Fuzzy Logic Science Show

This week Rod and Broderick talk about the future and the impact humans are having on the earth. How can we reduce climate change effects? The episode starts with a talk from Dr Will Howard talking about the anthropocene, recorded live from the Pint Of Science events in Canberra.

This week on Fuzzy, Broderick talks to three marine scientists about some of the extremes in their research. From Antarctica to Adelaide, these researchers have some great stories to share. To hear more from them and other marine scientists, you can catch these speakers at the Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre Annual Marine Science Forum on June 3 & 4 at the Merimbula RSL. Tickets available from 

This episode features recordings from the Pint of Science events held in Canberra. Dr Bryan Lessard discusses his love of booty-licious flies, while Professor Naomi Mclure-Griffiths discusses her mammoth task of mapping the milky way. Apologies for the poor recording quality in parts.

What creatures have we become? Clive Hamilton asks in this interview, contemplating how humanity has caused a rupture in the Earth system. We have triggered a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. The term Earth system is crucial to understanding what this means. At one level, this podcast is an oscillating sound wave. It's a simple physical phenomenon, but at another level, it's the words, ideas, and emotions of a conversation. These are things that can emerge from a system. Clive Hamilton is the author of numerous books including Requiem for a Species and Earthmasters. In this interview we focus on his latest book, Defiant Earth: The Fate of Humans in the Anthropocene. Read more about Clive and other stories from people in the environment in Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet. Interview by Rod

Margie Fitzpatrick's family has been on the land since the early-mid 1800s. The property near Collector NSW has been severly affected by erosion but with years of care it's returning to health. The journey has been made possible with the support from a deep network of people bringing skills and commitment.  Rivers of Carbon were there to celebrate years of work at Australind. Interview by Rod

In October 2014, plans for a 600 megawatt wind farm on the King Island were dumped. A major cause was a divided community.  Rebecca Colvin tells a compelling story about what went wrong, of how the islanders split into pro and anti groups. Meanwhile in Canberra, SolarShare is rolling out a community-energy solar farm. Lawrence McIntosh describes how they succeeded in getting their project running. Dr Rebecca Colvin is from the ANU Climate Change Institute. You can read her paper here. Brought to you by Rod, with help from Marcus Anderson.  

March 8th was International Women's Day, so Mitchell and Eleanor are shining the spotlight on some incredible women who deserve their places in science history. Tune in to hear Mitchell's Mary-trifecta; one who used maths to get us to the moon, one who was doing alchemy before it was cool, and one who rocked Queensland. Also featured are Eleanor's picks; a modern day scientist (and Dame) pioneering the technique of mass spectrometry, an astronomer who classified over 300,000 stars in her lifetime, and a quirky Australian botanist with a penchant for passive-agressive tree maintenance.  Join us in celebrating the stories of some excellent scientists this International Women's Day.  

In the scheme of things 230 years is a mere blink, but that's all it's taken for Europeans to utterly transform Australia. In another 230 years, what will we say? Whatever the answer, the word sustainability is important. Dr Kate Auty is ACT Sustainability Commissioner. We talk about what that means for the ACT, and how we meet the forces that oppose it. Dr Auty shares some life stories from the Kimberleys, and what happened when she held her ground as the Victorian Environment Commissioner. Interview by Rod  

Still waiting for the energy revolution? While the federal government wants to burn coal, the community voice grows. We visited the Hepburn wind farm, and the Community Energy Congress in Melbourne. The Town Hall was a-buzz with excitement. At Hepburn, James took a few moments away from his icecream. We talk smart energy systems with Hillary Platt, co-operatives with Anthony Taylor. Then we hear community energy groups from Seymour and Euroa plans for pumped hydro storage.   Rod talks pumped hydro with Prof Andrew Blakers on Radio National.   Visit c4c2  Twitter     Website   Facebook    

February 12 is Darwin Day, celebrating the anniversary of the birth of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. This show, originally broadcast on Darwin Day, sees Dr Emma Sherratt join Broderick to discuss the life and science of Charles Darwin. Emma is a postdoctoral researcher from the Research School of Biology at the Australian National Unviersity, Canberra

