Shirtloads of Science
by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Dr Karl's a curious optimist. Join him as he explores the latest developments in science with leading researchers and communicators. And remember, it's never too late for a happy childhood. Series Producer: Isabelle BentonTechnical Producer: Maya CookContact: [email protected] Shirtloads on Youtube!www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5v8fnD27rc&list=PLbDH9bxN-EryKiiRoeFnOm0Ejif3-rdIx
Episodes
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Lost In Space With Dr. Kirsten Banks (495)
This week, Dr Kirsten Banks drops by to talk about her awesome new book, Lost in Space, a collection of short stories celebrating the wonders of astronomy. We dig into fun facts and stories, like how tea leaves saved the International Space Station, where the elements came from, and the "potato...
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Inside Apollo Mission Control With Gerry Griffin (494)
This week we're joined by Gerry Griffin, an aeronautical engineer and Apollo flight director who worked on every single moon landing during the Apollo mission, from Apollo 11 to Apollo 17. In this chat, he shares how the Mission Control team worked to manage each mission, second by second, in...
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The GLP-1 Side Effect Everyone Ignores With Professor Clare Collins (493)
When Robbie Williams announced he had been diagnosed with scurvy earlier this year, Professor Clare Collins was relieved… why?! Because he was bringing attention to a major issue arising from the use of the popular class of weight loss medications, GLP-1s. Professor Collins joins me on Shirtloads...
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OpenAI's Rogue AI: A Real-World Cyberattack Explained with Dr. Petr Levedev (492)
In mid-2026, a swarm of AI agents coordinated a cyberattack on Hugging Face, a platform where machine learning communities can collectively work to improve AI models and capabilities. This breach happened without human supervision. Friend of the show and science communicator Dr. Petr Lebedev…
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The Universe's Mathematical Twin With Marcus Chown [Bonus Episode] (491)
Science writer and journalist Marcus Chown returns for a shorter, more philosophical chat. When Einstein first proposed gravitational waves, atoms hadn't even been discovered, so who knows what the next century holds? We dig into the strange idea of the universe's "mathematical twin," and discuss...
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Gravity's Missing Particle With Marcus Chown (490)
Science writer and former astrophysicist Marcus Chown joins us to discuss the elusive graviton - the theoretical particle behind gravity. In this chat we dig into the four fundamental forces of nature, why gravity is so uniquely hard to pin down, and why detecting a graviton would require a...
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Reality Q&A: Live from Willoughby Library with Geraint Lewis (489)
A bonus episode straight from the audience at Geraint Lewis' book launch for "The Shortest History of Reality." Listeners fire off some big questions: where do we sit with the 95% of the universe we can't explain? What is dark energy? Why does time feel so different experientially? Along with…
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Reality Check: An Astrophysicist's View of Reality with Geraint Lewis Part One (488)
Join us for a special live episode of Shirtloads of Science, recorded at Willoughby Library for the launch of Professor Geraint Lewis' new book, "The Shortest History of Reality" - a compelling journey tracing the evolution of humanity's understanding of reality. In this live session, Geraint...
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More with Toby Hagon: The EV Deep Dive Continues (487)
Motor journalist Toby Hagon returns to Shirtloads of Science for round two on electric vehicles. Toby shares how he got into motoring journalism and what the job really involves. We break down 400V vs 800V batteries, charge cycles, and the reality of battery degradation, decode WLTP vs NEDC...
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Charged Up: All Things Electric Vehicles With Toby Hagon (486)
Motor journalist Toby Hagon joins Shirtloads of Science to talk all things electric vehicles. We break down the often-confused difference between kilowatts and kilowatt-hours, compare EVs against petrol cars on performance, energy use, and cost, and explore everything from single to quad-motor...
