Lagrange Point Podcast

A fun take on the latest science news with enough data to sink your teeth into. Lagrange Point goes beyond the glossy summary and gets in depth with the research from across the world. Brought to you in partnership with the Young Scientists of Australia. Each week for over five years, from community radio on SYN 90,7 to online podcasts, the Lagrange Point team have delivered a funny but interesting take on science from a young person's perspective. Gone is industry jargon and narrow focus and in it's place is real insights into the science and it's benefits. Come hang out with us at the Lagrange Point. Find us on Soundcloud, Castbox, Stichter, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. https://lagrangepointpodcast.weebly.com/

Episode 273 - Volcanoes across the world - keeping track of potential disasters

With Kilauea erupting, we look at the science of volcanoes and how we can keep better tabs on these rumbling giants of geology. From infra-sound monitoring, to tracking disappearing lava lakes.

05-08
18:03

Episode 272 - Better Zika virus treatments and making it work for us

We check in on the latest research into the Zika Virus. How have our efforts to detect and treat this virus progressed since the outbreak of 2015/16? Are there new and novel ways of tackling Zika (and other mosquito born viruses) and can we make the Zika Virus work for us rather than against us?

05-08
19:53

Episode 271 - Cleaning up our own mess - innovative new recycling methods

Now that China has banned importing rubbish, we really have to find innovative new ways to clean up our mess. We look at new solutions from dissolving plastic in enzymes, to making new steel from scrap cars to zero-waste phones.

05-08
16:28

Episode 270 - Heart racing sport, slowing aging and detecting doping

Is watching a sporting event hard work for your heart? Can you slow down ageing...by skiing? What is the state of the arms race between Doping Athletes and Governing bodies across the globe? Can we measure the effectiveness of the testing procedures of groups like WADA? We find out about some odd, but thought provoking research into sport science.

05-08
22:50

Episode 269 - Finding their way through the magnetosphere with quantum mechanics and chemistry

How do animals from bacteria to birds manage to use the Earth's magetnic field to navigate? Do we know how or why? What potential mechanisms are out there and how does quantum mechanics get involved?

05-08
19:38

Episode 268 - Farewell Tiangong 1, space stations and managing space debris

We say farewell to Tiangong-1 ("Heavenly place 1"), China's first foray into space stations as it comes crashing to earth and we look forward into the future for space station development. We also find out how scientists across the world plan to tackle the problem of space junk and keep space safe for years to come.

05-08
19:07

Episode 267 - Water, water everywhere, make it safe to drink

Making water safe to drink is a problem for the largest cities all the way down to the most remote of communities. We look at the challenges to making water safe to drink, and some innovative new research looking to make it easier to obtain safe drinking water.

05-08
21:47

Episode 266 - Strange ways of fighting antibacterial resistance from platypus milk to cooking an egg

This week we find out some strange and new ways scientists are hunting for a new weapons in the antimicrobial resistance arms race. Including turning to platypus milk for guidance, cooking the insides of bacteria like an egg and blocking it from even spreading. Plus we get an update on Mammal March Madness.

05-07
17:43

Episode 265 -March Mammal Madness preview, uncovering Tardigrades and the history of lungs

t's time for March Mammal Madness 2018, where the greatest mammals from the past and the future face off against each other in performance science battles. Although this year it also features creatures from the past (Antecessors) and even some alt!mammals! This week we preview the tournament, along with checking out some latest scientific research form across the world on some of the competitors like the Tardigrades along with finding out about the development of that mammalian trait that helped us breath better.

05-07
18:42

Episode 264 - Peering back in time to light from the first stars

How do you peer back in time to see the light from the first stars? Well the EDGES team did just that and may have unlocked not one but two different secrets to the early universe.

05-07
20:49

Episode 263 -The science of marginal gains at the Winter Olympics

Did the science of marginal gains help athletes win gold at the Olympics? Now that the Olympics are over, we dig into the science behind the events, and how the athletes edged out their competition using scientific innovations.

05-07
14:20

Episode 262 -Biomaterials saving lives from spider silk cardiac tissue to sticky when wet bandages

How can we make wounds close and heal by sticking together better? Is there some kind of super strong glues that can help stick even when wet? What can we learn from spiders to help heal a broken heart? All these bio materials and more in this week's episode.

05-07
12:13

Episode 261 - Stopping unwanted Life on Mars

How do we protect find and protect life across the universe from ourselves? What are the risks and dangers of sending bacteria out into the universe, and how can we prevent unwanted contamination.

05-07
15:13

Episode 260 - A glimpse of our future from the tropical rain forests and jungles

Life in a tropical jungle or rain forest provide a window into the future, particularly for Climate Scientists. We look into the impact of a warming climate on biodiversity plus keeping the delicate balance between agricultural land and dangerous deforestation.

05-07
13:05

Episode 259 - Quantum Computing - Australian of the Year - Prof Michelle Simmons

We celebrate the Australian of Year for 2017, Professor Michelle Yvonne Simmons, by examining the groundbreaking work in Quantum Computing that she has pioneered across Australia. This includes a deep dive into how Quantum Computing works, what it can help with and what makes the Australia approach, led by Prof. Simmons, so special. ​

05-07
27:08

Episode 258 - Australian biomedical science from labs on a chip to stopping biofilms

We find out about some amazing Australian biotechnology inventions from an efficient lab-on-a-chip, to boosting our immune systems and stopping bio-films in their tracks.

05-07
18:16

Episode 257 - Tracking creatures from the deep with social media and NASA

Mysterious creatures roam the depths of the ocean, from turtles to whale sharks. Studying their journeys shed light on the way our oceans are interlinked and the impact of climate change on the whole ecosystem.

05-07
14:01

Episode 256 - Learning from primates about human culture

Forget gorilla channel, Bonobos are a better mirror to human behaviour. We check out some interesting studies which reveal some of human kinds unique traits in behaviour compared to our closet primate cousins.

05-07
13:31

Episode 255 - Taking the pain out of needles

Taking the pain out of injections and needles by using micro-needle patches. This can help deliver flu vaccines and help diabetics without the need for painful injections.

05-07
19:01

Episode 254 - Heavy metal stars and interstellar forges

Heavy metal stars often go out in spectacular blaze of glory, where as other more mellow blackholes will just forge even more rare material. We check in on some interstellar antics that help produce the most unusual metal.

05-07
16:00

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