Brains Matter

108 - Is Intelligent Life Common in the Universe?

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:30:55 +0000

A question that everyone asks at some point is - are we alone? We’ve all heard about the Drake Equation, and have had chats about our place in the universe with friends.

In this episode, Dr Allie Ford hosts a debate between Professor John Lattanzio and Ms Marion Anderson from Monash University on the topic “Intelligent Life is Common in the Universe”. Ms Anderson argues for the positive, and Professor Lattanzio argues for the negative.

They both argue the topic using the latest information and theories about astronomy and the possibility of life existing in the Universe. In recent years we have found hundreds of planets outside the solar system. Surely intelligent life must exist somewhere. But why have radio searches revealed nothing yet?

Download MP3 of Ep 108

The presentations used during this debate:

Marion’s presentation for the positive argument
Prof Lattanzio’s presentation for the negative argument

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107 - Dr Yin Paradies - The Effects of Racism

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:31:51 +0000

In this episode I speak to Dr Yin Paradies, who is a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne. Yin’s research focuses on the health, social and economic effects of racism as well as anti-racism theory, policy and practice.

In this interview, some of the topics we talk about include:

- What are some of the effects of racism?
- How does racism affect health outcomes?
- What are the variations that have been found in racism in Australia and overseas?
- Some examples of racism
- The relationship between racism and self-destructive behaviour
- How does racism in Australia compare to the rest of the world?
- How has research into racism informed or changed public policy?
- We also discuss some of the work that Dr Paradies has done in building a framework to tackle racism
- Racism in the media
- How do we educate people and promote harmony?
- Where does racism come from?
- What IS race?

Download MP3 of Ep 107

Some other interesting links:

Challenging Racism: The Anti-Racism Research Project at UWS

Building on our strengths - the anti-racism framework that Dr Paradies mentioned in the interview.

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Borders poster

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:47:19 +0000

(Carlton, Victoria, Australia)

106 - Dr Owen Carter - Research into the Ultraviolet Index

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:02:19 +0000

We have all heard of the ultraviolet index in weather reports. What is it? What does it mean to the lay person? What is the average person’s perception of the ultraviolet index? I talk to Dr Owen Carter from the CBRCC and Curtin University in Western Australia about his research into this area.

- Who is most likely to get sunburned?
- What are the best predictors for skin cancer?
- What is the difference between SPF and the Ultraviolet Index?
- Is all exposure to UV bad? Is there a protective effect?
- What are people’s perceptions of the UV Index?
- What measures have been recommended to influence people’s perception of the UV index and help reduce the incidences if skin cancer?
-

Download MP3 of Ep 106

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Brains Matter Live Show

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:42:20 +0000

Hi all,

The Brains Matter Podcast will have its first live show early next month. So if you’re in Melbourne, Australia and want to come and watch and be part of the first live show, you’re more than welcome to come along.

Date: Saturday 13 February, 2010
Time: 14:00
Location: Borders Bookstore, 380 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia

Drinking with Aliens..

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:56:47 +0000

The Brains Matter interview with Dr Allie Ford from Monash Uni (highlights version for 365 DoA) was featured on Diffusion Science Radio this week.

105 - Prof Bryan Gaensler - Magnetism in the Universe

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:13:54 +0000

In this episode, I speak to Professor Bryan Gaensler from the University of Sydney on the topic of Magnetism in the Universe, which was only discovered in the 20th century.

- What is a magnet?
- What objects in the universe are magnetic?
- How are magnets detected in space?
- How do we detect magnetic fields, despite the fact they are invisible?
- What is the relationship between magnetism and the formation of galaxies?
- How is magnetism related to the existance of life?
- Could we exist without magnetism?
- What does this mean for space exploration?
- Magnetism and Faraday Rotation
- The relationships between magnetism and sun spots

Download MP3 of Ep 105

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104 - Dr Kristen Panfilio - Hox Genes and Evolutionary Developmental Genetics

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:15:30 +0000

In todays episode, I talk to Dr Kristen Panfilio is a Developmental Geneticist from the University of Cologne, in Germany. We talk about Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, or Evo Devo as it is sometimes known. Topics we cover include:

- What is evolutionary developmental genetics?
- Why is it useful?
- How do genes help us understand evolution?
- What is a Hox gene?
- What are the different types of Hox genes?
- What do they do?
- What has been observed with Hox genes in research on insects?
- The Zen gene
- How the RNA interference technique is used
- An example of the technique can plants and animals use to get rid of viruses
- How do these genes affect the development of embryos?
- Where is the foundation or blueprint of the body made?
- What are some of the causes of embryos not developing properly?

