The Science Show

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.

A signal that stumped seismologists for a year has finally been identified. And an author takes us to a distant location.

Momelotinib, a drug to help treat myelofibrosis has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, a rare achievement for an all-Australian team.

Opalised fossils previously overlooked at the Australian Museum have overturned our understanding of the origin of mammals with the emergence of a whole new age of mammals: The Age of Monotremes.

Platypuses in NSW are carrying PFAS chemicals many times over accepted levels indicate widespread contamination

Gay behaviour has been observed amongst at least 1,500 animal species.

Tianyi Ma at RMIT Melbourne has won the Prime Minister’s Physical Science Prize for his work producing cheaper hydrogen and using captured carbon dioxide for the green production of basic chemicals.