Science On Top

Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, and Penny Dumsday. Topics covered: Male squids appear to have sex with male and female squids, neutrinos might travel faster than light, and the DNA of an Australian Aborigine gives insights into the early migration out of Africa. Plus the discovery of a gene linking high fat food to diabetes and a study about cooperation in chimpanzees reveals stark differences to humans. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Penny Dumsday, and Lucas Randall. Topics covered: A new clutch of genetic mutations linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, online gamers have deciphered the structure of an enzyme that has long eluded scientists, and Victoria’s dolphins have been formally recognised as a new species. Plus Australia's northward drift has shed light on the causes of long-term sea level change, the James Webb Space Telescope gets a ray of hope, NASA announces a new rocket and the spooky living billboard that advertises the Hollywood blockbuster Contagion.

Hosts: Lucas Randall, Penny Dumsday, Kylie Sturgess. Topics Covered: Diamond planets, climate change and the scientific method Despite winning acclaim for his children's book on evolution, Daniel Loxton faced some challenges getting published in the US Are wild birds learning to speak from their previously domesticated cousins? New study provokes a re-think on dingoes' history It may not be up to sci-fi standards, but 'suspended animation' is ready for clinical trials as a life-saving technique Near-death experiences may indeed be all in the mind, triggered by changes in serotonin levels

Hosts: Lucas Randall, Dr Shayne Joseph and Dr Rachael Dunlop. Topics covered: - Rachael Dunlop's research at the HRI in to the links between motor-neuron disease and blue-green algae- A gene defect appears to cause the most common sight-disorder, near-signtedness or Myopa- A team has found an association between long-term dietary patterns and the bacteria of the human gut- Blood shortages are a global problem, and a French team have now published the results of their study which may be a crucial step towards addressing it - with stem cells- A newly discovered star which formed back when the universe was just a toddler is challenging our current understanding of star-formation- Cognitive dissonance FTW

Hosts: Lucas Randall, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Penny Dumsday. Topics covered: - Jumping genes helped evolution- Cavemen sex gave humans a health boost- International team discovers planet made of diamond- Fossil Discovery Represents New Milestone in Early Mammal Evolution- Kamikaze Satellite Could Be Earth’s Last Defense Against Asteroid- Fossils hints on Earth’s first life- Fruit bacteria to curb dengue

Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall Tom Sidwell and Mike McRae. Topics covered: Scientists reprogrammed the immune system to target cancer cells, and suicide bombing bacteria targets other bacteria. Can evolution be predicted? And a new study reveals the moon may be up to 70 million years younger than we thought. Mike McRae is a science writer for the CSIRO's education department and author of Tribal Science: Brains, Beliefs and Bad Ideas. He blogs at tribalscientist.com and is on Twitter.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall and Simon Taylor. Topics covered:  An electronic temporary tattoo is really really awesome! When developing medications, the differences between men and women - and even individuals - aren't always taken into account. Mealybugs have bacteria living in their bacteria! The European Space Agency plans to hurl a spaceship at an asteroid to see if they can change it's course, and our panel takes the National Science Week Fact or Fiction test.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Penny Dumsday, Lucas Randall and Kylie Sturgess. Topics covered: Earth may have had a second moon billions of years ago, 'comfort food' works not just by taste but also in the gut, and your belly button is a bacterial zoo. Scientists have 'sorta' made sperm in a lab, vampire bats have a molecular heat sensor and is there flowing water on Mars? An award-winning Philosophy teacher with over ten years experience in education, Kylie Sturgess has lectured on teaching critical thinking, feminism, new media and anomalistic beliefs worldwide. She is a member of the JREF Education Advisory Panel and regularly writes editorial for numerous publications and CSI’s ‘Curiouser and Curiouser’ online column. In 2010, Kylie was a co-author of the paper ‘The structure of superstitious action – A further analysis of fresh evidence‘, in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, a peer-reviewed publication. It involves a re-analysis of Wiseman and Watt’s short scales of positive and

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Lucas Randall and Tom Sidwell. Topics covered: People living in polar regions have bigger eyes and bigger brains. Neaderthals might have been wiped out by the sheer numbers of modern humans. Trojan asteroid discovered sharing Earth's orbit. Volcanoes discovered on the moon suggest it was geologically active only 800 million years ago, much more recently than previously thought. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members. Duration:0:28:58

