Brains Matter

124 - Dr Mark Boland - Update on the Australian Synchrotron

brainsmatter — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:43:07 +0000

In this episode, I talk to the Deputy Director for the Australian Collaboration for Accelerator Science. We talked about some of the work that has been done at the Australian Synchrotron since Dr Boland’s last appearance on the show.

- How will measurements take place at the LHC?
- What is a Linear Collider?
- What kind of collisions will take place?
- How much energy is used in the synchrotron?
- What kind of designs and locations are being considered for the Linear Collider?
- X-Ray Free Electron Lasers
- What is the purpose of XFELs?
- What kind of measurements do X-Ray movies take?
- What are the time scales involved?
- What is the uptime of the beam that the Australian Synchrotron can provide?
- What are some of the activities and work being done at the Synchrotron?
- An example of one of the projects done by a student at the Synchrotron, and what this could mean for the future.
- The Australian Council for Accelerator Science

Today’s listener of the episode is Andrea Newson.

Some of the computing equipment measuring some of the experiments

The outside of one of the beam lines

Download MP3 of Ep 124

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123 - Mei Liu - Amazing Bodies Exhibition

brainsmatter — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:11:23 +0000

The Amazing Bodies Exhibition is an exhibition that showcases bodies of all shapes and sizes - from reptiles, to land mammals, to whales, and even humans.

The exhibition premiered in Melbourne, and will tour Australia and New Zealand. One of the most interesting aspects of the exhibit is the use of the plastination technique to create the exhibition pieces. Listen in to the podcast to find out how plastination works. It was a technique invented in 1977 by Gunther von Hagens, and is a very laborious and complex process.

The skeleton of a baby giraffe

Amazing Bodies is a fusion of art and science - the bodies are placed in such a manner that it shows you the biology of the systems in question, and at the same time, their positioning is reminiscent of modern art.

The comparison between a cat brain and a dog brain

A cutaway view of a horse, showing the internal organs. The digestive system of the horse is such that it is unable to belch, so a buildup of gas can be quite dangerous, and colic can be a problem.

The circulatory system of the body, as mentioned in the podcast, using the casting method

And of course…

The bucking horse, which took 16 months to create

Download MP3 of Ep 123

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122 - Science and Education Policy and Election Reactions - Karl Kruszelnicki, Bec Crew, and Anthony David

brainsmatter — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:43:11 +0000

Out of frustration on not hearing enough about science and education in the 2010 Australian Election Campaign, I put together an open letter to every political party with questions that they should have all considered as part of formulating their education and science policies for the future.

I received several responses - including from the Australian Democrats, The Australian Greens, Secular Party, Australian Sex Party, Citizens Electoral Council (Doug Mitchell), Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia.

In this episode, firstly, I interview Karl Kruzselnicki about his views on the importance of science in Australia, and how this should influence science and education policy in the election, and then I walk through the responses I received from the political parties, with Big Blog Theory winner for the Blogging Category, Bec Crew, providing her reactions to the answers. Anthony David, from the Australian Democrats, was also good enough to take time out from the election campaign to speak to me.

For the full text of the open letter and list of questions please go to the original post listed above.

Have a listen to the responses, and vote responsibly.

Download MP3 of Ep 122

Links mentioned in this post include:

http://rick-westgarth.vic-democrats.org.au/

Democrats Election Action Plan

http://www.secular.org.au/candidates-2010/116-rosemarysceats

ALP innovation policy

ALP science policy

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Open Letter to the Australian Political Parties

brainsmatter — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:40:29 +0000

We have a curious situation in Australia. Members of society who commit offences can still be seen as “heroes” and end up in sporting Halls of Fame. All is forgiven in the name of sporting entertainment. And these individuals earn hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.

If you walk up to the average Australian, and ask the name of the captain of Australia’s cricket team – you’d be odds on if you were to wager that they would know the answer. Ask those same individuals to name an Australian Nobel Laureate, however, and the number of correct responses would drop dramatically. (For the record, Elizabeth Blackburn (2009), Barry Marshall (2005), Robin Warren (2005) and Peter C Doherty (1996) were the most recent). Even if one were to put aside internationally recognised awards just for a moment – think of all the doctors, teachers, scientists and researchers who make a difference to your life. The medicines and procedures used to save your grandparents in hospital – the Wi-Fi you are using to log onto the internet – the electricity used to light and heat or cool your home. All of this is available to us thanks to science and research. People who do this for a living are the real heroes.

In the meantime, our educational institutions, such as universities are suffering^[1], and the quality of education and quality of graduates is anecdotally not what it used to be, as a result.

The general public don’t seem to be as well versed in the sciences as they ought to – a prime example of this is the denial of climate change in this country (under the incorrect guise of scepticism), from some corners. Of course, there is a huge vested interest in some of the deniers, but a large proportion of the deniers actually do not seem to fathom the scientific method, which would seem to be the only way to believe their claims.

Barack Obama said “At such a difficult moment (referring to the Global Financial Crisis in April 2009), there are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science, that support for research is somehow a luxury. I fundamentally disagree. Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before.”^[2]

Let’s quickly delve into some facts about education, science, and research in Australia:

An Australian university graduate pays, on average, twice as much tax as other Australians^[3]
The US, UK, China, India, Australia and Denmark governments all recognise the link between science, research, and economic prosperity^[4],[5]
Public Funding for Education in Australia has been cut^[6]
If we spent $37b each year for 10yrs on sustainable resources, our energy would be free forever^[7]

So here are some questions that I, and my listeners, pose to the parties in the current election campaign. I seek responses by the end of the day on Thursday 19th of August, and I will publish a podcast referring to the answers on Friday 20th of August, to be heard by 15,000 listeners, who have a keen interest in the answers. Parties invited to respond and who do not do so will be marked as “Did not respond” when published.

