The Science Show - Separate stories podcast

Moss Piglet a science-based show for kids playing at the World Science Festival Brisbane, March 26-29 2026.

Ultra-processed food contains special carbohydrates to improve shelf life. They require special bacteria for digestion.

Pottery fragments reveal Australia's ancient Indigenous people interacted with other Pacific communities and produced their own pottery.

Seagrass meadows act as a fish nursery and large amounts of carbon become stored as sediment collects.

Two possums, which once lived in Australia and were thought to be extinct have been found in the Vogelkop Peninsular in Indonesian Papua. 

A fast-moving strain of influenza known as "Super-K" is circulating in Australia and has been driving up flu numbers around the world. Virologists are constantly tracking strains like this as they come and go. Professor Kirsty Short, shares her anxiety about the flu season ahead, as well as a surprising recent win — and a call to arms about vaccination.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.auFeaturing:Kirsty Short, virologist at University of QueenslandMore information:Australia's 2026 influenza vaccine rollout and the Super-K strainThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Madeleine Beekman argues for a new origin of language: the need to share childcare.

New technology is allowing long chains of DNA to be manipulated opening the door for the creation of new life forms. 

A 10% honey solution can stop growth of bacteria. And strong impacts on common fungal infections have also been observed.

Despite the move to sustainable fuel in F1 car racing, the fuel powering cars cannot be tracked easily, and only amounts to 1% of the energy cost in staging a race.

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world — but there's some good news for Aussie kids. The presence of moles is a strong predictor of melanoma and researchers in Queensland have found that the number of moles found on children's bodies has halved in recent decades.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.auFeaturing:  Nick Martin, human geneticist at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteExtra information:Halving of Australian children's naevus counts during 1992-2016 and change in sun behaviourHopes for lower melanoma risk as study finds number of moles on children's bodies halved in 25 yearsThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Dr John Bolton, once of the Radiophysics Laboratory in the CSIRO to conduct secret research on radar for the military, also helped pioneer radio astronomy after the Second World War. He was invited to Caltech to show them how to build radio telescopes — but then resigned and returned to Australia to build the legendary Parkes Telescope. Guest Jonas Zmuidzinas  Professor of physics  Director of Caltech Optical Observatories  Caltech PresenterRobyn Williams

Harriet Brettle studied finance, had several varied jobs in leadership, and now heads the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech. Like the “professor of everything” Bob May from Australia, who once combined his mathematical physics with the head of the Bank of England, Harriet can take risks with projects based on knowing both what's worthwhile scientifically and sensible financially. Guest Harriet Brettle Executive director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies Caltech PresenterRobyn Williams

Erik Petigura is a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA who specialises in discovering planets smaller than giants like Neptune and bigger than Mars and Earth.Our Solar System has none of these intermediate planets, so what's the attraction?GuestErik PetiguraProfessor of physics and astronomy UCLA PresenterRobyn Williams

Once the stuff of science fiction, self-driving cars are now a common sight in some American cities.Robyn Williams rode in a robot taxi around Phoenix, Arizona.GuestKylie AhernScience publisher at STEM Matters and The BrilliantPresenterRobyn Williams

When raised lead levels were noticed in Los Angeles last year, Professor Francois Tissot, who usually examines the chemistry of asteroids, quickly saw that the fires that ravaged the region in January 2025 were to blame. He reveals the current extent of the concern and suggests Australia inspects its own burned regions too. Guest Francois Tissot Professor of geochemistry Caltech PresenterRobyn Williams

Major international airports in the Middle East have been closed this week due to the war with Iran, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded. So, what happens after a major airspace closure?How do pilots know where they should fly? And how long will it take to get things back to normal?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.auFeaturing:  Amy Briggs, science reporter Extra information:  Air travel may be disrupted by the Iran war for months. This is whyThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

How do you establish a telescope? For Caltech astrophysicist Professor Jonas Zmuidzinas, the answer involves time, money, and incredibly sensitive detectors that can pick up everything from water in the dusty discs around young stars to galaxies in the far reaches of the Universe. 

