Saturday the 15th of August to Sunday the 23rd of August is National Science Week in Australia, so it’s time to sow some seeds of excitement with five fun and fascinating fast facts about National Science Week; six scientists sharing what sowed the seed of their interest in science; an interview with Associate Professor Corey Tutt OAM about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Science Day; and a slimy psyllium seed activity for you to try yourself at home.

This episode is an Inspiring Australia NSW initiative and is supported by the NSW and Australian Governments.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Buy tickets for ‘Creative Science: Mind Blown’ at Sydney Fringe 2026: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/creative-science-mind-blown/

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free! https://buymeacoffee.com/creativescience

Join the email list: https://www.creativescience.com.au/contact/

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 2026 Sydney Fringe Festival show ‘Creative Science: Mind Blown’

00:17 Introduction and fast facts

03:07 What’s a PhD?

03:36 Six scientists share what sowed the seed of their interest in science

07:32 Interview with A/Prof Corey Tutt OAM

12:10 Slimy psyllium seed activity

Special Guests:

Riley Easton, University of Technology Sydney

Sinali Weerasekara, Deakin University

Dr. Olivia R. Maurice, Western Sydney University

Lily Kenchington-Evans, University of Queensland

Shervin Zabeti Targhi, Western Sydney University

Dr Sara Chiaretti, Red Cross Lifeblood

A/Prof Corey Tutt OAM

Deadly Science: https://deadlyscience.org.au

Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Science Day: https://deadlyscience.org.au/pages/national-science-week

National Science Week DIY Science activities: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/diy-science/

Slimy psyllium seed activity

You will need: Boiling hot water, a heat-proof cup, two tablespoons of psyllium husk powder, a measuring cup, and a metal spoon for stirring.

Note: Psyllium husk powder can be found at chemists and in some supermarkets.

What’s happening?

Plant slime is also called ‘mucilage’. By soaking up water and forming gooey mucilage, a seed can stay moist until it has time to grow. Mucilage also helps plant roots to push through soil and it’s used by carnivorous plants to trap insects. Some people use psyllium husk powder as a treatment for constipation. The psyllium husk powder works by causing a person’s poo to become larger and softer and easier to poop out.

It’s time to get high-tech with five fun and fascinating fast facts about artificial intelligence, an interview with Dr Lucy Andrew, a university lecturer who knows a lot about A.I. in education, and a short-term memory activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Buy tickets for ‘Creative Science: Mind Blown’ at Sydney Fringe 2026: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/creative-science-mind-blown/

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free! https://buymeacoffee.com/creativescience

Join the email list: https://www.creativescience.com.au/contact/

Creative Science website: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Sydney Fringe Festival 2026 show ‘Creative Science: Mind Blown’

00:23 Introduction and fast facts

05:55 Interview with Dr Lucy Andrew

11:20 Short-term memory activity

Dr Lucy Andrew: https://adelaide.edu.au/people/lucy.andrew

Lucy talking with her deep fake digital twin: https://adelaide.au.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=0c79267c-6da0-4a6d-89f9-b3d100452cc1

Short-term memory activity

You will need: A friend or family member to test, some paper and a pencil.

How many words did they remember?

What’s happening?

This activity tests short-term memory and there is a limit to the number of words people can remember. For most people, the limit is between 6 and 8 words. If someone was to do this activity over and over again, they would probably get better at remembering the list of words, until they could write all ten words correctly. After enough practice, the list of words might even stay in their long-term memory.

Learning is an active process that takes some effort and it usually involves using our past experiences to make sense of new information. If someone needed to learn the list of ten words (for some strange reason) they could try using those words to write a story or maybe come up with a pattern or a poem to help them remember the order of the words. Doing this would help use their existing knowledge of what the words mean to make some sort of sense of an otherwise random order of the words.

It’s time to get to work with five fun and fascinating fast facts about energy, an interview with Lee Constable, a presenter and author of books about sustainability, and an energy transformation activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free! https://buymeacoffee.com/creativescience

Join the email list: https://www.creativescience.com.au/contact/

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:24 Introduction and fast facts

05:37 Interview with Lee Constable

13:14 Energy transformation activity

Lee Constable: https://leeconstable.com

Energy transformation activity

You will need: an object you can drop, such as a ball or a rolled-up pair of socks, and a rubber band.