The Questions:

What is your view on the importance of science in society?
The defence budget for 2010-2011 is almost 27 billion dollars. How can we justify spending that much on ‘defence’, yet spend trivial amounts on research into renewable energy sources?
According to the CIA World Factbook, we are #85 in the world in terms of the amount of government money we put towards education in total. We spend 4.5% of our GDP on education. Science is obviously a much smaller subset, but we fall behind countries such as New Zealand (6.2%) , UK (5.6%), US (5.3%), Norway (7.2%), Sweden (7.1%) and even places such as Barbados (6.9%), Botswana (8.7%), Cuba (9.1%) and Yemen (9.6%). And many countries that contribute about the same or less as a percentage of GDP actually put in far more real funds in terms of amounts into education. How do you think this affects us in the education, science and research community, and what should be done about it?
What would you do to rectify the sense that most people in this country have about a lack of support for pure science and research, without overheads such as the “Research Quality Framework” and “Backing Australia’s Ability” policy, which seem to not have provided the benefits which were claimed when they were announced?
What is your view on fundamental research, which has no immediate economic benefit, such the work of Einstein, for which commercial benefits weren’t available until the following century, but would not have been realised without his groundbreaking work?
What do you think should be done to promote science and science communication to the public?
Why do you think so few politicians seem to have a basic understanding of science? How should we redress this issue?

Questions from Listeners:
What is your position on increasing funding for science research?
How will you stop the “brain drain”?
Why is it so expensive to educate our children in state schools?
How will you promote science in school as an ‘achievement’ instead of just promoting sports as being the ‘winners’ ?
What is your view on what the government should be doing to promote Australia’s science research and where it stands in comparison to other well known industries such as agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. (eg. WiFi is a result of Australian research)
What sort of a National standard is the Federal Government looking at with regards to education? What sort of a budget are they thinking of putting towards Science, not just in Primary Schools and High Schools, but in Tertiary schools? Why do they continually withdraw funding for Science programs; when science is essential in other scholastic areas?

We are not looking for slabs of quotes from party policy, but summaries and opinions. It should not take more than about half an hour to respond to the first section. I look forward to your replies. They can be addressed to mail at brainsmatter dot com.

I have emailed every single politician with an email address listed on the Senate ticket. Parties contacted include:

Australian Labor Party
Liberal Party of Australia
Australian Greens
Family First
Socialist Equity Party
Senator Online
Democratic Labor Party of Australia
Australian Democrats
Shooters and Fishers
Australian Sex Party
The Climate Sceptics
Socialist Alliance
Citizens Electoral Council
Building Australia
One Nation
The Nationals
Christian Democratic Party
Secular Party of Australia
Carers Alliance
Liberal Democrats

In addition to this, I have also contacted, via online means:

ALP:

Julia Gillard
Kevin Rudd

Coalition:

Tony Abbott
Joe Hockey
Greg Hunt

Greens:

Bob Brown
Sarah Hanson-Young
Andrew Bartlett

If you know of a politician please send them the link to this page. It would be a shame for there to be so much airtime on pointless topics such as boats, in comparison to important things such as science education.

[1] Universities Must Fight For their Future (http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=257)
[2] US President Barack Obama, 2009 Address to the US National Academy of Sciences
[3] Karl Kruszelnicki, Brains Matter interview, 8 August 2010
[4] Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Science and Innovation White Paper (www.dius.gov.uk/reports_and_publications%20HIDDEN/innovation_nation)
[5] Human Capital Theory and Education Policy in Australia, (http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/johnquiggin/JournalArticles99/HumanCapitalAustER99.html)
[6] Julia Gillard speech, “Creating a Productive, Prosperous, Modern Australia” (http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Speeches/Pages/Article_081015_150253.aspx)
[7] Quote from Karl Kruszelnicki, (http://twitter.com/DannyjClayton/statuses/21356577938)

121 - From Slime to Dinosaurs - National Science Week Live Show

brainsmatter — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 12:31:55 +0000

Today’s episode is the audio of the Brains Matter & Monash Science Centre’s National Science Week live show, held on 15/8/2010. The topic was “From Slime to Dinosaurs”, and I interviewed renown palaeontologst, Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich on:

- How long the earth has been around
- What are the geological processes occurring, and that have occurred in the past?
- How long ago did life arise on Earth?
- A discussion on early life
- When did dinosaurs first appear?
- How can we tell what creatures looked like just from their bones?
- Where are dinosaur fossils generally found?
- A discussion on Australian dinosaurs

And of course, questions from the enthusiastic audience members, and some really amazing kids!

Thank you to Cengage Learning for the grand prize, and everyone involved on the day.

Download MP3 of Ep 121

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Astronomy for Non-Human life forms

brainsmatter — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:45:11 +0000

Steve Nerlich from Cheap Astronomy and I contributed the following episode to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast

Listen here

120 - Prof Richard Wassersug - Talking to a Herpetologist

brainsmatter — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:51:43 +0000

Professor Richard Wassersug is from the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology from Dalhousie University in Canada. Much of his research and study was and is in the area of herpetology, or the study of amphibians. I talked to Professor Wassersug about herpetology, and the importance of understanding this area of biology. Topics discussed include:

- The surprising old view of tadpole and frog evolution
- Structures of the mouths of tadpoles and frogs
- How do these creatures live?
- What is affecting frog and tadpole populations?
- What is causing these impacts?
- Why is it important to understand what can stress a tadpole?
- History of the cane toad in Australia
- The impact of introduced species
- What is the role of frogs in the ecosystem?
- Predators and their impacts on frogs
- Media perceptions of frogs, toads and amphibians
- How are we affecting the environment for frogs and toads?
- How big were frogs and toads in the past?
- The infamous frog tasting experiment!

Today’s listener of the episode is Jason Hameister from the Sydney, Australia.

Download MP3 of Ep 120

Details of the National Science Week Show are here - please come along, or listen to it online!