Shortly after the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990, astronomers realised its primary mirror, designed to focus minute amounts of light from distant planets, stars and galaxies, had the wrong curve. 

A likely successor for Jane Goodall is Professor Cat Hobaiter, who's based at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She told the AAAS audience of her finding the 6,000-year-old mummies of baboons in Egypt. But there are no wild baboons there — so where did those dead creatures come from?  

Phoenix is an unexpected city: It is where the Jane Goodall papers and archive are kept, at the wide, shining campus of the Arizona State University. 

The editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Professor Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, explains how she reports on the science of health care without inflicting too much political noise on her readers — mostly clinicians.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was founded in 1848 and this year faced its greatest crisis — a proposed cut to research in the US of around 50 per cent, threatened by the Trump administration. What if the cuts had gone through? 

Backyard sprinklers have transformed the Aussie urban landscape. But their path to domination of our suburbs was haphazard — and hinged on the inventions of several knockabout tinkerers. Meanwhile with a rapidly drying climate, we may need to re-consider our reliance on this invention.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.auFeaturing:  James Purtill, technology reporter Extra information:How the garden sprinkler conquered AustraliaThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

With an estimated 200 million feral rabbits hopping around Australia, are current viral controls working, and do we need another virus to knock off these invasive pests?

Australia was once home to kangaroos that weighed as much as a quarter of a tonne. A new fossil analysis suggests these hefty creatures could hop - but only if they really needed to.

An almost-complete skeleton of an ancient hominin was found in a South African cave in the 1990s. Nearly 30 years later, questions remain about the individual's species.

You may have heard the story about elephants being scared of mice, but what about bees? Farmers and scientists in Africa are taking advantage of this fear to protect crops.

A quick online search reveals multiple paid services for naming stars as commemorative gifts. You'll be provided with a certificate and a map for finding your star in the sky. But these names are not official and are not used by astronomers — or anyone else, for that matter. So what's going on, and how do stars really get their names?  ‌Featuring:  Laura Driessen, radio astronomer at the University of Sydney 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.auThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Director Simon Duffy describes the wide range of activities at Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens.

Philippa Collin describes the themes which have emerged from Australia's biggest writing competition for young people. 

Cleaner air as ships' have reduced their emissions has exacerbated coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef.

Wherever Homo sapiens has roamed, other human species tend to disappear, and a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is no exception.

Retinoids are big business for reducing wrinkles and treating acne — but there's conflicting advice on their safety for pregnant women.Should manufacturers of these skincare products be providing warnings? Or are the risks not that great?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.auFeaturing:Caitlyn Davey, health reporterExtra information:Retinoids are booming in the beauty industry, but are they safe to use during pregnancy?This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Australia's social media ban for under 16s aims to protect young people from online threats, but it may also limit their knowledge about democracy and political systems.

Small patches of forests in schools initiate discussion and leaning across biology and ecology. Students develop a sense of ownership and community awareness with improved mental health. A Perth-based initiative is spreading far and wide. 

The massive foundations that support offshore wind turbines can be an oasis for marine life in an otherwise submarine desert, according to work done at Murdoch University in Australia and Dalian Ocean University in China.

John Juriansz describes what is revealed from the largest creative writing competition for young people in Australia.

AI seems to be absolutely everywhere at the moment. While we're still waiting for the productivity revolution — or the jobs apocalypse — the energy costs of AI are already staggering.So how should we think about those environmental impacts of AI? And what can we learn from previous turns of the great technological wheel?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.auFeaturing: Dr Niraj Lal, renewables expert at the Australian National University Extra information: Data centres are vital for the future and AI but their environmental footprint can be a problemThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Samples of asteroids contain a range of organic molecules. Do asteroids raining down on Earth explain how life started on Earth?

Only six years ago there were doubts about electric vehicles: range! charging facilities! cost!  Now in 2026, the mood is reversed. Peter Hadfield reports from the Sydney EV auto show.

Peter Newman says fossil fuels industries face long term risk as renewables offer cheaper options. And urban density is increasing around public transport.