We are of course, talking about food! The immense pleasure of tucking into a good meal. It's the taste, the texture, the shared social experience, and nutrition. This a topic as rich as a fine meal. Today's conversation is with Dr Nenad Naumovski, Assistant Professor from the University of Canberra, and psychologist Jacqeline Naumovski. Interview by Rod.   You can read Dr Nemovski's Ask Fuzzy columns on tea and pectin. @FuzzyLogicSci

Hepatitis is a tenacious disease, but with basic knowhow, it can be prevented.  And with new drugs it can be treated, but the cost is far higher. Given the people at risk, it's as much a social issue as it is a health issue. It's one of the reasons that Hepatitis ACT Executive Director John Didlick has thrown his energy into the cause. Interview by Rod at the Multicultural Festival in Canberra. For more information, go to hepatitisact.com.au

At a time when we're facing so many dire threats, it's easy to give up and think we're powerless. In the face of such large forces, how can one person do anything? It turns out there are lots of ways. Our guest today describes a few. Simon Sheikh was driving force behind the Getup movement, and in 2013 was the Greens candidate in the ACT federal election. Now, he's founder and manager of Future Super. Interview by Rod

Last week, millions of people worldwide participated in Women's Marches to raise awareness, celebrate diversity, and demand equality. Eleanor and Mitchell decided to show their support by discussing their favourite women in science. Tune in to learn about the women who pioneered X-ray crystallography, mapped the ocean floor, and literally wrote the book on bone microstructures.  These are stories of scientists who not only performed world-changing research, but did so when everything was stacked against them.  Note: Eleanor incorrectly states that Sally Ride was the first woman in space. She was the first woman astronaut (1983), but cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova went into space (piloting the Vostok 6) 20 years earlier. My apologies for the mix-up.    

Welcome to 2017! In this week's episode of Fuzzy Logic, Eleanor and Mitchell talk about cycles. Whether it's the 365 day cycle around the sun, complex cycles of precession and tilt that alter Earth's climate, or the Sun's natural cycle through high and low activity periods, these kinds of patterns are all around us. Tune in to hear Mitchell's "New Years Resolution" and Eleanor try to explain that the Gregorian Calendar was *not* invented by a guy called Gregor.    

It's our thoroughly non-Christmassy Christmas episode, and the last Fuzzy for 2016, so we're talking about colour in nature. Why are animals colourful? How did yellow patterns come to mean "please don't eat me, I'm poisonous, I promise" and how did tricksters come to mimic those patterns for their own ends? Eleanor is joined in the studio by Thomas, (a biochemistry PhD student with an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world and a penchant for awful puns), and Mitchell, who was probably a dinosaur in a previous life. Enjoy, and Happy New Year from Fuzzy!  

Today we take a short break from science to bring you a christmas wish. Whatever your creed, this is for you. A personal story recorded by Rod for the ABC in 2006. May peace be with us all in 2017.    

We caught up with Australia's former Chief Scientist, Professor Penny Sackett, and asked her about how we're dealing with looming climate change. Is there hope? Interview by Rod at the recent BZE electric vehicle launch.

What's it like to lose your hearing? Our two guests today share their experiences as they struggle with hearing loss. Sue Daw is from Better Hearing Canberra, and today Rod is on the other side of the microphone. Interview by Christine Daniel from radio 1RPH

It's easy to love a panda, a monkey, or an beautifully coloured bird, but spare a thought for the humble fly.  These tireless workers aren't just the ones  that buzz around your bbq sausage. There's a huge range of species that eat aphids and pollinate flowers. And now Canberra startup Goterra is turning Black Soldier Fly larvae into stock feed. Turn garbage into food, build an industry in Canberra, and slow the dumping of waste into land fille. Dr Bryan (the Fly Guy) Lessard's mission is to celebrate the true worth of the fly. Read his story in Fuzzy Logic's Fairfax column. Olympia Yarger from Goterra joins Bryan and Rod for today's celebration of flies.