… and a whole lot more! Listen in to find out.

Also featured in episode 104 are listener feedback, and a listener question answered by Monash University postdoc Dr Richard Stancliffe. The listeners of the episode are Ed from Melbourne and Sarah from the US.

Promo: ‘The Rise of Atheism - Global Atheist Convention’, Melbourne 2010

Download MP3 of Ep 104

Some further links:

Hox Genes: Descent with modification
Oncopeltus fasciatus zen is essential for serosal tissue function in katatrepsis
Extraembryonic development in insects and the acrobatics of blastokinesis

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103 - Nick Miller - English libel law and censorship in science reporting

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:39:59 +0000

Nick Miller is the Health Editor for The Age newspaper in Melbourne, Australia. Nick interviewed Simon Singh (who has appeared in episode 100 of Brains Matter), and was subsequently impacted by the English Libel laws.

Nick talks to me about this incident, and what he feels may need to be considered in terms of reforming those laws.

- How did the English laws impact him?
- What does this mean for the reporting of science and medicine in general?
- Are Australian libel laws similar to the UK ones?
- What should we do about this?

There is also a campaign underway to promote reform. You can find the Libel Reform Campaign website here

Nick’s entry that he mentioned in the interview.

Also featured in today’s episode is the listener of the episode (Shelagh R)

Download MP3 of Ep 103

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Tell us your favourite episode of 2009 and win a Google Wave invite

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:04:00 +0000

It’s coming to the end of the year, and what a year of science, curiosities, and general knowledge it has been!

Let me know what your favourite episode of 2009 has been and why (in less than 50 words) - post it on this entry at the Brains Matter website, and at the end of the year two entries will be chosen based on their responses and will win a Google Wave invite. If you already have Google Wave, use the invite to pass on to a friend or loved one!

So start thinking!

102 - Dr Owen Carter - The Psychology of Tobacco Advertising

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:26:05 +0000

In this episode, I talk to Dr Owen Carter, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control at Curtin University, on the topic of tobacco advertising.

- What were the techniques used by tobacco companies in their advertising?
- Does tobacco advertising actually affect smokers?
- What is the effect of tobacco advertising on non-smokers?
- What kind of effects have been discovered?
- Have the impacts on children been considered?
- What is being done to combat these psychological effects?
- What studies have been done to help us understand the situation?
- What legislation has been implemented based on these studies?

Featured in today’s episode are the listener of the episode (Nerida L), and letters from faithful fans.

Download MP3 of Ep 102

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Happy Third Birthday Brains Matter!

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:07:48 +0000

Hi all,

October brings about a new milestone for the show - three years since the podcast first started publishing. September/October has been busy, and I have a bunch of great interviews coming up in the near future.

I always enjoy hearing from all of you, and the ideas I’ve been getting from listeners for future shows have been fantastic. I have a list longer than my arm right now, and wish I had the time and resources to dedicate to finding the answers to every one of those questions in quick time.

Of course if you enjoy the show, you’re more than welcome to nominate the show for the Podcast Awards http://www.podcastawards.com/
or here for blog posts http://scienceblogs.com/clock/openlab09/

And a big thank you to everyone who has left your lovely thoughts and reviews on iTunes / Podcast Alley, and a special thank you to those who have supported the show and given a donation - it goes a long way.

Regards

Fourth 365 Days of Astronomy appearance

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:43:19 +0000

The 22/9/2009 episode of 365 Days of Astronomy was the fourth contribution by Brains Matter to the IYA podcast effort.

In this particular episode, I talk about Ruby Payne Scott, an Australian physicist, who was the world’s first female radio astronomer.

