Huh? Science Explained

Caffeine is the fuel that gets us through our day, but what is it, how does it really work and is it possibly not a good thing?

Today, Matt buzzes about the drug that many of us can’t get through a day without.

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There’s a chance that you or someone you know has considered cosmetic injectables to change some aspect their appearance. But what are they and how do they work? Let’s cut into the science behind botox, fillers, and lipolytic injections.

Imma Perfetto is a journalist at Cosmos Magazine and has an honours degree in Science Communication.

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Today we will be traveling back to the time of the dinosaurs to get a picture of how these magnificent beasts evolved and what eventually happened to them.

Evrim Yazgin is a Cosmos journalist with a Masters in Physics from the University of Melbourne. His love of palaeontology has burned since he was three and, fun fact: his name means “evolution” in Turkish! The joys of being a biologist’s son.

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The little stickers on pieces of fruit are everywhere and are one of modern life's irritations or delights depending on your perspective. Here’s some cherry-picked info about fruit stickers.

Petra Stock has a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and a Masters in Journalism, both from the University of Melbourne. Before becoming a journalist, she planned wind farms, researched climate solutions, and assessed environmental and heritage impacts. While she loves writing about new technologies (robots, digital platforms) she’s also nostalgic for the retro kind (letters, cassette tapes, floppy disks).

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This week we’re diving into the deliciously gross world of cheese. How old is the oldest cheese? Why does it smell so bad? And why are most of your favourite cheeses probably actually your favourite moulds?

Jacinta is an enthusiastic tourist in all things science, as well as a lactose-intolerant cheese fiend with a background in microbiology.

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What do we know about our clothes – and what do we think we know?

Ellen Phiddian worked in science outreach before deciding to become, in her grandmother's words, "one of those whizz-bang science journalists". With a background in chemistry, she's particularly interested in renewable energy, catalysts, and deciphering the ingredients on food packages. Her favourite podcasts are Wardrobe Crisis, Friends at the Table, and just about any audiodrama.

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What is all the stuff in the universe made of? And, for that matter, (pardon the pun) what keeps everything moving, burning, sticking together, blowing apart? The answer is to be found in the hodgepodge assortment known as the Standard Model of Particle Physics.

Evrim Yazgin is a Cosmos journalist with a Masters in Physics from the University of Melbourne. His love of science fiction has spurred an interest in all things flux capacitor to quantum-time-antimatter-inverters. 

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Many of us have stared at the packaging of a skincare product, wondering what that strange chemical word actually does. So here are a few of the most common active ingredients and what they do to your skin.

Imma Perfetto is a journalist at Cosmos Magazine and has an honours degree in Science Communication.

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Have you ever been sitting at your desk, minding your own business when out of nowhere a tune bubbles into your brain? So what does science say about earworms? Where they come from and is there any cure?

Matthew Agius became a science journalist to share his passion for how the sciences impact our everyday lives. Because he also knows a bit about history, sports and pop culture, he'll happily help out your quiz team in exchange for beer or hot chippies.

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Is it really possible to catch a yawn? Why do we do it, anyway? I’ve discovered that it’s actually pretty tricky to nail down answers to those things. It seems that, even though it’s something that most creatures with mouths do, there aren’t that many scientists who are desperate to uncover the secrets of yawning.

But let’s explore what science does know…

Ellen Phiddian worked in science outreach before deciding to become, in her grandmother's words, "one of those whizz-bang science journalists". With a background in chemistry, she's particularly interested in renewable energy, catalysts, and deciphering the ingredients on food packages. Her favourite podcasts are Wardrobe Crisis, Friends at the Table, and just about any audiodrama.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.