Trust Me, I'm An Expert
by The Conversation
The Conversation's editors bring you the most insightful, fascinating, surprising analysis and stories from the academic world. We're asking the experts to bust the myths, explain the science and put the news headlines into context. Join us as we take a deep dive into the big ideas driving our world.
Episodes
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250 years since Captain Cook landed in Australia, it’s time to acknowledge the violence of first encounters
DAVID CROSLING/AAP Captain James Cook arrived in the Pacific 250 years ago, triggering British colonisation of the region. We’re asking researchers to reflect on what happened and how it shapes us today. You can see other stories in the series here and an interactive here. Aboriginal and Torres...
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An honest reckoning with Captain Cook’s legacy won’t heal things overnight. But it’s a start
Uncle Fred Deeral as little old man in the film The Message, by Zakpage, to be shown at the National Museum of Australia in April. Nik Lachajczak of Zakpage, Author provided (no reuse) Captain James Cook arrived in the Pacific 250 years ago, triggering British colonisation of the region. We’re...
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Childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, menopause, 75+: how your diet should change with each stage of life
Shutterstock In today’s episode, Clare Collins, a Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle, explains how our diets might need to change depending on what stage of life we’re in. The Conversation’s Phoebe Roth started by asking: what should kids be eating and how much...
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What does the coronavirus pandemic sound like? The voices of people struggling, secluding and surviving around the world
AAP/EPA/ANDY RAIN What does the COVID-19 pandemic sound like? For this episode, Dallas Rogers – a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney – asked academic colleagues from all over the world to open up the voice recorder on their phones and...
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Coronavirus and COVID-19: your questions answered by virus experts
What do you need to know about COVID-19 and coronavirus? We asked our readers for their top questions and sought answers from two of Australia’s leading virus and vaccine experts. Today’s podcast episode features Professor Michael Wallach and Dr Lisa Sedger – both from the School of Life Sciences...
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We asked astronomers: are we alone in the Universe? The answer was surprisingly consistent
Shutterstock Are we alone in the Universe? The expert opinion on that, it turns out, is surprisingly consistent. “Is there other life in the Universe? I would say: probably,” Daniel Zucker, Associate Professor of astronomy at Macquarie University, tells astrophysics student and The Conversation’s...
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More than 70% of the Universe is made of ‘dark energy’, the mysterious stuff even stranger than dark matter
Shutterstock You’ve heard of dark matter. You’ve probably heard there’s a fair bit of it out there in space, and that astronomers don’t know for sure what it is. But, strange as dark matter is, there’s an even more mysterious thing out there in the Universe – and quite a lot of it. Dark energy,...
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‘Futuring’ can help us survive the climate crisis. And guess what? You’re a futurist too
When we are imagining this time, next year, are we limiting our thinking to how we avoid the conditions we faced in this summer? Or are there bigger questions we can ask? Shutterstock Editor’s note: Today, on Trust Me, I’m An Expert, we hear from Clare Cooper, design lecturer at the University of...
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The Dish in Parkes is scanning the southern Milky Way, searching for alien signals
The Parkes radio telescope can detect extremely weak signals coming from the most distant parts of the Universe. Shutterstock For John Sarkissian, operations scientist at the CSIRO Parkes radio telescope, astronomy has been his life’s passion – starting from the age of six. “When I was six years...
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‘The size, the grandeur, the peacefulness of being in the dark’: what it’s like to study space at Siding Spring Observatory
Today we hear about some of the fascinating space research underway at Siding Spring Observatory – and how, despite gruelling hours and endless paperwork, astronomers retain their sense of wonder for the night sky. Shutterstock How did our galaxy form? How do galaxies evolve over time? Where did...
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Antibiotic resistant superbugs kill 32 plane-loads of people a week. We can all help fight back
Antibiotics can be a wonder for treating bacterial infections – but we need to be cautious in how we use them. From shutterstock.com You might think antibiotic resistance is something to worry about in the distant future. But it’s already having a deadly impact today. The number of people dying...