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. This is called the ‘Law of Conservation of Energy’. However, energy can change into different forms. How many energy transformations can you observe in about a minute?

Look around you and see what other energy transformations you can see, for example, turning on a light.

It’s time for a heart-to-heart with five fun and fascinating fast facts about blood, an interview with Dr Patrick Capon, a science communicator who knows a lot about blood, and a heart pumping activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free! https://buymeacoffee.com/creativescience

Join the email list: https://www.creativescience.com.au/contact/

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:19 Introduction and fast facts

04:51 Interview with Dr Patrick Capon

12:34 Heart rate activity

Australian Redcross Lifeblood: https://www.lifeblood.com.au 

Heart rate activity

You will need something that can measure 30 seconds, for example a clock with a second hand, a stopwatch, or the timer on a smartphone.

The pulse beats in time with your heart pumping blood around your body, so it can be used to measure your heart rate.

When you exercise, your muscles use more oxygen. A faster heart rate means the blood moves faster around your body and more oxygen can be delivered to your muscles.

Let’s go with the flow with five fun and fascinating fast facts about water, an interview with Kelly Osterberg, an educator who knows a lot about water catchments, and a watery activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free! https://buymeacoffee.com/creativescience

Join the email list: https://www.creativescience.com.au/contact/

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:20 Introduction and fast facts

04:45 Interview with Kelly Osterberg

11:08 Water from leaves activity

WaterNSW https://www.waternsw.com.au

WaterNSW Education https://www.waternsw.com.au/education

WaterNSW on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WaterNSWvideos

Water from leaves activity

You will need: a large clear plastic bag, some string, and a healthy tree with lots of leaves that is in a sunny place.  

What’s happening?

The water vapour made by the leaves condenses on the inside of the plastic bag to form liquid water which then flows down and collects at the bottom of the bag. This method for collecting the ‘transpiration’ water from plants is a bush survival skill people can use if they are stranded in the bush with no fresh water to drink, however, you should not drink the water you collected in this activity because it might not be very clean. Maybe you can pour the water back around the bottom of the tree so the roots can soak it up for more transpiration.

Let’s celebrate World Frog Day with five fun and fascinating fast facts about frogs, a chat with some froggy scientists, Dr Jodi Rowley and Dr Rebecca Webb, and a gooey chia seed frog spawn activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Image: Green Tree Frog Litoria caerulea (Photo credit: Dr Jodi Rowley)

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free! https://buymeacoffee.com/creativescience

Join the email list: https://www.creativescience.com.au/contact/ 

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

03:33 Interview with Dr Jodi Rowley

11:19 Interview with Dr Rebecca Webb

14:51 Chia seed frog spawn activity

FrogID citizen science project led by Dr Jodi Rowley at the Australian Museum: https://www.frogid.net.au/

Dr Rebecca Webb at the University of Melbourne: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/962839-rebecca-webb

Chia seed frog spawn activity

You will need: cold water, a measuring cup, a tablespoon, 2 tablespoons of black chia seeds, and a spoon for stirring. Chia seeds are small seeds that you might be able to buy at a supermarket, a fruit and vegetable shop, or a health food store.

When you take it out of the fridge, you will have a cup of gooey chia seed frog spawn.

You can also try adding honey or maple syrup to the chia seed mixture to make a tasty snack!

What’s happening?

Chia seeds are the seeds of the plant Salvia hispanica which is native to Mexico and Guatemala. When the seeds are mixed with water, a slimy coating forms to protect the seeds until they have time to grow. The slimy coating on the seeds looks a lot like the gooey jelly in frog spawn that protects frog’s eggs until they are ready to hatch.

It’s time to widen your mind with five fun and fascinating fast facts about creativity, an interview with Cristy Burne, a storyteller who knows a lot about science and creativity, and an imaginative paper activity for you to try yourself at home.

Written, presented, and produced by Jenny Lynch.

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

04:02 Self-correcting science

05:11 Interview with Cristy Burne

11:14 Piece of paper activity

Cristy Burne: www.cristyburne.com

Piece of paper activity

You will need: an ordinary piece of paper

This activity starts with a couple of ideas of things to do with a piece of paper and then it will be up to you to come up with something new to do with the paper.

What’s happening?