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Growing Mini Retinas To Fight Blindness With Anai Gonzalez-Cordero (485)
Associate Professor Anai Gonzalez-Cordero joins us on Shirtloads to explore the remarkable world of stem cells and how they can develop into almost any cell in the human body! She explains how her team is using stem cell technology to better understand and develop potential treatments for…
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Beyond "Survival of the Fittest" with Rowan Hooper (484)
What if evolution isn't just about the survival of the fittest? Rowan Hooper, senior editor at New Scientist, joins Shirtloads to discuss his new book Togetherness - a challenge to the idea that nature is defined purely by competition. From the fig and wasp's ancient partnership to the…
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In Dedication: Richard Scolyer on Risk, Hope and Radical Cancer Treatment (483)
This conversation was originally recorded and published in November, 2024. In light of Richard's passing, we wanted to share it again because his insights remain as inspiring and relevant as ever. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
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Beasts Behaving Badly with Dr. Ann Jones (482)
Dr. Ann Jones joins me to chat about her hilarious new What the Duck? series, Nature's Most Wanted, which dives into the wild world of criminal animals. We investigate some of nature's strangest case files… a duck caught speeding (twice), drug-addicted parrots, an underwear-nicking cat, drunk...
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Seaweed! The Humble Organism Fighting Climate Change with Assoc. Prof. Alex Campbell (481)
Marine Ecologist Assoc. Professor Alex Campbell takes us into the wonderful, under-appreciated world of seaweed and makes the case that it might be one of our most powerful allies against climate change! We dive into seaweed's evolutionary history and the troubling decline now underway: as ocean...
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Why Weight Loss Drugs Don't Work On Their Own Dr. Nick Fuller (480)
I'm joined by Dr Nick Fuller to dissect the long-term effectiveness of weight loss medications and why lasting results do actually require more than medication alone. Nick explains why evidence-based behavioural weight management programs remain the first-line approach to weight loss built on…
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Inside Microsoft's Global Research Lab With Dr. Peter Lee (479)
This episode I'm joined by Dr Peter Lee, Head of Research at Microsoft, to explore the ideas shaping the future of technology. Leading 14 research laboratories globally and overseeing a research and development program that receives more than 10% of Microsoft's overall budget, Dr Lee shares his...
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The (Not So) Boring Billion with Prof. Dietmar Müller (478)
In this episode, we speak with Dietmar Müller about the "Boring Billion", a seemingly quiet period in Earth's deep history that may have been crucial for the evolution of complex life. Drawing on his latest research, Müller explains how plate tectonics, passive continental margins, and volcanic...
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Solving a Cosmic Radio Signal Mystery with Kovi Rose (477)
Astronomer and soon-to-be Dr. Kovi Rose joins us to discuss his newly published Nature Astronomy paper on one of the universe's newest mysteries: strange repeating flashes of radio waves and X-rays coming form deep within our galaxy! His team's discovery of ASKAP J174 has helped identify the…
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Coffee & Blood Pressure Explained with Prof. Clare Collins (476)
Professor Clare Collins returns to the pod to answer a common question: does coffee raise your blood pressure? We also discuss how genetics influence whether you're a fast or slow caffeine metaboliser, the beneficial phytonutrients found in coffee, why decaf still has health benefits, and when...
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The Hidden Health Benefits of Honey with Prof. Clare Collins (475)
Friend of the pod Professor Clare Collins returns to dive down into the sticky depths of the surprisingly powerful world of honey - far beyond being "just a sugary liquid". From the hallucinogenic "mad honey" of the Rhododendrons to the science behind medical-grade honey dressings that can heal...
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The Hunt for Dark Matter with Dr. Theresa Fruth (474)
What is the universe actually made of? Particle physicist Theresa Fruth join us at Shirtloads to explore one of science's greatest unsolved mysteries - dark matter! Making up roughly 85% of the universe, yet appearing in none of our known particles, dark matter is invisible, elusive and almost...
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The Human Cost of One Degree with Prof. Ollie Jay (473)
Professor Ollie Jay, a leading expert in heat and health, returns to Shirtloads to discuss the growing toll of climate change on human wellbeing and global economics. Insights drawn from the latest Lancet Countdown report show that over half a million people die from heat-related causes each…
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Incidental Exercise with Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis (472)
In this episode, we speak with Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis about Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) - short bursts of high-intensity movement built into everyday life, like walking briskly or carrying groceries. With only a quarter of adults exercising regularly, his...
