Fuzzy Logic Science Show

Psy, an unknown Korean singer, broke YouTube with his song Gangnam style after it went viral on YouTube, with over 2.5 billion views. So the question beckons - how do you create a viral YouTube clip? is their a secret formula? Can science help? In this episode of the Fuzzy Logic podcast, Ian chats with Dustin Welbourne, Science Communicator extraordinaire, who set out to answer this very question. Dustin and co-author Will Grant analysed over 400 science communication video YouTube clips and published their results in the Journal Public Understanding of Science. They came up with a list of seven essential criteria to make that /entertaining/engaging/education YouTube clip and channel, keeping your audience coming back for more. Have you ever wanted to break YouTube, just like Psy? Well listen to this great podcast to find out more. Hosted by Ian McDonald

After Rumination #3, we delve further into sound and speech. Shame on your naughty...what? Written and presented by Rod.

Do you have any of those freeze-frame memories? You know the sort. Maybe you misjudged the intersection, or you said something embarassing in front of an audience. In these moments, time ticks slowly. In Rocks on Bonnets we delve into consciousness. To be continued in Ruminations #4. Written and presented by Rod.

In the previous episode of Ruminations we shrunk ourselves small enough to be injected into a person's body. Today, we're going even further, right down into the sub atomic world. Things are really weird down here. Ruminations #2 continues the Fantastic Voyage.

Did you ever watch the old B-grade movie, Fantastic Voyage? See our clever heroes shrunk down to the micro-scale, injected into and save the blood stream of someone who must be saved. Desperate stuff, and a fun story. But would would it really be like down there? Assuming it's possible in the first place of course. Oh...and sorry about the goat. Enjoy this first instalment of Ruminations, recorded for the Community Broadcasting Network. Next time on Ruminations...we shrink even further! Written and presented by Rod, with thanks to David Jenkins and Deborah Hawke.

Today we delve into the mind of a psychopath. These characters fuel countless books and movies, underlying our fascination with them. Perhaps after listening to this, you'll recognise some psychopathic characters. Maybe even someone you work with. Or perhaps a voice you've heard on podcast. Few topics in science are so evocative. But... it's never that simple.  Psychopathy turns out to be a slippery concept. Along the way, we bump into the Myers Briggs indicator often used workplace training. Is it real? Many of us have been lumped into one of four boxes this way. Next time you do, have this authoritive quote ready. Dr Martin Sellbom brings scientific rigour into a muddy topic. Dr Sellbom is Associate Professor, Director of the Clinical Psychology program at the ANU. And bringing a writer's perspective is fantasy author KJ Taylor, who's works many explore the darker side of human nature. Fuzzy Logic is grateful for the support of Australian Science Communicators.

On this episode of Fuzzy, Ian interviews Sione Crawford (Manager of Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy) and David McDonald (Director of Social Research & Evaluation Pty Ltd) about how they evaluated Canberra's Naloxone program. Naloxone is an injectable drug designed to reverse the effects of people who have overdosed on heroin (and other opioids). This government funded program was quite controversial in its infancy but was it actually a success? and how did David and Sione collect data required to publish government reports and scientific papers? We discuss all these issues and more in this very interesting episode of Fuzzy.

On this episode of Fuzzy Logic, Jarrod and Broderick discuss chickens that can count, how to generate those "aha" moments, an expert poker playing computer and a new chemical bond.  This episode also features an interview by Ian with Dr Kate Grarock, senior ecologist at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, one of Canberra's best kept secrets.

Imagine you suffered depression or a condition such as Asperger's syndrome. Would you undertake treatment that would change your brain? It's a vexed question when we're talking about the the fundamentals of your self. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a technique that is evolving for these and other disorders. Associate Professor Peter Enticott is from  the Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at Deakin University. Fantasy novellist  Katie also joins us, to tell the story from an asperger's point of view. Brought to you by Ian, Eleanor, Rod, and a special guest appearance by Jimi Hendrix.

1.5 billion is a lot for a space mission. Is it worth it? Today we update on the Rosetta probe onto comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In an update after the show, we learn that the Philae's first bounce lasted nearly 2 hours.   Closer to Earth, Associate Professor Nick Barnes from NICTA talks to us about the bionic eye. We probe into aspergers, what is, and what does it mean. In December, we'll be interviewing Dr Peter Enticott about TMS treatments for aspergers. And then we look at medicinal uses of cannabis, a contentious subject covered in a recent Ask Fuzzy column. (Send your questions to AskFuzzy at Zoho.com) Brought to you by Ian and Rod

We all love a bit of chocolate, but what do we make of research on its health benefits? In our adults-only sealed section we talk about dinosaur private parts described in John Pickrell's book Flying Dinosaurs.  We interviewed John recently on Fuzzy. We talk to the Federal Member for Wills, Kelvin Thomson, who is one of the few politcians prepared to raise the issue of population growth. Why should we care? Brought to you by Ian and Rod. Fuzzy Logic is proudly sponsored by Australian Science Communicators. Hurrah!