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Nearly all your devices run on lithium batteries. Here’s a Nobel Prizewinner on his part in their invention – and their future
Lithium ion batteries revolutionised the way we use, manufacture and charge our devices. They’re used to power mobile phones, laptops and even electric cars. Shutterstock British-born scientist M. Stanley Whittingham, of Binghamton University, was one of three scientists who won the 2019 Nobel...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: forensic entomology, or what bugs can tell police about when someone died
Maggots are a major part of the puzzle when it comes to collecting forensic evidence. Shutterstock A few episodes ago, we heard from forensic scientists at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) – that’s the official name for what, in books and movies, they would…
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: what science says about how to lose weight and whether you really need to
Have you been told by your doctor to consider dropping a few kilos? The good news is that often even a small amount of weight loss can improve your health outlook. shutterstock Everywhere you turn these days, there’s a diet ad, or family member or friend raving about some new diet that apparently...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: Queensland still mystifies too many politicians but its needs are surprisingly simple
Are southern-born politicians talking about a state they essentially don't understand? Shutterstock The dust has well and truly settled on Scott Morrison’s surprise victory in this year’s federal election but opinion is still divided on exactly what happened in Queensland. Why did Labor perform…
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: Why the Hong Kong protesters feel they have nothing to lose
Protesters holding umbrellas amid heavy rain march in an anti-government rally in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. AAP/EPA/VIVEK PRAKASH Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people again took to the streets in Hong Kong to protest against the government – the 11th straight weekend of demonstrations that...
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What’s the next ‘giant leap’ for humankind in space? We asked 3 space experts
Today, we're asking two astrophysicists and a planetary scientist: what's the likelihood we'll be living on Mars or the Moon in future? Pixabay/WikiImages, CC BY You’ve probably heard that this week marks 50 years since humans first set foot on the Moon – a feat that still boggles the mind given...
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‘This is going to affect how we determine time since death’: how studying body donors in the bush is changing forensic science
Research underway at the University of Technology, Sydney's AFTER facility is yielding some surprising new findings about how bodies decompose in the Australian bush. Supplied by UTS, Author provided (no reuse) On the outskirts of Sydney, in a secret bushland location, lies what’s officially…
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‘People felt totally trapped’: what it’s like to be a pensioner renting privately as Australia’s housing costs soar
Older private renters are far more likely to experience loneliness than their counterparts in social housing and that loneliness can be acute. Shutterstock A growing number of older Australians don’t own their homes. And whether they are private renters or live in social housing can make a big...
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India election 2019: millions of Indian youth are underemployed and going to the polls
Indian general elections begin April 11. vepar5/shutterstock Here’s an astonishingly large number. Around 900 million Indians are heading to the polls to decide if they want to reelect the current government of Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). India Tomorrow…
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Nimbin before and after: local voices on how the 1973 Aquarius Festival changed a town forever
A scene at the Aquarius Festival, Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY-SA, CC BY-SA Today, Trust Me, I’m An Expert brings you a special episode carried across from another Conversation podcast, Essays On Air. In the north-east corner of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales...
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‘Labor will win this election. I think that’s virtually unquestionable’: political scientist Andy Marks on #AusVotes2019 and the key issues in NSW
Political scientist Andy Marks says: ‘I’d suggest the momentum is with Labor and it hasn’t substantially shifted’. AAP Image/NIC ELLIS We are but a few weeks from a federal election, and the way the wind is blowing may depend on what state you’re in. Trust Me, I’m An Expert – along with Politics...
