Category: That’s What I Call Science Episodes

Whether you’re the hardest beauty around, a diamond in the rough, or perhaps a girl’s best friend, there’s no doubting the reputation of the most sought after mineral on earth. But how do diamonds come to exist, where do they travel from, and are there any in Tasmania? These are some of the core questions that we cover in this week’s episode when we’re joined by special guest geologist Adam Abersteiner, PhD researcher from the University of Tasmania. Listen in for a journey that takes up from the depths of the Earth, with extreme temperature and pressures yielding some of the most precious and scientifically-scintillating rocks! This week’s geological discussions also showcase the key role of Tasmanian research towards the search for diamonds & finding what lies beneath us, beyond the physical limits of exploration!

Special guest: Adam Abersteiner, PhD researcher, University of Tasmania

Image: Diamond in situ within kimberlite rock (courtesy of Adam Abersteiner)

Intro music: adapted from Kevin McLeod Retro Future Nasty

This week we’re talking about a risk factor for developing dementia-related diseases; traumatic brain injuries. We hear from two current PhD candidates from the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre; Ross Langley and Olivia Holloway.
Get in touch with the team with questions, feedback or future topic suggestions:
Twitter: @nowscienceTAS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowscienceTAS/
Instagram: @nowsciencetas_

This week we cut through the jargon about bioplastics. We interviewed Councillor Bill Harvey about the impending plastics crisis, the processes occurring in the Hobart City Council to remedy these issues and Hobart’s green waste future. 

Gamers are only those that sit on their computers delving into a virtual world for hours on end right? Nope! Gamers includes a wide variety of people and the potential of gaming to enhance a multitude of tasks by making them more fun applies broadly. This week we are looking at using technology based games for health from helping to motivate people to do their stroke rehab recovery to supporting people to quit smoking. Listen in to hear about the many ways gaming is applied to health in Tasmania and some of the challenges faced by those who have tried to put it into practice.

Although recreational marijuana is illegal in Australia, medical marijuana has been legalised here since 2016. But what’s the difference? And why can’t you just go ask your doctor for a script right now? Join us as we puff on about the science behind medical marijuana and the ground-breaking research on it happening right here in Tassie! This week we hear from Dr Sandra Garland, an agricultural researcher working on growing Tasmanian medical marijuana, and Luke Ney, a medical research PhD student working on the natural cannabinoids in the human body. 

Hosts: Niamh Chapman and Allanna Russell

The blood coursing through your body carries so much information that can tell a story about your health. Today, we are talking about blood pressure. Have you ever wondered how fast your blood flows and how much pressure it is putting on your heart and arteries? We will be covering what we measured when we look at blood pressure, how people develop high blood pressure and the problems that can lead to and how local researchers are looking for solutions to improve blood pressure measurement. 

We are lucky to have Dr Dean Picone joining us in studio and have feature interviews with Prof. James Sharman and Matthew Armstrong. 

Host: Niamh Chapman

This week we have a special co-host Nicole Hellessey from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. Nicole’s work has focused on Antarctic krill oils and the krill fishery. For more information about Nicole follow her on Twitter (@PolarNicole). We interviewed Professor Stephen Nicol to ask the important questions, the krill fishery is sustainable? Here’s a link to more information on krill from his new book (https://islandpress.org/books/curious-life-krill).

We also interviewed Laura Sutton on the use of krill oil for osteoarthritis. More info about trials running on this can be found here: https://www.menzies.utas.edu.au/research/diseases-and-health-issues/research-projects/karaoke

Acknowledgements:

Episode cover image: Stephen Nicol

Intro music: adapted Kevin McLeod Retro Future Nasty.

What’s happening in your body when you’re getting down and dirty? Why does it feel so good when you do your favourite bedroom moves? During this week’s explicit episode, we discuss the science behind sexual pleasure with excellent insights from a Tasmanian sexologist, Richelle Menzies from Sensual Potential.

Acknowledgements:
Episode cover image: Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Intro music: adapted Kevin McLeod Retro Future Nasty.

Join us as we explore the plastic polluting our oceans, from local shores to the deep blue sea. We met with Tasmanian based researchers, Catarina Serra Goncalves, Megan Grant and Peter Puskic from Institute for Marine and Antartic Studies UTAS and Adrift Lab – Save Our Seabirds. 

We’ll be talking about how seabirds help us uncover the scale of plastic pollution in the sea as the fill us in on their research projects ranging from the hidden effects of plastic pollution, the impact on nutrition for wildlife and policies that could promote positive change. 

For more information:

https://adriftlab.org

Twitter: @AdriftLab

Instagram: adriftlabscience

Facebook: adrift lab – save our seabirds. 

Image credit: Peter Puskic. 

Most of us know that there are bacteria and other bugs breaking down food in our gut, but did you know these bacteria can affect everything from inflammation to your mental health? We discuss how the digestion of fibre in the gut can lead to changes elsewhere in the body, and how the bacteria in your gut can change across your lifetime. And how could we discuss gut bacteria without touching on the emerging science of poo transplants? Join us to find out what they are, how they work, and how they are already curing diseases!

Special Guests:
Olivia Swann – PhD candidate at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Associate Professor Raj Eri – Head of Biomedical Sciences at UTAS Newnham Campus

Acknowledgements:
Intro music: adapted Kevin McLeod Retro Future Nasty.