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

From Slime to Dinosaurs - Brains Matter Science Week Live Show!

brainsmatter — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:25:23 +0000

The Brains Matter Podcast and the Monash Science Centre have joined forces to bring to the public a special National Science Week event on Sunday the 15^th of August.

PhD student Corin Storkey will give a presentation on the Chocolate, brazil nuts, antioxidants and the fight against free radicals - you may know Corin from television’s “Beauty and the Geek Australia”.

Clive Weeks will be providing live music for a great atmosphere

Internationally renowned palaeontologist Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich will then be interviewed by the OG from Brains Matter. Join the live audience to ask questions, win prizes and enjoy a wonderful and lively discussion.

This exciting event is followed by “Lunch with the Palaeontologists” in which you will have to opportunity to informally discuss palaeo research, dig sites, field trips and more.

11:00 am Centre Opens. Screening of Monash University Science Communication Documentaries.
11.30 am Corin Storkey - Chocolate, brazil nuts, antioxidants and the fight against free radicals
12:00 pm Podcast Interview with Patricia Vickers-Rich
1:00 pm Lunch with the Palaeontologists
3:00 pm Centre closes.

Throughout the day visitors will be able to explore the exhibitions and children will be able to participate in hands-on activities.

Bookings for The Lunch are essential and will cost between 12 and 14 dollars per head. View the menu.

The event will be held in the main hall at Monash Science Centre, Building 74, Normanby Rd, Monash University, Clayton Campus, VIC 3800.

Contact (03) 9905 1370 via phone, or email msc@sci.monash.edu.au, or respond via the facebook event.

If you can’t be there on the day - never fear! The event will be streamed live! as well as available as a podcast after the event.

Live Streaming Link

Event poster to put up around your school, university, or workplace can be found here

Event sponsored by:

119 - Corin Storkey - Cancer Drug Research

brainsmatter — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:43:00 +0000

In episode 119, I talk to Corin Storkey, a PhD student at the Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne, about some of the research he is doing into cancer drugs, and targeting the immune system such that it may be able to self-heal.

- What is cancer?
- How do current cancer drugs work?
- How does chemotherapy work?
- What are some of the drugs used?
- What has been proposed for a new way for cancer drugs to work?

Today’s listener of the episode is Aaron Cooper from the UK.

Apologies for the audio quality in this episode, but I’ve done the best I can do to clear it up.

Download MP3 of Ep 119

Details of the National Science Week Show are here - please come along, or listen to it online!

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

118 - Prof Patricia Vickers-Rich - Palaeontology 101

brainsmatter — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:32:24 +0000

I speak to Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich, the Director of the Monash Science Centre and Personal Chair of Palaeontology at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, about palaeontology. Topics we covered included:

- What is palaeontology?
- What areas of science does palaeontology cover?
- If you’re interested in palaeontology, what should you consider learning?
- Prof Rich talks a little about the origin of birds in Australia
- How big were these birds?
- How closely related are animals of different continents, and why?
- Some of the unusual structures of animals from the past - and their relation to microbial life
- What jobs can palaeontologists get?
- Some examples of different places in the world palaeontology has taken Prof Vickers-Rich, and some of the cultures she experienced
- The value of learning different cultures and how this relates to research

Today’s listener of the episode is Sharon Ryan from Australia.

Download MP3 of Ep 118

Details of the National Science Week Show are here - please come along, or listen to it online!

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

Live Show details

brainsmatter — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:24:29 +0000

Here are some details for the Brains Matter / Monash Science Centre National Science Week Live Show!

(Click on the picture to see it in full size)

For those unable to be there in person, the show will also be simulcast live on the internet!

For those on facebook, you can RSVP at the Facebook Event

Movie Competition

brainsmatter — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:41:04 +0000

The first 10 people to send me an email will win a double pass to the movie “Farewell” screening in Melbourne on the weekend of the 26th! (This weekend)

You must be in Melbourne, and able to see the movie.

Second Place Vesta

brainsmatter — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:19:09 +0000

Brains Matter has once again contributed to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast.

Who remembers second place? It’s a problem that plagues anyone who isn’t the biggest or fastest or shiniest. In today’s episode of 365 Days of Astronomy, we look at the second largest object in the Asteroid Belt - Vesta

Download the show here

Link to 365 Days of Astronomy website

117 - Dr Michael Brown - Galaxy Evolution and Active Galactic Nuclei

brainsmatter — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 05:29:29 +0000

I speak to Dr Michael Brown, from the School of Physics at Monash University. Michael talked to me about the formation of galaxies, and specifically, research into Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)

- What is the definition of a galaxy?
- What makes up a galaxy?
- What are some examples of galaxies we can see with binoculars and telescopes?
- What is the difference between a galaxy, a cloud of gas and a globular cluster?
- What are the structures of galaxies?
- What do we know about how these different types of galaxies form?
- How do galaxies grow over time?
- Do we know where the central black holes in galaxies come from?
- What is an Active Galactic Nucleus?
- Are there different types of AGNs?
- How are quasars formed?
- Why do some galaxies have AGNs and some do not?
- Are AGN’s the mechanism that causes the formation of stars in galaxies?

Today’s listener of the episode is Robin Ford from Sydney, Australia.

Download MP3 of Ep 117

Please vote for this podcast this month at

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25/5/2010 365 Days of Astronomy Appearance - Hypervelocity stars

brainsmatter — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:11:44 +0000

The Ordinary Guy from the Brains Matter Podcast has contributed to another episode of 365 Days of Astronomy:

Hypervelocity Stars

116 - Prof Patricia Vickers-Rich - The Monash Science Centre

brainsmatter — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:58:52 +0000

In this episode I talk to Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich and we talk about the Monash Science Centre.

