Fuzzy Logic Science Show

We all hate weeds, right? But what is a weed anyway? How about say, wheat. Or corn, or oats. Are they weeds? The battle in Australia with prickly pear is legendary, and there's even a memorial to the Cactoblastis moth that helped bring them under control.

It turns out that the prickly pear could be a valuable nutritious crop that grows in our drying land, and our guest today is a self-admitted fan. Caroline Gouws is a PhD student at the University of Canberra who's looking at its processing and nutrional benefits. Maybe the spikey invader has a place after all if we're prepared to give it a go.

We even sampled some on-air. But careful to not wipe it on our cloths...because it's also a nifty dye!

Interview by Rod

While you're here

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What happens when you or a family member can no longer drive because of dementia? It's a major milestone in a person's life, not just because it signals cognitive decline, but because it also introduces a practical burden. How do you go to the shops or visit a friend if you can't drive?

The CarFreeMe program being developed by the University of Queensland. Occupational therapist Any Nussio and PhD candidate Nathan D'Cunha are evaluating this program in Canberra.

If you would like to be involved, contact Amy on 0457 779 766 or a.nussio[at]uq.edu.au. Participation is free.

Interview by Rod

Month by month, we continue to break climate records with a run of heatwaves in Australia, with 46 degrees C in Adelaide this week. Meanwhile in the US, changing climate patterns is allowing cold air to leak southwards resulting in insane conditions in cities such as Chicago.

So how do we talk about this without inflicting mass depression? How do we reach those who say that climate change is a socialist hoax or just a bunch of lab coats feather bedding their research grants?

These are questions occupying our guest today, Nic Badullovich (@geo_nic), who's re recently launched into his PhD at @ANU_CPAS.

Interview by Rod @FuzzyLogicSci

Here's a scientific problem: how can you learn about a situation where the data is unreliable, the system is really complicated, and the outcome is hard to measure?

This is what researchers such as Prof Panagiotakos face when they study the health effects of nutrition. People are inclined to give untrustworthy answers about what they eat; the human body is an extremely complex physical and chemical system, even before we talk psychology. And if that's not enough, how do you measure health?

Prof Panagiotakos is the Dean of School of Health Science & Education, at Harokopio University in Athens. In this interview with Rod, he describes the huge ATHLOS worldwide study into aging.

What does it mean to have a Big Australia?

Kelvin Thomson was the Labor member for Wills in Victoria from 1996 to 2016, and was outspoken on the issue of population. In this 2012 interview with Rod, he reflects on his life in politics, the environment, and what population growth is doing to the planet and Australia.

Australia's population