the green room

12 Episodes

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Springtails, somersaults, and sneaky seagulls

2024-11-0250:50

We’ve all been there. You’re at the beach, you’ve opened up a steaming hot bag of fish and chippies, and before you know it a hungry pack of seagulls is crowding around you watching with malicious intent. In this episode, Shannon asks the pertinent question: why is it only seagulls, and not other birds, that behave this […]

Democracy, mirrors, and cleaner wrasses

2024-10-0545:59

The cleaner wrasse has recently made waves by joining the exclusive club of animals that passed the mirror self-recognition (MSR) test. This humble fish—better known for playing Will Smith in Shark Tale—might actually be self-aware. But what does that really mean? Shannon dives into the world of the cleaner wrasse to uncover why it deserves […]

Monarchs, heat, and vomit bubbles

2024-02-0244:58

In this episode, we delve into the extraordinary evolutionary adaptions of Monarch butterflies, which travel each year in their thousands to avoid harsh winters and cuddle together on a special tree. It’s a perilous journey, and one that transcends multiple generations. It’s pretty hardcore… But maybe not as hardcore as defecating on yourself. Yeah, you […]

Queens, clownfish and clicking plants

2024-01-1547:03

If Walt Disney’s “Nemo” was true to fact, we’re not sure how many kids would be watching. Clownfish have a complex social hierarchy. At the top of the ladder is a dominant female, who is larger and more aggressive than the rest. Just below her is the second-in-charge male, with whom she mates. Below that, […]

Culture, migration and silly history

2024-01-1048:07

We are asking a big question this week: How the heck do migratory birds know where they are going? Tiny robins travel thousands of kilometres over open oceans (with no landmarks), being pushed completely off track, and returning to the same nest every. single. year. On our journey to the answer of how they navigate, we […]

Wasps, wasps, and wasps

2023-03-1444:57

Whether you are an ant, frog, or elephant, you are connected by the same problem. You need to find shelter and food for your young. Despite the common problem, animals have evolved a huge array of solutions, some give birth to live young and carry them in flesh pockets while feeding the hairless babies white […]

Birds, flowers, and alternative universes

2022-12-2046:22

Birds, flowers and alternative universes Join us on a journey into your inner child’s mind and ask, why do flowers smell like that? and who is that bird making that sound? Ever wondered what life would be like if flowers didn’t smell like sugar, but smelt like death? Luring in pollinators with the promise […]

Sex, bugs, and alpha wolves

2022-12-0746:41

Sex, bugs and alpha wolves Alpha wolves and sexual evolution Join us on a journey from a cat’s intestines to a virgin aphid that’s pregnant with another pregnant virgin aphid. Are you an alpha, or a beta? Whether you’re risk-averse or leader of the pack may be determined by parasitic microbes that hijack your nervous […]

Finches, flowers, and organ transplants.

2022-02-1452:24

Come with us to the dusty arid outback, where a zebra finch mother sings a peculiar tune to her unborn offspring. Follow us onwards to a tropical island, where a gecko sips leisurely from a flower-cup of sweet, red liquid. Join us in the operating room, and meet the man who’s got the heart of […]

Millipedes, honeyeaters, and smelly glands.

2022-01-1449:00

Millipedes, honeyeaters and smelly glands This week we whip out our scanning electron microscopes for some full-frontal footage of millipedes doing the dirty. Tune in to learn how a leg can also be a penis, why honeyeaters perform ritualistic dances, and in Liz’s own words, “where else has cool glands for good smelling stuff”. […]

Crystals, sharks, and devil grass.

2021-12-2844:20

Crystals, sharks and devil grass Something is lurking in the deep in this week’s episode. Join us as we dive past the sharks having rough coitus, delve through your inner ears and the crystals they possess, and dig into the past, present and future of the devil disguised as your lawn.

Condoms, cannibalism, and brain-control.

2021-12-1842:42

Condoms, cannibalism and brain control This week things get hot and heavy in The Green Room. The innocent spinifex grass is not only interesting for its doughnut shape, but its ability to make super-slim condoms. Speaking of safe sex, fungus has developed brain-control mechanisms to increase libido of infected organisms. How romantic. But do you […]

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