- What is Professor Rich’s background?
- What inspired her to start up a Science Centre in Australia?
- What are the main aims of the MSC?
- When did the MSC open?
- What were some of the difficulties experienced in trying to start up the MSC?
- Some of the features of the MSC building
- The environmental concerns of the MSC
- What is planned for the Monash Science Centre and the MSC precinct?
- The outreach goals of the MSC
- Some of the exhibitions that the MSC has had in the past
- Teachers at the Science Centre
- Programmes offered by the Science Centre
- The future of the Monash Science Centre

Listener of the episode is Frank Connolly from Australia

Download MP3 of Ep 116

You can view the Monash Science Centre website at this link

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

New iPhone Application

brainsmatter — Thu, 13 May 2010 05:53:23 +0000

Hi all,

For those of you who have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, you can now purchase and download an application specifically for Brains Matter at the iTunes Store.

(Click on the above image to go to the iTMS)

The first 4 people to email the show and tell me why you recommend the show to others (with an example) in 50 words will win the app for free.

115 - Dr Robyn Pickering - The Discovery of Australopithecus Sediba

brainsmatter — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:21:25 +0000

What is Australopithecus Sediba? It’s a newly discovered species of hominid that was discovered recently. I talked to Dr Robyn Pickering at the University of Melbourne, who was involved in this discovery to talk about Sediba.

- Why was it called Sediba?
- What kind of dating technique was used to work out how old these fossils were?
- Why can’t carbon dating be used?
- How old were the Sediba bones?
- Where were the remains discovered?
- How is Australopithecus Sediba related to Australopithecus Africanus?
- What kinds of skeletons were discovered?
- What were the ages of the skeletons found?
- Why is the term “missing link” incorrect?
- What was the European Synchrotron used for with this discovery?
- How common are fossils?
- What upcoming research can we expect from this find?

Today’s listener of the episode is Belinda Nicholson from Australia

Download MP3 of Ep 115

Please vote for this podcast this month at

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114 - Corin Storkey - Beauty and the Type 2 Diabetes Synthetic Chemist Geek

brainsmatter — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:24:38 +0000

In this episode, I talk to Corin Storkey, from the Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne. Corin is a synthetic organic chemist, and spoke to me about some of the research he was doing in synthesising compounds that may one day be used as pharmaceuticals to treat patients suffering from Type 2 Diabetes.

We talked about:

- Life as a PhD student
- What type 2 diabetes is
- Some of the causes of diabetes
- The effects of type 2 diabetes
- Glycoside inhibitors, and how these were used in this research
- Finding the compounds used in traditional medicines (eg Ayurveda) and isolating these to use in modern drug research
- How do these compounds help with Type 2 diabetes?
- What are the shortcomings?
- What can people do to help them deal with Type 2 diabetes?

Today’s listener of the episode is Olga Bourlin from the US

Download MP3 of Ep 114

Please vote for this podcast this month at

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April update

brainsmatter — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:24:26 +0000

Hi all,

A couple of bits of news. Firstly, the Brains Matter podcast, along with the Monash Science Centre, will be joining forces during National Science Week 2010 and will have a live show to the public.

The topic of the show will be an interview following the topic of “From Slime to Dinosaurs to Us!”

We are looking at Saturday the 14th of August, 2010 - so keep that date clear in your diaries, if you are local to the Clayton, Victoria, Australia location.

View Larger Map

In other news, Ordinary Guy Junior’s question on magnetism and stars was mentioned on the ABC Radio National Science Show, when the ABC’s Robyn Williams interviewed Professor Pat Vickers-Rich, and the discussion turned to that of the intelligence of children.

Go to the end of the transcript to hear his question being mentioned. And of course, you can hear the podcast I made about this at this link.

113 - Maria Maltseva - The Discovery Institute

brainsmatter — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:07:47 +0000

Maria is an editor, writer and attorney from Washington State in the US, and is well known in the Skeptics community in the US. She spoke to me about the Discovery Institute and the agenda they are trying to push in science classes in the USA.

- What IS the Discovery Institute?
- What are they attempting to do?
- Why are they trying to confuse science with religion?
- What is the difference between Creationism and “Intelligent Design”?
- How influential are they in the US?
- What is the Wedge Document? What are the goals according to this document?
- The dichotomy of people who hold both religious and scientific beliefs
- What is the geographic scope (at this point) of The Discovery Institute?
- The “Expelled” so-called documentary

And there are some out takes as well!

Download MP3 of Ep 113

Please vote for this podcast this month at

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112 - Prof Roger Short and Evan Bittner - Taronga Zoo Baby Elephant Birth

brainsmatter — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:03:52 +0000

In today’s episode, I talk to both Professor Roger Short and Evan Bittner from the University of Melbourne on several topics related to the Asian Elephant, including the recent “miracle birth” of the baby elephant at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.

Topics we cover include:

- Some of the latest news with Prof Short and Evan Bittner’s work
- Some of the plans for working with Elephants Asia in Laos
- What the news about the Himalayan Glaciers means to the work required in saving the Asian Elephant
- The birth of the baby elephant at Taronga Zoo - what were the issues, and how were these overcome?
- The reaction of other elephants at Taronga Zoo to the newborn
- Some of the reaction by certain community groups about elephants in captivity and Prof Short and Evan’s responses to these reactions
- Matriarchal behaviour of elephant groups
- How much use is a bull (adult male) to an elephant group?
- The commonality between elephants and humans
- Comments on moving Asian Elephants from Melbourne Zoo to Open Plains Zoos and the wisdom of such decisions
- What the difference in ear size between Asian Elephants and African Elephants means in a practical sense
- And update on the “Never Forget Elephants” charity

Download MP3 of Ep 112

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

111 - Evan Bittner - Asian Elephant Conservation Part 2

brainsmatter — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:31:45 +0000

In this episode, I continue my talk with Evan Bittner from the University of Melbourne in Brains Matter’s continuing series on Asian Elephants. If you missed Episode 110, please go back and listen to that episode first. In this interview, Evan discusses:

- What can we do to reduce the impact on the ability to conserve the elephant?
- Making a difference
- What work is being done in artificial insemination techniques for elephants?
- What are the advantages of using artificial insemination for elephant populations?
- What are the transportation costs of an elephant?
- The differences in spending the same amount of money in different geographic locations - and how this impacts conservation efforts.
- How do the experts ensure the success of artificial insemination?
- Why does it seem to be more difficult to get elephants to mate in captivity compared to the wild?
- Can captive elephants be successfully re-introduced to the wild?
- Understanding herds in captivity and how they differ to herds in the wild
- Future research

We also demonstrate some of the various elephant vocalisations that have been discussed over the past two shows.

