Lost in Science

This week, Linden and Stu get ornithological with two guests to celebrate the Aussie Bird Count. Dr Sara Ryding shares an update on the bird flu situation in Australia, and Dr Jacinta Humphrey explains why this year's Aussie Bird Count really counts.

Stu, Linden and Chris break down this years science Nobel Prizes: the Physics Prize for the IceCube neutrino observatory; the Physiology & Medicine Prize for controlling nerve cells with light via optogenetics; and the Chemistry Prize for figuring out how biological molecules are only right- or left-handed.

This week we welcome three students from the University of Melbourne's Science Communication program. Meredith, Maeve and Annisa share the science stories they've gotten lost in recently: the power of periods, bioplastics loved by worms, and the impact of light exposure on our heart.

The team discuss the use of AI technology in education, whether its use is making students less able to complete their studies, whether it's harder to assess that when they use it, whether the technology is making us less intelligent, and whether its output is any good. Linden also discusses with the team changes to butterfly wings linked to climate change and temperature in their natural habitat.

This week, Chris digs into a curious signal in the hunt for dark matter that may be a sign of a new particle responsible for 85% of the matter of the universe; and Linden and Kate breeze through the current record-breaking El Niño event, and what it may or may not mean for global and local climate and weather.