The Science Show

Lab Notes: Plants can hear you 03.06.2026 10min

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. Doctor Samarth, 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: Doctor Samarth, 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 tools in ocean research and a tribute to Dame Bridget Ogilvie 30.05.2026 53min

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.

Lab Notes: Lead may be hiding in your clothing 28.05.2026 10min

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.

Sex testing at the Olympics: beware the exceptions 23.05.2026 54min

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.

Lab Notes: Giant dino discovery fulfils a childhood dream 21.05.2026 10min

A new giant dinosaur has been uncovered in Thailand: the largest ever found in South-East Asia. More than 100 million years ago, Nagatitan towered over the Earth — and has now been described by a team of researchers from the UK and Thailand. Jonathan Webb speaks with Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, a PhD student at University College London who was part of the team that discovered and named this prehistoric behemoth. 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: Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, PhD student University College London Further information: The first sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation of Thailand enriches the diversity of somphospondylan titanosauriforms in southeast Asia This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Science and the budget, bird flu closer to Australia and a guide to pollination 16.05.2026 54min

Belinda Smith reports on the winners and losers in science following the federal budget brought down this week by treasurer Jim Chalmers.

Lab Notes: Can AI chatbots make you delusional? 14.05.2026 10min

Stories of AI chatbot users drifting from our shared reality are increasingly common, often described as cases of AI delusions, delusional spirals, or AI psychosis. New research from Stanford University and the Human Line Project investigates the mechanisms behind these delusions, asking whether AI is making people more delusional or whether these chatbots are simply agreeing with delusional thinking. 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: James Purtill, technology reporter Further information: The Dynamics of Delusion: Modeling Bidirectional False Belief Amplification in Human-Chatbot Dialogue Characterizing Delusional Spirals through Human-LLM Chat Logs This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Celebrating David Attenborough’s 100th birthday and a new way of making vaccines 08.05.2026 53min

The much-loved naturalist David Attenborough is 100. And still working!

Lab Notes: What happens if a major ocean current … stops? 07.05.2026 10min

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a vast current that helps move water and energy right around our planet, from top to bottom. Scientists say it is slowing down — and might stop altogether, with dire consequences for the global climate if it does. So how do major ocean currents work, why is it slowing down, and what will happen if it collapses? 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: Laurie Menviel, climate researcher at UNSW This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Australian science under strain 02.05.2026 54min

Australia’s research potential is not matched by funding. Belinda Smith speaks to scientists impacted and science minister Tim Ayres responds.

Lab Notes: AI data centres are coming to remote Australia 30.04.2026 10min

The Kimberley region is more than 2000 kilometres north of Western Australia's capital city, Perth. The area is both extremely remote and extremely beautiful. So why is it the proposed location for Australia's biggest "AI factory"? Why do we need this massive AI data centre? And are these factories likely to be built in other remote parts of 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: Jess Baker, ABC rural reporter More information: Australia's biggest AI factory planned for remote WA This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Response to Australia’s ESO rejection 25.04.2026 54min

Despite the many benefits from a multi-country collaboration on a major astronomy project, Australia will not be part of the European Southern Observatory after 2027.

Lab Notes: Aussies loved Artemis II — and they want more 23.04.2026

Australians were captivated by the recent Artemis II mission — and they’re hungry for more. New YouGov polling reveals surging national interest in space exploration and its future. 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: Brooke Schlesinger, associate director at YouGov Australia This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Kaurna and Menang Noongar people.

Getting more from fertiliser, viral DNA's vital role and help from hookworms! 18.04.2026 54min

Secretions from hookworms are being used to develop treatments for autoimmune diseases which include food allergies.

Lab Notes: Is measles back? 16.04.2026 10min

In 2024, measles claimed an estimated 95,000 lives around the world – despite the fact that we have an effective, affordable vaccine. In Australia, at least 80 cases have been recorded this year. So is measles back?

Australia says no to European Southern Observatory collaboration, applications of quantum mechanics and testing trees’ response to rising carbon dioxide 11.04.2026 54min

The biggest science infrastructure requires collaboration. Australia has said no to joining the European Southern Observatory and will not share in the discovery, the experience and many benefits.

Lab Notes: What can we grow on the Moon? 09.04.2026 10min

The main aim of NASA's Artemis program is to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon — so what will we eat? And can food be actually be grown there? 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: Matthew Gilliham, director the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space at Adelaide University This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Australian and New Zealand research presented at Falling Walls Berlin 04.04.2026 54min

Carl Smith reports from Falling Walls 2025 and speaks to presenters from Australia and New Zealand who were there sharing their research with the world.

Lab Notes: Can we replace lab animals? 02.04.2026 10min

Humans have done experiments on animals for thousands of years — but animal testing has always been controversial because of the concerns for animal welfare. Recently, there have been more and more efforts to find alternatives to lab animals. So how is this quest going? What's on the horizon – and will we ever get rid of lab animals completely? 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: Darren Saunders, New South Wales deputy chief scientist and engineer This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Saving Australia’s R&D, robot for cleaning up oil, and quantum physics with Paul Davies 28.03.2026 53min

Paul Davies explains some of the weirdness that is quantum physics