Download MP3 of Ep 111

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

110 - Evan Bittner - Asian Elephant Conservation Part 1

brainsmatter — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:31:14 +0000

In this episode, I talk to Evan Bittner from the University of Melbourne in Brains Matter’s continuing series on Asian Elephants. Evan discusses:

- Elephants and infrasound communications
- Determining how to measure elephant reactions to elephant vocalisations
- What are the meanings of some of the elephant behaviours we observe?
- The follow up experiment to Roger Short’s observation on Asian elephant vocalisations being played to African elephants - this time, African elephant vocalisations played to Asian elephants
- What further research can be done in this area?
- Do elephants really have a good memory?
- How do elephants recognise each other through sound?
- How far can elephants typically communicate?
- What is being done in elephant conservation work?
- What are some of the reasons causing the drop in elephant numbers? Why are they becoming endangered?
- Some of the work Evan has done in Laos
- The new elephant conservation charity, “Never Forget Elephants” that has been set up, and what it aims to do
- Some techniques to ensure that rainforests are conserved

Also in this episode are the Listener of the Episode, listener questions (Mark Wilson), and some listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 110

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

A 6 Year Old’s Question on Star Quakes

brainsmatter — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:51:44 +0000

Brains Matter has once again contributed to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. My six year old asked whether magnetism could crush a star. The following podcast is the result of trying to find the answer to that!

Download the show here

Link to the 365 Days of Astronomy website

The First Astronomers

brainsmatter — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:18:41 +0000

Brains Matter has once again contributed to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. For this episode, the topic was on The First Astronomers - the Australian Aborigines.

Download the show here

Link to the 365 Days of Astronomy site

Brains Matter merchandise has now arrived

brainsmatter — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:44:01 +0000

If you’ve always wanted to wear your Brains Matter pride, or have a BM mouse mat or something similar - well your wishes have been attended to. You can now buy BM merchandise from the Brains Matter website by going to the “Merchandise” tab on the right. Choose from the category(ies) you want, and buy via the store there and you’ll be able to buy what you like from the Printfection store.

Enjoy!

Oh, and for those who get in quick, if you buy before Wednesday the 17th of February, and use the coupon code “4PFBDAY”, you will get an additional 25% off the price.

109 - The Science of Attraction - Live Show

brainsmatter — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 09:30:34 +0000

This episode is the audio of the first Brains Matter live show. The topic for this show is The Science of Attraction
- what is attraction?
- what attracts us to each other?
- how does this compare to the animal kingdom?
- how do physical features, and chemical signals play a role?
- what influences our view of attractiveness?
- what kinds of jealousy do we feel?
- what is Valentines Day? What are some of the stories behind it?

and some random facts. Thank you to everyone who came along to the live recording, it was a lot of fun!

Download MP3 of Ep 109

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108 - Is Intelligent Life Common in the Universe?

brainsmatter — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:30:55 +0000

A question that everyone asks at some point is - are we alone? We’ve all heard about the Drake Equation, and have had chats about our place in the universe with friends.

In this episode, Dr Allie Ford hosts a debate between Professor John Lattanzio and Ms Marion Anderson from Monash University on the topic “Intelligent Life is Common in the Universe”. Ms Anderson argues for the positive, and Professor Lattanzio argues for the negative.

They both argue the topic using the latest information and theories about astronomy and the possibility of life existing in the Universe. In recent years we have found hundreds of planets outside the solar system. Surely intelligent life must exist somewhere. But why have radio searches revealed nothing yet?

Download MP3 of Ep 108

The presentations used during this debate:

Marion’s presentation for the positive argument
Prof Lattanzio’s presentation for the negative argument

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107 - Dr Yin Paradies - The Effects of Racism

brainsmatter — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:31:51 +0000

In this episode I speak to Dr Yin Paradies, who is a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne. Yin’s research focuses on the health, social and economic effects of racism as well as anti-racism theory, policy and practice.

In this interview, some of the topics we talk about include:

- What are some of the effects of racism?
- How does racism affect health outcomes?
- What are the variations that have been found in racism in Australia and overseas?
- Some examples of racism
- The relationship between racism and self-destructive behaviour
- How does racism in Australia compare to the rest of the world?
- How has research into racism informed or changed public policy?
- We also discuss some of the work that Dr Paradies has done in building a framework to tackle racism
- Racism in the media
- How do we educate people and promote harmony?
- Where does racism come from?
- What IS race?

Download MP3 of Ep 107

Some other interesting links:

Challenging Racism: The Anti-Racism Research Project at UWS

Building on our strengths - the anti-racism framework that Dr Paradies mentioned in the interview.

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Borders poster

brainsmatter — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:47:19 +0000

(Carlton, Victoria, Australia)

106 - Dr Owen Carter - Research into the Ultraviolet Index

brainsmatter — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:02:19 +0000

We have all heard of the ultraviolet index in weather reports. What is it? What does it mean to the lay person? What is the average person’s perception of the ultraviolet index? I talk to Dr Owen Carter from the CBRCC and Curtin University in Western Australia about his research into this area.

