Scitech's Wonder Kids

Whether we’re celebrating or commiserating, humans often use alcohol to regulate their emotions.

Champagne at a wedding elevates the mood, whereas whiskey after a heartbreak might help some people cope. But is this link between how we feel and how we drink a real one? And can we ever really know why we do the things we do?

Henry Austin of the CARE (http://www.psychology.uwa.edu.au/research#care) lab at UWA and the ADAPT (http://www.impliciet.eu/) lab at the University of Amsterdam is working to understand these ideas in his PhD.

Learn how some simple stockings can reveal the complexities of human motivation and whether anagrams inspire emotional drinking in this Particle podcast.

Visit the Particle website (https://particle.scitech.org.au/) for more science stories or reach out to us on social media: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ParticleWA/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/ParticleWA), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/particlewa/).

Breeding animals in zoos has helped bring species back from the brink of extinction. But getting animals to make babies isn’t always as simple as boy meets girl. Some animals’ mating habits are even more extra (https://media.giphy.com/media/1ykEiBzdwy5XY7LacK/giphy.gif) than the chopper rides and rose ceremonies on The Bachelor (https://media.giphy.com/media/1xmCvMejNkYEklQuZK/giphy.gif).

For Perth Zoo, it’s been a learning experience. We caught up with Perth Zoo Science Project Leader, Dr Peter Mawson, who heads the native species breeding program at Perth Zoo. He told us all about the weird and wonderful world of animal breeding in the latest Particle podcast.

Visit the Particle website (https://particle.scitech.org.au/) for more science stories or reach out to us on social media: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ParticleWA/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/ParticleWA), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/particlewa/).

On 15 August, the winners of the Premier’s Science Awards 2018 were announced.

Scientist of the Year was awarded to Professor Peter Newman in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the sustainable development of West Australia.

Particle sat down with Peter to chat about his journey up until this point and why he uses Perth as an example of incredible sustainable development. Hear about the 40-year campaign that has seen him transform from naive university lecturer to media ratbag, and learn what exciting things he sees in our city’s future.

Check out the Particle website (https://particle.scitech.org.au) or reach out to us on social media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/ParticleWA), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ParticleWA/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/particlewa/).