The Random Sample

What happens when a journey takes 13 years in Earth time, but less than four years for the traveller?

It’s one of the most intriguing ideas in Project Hail Mary, the bestselling novel and blockbuster film. But surprisingly, it’s not just science fiction.

It’s science.

In this episode, MACSYS Research Fellow Dr Tom Kimpson helps us unpack the fascinating concept of velocity time dilation: the idea that time can pass at different rates depending on how fast you’re moving.

We explore why time dilation is one of the more unintuitive ideas in modern physics – and why it isn’t just science fiction. It’s happening around us all the time.

Our host is Felicia Bongiovanni – a PhD Candidate at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and a member of The Random Sample editorial team representing the Statistical Society of Australia.

Episode webpage: https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/time-dilation/

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What does a data scientist actually do? And how do you become one?

Data is everywhere. Every day, vast amounts of information are generated through research, healthcare, business, technology, and our daily lives. But collecting data is only part of the story. The real challenge lies in making sense of it.

That's where data scientists come in.

In this episode, we meet four data scientists whose careers have taken them in very different directions, demonstrating that there is no single path into the field.

Joining us are:

• Dr Farzana Jahan, Lecturer in Statistics and Data Science at Murdoch University
• Dr Nick Tierney, Statistical Consultant
• Joanna Salerno, Data Scientist and Developer at QCIF Digital Research Services
• Dr Stuart Schvetz, Senior Data Scientist at the Hunter Medical Research Institute

Together, they share the experiences, opportunities, and turning points that led them into data science.

Whether you're exploring study or career options, looking to better understand the role of data science in research and industry, or simply curious about the people behind the data, this episode offers an engaging look at one of the fastest-growing professions in the world.

Our host is Macarena Rojas, Engagement and Outreach Manager at QCIF.

Episode webpage: https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/many-paths-data-science/

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Multiple sclerosis, or MS, affects millions of people worldwide, yet many aspects of the disease remain poorly understood. One of its defining characteristics is the way symptoms can fluctuate over time, with periods of relapse followed by remission. What drives these cycles, and why does the disease appear stable one moment before suddenly worsening the next?

In this episode, we speak with Dr Adrianne Jenner, Senior Lecturer in QUT’s School of Mathematical Sciences, about her latest research tackling this question through mathematics. Adrianne and her collaborators have developed a groundbreaking mathematical model that reproduces the relapsing-remitting patterns seen in MS, offering new insights into the biological processes that may underlie disease progression.

We also explore Adrianne’s broader work in mathematical oncology, where mathematical models are helping researchers better understand how cancers grow, evolve and respond to their environment. Along the way, we discuss the unique role mathematics can play in biology and medicine, and why collaboration between mathematicians and experimental scientists is becoming increasingly important in modern research.

Our host is Dr Haripriya Sridharan, a Research Fellow with MACSYS at The University of Melbourne.

Episode webpage:  https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/ms-maths-adrianne-jenner/

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In 2020, as COVID-19 spread across the globe, researchers faced an urgent challenge: finding treatments that could save the lives of patients hospitalised with the virus. One of the most important efforts was the RECOVERY trial, a clinical trial designed to rapidly test potential therapies and generate reliable evidence at a time when the world desperately needed answers.

Our guest, Professor Thomas Jaki, was part of the team behind RECOVERY from its earliest days. In this episode, he shares how the trial came together at remarkable speed, the challenges of conducting research during a global pandemic, and the key statistical and design decisions that allowed the study to deliver results quickly without compromising scientific rigour.

The impact was extraordinary. RECOVERY identified five life-saving COVID-19 treatments while also showing that several commonly used therapies were ineffective. Its findings influenced clinical practice around the world and helped shape the care of millions of patients.

It’s a fascinating conversation about clinical trials, decision-making under pressure, and the power of statistics to improve healthcare on a global scale.

Our host for this episode is Dr Min Zhang – a biostatistician with the University of Queensland's Clinical Trials Capability (ULTRA). She also serves on The Random Sample editorial group as a representative of the Statistical Society of Australia.

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It’s a question many early career researchers grapple with: academia or industry?  For Professor Roslyn Hickson, the answer is simple: why choose?

Roslyn is an applied mathematician with a joint appointment at CSIRO and James Cook University, where she serves as Science Leader for Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Her career has taken her across academia, the military, government and industry, before arriving at her current role bridging research and real-world application.

In this episode, Roslyn reflects on the career decisions that shaped her journey, the different cultures she’s experienced across sectors, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Earlier this year, Roslyn was awarded the inaugural K.A. Landman Medal by ANZIAM, recognising her outstanding contributions to industrial and applied mathematics. She shares why the award is particularly meaningful to her and what it says about the growing importance of mathematics beyond the university setting.

Our host for this episode is Dr Sophie Raynor, a lecturer in mathematics at James Cook University.