- Who is most likely to get sunburned?
- What are the best predictors for skin cancer?
- What is the difference between SPF and the Ultraviolet Index?
- Is all exposure to UV bad? Is there a protective effect?
- What are people’s perceptions of the UV Index?
- What measures have been recommended to influence people’s perception of the UV index and help reduce the incidences if skin cancer?
-

Download MP3 of Ep 106

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Brains Matter Live Show

brainsmatter — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:42:20 +0000

Hi all,

The Brains Matter Podcast will have its first live show early next month. So if you’re in Melbourne, Australia and want to come and watch and be part of the first live show, you’re more than welcome to come along.

Date: Saturday 13 February, 2010
Time: 14:00
Location: Borders Bookstore, 380 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia

Drinking with Aliens..

brainsmatter — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:56:47 +0000

The Brains Matter interview with Dr Allie Ford from Monash Uni (highlights version for 365 DoA) was featured on Diffusion Science Radio this week.

105 - Prof Bryan Gaensler - Magnetism in the Universe

brainsmatter — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:13:54 +0000

In this episode, I speak to Professor Bryan Gaensler from the University of Sydney on the topic of Magnetism in the Universe, which was only discovered in the 20th century.

- What is a magnet?
- What objects in the universe are magnetic?
- How are magnets detected in space?
- How do we detect magnetic fields, despite the fact they are invisible?
- What is the relationship between magnetism and the formation of galaxies?
- How is magnetism related to the existance of life?
- Could we exist without magnetism?
- What does this mean for space exploration?
- Magnetism and Faraday Rotation
- The relationships between magnetism and sun spots

Download MP3 of Ep 105

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104 - Dr Kristen Panfilio - Hox Genes and Evolutionary Developmental Genetics

brainsmatter — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:15:30 +0000

In todays episode, I talk to Dr Kristen Panfilio is a Developmental Geneticist from the University of Cologne, in Germany. We talk about Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, or Evo Devo as it is sometimes known. Topics we cover include:

- What is evolutionary developmental genetics?
- Why is it useful?
- How do genes help us understand evolution?
- What is a Hox gene?
- What are the different types of Hox genes?
- What do they do?
- What has been observed with Hox genes in research on insects?
- The Zen gene
- How the RNA interference technique is used
- An example of the technique can plants and animals use to get rid of viruses
- How do these genes affect the development of embryos?
- Where is the foundation or blueprint of the body made?
- What are some of the causes of embryos not developing properly?

… and a whole lot more! Listen in to find out.

Also featured in episode 104 are listener feedback, and a listener question answered by Monash University postdoc Dr Richard Stancliffe. The listeners of the episode are Ed from Melbourne and Sarah from the US.

Promo: ‘The Rise of Atheism - Global Atheist Convention’, Melbourne 2010

Download MP3 of Ep 104

Some further links:

Hox Genes: Descent with modification
Oncopeltus fasciatus zen is essential for serosal tissue function in katatrepsis
Extraembryonic development in insects and the acrobatics of blastokinesis

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103 - Nick Miller - English libel law and censorship in science reporting

brainsmatter — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:39:59 +0000

Nick Miller is the Health Editor for The Age newspaper in Melbourne, Australia. Nick interviewed Simon Singh (who has appeared in episode 100 of Brains Matter), and was subsequently impacted by the English Libel laws.

Nick talks to me about this incident, and what he feels may need to be considered in terms of reforming those laws.

- How did the English laws impact him?
- What does this mean for the reporting of science and medicine in general?
- Are Australian libel laws similar to the UK ones?
- What should we do about this?

There is also a campaign underway to promote reform. You can find the Libel Reform Campaign website here

Nick’s entry that he mentioned in the interview.

Also featured in today’s episode is the listener of the episode (Shelagh R)

Download MP3 of Ep 103

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Tell us your favourite episode of 2009 and win a Google Wave invite

brainsmatter — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:04:00 +0000

It’s coming to the end of the year, and what a year of science, curiosities, and general knowledge it has been!

Let me know what your favourite episode of 2009 has been and why (in less than 50 words) - post it on this entry at the Brains Matter website, and at the end of the year two entries will be chosen based on their responses and will win a Google Wave invite. If you already have Google Wave, use the invite to pass on to a friend or loved one!

So start thinking!

102 - Dr Owen Carter - The Psychology of Tobacco Advertising

brainsmatter — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:26:05 +0000

In this episode, I talk to Dr Owen Carter, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control at Curtin University, on the topic of tobacco advertising.

- What were the techniques used by tobacco companies in their advertising?
- Does tobacco advertising actually affect smokers?
- What is the effect of tobacco advertising on non-smokers?
- What kind of effects have been discovered?
- Have the impacts on children been considered?
- What is being done to combat these psychological effects?
- What studies have been done to help us understand the situation?
- What legislation has been implemented based on these studies?

Featured in today’s episode are the listener of the episode (Nerida L), and letters from faithful fans.

Download MP3 of Ep 102

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Happy Third Birthday Brains Matter!

brainsmatter — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:07:48 +0000

Hi all,

October brings about a new milestone for the show - three years since the podcast first started publishing. September/October has been busy, and I have a bunch of great interviews coming up in the near future.

I always enjoy hearing from all of you, and the ideas I’ve been getting from listeners for future shows have been fantastic. I have a list longer than my arm right now, and wish I had the time and resources to dedicate to finding the answers to every one of those questions in quick time.

Of course if you enjoy the show, you’re more than welcome to nominate the show for the Podcast Awards http://www.podcastawards.com/
or here for blog posts http://scienceblogs.com/clock/openlab09/

And a big thank you to everyone who has left your lovely thoughts and reviews on iTunes / Podcast Alley, and a special thank you to those who have supported the show and given a donation - it goes a long way.

Regards

Fourth 365 Days of Astronomy appearance

brainsmatter — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:43:19 +0000

The 22/9/2009 episode of 365 Days of Astronomy was the fourth contribution by Brains Matter to the IYA podcast effort.

In this particular episode, I talk about Ruby Payne Scott, an Australian physicist, who was the world’s first female radio astronomer.

