The Science Show

Strewn throughout the sands of an island in the Great Barrier Reef, shards of pottery lay for thousands of years before an archaeologist quite literally stumbled across them 20 years ago.As more pieces were lifted from the sand, a question was also raised: Who shaped and fired these clay pots?We also get to the bottom of a strange phenomenon that had the earth ringing like a bell for nine days -- and earthquake scientists abuzz for a year.Solve these mysteries and more with science reporters Jacinta Bowler and Carl Smith.

Hollywood promoted her as the most beautiful woman in the world. But Hedy Lamarr was more than good looks. She invented and patented a new form of communication which is used widely today and even allows mobile phones to work.

Do you get texts telling you there’s an unclaimed parcel waiting for you at the post office?Turns out scammers can find out if we’re expecting something in the post and time a scam text to coincide with our online purchases -- and it could all be completely legal.And while 2024 saw advances in artificial intelligence, they didn’t seem to wow us like they did in 2023. Are we simply harder to impress now?Breaking all this down -- and more -- are technology reporters Ange Lavoipierre and James Purtill.

CRISPR is the most powerful means of gene editing ever developed. It led to Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier being awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2020. Jennifer Doudna speaks with Merlin Crossley about CRISPR, its capability, and the ethical questions which arise.

Up with the sparrows or hanging with the night owls: we humans like to put ourselves into one of two camps.But when it comes to native animals, this idea of either being awake during the day or at night just doesn’t hold up.And while cane toads have already traversed most of northern Australia, there is an ambitious project to stop the pests from infiltrating the Pilbara -- but time is running out to put the plan in motion.We chat all things nature with environment reporter Peter de Kruijff and ABC presenter and nature nerd Dr Ann Jones.

It might be the largest telescope humans will ever build. Jonathan Webb visits the site in Chile’s high dry Atacama Desert.

Once considered a problem for high-income countries, being overweight is now on the rise in low- and middle-income parts of the world. At least 2.5 billion adults are now overweight or obese. What’s causing this collective weight gain?And if 2023 was the year of hype about weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, 2024 felt like the year of acceptance. We find out why weight-loss drugs are here to stay.This week we’re joined by health journalist and Radio National presenter Tegan Taylor.

Paul Davies retraces one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century – the construction of a telegraph wire from the UK to Australia.

More than 30 years ago, astronomers came up with the bold idea to build the world’s biggest radio telescopes.One is now taking shape in the Western Australian outback, where scientists and engineers are installing more than 130,000 Christmas-tree-shaped antennas onto the red earth.And those stunning auroras over the past year? There’s a good chance we’ll see more colourful displays in 2025.All that and more with ABC Science digital executive producer Genelle Weule and University of Sydney astronomer and 2024 ABC Science Top Fiver Dr Laura Driessen.

Bianca Nogrady traces the scientific journey of astronomer and Prime Minister’s Science Prize winner Matthew Bailes.