Podcast Episode Page:  https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/roslyn-hickson/

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How do airlines schedule flights, logistics companies route deliveries, and supermarkets manage stock?

Many of these challenges are examples of linear programming problems – and one algorithm has dominated their solution for decades: the Simplex Method.

Widely regarded as one of the most important algorithms ever developed, the Simplex Method has helped organisations save vast amounts of time, money and resources.

But despite its remarkable success, one question has puzzled mathematicians for decades: why does it work so well in practice?

In this episode, Dr Sophie Huiberts from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) explores one of optimisation’s biggest open questions: why is the Simplex Method so much faster than theory often predicts?

We also discuss Sophie’s research journey and how she brings her values and social awareness into her work as a mathematician.

Our host is Professor Kate Smith-Miles – Director of the OPTIMA ARC Training Centre, and a Professor of Applied Mathematics at The University of Melbourne.

Episode webpage:  https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/simplex-method/

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How are statistics and data science transforming advances in genetic sequencing into new insights about how people lived, formed families, and organised their societies thousands of years ago?

Our guests are Dr Adam “Ben” Rohrlach, an Australian statistician at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, and Dr Simon “Jono” Tuke, Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Adelaide. From their early collaboration during Ben’s PhD to their ongoing work today, they’ve combined mathematical rigour with archaeological and genetic research to help uncover patterns in ancient human life that would otherwise remain hidden.

Together, they’ve applied cutting-edge statistical methods to support major discoveries – including their contribution to the 2017 Eureka Prize–winning research confirming the connection between Aboriginal Australians and their ancestral lands.

In this conversation, we revisit that work and dive into their latest research, using ancient DNA to reconstruct family networks in a European society from over 1,300 years ago. It’s a fascinating look at how collaboration across disciplines – and the power of statistics – can bring us closer to understanding the lives of people from the distant past.

Our host is Dr Haripriya Sridharan – a MACSYS Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne.

Episode webpage:   https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/ancient-dna/

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In this episode of The Random Sample, we explore the science of scale – from the behaviour of granular materials to the remarkable world of nanotechnology. Professor Natalie Thamwattana, an applied mathematician from the University of Newcastle, shows how studying the very small can lead to big insights across science and engineering.

Her pioneering work in nanotechnology is helping unlock how some of nature’s smallest building blocks can tackle some of our biggest challenges – in medicine, energy, and electronics. In a field often dominated by heavy numerical simulations, Natalie was among the first to take a different path, developing analytical, formula-based approaches to understand the mechanics of carbon nanostructures.

Alongside her research, Natalie shares a deeply personal story of growing up in Thailand and forging a path into mathematics. It’s a journey shaped by resilience, curiosity, and the support of her family – one that led to an international career at the forefront of applied mathematics.

Our host is Cait Pryse – from The University of Melbourne.

Episode webpage:  https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/nanotechnology-natalie-thamwattana/

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Mathematics is often used to model how diseases spread. But what about the spread of information – or misinformation – about those diseases and their vaccines?

Professor Stacey Smith? from the University of Ottawa is a trans mathematician whose research focuses on modelling infectious diseases. Increasingly, her work has turned to the social and behavioural dynamics that shape anti‑vaccination sentiment.

In this conversation, we explore how mathematical approaches can help make sense of attitudes ranging from vaccine hesitancy to outright resistance, and why understanding these dynamics is critical for effective public health responses.

The episode is hosted by Eva Stadler, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Infection Analytics Program at the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney. Together, Eva and Stacey discuss how tools from the mathematical sciences can be applied well beyond traditional epidemiology, intersecting with psychology, sociology, and communication science.

This episode is part of a special two‑part series released to coincide with Women in Mathematics Day (12 May), celebrating the contributions of women – and those who identify as women – in the mathematical sciences worldwide. The other episode in the series explores how the mathematical sciences are playing an increasingly important role in understanding women’s health.

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Mathematics is not often associated with women’s health, yet the mathematical sciences are playing an increasingly important role in understanding pregnancy, reproductive health, and chronic conditions that disproportionately affect women.

Professor Alys Clark and Dr Claire Miller, both from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute at the University of Auckland, use mathematics to shed light on complex health challenges faced by women, including pregnancy and endometriosis.

In this episode, they highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between mathematicians, biologists, and clinicians. In a twist on our usual format, Alys and Claire interview each other, offering a candid and engaging look at their research, their collaborations, and what it’s like to work at the interface of mathematics and medicine.

This episode is part of a special two‑part series released to coincide with Women in Mathematics Day (12 May), celebrating the contributions of women – and those who identify as women – in the mathematical sciences worldwide.  The other episode explores how mathematics can help us understand the growing challenge of anti‑vaccination sentiment.

Episode webpage:   https://www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/maths-womens-health/

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