Listen to the audio here

Brains Matter listeners making a difference…

brainsmatter — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:14:06 +0000

I just received this email from Professor Roger Short, who appeared on Brains Matter in episodes 73, 74, 77 and 78 on the topic of Asian Elephants and their plight:

Thanks exclusively to Brains Matter, I was contacted by an Accountant,
Glen Antonovich, who lives in Melbourne and is devoted to elephants! He
has offered his services free to register a Charity, which we have
decided to call “Never Forget Elephants”, to promote the conservation of
the Asian elephant. It would be great to involve you in the next
chapter of this ongoing story

Wonderful news from Professor Short - and many thanks to Glen for engaging in this effort. I hope that many listeners get behind this charity as well.

101 - Dr Paul Francis - Comets, Pink Black Holes & Teaching Astronomy

brainsmatter — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:09:10 +0000

In this episode, I talk to Dr Paul Francis from the Australian National University in Canberra on the topic of comets.

- What are comets?
- Where do they come from?
- How big are comets in general?
- What are they made of?
- How big can comets be?
- What would happen to Pluto if it came in closer to the sun?
- How likely are we to be hit by a comet?

We also talk about pink black holes - what ARE pink black holes? I also talk to Dr Francis about some of his novel ways of teaching critical thinking and scepticism / scientific thinking to his students through some unexpected methods. Listen in to find out how!

Featured in today’s episode are the listener of the episode, and feedback

Download MP3 of Ep 101

Please vote for this podcast this month at

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2009 Stem Cell Awareness Day

brainsmatter — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:54:25 +0000

Monash University is hosting the 2009 Stem Cell Awareness Day on the 23rd of September.

For more details, please go to www.stemcellawarenessday.com

* What are stem cells?
* What can and can’t they do?
* What are the ethical issues?
* What are the latest clinical advances?
* Can I bank my own stem cells and those of my children?

For information about stem cells, please go to the interview with Dr Orly Lacham-Kaplan on stem cells at:

Episode 072 - Stem Cells and Infertility

100 - The Century - Dr Andrew Prentice and Dr Simon Singh

brainsmatter — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:43:01 +0000

The 100th episode of Brains Matter coincides with National Science Week - and to celebrate both the 100th show and National Science week, in this episode, we cover a range of topics. There are two great new interviews, as well as highlights from previous shows. You can go to the original interviews by clicking on the links associated with that episode.

Interviews:
Dr Andrew Prentice — the first use of the telescope for astronomical purposes

Dr Djoymi Baker- The relationship between sci fi and mythology
Prof John Lattanzio - Element formation in stars
Dr Zachary Moore - Fundamentalism and evolution
Dr Adrian Gentle - Special relativity
Dr Roger Rassool - Physics and music
Prof Peter Doherty - Jokes and the Nobel Prize
Dr Mark Boland - Measurements in the synchrotron
Dr Pamela Gay - Naming the big bang
Dr David Karoly - The evidence for global warming
Adam Parker - Origins of robotics
Dr Orly Lacham-Kaplan - What are stem cells?
Prof Roger Short - Evolutionary evidence of the origin of elephants
Marc West - Cricket, maths and statistics
Dr Seth Shostak - Science and the movies

Dr Simon Singh - The wonder of maths and science, the decline of maths and science study in schools, and a discussion on pseudo science

I hope everyone enjoys National Science Week in Australia - and for those not in Australia - go out and enjoy some science today!!

I would like to thank everyone who have made contributions to this episode, including: Dr Andrew Prentice, Dr Simon Singh, Dr Allie Ford, Christian Wilson, Christopher Short, Dr Daniel Price, Dr Phil Plait, Dr Duncan Galloway, Erk, Daniel Viles, Jason Hameister, Dr Rosemary Mardling, Marc West, Kylie Sturgess, Derek Colanduno, Darryl Carlton, and Nigel Hedges

Thanks also to the following people for their feedback for the episode:

Julia Meaden, Catherine Ld, Christopher Able, Paulo Ricardo Savino, Gerardo Blanco, Jerome

Download MP3 of Ep 100

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Redirect - The Century

brainsmatter — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:59:47 +0000

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099 - Skepticism 101 - The Australian Skeptics

brainsmatter — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:37:16 +0000

We’ve all heard of the word sceptic / skeptic. It is used in many contexts - and there is a worldwide movement of people who identify themselves as “skeptics”. What does that entail? Who is a skeptic? What’s the difference, if any, between being a sceptic and being a skeptic? How does one become a skeptic, and how is it useful?

I visited a talk presented by the Australian Skeptics and after it had finished, I talked to Dr Rachael Dunlop, Dave the Happy Singer, and Richard Saunders - all well known within the Australian Skeptics movement.

Download MP3 of Ep 99

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The upcoming century

brainsmatter — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:30:22 +0000

Hi all,

As you know, the 100th episode of the show is coming up fairly soon. What has been your favourite episode so far? What genre or topics have interested you the most? Which episode made you stop and think “Wow, really? I didn’t know that?!” Drop me a line and let me know!

098 - Dr Seth Shostak - Science and the movies

brainsmatter — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:11:20 +0000

I talk to Dr Seth Shostak, from the SETI Institute, on the topic of science and the movies. We cover:
- The portrayal and accuracy of science in entertainment
- Seth’s role as science adviser in the movie remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
- What does a science adviser in a movie do?
- Why is Hollywood using science advisers more of late?
- How important is it to get the science right in movies?
- Society and its view of science versus other pursuits - the difference in attitudes between the west and the east
- Seth’s new book, “Confessions of an Alien Hunter”

Seth’s book:

Download MP3 of Ep 98

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097 - Dr Rosemary Mardling - Extra solar planets

brainsmatter — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:17:52 +0000

I talk to Dr Rosemary Mardling, an astrophysicist from Monash University on the topic of extra-solar planets. Topics we cover include:

- What is an extra solar planet?
- How do we find extra solar planets?
- How do we estimate the size and form of these extra solar planets?
- How do we explain the “Hot Jupiter” style planets that have been found?
- Most extra solar planets that have been found are short period - why is this the case?
- Is our solar system “normal”, or unusual?
- How do we determine if a system has more than one extra solar planet?
- What could finding extra solar planets mean for us here in our solar system?

