Shirtloads of Science

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 people with high blood pressure may need to be more cautious with their intake. nomoneynotime.com.au

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 wounds days faster than conventional treatments, Dr. Clare explains why this ancient food deserves a second look.  We dive into honey's beneficial micronutrients, anti-inflammatory properties, and why the nutritional profile can vary dramatically depending on where bees source their pollen. Clare also busts the myth that honey is "bee vomit", revealing the fascinating biology behind how bees actually make honey and why these incredible insects deserve our respect! nomoneynotime.com.au

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 certainly the reason the universe (and us!) exist at all. Theresa and her team are hunting for it anyway. Working 1.2 kilometres underground in a converted gold mine in regional Victoria, they're searching for WIMPs - weakly interacting massive particles - in one of the quietest, most interference-free environments on Earth. The lab is being built out now, and further experiments are on the horizon. We may be closer to one of the biggest discoveries in scientific history than we realise.

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 year, and a million more from fossil fuel pollution - deaths that are largely preventable.  Rising temperatures are quietly reshaping our daily lives, from reducing physical and cognitive productivity, to costing the global economy an estimated trillion dollars annually. But it's not all bleak - Professor Jay highlights that meaningful change is within reach. With the right political action and long-term interventions, we can protect both public health and economic stability - the solutions are already in our hands. 

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 research highlights how incidental activity, when done with enough intensity, can offer meaningful health benefits.  We discuss how VILPA is grounded in observational research and the idea of "exercise snacks" which describes quick, accessible moments of effort that add up. The focus is on helping people recognise and maximise these daily opportunities to improve fitness and support long-term health. 

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 circulating the space industry, from firing villains and radioactive waste in to the sun to deploying giant orbital mirrors to light up Earth's dark side. Brown breaks down why many of these concepts are far less practical than they sound. With over 15,000 satellites circling earth, Brown also examines the promises and downsides of mega-constellations like Starlink, including how they operate and the challenges they pose for astronomers and the environment. It's a fascinating and critical peek in to the intersection of innovation, risk, and imagination in the new space age.

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 can measure the sun's size, age and activity.  Beyond the science, she shares her remarkable journey from a small rural town in Belgium where she had to attend an all-boys school, the only school near her family home. She was expected to become a seamstress but Conny's dreams were beyond this planet, leading her on a path toward becoming a highly acclaimed asteroseismologist.

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 experience of dying, from the pressures of having a 'good death' to the reality of overly medicalised, 'prolonged dwindling'. Hannah unpacks how death isn't just biological but also cultural and legal, raising the question: When does death officially occur? The conversation is an invitation to rethink death - not as something to fear, but as something we can approach with openness, intention, and maybe even a sense of celebration https://www.hannahgould.com/

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 critical instrument designed by Professor Peter Tuthill: the Aperture Masking Interferometer. Their breakthrough sharpened the telescope's infrared vision unlocking clearer views of distant worlds, including volcanic activity on Io, one of Jupiter's moons. In a fitting tribute, the pair even got matching tattoos of the hardware they helped fix! Not only did their work restore clarity to one of humanity's most powerful observatories, it also saved NASA the immense cost and impossibility of repairing the telescope in space.

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 convictions. They also examine common misconceptions around techniques like bite mark analysis, fire investigation, and glass evidence. The conversation emphasises the importance of approaching forensic science holistically, recognising it as just one piece of the broader investigative puzzle. www.epistemicsolutions.com.au/