Creativity in science often involves thinking about existing ideas and imagining something new. Taking the time to look at familiar objects in new ways can lead to exciting new thoughts, inventions, and discoveries.

Let’s explore the nature of the Universe with five fun and fascinating fast facts about the four fundamental forces, an interview with Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, an astrophysicist who knows a lot about the Universe, and a surprising paper folding activity for you to try yourself at home.

Written, presented, and produced by Jenny Lynch.

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

05:11 Interview with Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith

11:29 Paper folding activity

Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith: www.lisaharveysmith.com

Future You: www.futureyouaustralia.com.au  

Paper folding activity

How many times do you think you can fold a piece of paper in half?

You will need: a long piece of toilet paper.

What’s happening?

The toilet paper is pretty thin, but every time you fold it in half, the thickness of the bundle of paper doubles. After one fold, it is twice as thick as the original toilet paper. After the second fold, the bundle is 4 times as thick. After the third fold, the bundle is 8 times as thick, then 16 times, and then 32 times, and after the sixth fold, the bundle is 64 times thicker than a single sheet of toilet paper.

The current world record for folding a piece of paper is 12 times and the record was set in 2002 by Britney Gallivan, a high school student in the United States. Britney used mathematical equations to work out the size and thickness of the paper she needed to achieve the record, and the tissue paper she used was over one kilometre long! After the 12th fold, the bundle of paper was 4,096 times as thick as a single layer of tissue paper.

It’s time to get sustainable with five fun and fascinating fast facts about plastic, an interview with Dr Charlotte Beloe, a scientist who knows a lot about microplastics in the ocean, and a cornflour bioplastic activity for you to try yourself at home.

Written, presented, and produced by Jenny Lynch.

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

03:26 Recycling plastic

05:14 Interview with Dr Charlotte Beloe

10:29 Bioplastic activity

Bioplastic activity instructions

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of cornflour, 4 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, ½ teaspoon of glycerine, and a few drops of food colouring.

Kitchen equipment: a small saucepan, stove or hotplate, metal spoon for stirring, and a baking tray on a heat-proof surface.

NOTE: An adult must assist with the next steps that involve heating the mixture on a stove or hotplate.

This recipe can also be used to make moulded bioplastic shapes by pouring the hot mixture into silicone moulds (e.g. silicone ice-cube trays). The bioplastic in this activity is ‘compostable’, which means it will break down in a compost heap or if it is buried in the ground.

Corn flour contains starch which is made up of ‘amylose’ and ‘amylopectin’ molecules which are both made up of glucose molecules. Heating corn flour with water causes some of the starch to form long chains. Vinegar affects the formation of the long chains. The glycerine acts as a ‘plasticiser’ which is a chemical that can change the softness and pliability of a plastic. Changing the amount of glycerine in the recipe will change the properties of the bioplastic film.

It’s time to take a splash in the sea with five fun and fascinating fast facts about marine mammals, an interview with Dr Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist who knows a lot about whales, and there’s a warm-blooded blubber activity for you to try yourself at home.

Written, presented, and produced by Jenny Lynch.

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

03:49 Dugongs and manatees

04:31 Interview with Dr Vanessa Pirotta

11:06 Blubber fingers activity

Dr Vanessa Pirotta: https://www.vanessapirotta.com/

Books by Dr Vanessa Pirotta: ‘The Voyage of Whale and Calf’, ‘Oceans at Night’, ‘Humpback Highway’

Blubber fingers activity instructions:

Marine mammals have lots of special adaptations to help them survive in the sea. One of these adaptations is whale blubber, which is a layer of fat that keeps warm-blooded whales warm in cold ocean water.

You will need: a bowl, cold water from the fridge, ice cubes, two disposable gloves, a spoon, and some soft butter or margarine. If you don’t have any disposable gloves, try using two small plastic bags instead.

This activity is pretty messy, so do it next to a sink, with soap and warm water ready for washing your hands at the end.

Your buttery fingers should last longer in the water because the butter is protecting your fingers from the icy cold water. Heat energy always moves from a warm object to a colder object and the butter is acting as an ‘insulator’ because it slows down the movement of heat energy out of your fingers.

A lot of cold-climate animals have blubber. Seals, whales, and polar bears, all have a layer of blubber to stop them losing too much heat from their bodies.