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The myth of ‘the Queensland voter’, Australia’s trust deficit, and the path to Indigenous recognition
Today we're asking: what Queensland seats are the ones to watch on election night? How to give Indigenous Australians a true voice in politics? And how can we improve trust in the political system? Shutterstock Today we’re bringing you a special discussion about the federal election that took…
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Mukurtu: an online dilly bag for keeping Indigenous digital archives safe
Mukurtu is a Warumungu word meaning “dilly bag” or a safe keeping place for sacred materials. Nina Maile Gordon/The Conversation CC-NY-BD Reader advice: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article may contain images of people who have died. A few years ago, the…
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PODCAST: Michelle Grattan, Peter Martin and Tim Colebatch on the election-eve budget chock full of sweeteners
Today on Trust Me I'm An Expert, we're bringing you a special episode carried across from The Conversation podcast Politics with Michelle Grattan. Mick Tsikas(AAP)/The Conversation/Shutterstock Today’s federal budget, as predicted, was chock full of sweeteners designed to woo voters on the eve of...
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It’s your money they’re spending in this election-eve budget. Here’s how we’re covering the story
In Tuesday night's budget we can expect a last ditch attempt to woo voters ahead of the election in May. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas Next Tuesday night is budget night, and it’s happening on the eve of a federal election where the Coalition is in for the fight of its life to hold onto government. The...
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Mark Latham in the upper house? A Coalition minority government? The NSW election is nearly upon us and it’s going to be a wild ride
It's a fight for a rapidly vanishing centre, which will make passing bills difficult for whoever wins. Chris Pavlich/Dean Lewins(AAP) We are but weeks away from an election in New South Wales – polling day is on March 23 – and it will be eagerly watched. Not just for the outcome but for the...
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‘I think we should be very concerned’: A cyber crime expert on this week’s hack and what needs to happen next
Shutterstock/AAP/The Conversartion When Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced this week that a “sophisticated state actor” had targeted the big Australian political parties in a major cyber attack, the revelation threw up more questions than answers. Who did it and how? What data did they get...
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A refugee law expert on a week of ‘reckless’ rhetoric and a new way to process asylum seeker claims
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other Coalition MPs described Labor as weak on borders after the opposition and the crossbench voted to pass a bill allowing medical transfers from Manus and Nauru. AAP/Mick Tsikas Today, we’re bringing you a special episode of our podcast Trust Me, I’m An Expert...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: how to spot the work of a political spin doctor this election season
Today, experts reveal the tips and tricks spin doctors use to shape the political messages you’re hearing every day - especially during election campaigns. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas It’s February, the holidays seem like a distant memory and here we are barrelling toward a federal election, which the...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: What research says about how to stick to your New Year’s resolutions
Ready for all the research-backed tips and tricks for setting a goal and meeting it? www.shutterstock.com, CC BY It’s that time of year when we all start to make promises to ourselves about how this year it’ll be different. This is the year I’ll get my health in order, exercise more, save money,...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: the science of sleep and the economics of sleeplessness
You know you're not supposed to do this -- but you do. Shutterstock How did you sleep last night? If you had anything other than eight interrupted hours of peaceful, restful sleep then guess what? It’s not that bad – it’s actually pretty normal. We recently asked five sleep researchers if…
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: Food fraud, the centuries-old problem that won’t go away
What is in these products? And if additives don't affect your health, would you care? Shutterstock What have you eaten today? And how much do you know about how it was produced, what was added to it along the way, and how it made its way to your plate? Even as most of us grow increasingly removed...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: Cyclone season approacheth, but this year there’s a twist
The Bureau of Meteorology's tropical cyclone outlook is out today. AAP Image/Bureau of Meteorology, Japan Meteorological Agency Australia has just had its driest September on record, and the second driest month ever: the only drier month was April 1902. The Bureau of Meteorology’s tropical…
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: Australia’s extreme weather
Australia's cyclone season lies ahead. NASA / ESRSU / Seán Doran, CC BY-NC-SA It’s easy to write off Australia’s extreme weather as business as usual. We deal with floods, droughts, cyclones and other wild events every year. But as climate change raises global temperatures, are the droughts...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: How augmented reality may one day make music a visual, interactive experience
Could music one day be something we experience through augmented reality, responding to the way we move through the world? Sound supplemented with colours and shapes? Mavis Wong/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SA You probably heard your first strains of music when you were in utero. From then on...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: what the huge HILDA survey reveals about your economic well-being, health and family life
The enormous Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey tells the stories of the same group of Australians over the course of their lives. Mavis Wong/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SA On today’s episode of the podcast, we’re talking about what one of Australia’s biggest...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: What is sport worth?
