Fuzzy Logic Science Show

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.

With ANZAC day celebrated on Friday, we thought we'd celebrate ANZAC science- that's science performed by Aussies and Kiwis.  Listen to Jess and Broderick talk about new advances with the Aussie cochlear impant, a Kiwi version of the Mars rover to use on farms and even more Aussie & Kiwi inventions.

Chocolate, rabbits and more! Fuzzy talks about the science that affects Easter.  Tune in to hear Alice and Broderick talk about why American chocolate tastes different and discuss some of the scientific tests chocolate companies use to make sure their eggs are of eggs-cellent quality!

This year is the international year of crystallography and to celebrate Fuzzy Logic presenter Broderick has brought crystallography expert Dr Darren Goosens into the studio.  Dr Goosens shares his knowledge of some of todays applications for crystals, discusses what makes a crystal and also talks about some of the interesting history surrounding this science.

Imagine what it'd be like to lose your site or hearing, to live with chronic pain, Parkinson's Disease, or epilepsy. Any of these can make life miserable for those who have them. What then, of cures? They are complicated, and the result are mixed, but there are treatments available now, or on the horizon. Each involves tapping into the body's nervous system in some way. This is the mission of Australia's Bionics Institute. Our guest today is a passionate advocate of programs such as the cochlear implant, and the bionic eye.  These technologies tap into the great depth of talent in Australia. They offer relief to people who otherwise would have none, and they can earn real export dollars for our economy. Professor Rob Shepherd is Director of the Bionics Institute, and Professor at the University of Melbourne. Interview by Rod.

Dementia is a difficult disease, especially those affected by it. It's also difficult for researchers trying to find treatments.  Our conversation today ranges over dementia, Huntington's Disease, and the nature of the brain, and consciousness. Dr Jeff Looi is Associate Professor, and Fiona Wilkes is PhD candidate at the Medical School, ANU. Interview by Rod.

We dropped in to the BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards, which are Australia's most prestigious prizes to school students for innovative research in scientific and  engineering. On show was some great talent for projects including three high school finalists. Angela Liao's on Something to chew on: Effects of gum’s flavour on salivary flow rate and pH levels,    Ian Arachi on his project Ultraviolet protection and clothing, and Sanjog Chintalaphani on Performance of commercial photovoltaics in North Canberra. Jake Coppinger showed off his Swirlesque glove - a new form of human-computer interaction. It recognises natural hand gestures and performs actions, communicating through smartphone apps. We also caught up with Director of the CSIRO Discovery Centre Chris Kennedy to talk about Science and Engineering Awards, young people doing science, and why it matters. Interviews by Rod

Of all human skills, our ability to communicate is one of the most important. Stuttering is a difficult condition for those who suffer from it, but there are ways to treat it.  It's especially important if it can be tackled early, before it becomes esatablished in the adult. Still, there's much that can be done to help adults, as you'll hear. Our first guest is Professor Mark Onslow, foundation director of the Australian Stuttering Research Centre. Then we hear from Dr Mark Irwin, who takes us on his personal journey through stuttering. He is actively involved with the stuttering commnuity, and holds positions with a number of ogranisations, including The Australian Speakeasy Association. Finally, we hear from King George VI, the character famously depicted in the King's Speech.  This audio was extracted from a YouTube video. It's worth watching this to see how he copes. Professor Onslow has written for our Ask Fuzzy column in Fairfax media. Scan of his other columns are available by emailing AskFuzzy [at

Why are many economists world addicted to watching GDP?  It's a simple measure, but a hopelessly flawed indicator of the health of a nation. It tracks a limited number of economic indicator while ignoring important things such as pollution. You wouldn't go to a doctor who only tested your pulse, so why do we believe in GDP? Australia and other nations, the entire world are a complex brew of environment, economy, and society. Dr Robert Costanza and colleagues have been researching better ways to understand humanity and the planet as an interacting system. Dr Costanza is from the at Crawford School of Public Policy. Recorded in Canberra, 22 Feb 2014.

This episode features Broderick discussing all the latest research including brain-changing emoticons, shivering to lose weight, flying snakes and social lizards.

This week on Fuzzy Logic the heat causes Broderick's mind to stop working, while Alice & Jarrod try to calm him down with stories about water and ice. Originally aired on 19 January 2014.

This week Fuzzy Logic looks at stressed snails, echidna spurs, cold mice and tail-wagging dogs.  It's a menagerie of animal science this week with Siân, Phoebe, Nina, Dan and Broderick in the studio.

This week Broderick and Alice talk mathematics with Lashi Bandara and Alex Amenta from the ANU.  Find out what a mathematician actually does and whether maths can actually be useful!

It seems the first priority of every government is to light the fire under economic growth. This means extracting as much as we can from what we always imagined as being an infinite planet. But where is this leading us? We bring you interviews from the 2013 Fenner Conference held at the Shine Dome in Canberra. Dr Jane O'Sullivan's research has challenged beliefs about the 'demographic transition', the impact of ageing on workforce and the '3Ps' of population, participation and productivity. She is most widely recognised for quantifying the infrastructure cost of population growth rate. Dr Haydn Washington  is the author of Climate Change Denial: Heads in the Sand (2011) and Human Dependence on Nature (2013). He is keenly interested in why societies deny environmental problems. Dr Simon Michaux is a consultant in the mining industry, with a strong interest in industrial sustainability. Dr Michael Lardelli  has been active in spreading awareness of peak oil since 2004 and worked with Prof. Kjell