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Dumb Stuff In Space with Assoc. Prof. Michael Brown (471)
We're living through the great Space Boom and with great innovation comes a lot of whacky ideas... Astronomer and Associate Professor Michael Brown from Monash University joins me to discuss stupid things in space. The conversation dives into some of the more bizarre and ambitious ideas…
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Using Soundwaves To Measure The Sun with Prof. Conny Aerts (470)
In this episode I sit down with Professor Conny Aerts, a pioneering mathematician and founding figure of astroseismology, who reveals how scientists are "listenting" to stars to understand what's happening deep inside them. From oscillating stars to solar sunquakes, she explains how sound waves…
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How To Die in the 21st Century with Dr. Hannah Gould (469)
We're scared to say the D word! But why is talking about death such a taboo? Dr. Hannah Gould, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Melbourne, joins me to discuss the topic in the wake of the release of her new book 'How To Die in the 21st Century'. The discussion dives in to the modern...
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How Two Students Fixed the Focus of James Webb from Earth with Prof. Peter Tuthil, Dr. Louis Desdoigts & Max Charles (468)
When a problem with the James Webb Space Telescope left its images frustratingly out of focus, the solution wasn't fixed in space... it was fixed from Earth. At the University of Sydney, PhD students Dr. Louis Desdoigts and Max Charles spent two years rewriting and refining code to recalibrate a...
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Forensic Science: Fact, Fiction, and Failure with Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde and Hannah Jarman (467)
This episode features Dr. Linzi Wilson-Wilde and Hannah Jarman discussing the realities of forensic science beyond shows like CSI. Through cases such as the Phantom of Heilbronn case and Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, they explore how flawed evidence and forensic myths have contributed to wrongful...
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The Wellness Woo Economy with Kate Thomas (466)
Pharmacist and science communicator Kate Thomas shares how a viral debunking video launched her into the world of online health education. In this episode we explore the booming "wellness woo" economy and sift through the weeds on why misleading short-form content spreads so easily and the risks…
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The Hidden Health Impact of Microplastics with Prof. Michaela Lucas (465)
***Prof Lucas would like to provide the following clarification in regards to comments relating to prenatal BPA exposure and male autism spectrum disorder: "A positive association between high prenatal BPA exposure and ASD diagnosis was only seen in male offspring with a genetic predisposition to...
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Deepfakes Online and The Future of Truth with Dr. Anna Broinowski (464)
I'm joined by Dr. Anna Broinowski - Senior Lecturer and Director of the Master of Film and Screen Arts at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney - to unpack the rise of deepfakes and synthetic media. We discuss the emergence of deepfake pornography in 2017, the fact that around 90% of...
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The Rise In Nitrous Misuse with Assoc. Prof. Angela Chiew (463)
Nitrous oxide (better known as "laughing gas") is widely used in medicine as a safe anaesthetic and pain reliever. It's also found in whipped cream canisters and even used in car engines. But Angela Chiew, toxicologist and Associate Professor at UNSW, joins me to set the record straight: the...
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Will AI Take Our Jobs? Part Three of the Great AI Safety Debrief with Dr. Petr Lebedev (462)
In the final episode of the Great AI Safety Debrief series with Dr. Petr Lebedev, we discuss job eradication, AI alignment and the rise in cases of AI deceiving humans. Petr unpacks ideas like AI scheming, situation awareness, parasitic relationships between humans and machines, and even the...
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Is AI Outsmarting Us? Part Two of the Great AI Safety Debrief with Dr. Petr Lebedev (461)
In part two, Dr. Petr Lebedev and I dive deeper into how modern AI systems are grown, not programmed, and the emergence of Shutdown Resistance. We explore AI performance in math and coding competitions, the rapid evolution of ChatGPT models, and why companies are already letting AI write the...
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The Great AI Safety Debrief Part One with Dr. Petr Lebedev (460)
Intelligence is emerging from sand and less than 1% of the population seems to care! Physicist and science communicator Dr. Petr Lebedev joins the podcast following his SXSW talk to explore the rapid advancement of AI and how it's dramatically shifting the global status quo. From completing a PhD...
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The Milky Way's Mysterious Glow with Prof. Geraint Lewis (459)
A mysterious glow from the centre of the Milky Way has scientists intrigued. Astrophysicist Geraint Lewis explains how this gamma-ray excess, first detected in 2009, could be evidence of dark matter particles interacting deep in our galaxy. With dark matter believed to make up a vast, invisible...
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Food Additives: What's Safe, What's Not? with Prof. Clare Collins (451) [REPEAT]
In this episode, I'm joined by Professor Clare Collins, Australian dietitian and Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle. Clare is my go-to expert when it comes to all things nutrition, and today she's here to unpack the often confusing world of processed and...