Alvaro Mendoza/Unsplash, CC BY-SA Even if you’re no great sports fan, you may have noticed a lot of it around lately. There were the Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, and now we’re halfway through the 2018 FIFA World Cup. What isn’t always so obvious is the money and the diplomatic…
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: The explainer episode
After this episode, you'll be able to explain how quantum mechanics affects everything from the way your jeans are cut to the headphones you use. Cindy Zhi/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SA Today on Trust Me, I’m An Expert, we’re bringing you the explainer episode - where we ask researchers to...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: ‘Dancing out of depression’ – how Syrian refugees are using exercise to improve mental health
Dr Simon Rosenbaum in Gaziantep, Turkey, with participants in an exercise program for Syrian refugees. Simon Rosenbaum , Author provided (no reuse) A growing body of research is drawing a link between mental and physical health – and the connection is much stronger than you might realise. Simon...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: Brain-zapping, the curious case of the n-rays and other stories of evidence
Evidence isn't always as straightforward as it might first seem. Mai Lam/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SA You’ve had an x-ray before but have you had an n-ray? Of course not, because they’re not real. But people used to think they were. Scientists had shown they were. And the weird history of...
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Trust Me I’m An Expert: The science of pain
Pain lets us know when there is something wrong, but sometimes our brains can trick us. Mai Lam/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SA As many as one in five Australians suffer from chronic and recurring pain. But despite its prevalence, it’s not always easy to find the help you need to manage it....
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Trust Me I’m An Expert: Why February is the real danger month for power blackouts
There are ways we can stay cool in a heat wave without blasting air con at peak times. AAP Image/TRACEY NEARMY It’s been hot – and it’s going to get hotter. Australia has experienced some record hot days in recent weeks and scientists say Sydney and Melbourne need to prepare for 50°C days by the...
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Trust Me, I’m an Expert: Risk
A time of change is upon us. How do you balance risk and reward? REUTERS/Laurent Dubrule Ah, the new year. A time for throwing off your shackles, following your bliss, quitting your job and abandoning your family to finally start the artisinal yak-butter-sculpture studio of your dreams. But big...
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Marrying across Australia’s Catholic-Protestant divide
John and Helen Haynes on their wedding day in 1962. John, a Protestant, was cut out of three wills after marrying Helen, a Catholic. Siobhan McHugh, Author provided These days, when Australians of Irish Catholic descent have occupied the highest positions in the land, it may seem hollow to talk…
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: Competition
Sibling competition may have played a bigger role in human evolution than you thought. Flickr/Dmitry Boyarin, CC BY-SA Did you fight with a brother or sister when you were little? Do you still? According to Rob Brooks, professor of evolutionary ecology at UNSW, sibling competition has played a…
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: a lawyer, a biblical scholar and a fact-checker walk into the same-sex marriage debate…
Our first episode of Trust Me, I'm An Expert tackles the debate unfolding as Australia contemplates changing the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couple to marry. Axel Heimken/dpa Where should the line fall between protecting people’s right to hold religious beliefs and the right to be free from...
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Trust Me, I’m An Expert: a new podcast from The Conversation
On this podcast, academic experts separate the signal from the noise, the data from the anecdotes, explain the science, look at the peer-reviewed evidence and ignore the media hype. The Conversation, CC BY-ND Trust Me, I’m An Expert is a new monthly podcast from The Conversation, where we bring…
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About this show
The Conversation's editors bring you the most insightful, fascinating, surprising analysis and stories from the academic world. We're asking the experts to bust the myths, explain the science and put the news headlines into context. Join us as we take a deep dive into the big ideas driving our world.
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The Conversation