On Thursday Dr. Leslie Cannold - author, ethicist, commentator and award-winning columnist - spoke to a packed audience at Embiggen Books. She spoke about the various social and economic forces undermining trust in science, and what can be done to restore that trust. Embiggen Books is Melbourne's newest bookshop, specialising in scientific and skeptical books. According to their website, they boast “the biggest range of popular science titles instock in the observable universe”. They also have a growing range of technical science books as well as fiction, history, economics and much more. This event was organised by Embiggen Books, Melbourne Skeptics and Melbourne Eastern Hills Skeptics.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall and Belinda Nicholson. Topics covered: Belinda tells us a bit about working at the Gemini South Observatory in Chile, and the possible cancellation of the James Webb Space Telescope. We talk about Pluto's new moon, the mouse that stole a poison-resistance gene from another species, and the mouse that runs a lot more because it's missing a gene. A high school class DNA-tested lots of tea and found some surprising extras. And while talking about that last story, something happened. Not sure what, but the recording stopped abruptly and we never realised. We talked a lot about a how the mass-extinction event that happened right before the dinosaurs started to rule the world, probably happened a lot quicker than previously thought. Ed gives a summary of the study at the end, and links to the story can be found on our website. Belinda Nicholson is an astrophysicist and Masters of Science student at Melbourne University. Duration: 0:40:40

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph, Lucas Randall and Dr. Krystal Evans. Topics covered: We find out about Dr. Krystal's work developing a live malaria vaccine. The internet and search engines are changing how our memory works, a study sheds new light on the effectiveness of carbon sinks, but parks and gardens in cities are often overlooked carbon sinks. Genome-wide association studies lack racial diversity, a 'Roundup Ready' GM lawn could make stronger weeds, and the crops Greenpeace destroyed were of negligible risk. Also scientists have now mapped the complicated genome of the potato and a Great Barrier Reef coral. Dr. Krystal Evans is a regular panellist on 102.7FM Triple R's science program Einstein a Go Go, she's a malaria researcher working at the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute and was instrumental in the Discoveries Need Dollars campaign that we talked about a few weeks ago when science funding was looking like it would be slashed in the Federal Budget. Our theme music, Step On It, k

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, and Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: The end of an era - Space Shuttle Atlantis launches for the last time ever. Is Australia overdue for volcanic eruptions? Polar bears share a common ancestor with brown bears. NASA tests a suit that recycles astronaut's urine, and humans cling to old beliefs even when repeatedly shown contradictory evidence. Shayne and Ed rant about Greenpeace protestors destroying GM wheat experiments. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members. Duration:0:48:45

Hosts: Ed Brown, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Tom Sidwell Topics covered: E coli outbreak blamed on Egyptian fenugreek seeds, Gossamer puts DNA together, Fossils reveal rapid evolution in ancient eyes, Bringing Prehistoric Colors Back to Life, Humans dwarf volcanoes for CO2 emissions, Lord Christopher Monckton interview with Adam Spencer. Tom Sidwell has completed a Bachelor of Science, with majors in immunology and microbiology (minors in molecular biology and biochemistry). He is currently doing honours in Immunology, studying the development of regulatory T cells. He blogs at lymphosite.wordpress.com and is on Twitter at kill3rTcell.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Lucas Randall Topics covered: Should pregnant women sleep on their left? Will the end of the sunspot cycle counteract global warming? Geysers reveal likely ocean on Saturn moon. Do dogs bark because humans guided their evolution? A new ointment could help the treatment of snakebites. New tribe of humans found in Brazil that have had no contact with the outside world. And a technique to control gene expression with the flick of a light switch. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, and Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Ecologists say not to worry about invasive species if they don't cause problems, pristine meteorites suggest the building blocks of life came from outer space, NASA's DAWN probe nearly at the asteroid Vesta, Tamarind seeds regrow nerves and is your coffee causing you to hallucinate? Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members. Duration: 0:36:19.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Simon Taylor Topics covered: DNA Sequencing Germany's 'Super Toxic' E. coli bacteria, Emperor penguins do the Mexican wave, the deepest multi-celled animal ever found, a look at the latest 'link' between mobile phones and cancer, a new look at moral dilemmas in hospitals and how do babies distinguish race? Simon Taylor is a magician, comedian, entertainer and writer with a fascination for the mind. His latest project, Flim Flam, is a weekly comic strip taking a humorous look at pseudo-science and the paranormal. His website is mrsimontaylor.com, he blogs at mrsimontaylor.wordpress.com and tweets at @mrsimontaylor. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday and Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Europe battling massive outbreak of rare and unusual bacterial infection, another look beneath Hawaii knocks islands off their riser pipe, bacteria create hail stones, a stomach bug may be linked to Parkinson’s, low solar activity may have caused a little ice age and a sad farewell to Mars rover Spirit. Our theme music, Step On It, kindly provided by The Upstanding Members. Download here. Duration: 0:41:35

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph and Lucas Randall. Topics covered: Planets without stars, malaria prevents new super-infections, dark energy and other Einstein predictions proven, mobile phones are not killing bees. Our theme music, Step On It, is kindly provided by The Upstanding Members.

Hosts: Ed Brown, Penny Dumsday, Dr. Shayne Joseph Topics covered: Nematodes reveal the secret to a long life, Unusual AIDS vaccine shows promising results in monkeys, Scientists find genetic link to depression, Desk job ups bowel cancer risk. Our theme music, Step On It, is kindly provided by The Upstanding Members.