The Science Show

Lab Notes: The AI maths wars 15.09.2026 12mnt

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: [email protected] This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Kaurna people.

AI boost for people with dyslexia and how algorithms shape what we read 12.09.2026 54mnt

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

Lab Notes: Where could bird flu go next? 09.09.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] Featuring: Peter de Kruijff, environment reporter This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

As fire ravages the Northern Hemisphere, is Australia ready for a record-breaking El Niño? And why optimists live longer than pessimists 05.09.2026 54mnt

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

Lab Notes: Why are we ticklish? 02.09.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] 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.

A moon beyond our Solar System, dust storms on Mars and questioning of reality 29.08.2026 54mnt

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.

Lab Notes: The redback sex-death somersault 26.08.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] Featuring: Ellen Phiddian, science reporter Further information: Male redback spider's dramatic death somersault during sex coded in its DNA Crossing 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.

The debate over who should be in the genus Homo, and the trailblazing botanical illustrators, Harriet and Helena Scott 22.08.2026 54mnt

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

Lab Notes: The 'Hail Mary' effort to rescue a telescope 19.08.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] 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.

How nematodes love smelly feet, plants that trap insects, Australians at CERN and vale Peter Raven 15.08.2026 54mnt

* 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

Lab Notes: How do flowers know when to bloom? 12.08.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] 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.

Dark Matter search from inner Melbourne, Gelion update, Bach and maths and vale Bill Oddie 08.08.2026 54mnt

* 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

Lab Notes: In an era of AI hacking, how safe is the census? 05.08.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] 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.

Looking inside cells, and how seals hear so well underwater 01.08.2026 54mnt

* 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

Lab Notes: What will we see in a 10-year movie of the universe? 29.07.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] 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 Ngambri people.

Pioneers past and present, and fiddling with life brings a heavy caution 25.07.2026 54mnt

* 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

Lab Notes: How do we predict the snow season? 22.07.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] 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.

Fossil graveyards an archive of past climate and ecology 18.07.2026 52mnt

* 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

Lab Notes: What's it like to be in a clinical trial? 15.07.2026 10mnt

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: [email protected] 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.

Monitoring Antarctic glaciers and the science of gluten-free baking 11.07.2026 54mnt

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