This week on the show we are looking into the risks of artificial intelligence and artificial sweetener. Stu looks at the new research into aspartame, the artificial sweetener which has been classified as possibly carcinogenic and what does this really mean? Also on the show Chris takes a good hard look at artificial intelligence and some of the risks, both real and imagined that exist now and into the future.

Chris (along with the rest of us) surfs waves of gravity so long they take a galaxy sized detector to measure, and Claire talks discovering endangered dragons with Jo Sumners from Museum Victoria

This week, Claire explains why certain things, like fats and oils, leftover paint, flushable wipes and bamboo nappy liners, and cat poo, should not go down the drain or sewer, even if it's very tempting; and Stu commemorates World UFO Day by telling us how despite people still reporting unidentified phenomena, the idea of aliens visiting Earth is still very improbable.

This week on the show Stu speaks to Dr Ellie Paine about her research showing that growing seaweed in the open ocean to draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere could be thwarted by a lack of iron. Also on the show this week Chris revisits the origin of Covid-19 and some new information that further rebukes the lab leak theory.

This week on the show Chris reflects on why the universe seems so perfectly designed to support life as we know it, and asks is it actually that great? And Stu looks into the recent decision of one of the world's most populated countries to remove some basic tenets of science from national school curriculums.

This week on the show Claire speaks to Dr Kylie Cairns all about dingoes, and her groundbreaking research using new genetic tools that has changed the way we understand the lineage of dingoes and in particular whether dingoes hybridised with feral dogs, or in fact are they a lot more pure dingo than we thought.Also on the show Chris talks to Dr Ellie Sansom from the Desert Fireball Network about the recent fireball that was seen and videoed blazing across the Northern Queensland skies. Where did it come from, what do we know about it, and will we ever find any remaining rocks on Earth?

This week on the show Chris talks gene therapy and deep dives into some of the new developments and researchers which highlight the challenges of gene therapy Also on the show, when you think of smart birds, do you think of seagulls? Stu talks about new research suggesting these pesky chip eating birds are smarter than you think.

This week Stu looks at some recent discoveries in our spatial backyard around the solar system, and Chris looks into new research that points to a cleaning chemical as a possible cause of Parkinsons disease

Claire talks about the deadly fungus Amanita phalloides, the Death Cap which kills more people than any other foraged fungus every year, and how an antidote might help bring that number down. Stu is back on the AI train, looking at some positives from medical research that may save time and give people more time by saving lives.

This week, Stu explains how nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert the essential element into ammonia for biological use, and how new research transfers this ability to photosynthetic organisms; and Chris looks at scientific experiments into near-death experiences, including a recent study showing spikes in brain activity when the heart stops beating.Parnia et al. 2014 “AWARE—AWAreness during REsuscitation—A prospective study”: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2014.09.004Parnia et al. 2023 “Awareness During Resuscitation - II: A Multi-Center Study of Consciousness and Awareness in Cardiac Arrest”: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4246760Xu et al. 2023 “Surge of neurophysiological coupling and connectivity of gamma oscillations in the dying human brain”: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2216268120Bush & Greyson 2014 "Distressing Near-Death Experiences: The Basics": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6173534/