Lab Notes: The plight of the southern right whales
Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) were named by whalers because their high oil content made them the "right" ones to kill.In the decades since whaling was banned, southern right numbers increased — but a new study shows that population growth stalled, and might've dropped a bit, despite current numbers still far below what they were in pre-whaling times.So what's going on with the southern rights?
--------
13:46
Aging halted in fruit flies. How about humans?
David Walker at UCLA says he can halt aging in fruit flies. Can the same concepts be applied to humans? And two tertiary students and an artist describe combining science and artistic pursuits.
--------
53:02
Lab Notes: Why one man let deadly snakes bite him 200 times
Cobras, taipans, black mambas — Tim Friede's been intentionally bitten more than 200 times by some of the most venomous snakes on Earth.And he survived, mostly because years of self-injecting venom let him develop immunity to them.(Please do not try this yourself!)Now his blood's been used to make a broad-spectrum antivenom that researchers say may protect against nearly 20 deadly snakes.But this is not how antivenom is usually made. So how are snake antivenoms produced, and where are we with a "universal" version?
--------
14:05
A happy 99th birthday to a friend of The Science Show
Mansi Kasliwal describes how she detects supernovae – the massive stellar explosions where elements are formed. We learn how dung beetles saved the Australian environment from the big problem, and David Attenborough shares his love for Birds-of-paradise.
--------
54:05
Lab Notes: Where's my needle-free vaccine?
Hate getting needles? You're in good company — one in five people in Australia have needle fear.
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
New Zealand