Also included in this show are the listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Apologies for the audio quality of this interview - it’s been cleaned up as much as possible.

Download MP3 of Ep 97

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096 - Dr Ginger Campbell - Brain chemistry, plasticity and imaging

brainsmatter — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:03:02 +0000

I talk to Dr Ginger Campbell, the host of the Brain Science Podcast and Books and Ideas on the fascinating topics of
- brain chemistry - what do we know about how chemicals may or may not influence us,
- brain plasticity, learning languages or new skills and how to keep yourself young and vital (we hope!), and
- brain imaging - and how this has been useful for the medical field and what it can tell us about our brains.
Dr Campbell also answers the all important question of which medical tv show is THE one worth watching.

Download MP3 of Ep 96

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095 - Dr Andrew Prentice - The Saturn System

brainsmatter — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:19:51 +0000

Dr Andrew Prentice from Monash University continues his discussion with me about his theories of the formation of the solar system. In this episode, we concentrate on the Saturniun system, satellites such as Titan and some of the observations in comparison to his predictions, and conclude by reflecting back on what was discussed in the previous two episodes.

This is the final part of a 3 part interview series with Dr Prentice. Please listen to episodes 93 and 94 first.

Download MP3 of Ep 95

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094 - Dr Andrew Prentice - Planets and Satellite formation

brainsmatter — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:00:25 +0000

I continue my talk to Dr Andrew Prentice from Monash University, extending on the discussion in part 1 of this interview series on Supersonic Turbulence, to talk about the Modern Laplacian Theory, and how it helps describe planetary and satellite formation, and it’s weaknesses. The discussion on satellites, and especially Titan, is fascinating.

This is part 2 of a 3 part interview series.

Download MP3 of Ep 94

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093 - Dr Andrew Prentice - Supersonic Turbulence

brainsmatter — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:59:12 +0000

I talk to Dr Andrew Prentice on the topic of Supersonic Turbulence, a theory he proposed which helps in understanding his predictions on the objects within the solar system and formation of the solar system. Dr Prentice has also made some astounding predictions as has been documented here

This is the first of a 3 part interview.

Download MP3 of Ep 93

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Third 365 DoA appearance

brainsmatter — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:22:03 +0000

A summary of the most recent episode on the expansion of the universe was featured for the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast today.

365 Days of Astronomy - Brains Matter interview with Dr Brian Schmidt (summary)

092 - Dr Brian Schmidt - The acceleration of the universe

brainsmatter — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:38:01 +0000

We’ve all wondered about the creation of the universe - from the big bang onwards. What next? Is the galaxy going to slow down from the big bang? Will there be multiple big bangs and big crunches? The reality of the matter is astounding. In 1994, Dr Brian Schmidt, along with some colleagues from around the world, found that the universe is far more fascinating and unexpected than we thought. Not only is the universe expanding, but it is also accelerating!

I talk to Dr Schmidt about this expansion. Topics we talk about include:

- How was this discovered?
- What could be causing the acceleration?
- How the cosmological constant relates to this
- What effects do we observe from dark energy and dark matter?
- How does this relate to zero-point energy?
- With the speeding up expansion of the universe, what will this mean to us as humans?
- What would science look like if we began our civilisation about 100 billion years into the future? Would cosmology be as we know it today?
- What is the future of cosmology research?
- Baryone acoustic oscillations
- Is there a relationship between dark energy and dark matter?

Also featured is the listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 92

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091 - Dr Maria Lugaro - Pre-Solar Grains

brainsmatter — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:08:46 +0000

I talk to Dr Maria Lugaro on the topic of pre-solar grains. Topics we cover include:

- What are pre-solar grains?
- Do they only exist in our solar system?
- How big are they?
- How do we capture pre-solar grains on Earth?
- How do we determine if grains are pre-solar?
- How do the grains form?
- What percentage of material in the solar system is pre-solar?
- How is the information from these grains useful in understanding the solar system, and the evolution of the solar system?
- The age of this area of study.
- How these grains are studied and analysed.

Also featured is the listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 91

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Second 365 DoA Appearance

brainsmatter — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:30:39 +0000

Those of you who follow the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast will have noticed that todays episode is a Brains Matter production.

Listen here

090 - Amanda Barnard - What is Nanotechnology?

brainsmatter — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:20:58 +0000

I talk to Dr Amanda Barnard, an expert in nanoscience, from the CSIRO on nanotechnology. We discuss:

- What are nanoparticles?
- What are nanorods?
- What properties of a substance make it a useful nanoparticle?
- What makes nanoparticles useful?
- What do you need to know to understand nanotechnology?
- What are some examples of the usage of nanotechnology today?
- The usage of nanoparticles in medicines
- What about the re-use of nanoparticles?
- Capturing nanoparticles
- Nanotechnology in the ancient world and medieval times
- Current and future research in this area

Also featured is the listener of the episode.

Download MP3 of Ep 90

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089 - Dr Daniel Price - Stellar Formation

brainsmatter — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:02:40 +0000

I talk to Dr Daniel Price, Monash Fellow from the School of Mathematics at Monash University in Melbourne Australia, about how stars form. We discuss:

- Star formation
- What constitutes a star?
- The first stars in the universe
- Current star formation
- For a given gas cloud, how many stars typically form?
- The Jeans Mass
- The initial mass function
- The evolution of massive stars v regular stars
- What happens to dead stars?
- Formation of stars in clusters and binaries
- The role of turbulence in star formation

Promo in this episode is for Skepticality

Also featured are listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 89

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