What's that creature perched in the tree? Perhaps it's a dinosaur! You might think that a topic as old as dinosaurs was well settled, but in recent years the thinking on dinosaurs had changed radically. Today's guests on Fuzzy Logic (or perhaps that should be Feathered Logic) is John Pickrell, editor of Australian Geographic, and author of the new book Flying Dinosaurs, and Phil Hore from the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra. Interview by Rod 

This week on Fuzzy Ian, Joe, Hannah and Broderick talk about science with all the emotion attached.  Ian talks about his work with Alzheimers Australia and the emotion behind the science of dementia, while Joe brings in some emotion to the climate change debate.  Stay tuned to the end to hear a clip from an awesome new podcast, Dissecting Love.

Is there a future of crime? Can we believe shows like CSI? Join four top flight experts to discuss how science, technology, and social trends will affect our ability to prevent and solve crime. But what do we gain, and what do we lose in our drive to safer society? A National Science Week public forum with Dr Bruce McCabe author Skinjob, thinker and futurist.  Associate Professor Jeffrey Looi Deputy Head & Consultant Neuropsychiatrist ANU Medical School Fiona Wilkes PhD candidate studying the link between brain structure and function  Professor James Robertson Director, National Centre Forensics Studies Hosted by Rod. You'll find links to the videos referred to by Bruce McCabe on our Facebook

You might be conscious now, but were you this morning? Is your cat conscious? Today on Fuzzy, we explore consciousness with neurscientists Prof Jeff Looi and Fiona Wilkes. Interview by Rod Find out more about Bruce McCabe's book Skinjob we talked about today.  Bruce will be a guest panellist at Future Cop, Sat 16 August.

We start today's Fuzzy with the perenial question, 'what is life', but run straight into trouble when we decide there is no rigorous way to define the term.  It's a slippery concept, but full of fascinating alleyways, from Darwin to Mars. Get your skates on if you want to keep up on this wild ride through the history of life with two leading authorities on the topic. Dr Jochen Brocks and Dr Charley Lineweaver are Associate Professors at the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences. Interview by Rod Don't miss Future Cop on Sat 16 Aug

We'd say, join Fuzzy today for some hot snail action, but these little creatures go it alone. New Zealand Mud Snails are yet another pest invader in Australia, and lack of sex - or more correctly - asexual reproduction, which would usually be a disadvantage for a species in a new environment. Our guest is PhD student Adrian Dusting from the University of Canberra is studying their genetic diversity. In a wide ranging conversation, we talk about the snail, and how it survives a journey down the gut of a trout, about sex and evolution, and pest species across the planet. Interview By Rod. And if you're in Canberra on Sat 16 August, don't miss Future Cop where Fuzzy Logic appears with top flight guests during National Science Week. 

In this episode we talk to some experts about what happens when the planet gets grumpy. Big waves and volcanoes: Dr Barry Drummond and Dr Adele Bear from Geoscience Australia share some fascinating insights. Did you know there's such a thing as an inland tsunami?  What will happen when Krakatoa goes off again?  Already it's 500m out of the sea. Then we talk to Dr Michael Lardelli about the human consumption of energy, and what might happen next. Everything depends on energy. And then....are you a critical thinker?  Take a few minutes to complete this survey in the cause of science. Brought to you by Rod

Imagine what it'd be like to lose your hearing. The first thing is how it affects your ability to communicate with family, friends, and people at work. Less obvious is what does to enjoyment of your music. Your favourite band or composer now sound like an over-amplified shoe box. People with cochlear enjoy the great benefit of having their basic hearing restored, but music no longer sounds the same. We play some sample audio of how the world sounds with a cochlear implant. We talk to Professor Kate Gfeller about her work to bring enjoyment of music to people with hearing loss. Then we talk critical thinking in an age of free information. Why are we so prone to swallowing the bunk that floods the internet? Dr Merryn McKinnon from the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science shares her thoughts on this question. Interviews by Rod. Links Audio sample from http://wlmager.com/what-does-a-cochlear-implant-sound-like Fuzzy Logic recommends Better Hearing Australia http://canberra.betterhearingaustralia.org.a

Today's episode covers the physics of Ancient Egyptians, new elements on the periodic table, fast mites, and cheeky drongos.  All that and more from Jarrod & Broderick on Fuzzy Logic.