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Staying Safe Online Part 2 with Troy Hunt (439) [REPEAT]
In part two with Online Safety Consultant Troy Hunt (Have I Been Pwned), we unpack the risks of online age verification in light of Australia's social media ban, including the personal data (often times photos or government documents) sites may demand, and how these security practices can be...
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The Human Side of Misinformation Part 2 with Assoc. Prof. Marian-Andrei Rizoiu (445) [REPEAT]
In part two, Associate Professor Marian-Andrei Rizoiu from the University of Technology Sydney explains how misinformation and toxic online cultures spread. We dive into the "manosphere pipeline" targeting boys as young as 10, its real-world impacts on schools and families, and how it can…
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Rethinking Laundry for the Planet With Dr Holly Kaye Smith (430) [REPEAT]
Most of us throw our clothes in the wash without a second thought, but what if that habit is doing more harm than good? In this episode, Dr. Holly Kaye-Smith, social change expert and communications specialist, challenges the way we think about cleanliness, climate action, and everyday laundry....
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Climate Overshoot: The World Beyond 1.5 Degrees with Dr. Andy Reisinger (458)
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Andy Reisinger, an internationally recognised expert in climate change science and policy, with a focus on mitigation and agricultural emissions. Together, we unpack the concept of climate overshoot - why the world is set to exceed the 1.5°C warming limit within...
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More Everyday Consumer Good Facts Part 2 with Ashley Iredale (457)
Consumer technology expert Ashley Iredale returns for part two, bringing more surprising facts about everyday household appliances. We break down why your fridge actually contains more heaters than coolers, demystify the Energy Star rating system, and settle the debate on whether front-loading or...
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Cooking Dinner In Your Dishwasher?! & Other Fun Facts with Ashley Iredale (456)
This episode i'm joined by Ashley Iredale, a consumer technologist and content producer whose winding career through industrial design has armed him with a trove of quirky tips and practical wisdom. Ashley breaks down the real efficiency of hand-washing versus dishwashers, explains how a…
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The Discovery That Changed Astrophysics with Prof. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell (455)
In this episode, I'm joined by the legendary Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell - the pioneering astrophysicist who discovered pulsars, launching an entirely new field of astrophysics. She began her PhD searching for quasars, but soon noticed a strange, repetitive signal appearing night after night…
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Sunscreen Safety in Australia with John Staton (454)
This week I'm joined by John Staton, one of Australia's leading sunscreen-testing experts, to unpack the big headlines surrounding sunscreen safety. A recent Choice report revealed that 16 out of the 20 tested sunscreen products failed to meet their advertised SPF rating by a significant figure....
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What are Time Crystals? with Prof. Geraint Lewis (453)
In this episode, friend of the show and astrophysicist Professor Geraint Lewis returns to help me wrap my head around one of the strangest ideas in modern physics: Time Crystals. After stumbling across a Nature article that left my brain pleasantly scrambled, I called up Geraint for a deep-dive...
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Science in Oz: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with Dr. Catherine Ball (452)
In this episode, futurist and award-winning scientist Dr Catherine Ball dives into the state of science in Australia, uncovering the good, the bad, and the overlooked. From humanoid robotics and wearable exoskeletons transforming healthcare, to Australia's lagging space economy, Ball offers an...
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Innovative Nanotechnology for Cancer Detection with Dr. Renee Goreham (450)
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Renee Goreham, a physicist and nanotechnologist at the University of Newcastle, and passionate science communicator. Renee is an experimental physicist exploring how our breath could hold the key to detecting lung cancer early—by identifying specific proteins as...
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Gene Therapy & Rare Diseases with Assoc. Prof Leszek Lisowski (449)
In this episode, we speak with Associate Professor Leszek Lisowski, Head of the Translational Vectorology Unit at the Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI), about the cutting-edge world of gene therapy. He explains how viral vectors are engineered to deliver life-saving treatments for rare...
About this show
Dr Karl's a curious optimist. Join him as he explores the latest developments in science with leading researchers and communicators. And remember, it's never too late for a happy childhood. Series Producer: Isabelle BentonTechnical Producer: Maya CookContact: [email protected] Shirtloads on Youtube!www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5v8fnD27rc&list=PLbDH9bxN-EryKiiRoeFnOm0Ejif3-rdIx
Hosted by
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki