The Science Briefing

Kathleen Folbigg is pardoned thanks to scientific discoveries, why scientists shaved artistic ants and do frogs have accents? These are the science stories you might have missed in June. 

Today, Dr Sophie Calabretto is joined by Cosmos journalist Jacinta Bowler to chat about the science you might have missed last month

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We've all heard of archaeology, but what exactly is it? A science or sociology?

Well, it's a bit of both! 

Today, Dr Sophie Calabretto is joined by Matthew Ward Agius to discuss all things archaeology, what they actually do and what we've been digging up recently. 

You can see the reconstruction mentioned here, and the article about the trading post here

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We've all heard of Kangaroos and Koalas, but did you know that Australia is home to over 350 mammal species?

Our diverse landscape is primed for mammal habitation, but unfortunately, Australia currently has the worst animal extinction rate in the world. 

This is where the Australian Mammal of the Year competition comes in!

Today, Dr Sophie Calabretto is joined by Cosmos Journalist, Imma Perfetto to chat all things mammals, how to get involved in Australian Mammal of the Year and why it's important. We also hear from Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Euan Ritchie.

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Migratory birds travel astronomical distances every year, spanning the entire globe.

Have you ever wondered how birds prepare for global migration? Or how far they travel? 

Join Dr Sophie Calabretto as she chats to Cosmos Magazine journalist Imma Perfetto about migratory birds, how they navigate their way around and what they go through to endure the long journeys.

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Some things are so tiny you can't see them under a normal microscope – think proteins and molecules. These are a thousandth of the size of the red blood cells running through your veins.

We measure these things in nanometres where one nanometre is a billionth of a metre.  

Scientists have some adventurous ideas harnessing things at the nanoscale - a field called nanotechnology.  

Some ideas are realistic, others are still science fiction.  

Dr Sophie Calabretto talks to Cosmos Magazine journalist Ellen Phiddian about nanotechnology, what's realistically possible and how on Earth you work with things this small.

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Painting? Firefighting? Is there anything Aussie robots can't do? These examples are just a glimpse into the world of Australian robotics, but where do we stand on the global scale? 

Dr Sophie Calabretto is joined by Cosmos Magazine journalist Petra Stock to talk all things Aussie robots, what they can do and what's coming up next. 

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Botox contains the most toxic compound on earth, but if it's so dangerous, why is it so widely used? 

Dr Sophie Calabretto is joined by Cosmos magazine journalist Jacinta Bowler to talk about the science behind botox, the risks associated with it and the research that is making it safer.

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Entanglement! Superposition! Qubits! What does it all mean?!

Quantum theory is known for being largely unknown, but today, we're going to try to make it a bit more understandable.

Dr Sophie Calabretto is joined by Cosmos Magazine journalist Evrim Yazgin to decode quantum mechanics and answer the question on everyone's lips, what on earth is quantum theory? 

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We know more about space than we do the deep depths of the ocean, so it's no surprise that there are unknown species down there. Obviously this intrigues scientists, but why are miners so interested?

Dr Sophie Calabretto is joined by Matthew Ward Agius to discuss the 5000 new species that have been discovered and what that has to do with mining.

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The origins of butterflies, records of the first romantic kiss and unidentified sounds recorded in the stratosphere - here are the science stories you might have missed over the last month.

Dr Sophie Calabretto chats with Cosmos Magazine journalist Ellen Phiddian about the stories you might have missed in May

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