The Science Show

Nobel Prizes, kitchen fumes and a biography of Francis Crick

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

Lab Notes: When is it time to throw in the towel?

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 b

Paul Nurse and assessing the health of Australian trees

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

Lab Notes: Why you shouldn't leave your phone charging

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 p

Deep sea nodules, ideas in ecology, and three brilliant scientists not always on the money

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

Lab Notes: Have we found dark matter?

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 t

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

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

Lab Notes: The AI maths wars

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 an

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

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

Lab Notes: Where could bird flu go next?

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.

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

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

Lab Notes: Why are we ticklish?

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 a

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

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

Lab Notes: The redback sex-death somersault

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 duri

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

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

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

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 so

How nematodes love smelly feet, plants that trap insects, Australians at CERN and vale Peter Raven

* 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

Lab Notes: How do flowers know when to bloom?

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 spring

Dark Matter search from inner Melbourne, Gelion update, Bach and maths and vale Bill Oddie

* 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

Lab Notes: In an era of AI hacking, how safe is the census?

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