Brains Matter ©

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

Please vote for this podcast this month at

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

Listen here

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

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:

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

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

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

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.

OG

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

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

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