
Author: ABC Radio National
Sat, Jul 05, 2008
Music and the brain
It has become known as the universal language, but why is it that music—from Chopin to heavy metal—beguiles us so much? Brain scientist Oliver Sacks explores the origins of our love of music through cases he's written about in his latest book Musicophilia. And we hear from brain biologist Alan Harvey, who has also written about what connects our passion for music with our biology.
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Science Show - 2008-06-28
Author: ABC Radio National
Sat, Jun 28, 2008
The DNA Files - Rewriting Heredity: Environment and the Genome
The Science Show presents another program in the series, The DNA Files. This week, Rewriting Heredity: Environment and the Genome. Our genomes are constantly at work, directing such vital functions as eating and breathing. Researchers are starting to understand that everything from diet to air pollution to stress has great influence on how our genomes function and what that might mean for our health. Beginning before birth, the environment around us triggers chemical changes to our DNA that influence health issues as complex as obesity and asthma.
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Science Show - 2008-06-21
Author: ABC Radio National
Sat, Jun 21, 2008
The DNA Files - Designing the Garden: Food in the Age of Biotechnology
Some say manipulating genes in plants and animals is the solution to world hunger; others say genetically modified organisms are neither safe to eat nor to grow. How do we understand what´s really on our dinner plate? This program, from Sound Vision Production in the United States, looks at the debates surrounding genetically modified food.
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- Published:
2002
- LearnOutLoud.com Product ID:
T007049
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