Listen to the audio here

Brains Matter listeners making a difference…

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:14:06 +0000

I just received this email from Professor Roger Short, who appeared on Brains Matter in episodes 73, 74, 77 and 78 on the topic of Asian Elephants and their plight:

Thanks exclusively to Brains Matter, I was contacted by an Accountant,
Glen Antonovich, who lives in Melbourne and is devoted to elephants! He
has offered his services free to register a Charity, which we have
decided to call “Never Forget Elephants”, to promote the conservation of
the Asian elephant. It would be great to involve you in the next
chapter of this ongoing story

Wonderful news from Professor Short - and many thanks to Glen for engaging in this effort. I hope that many listeners get behind this charity as well.

101 - Dr Paul Francis - Comets, Pink Black Holes & Teaching Astronomy

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:09:10 +0000

In this episode, I talk to Dr Paul Francis from the Australian National University in Canberra on the topic of comets.

- What are comets?
- Where do they come from?
- How big are comets in general?
- What are they made of?
- How big can comets be?
- What would happen to Pluto if it came in closer to the sun?
- How likely are we to be hit by a comet?

We also talk about pink black holes - what ARE pink black holes? I also talk to Dr Francis about some of his novel ways of teaching critical thinking and scepticism / scientific thinking to his students through some unexpected methods. Listen in to find out how!

Featured in today’s episode are the listener of the episode, and feedback

Download MP3 of Ep 101

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2009 Stem Cell Awareness Day

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:54:25 +0000

Monash University is hosting the 2009 Stem Cell Awareness Day on the 23rd of September.

For more details, please go to www.stemcellawarenessday.com

* What are stem cells?
* What can and can’t they do?
* What are the ethical issues?
* What are the latest clinical advances?
* Can I bank my own stem cells and those of my children?

For information about stem cells, please go to the interview with Dr Orly Lacham-Kaplan on stem cells at:

Episode 072 - Stem Cells and Infertility

100 - The Century - Dr Andrew Prentice and Dr Simon Singh

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:43:01 +0000

The 100th episode of Brains Matter coincides with National Science Week - and to celebrate both the 100th show and National Science week, in this episode, we cover a range of topics. There are two great new interviews, as well as highlights from previous shows. You can go to the original interviews by clicking on the links associated with that episode.

Interviews:
Dr Andrew Prentice — the first use of the telescope for astronomical purposes

Dr Djoymi Baker- The relationship between sci fi and mythology
Prof John Lattanzio - Element formation in stars
Dr Zachary Moore - Fundamentalism and evolution
Dr Adrian Gentle - Special relativity
Dr Roger Rassool - Physics and music
Prof Peter Doherty - Jokes and the Nobel Prize
Dr Mark Boland - Measurements in the synchrotron
Dr Pamela Gay - Naming the big bang
Dr David Karoly - The evidence for global warming
Adam Parker - Origins of robotics
Dr Orly Lacham-Kaplan - What are stem cells?
Prof Roger Short - Evolutionary evidence of the origin of elephants
Marc West - Cricket, maths and statistics
Dr Seth Shostak - Science and the movies

Dr Simon Singh - The wonder of maths and science, the decline of maths and science study in schools, and a discussion on pseudo science

I hope everyone enjoys National Science Week in Australia - and for those not in Australia - go out and enjoy some science today!!

I would like to thank everyone who have made contributions to this episode, including: Dr Andrew Prentice, Dr Simon Singh, Dr Allie Ford, Christian Wilson, Christopher Short, Dr Daniel Price, Dr Phil Plait, Dr Duncan Galloway, Erk, Daniel Viles, Jason Hameister, Dr Rosemary Mardling, Marc West, Kylie Sturgess, Derek Colanduno, Darryl Carlton, and Nigel Hedges

Thanks also to the following people for their feedback for the episode:

Julia Meaden, Catherine Ld, Christopher Able, Paulo Ricardo Savino, Gerardo Blanco, Jerome

Download MP3 of Ep 100

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Redirect - The Century

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:59:47 +0000

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099 - Skepticism 101 - The Australian Skeptics

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:37:16 +0000

We’ve all heard of the word sceptic / skeptic. It is used in many contexts - and there is a worldwide movement of people who identify themselves as “skeptics”. What does that entail? Who is a skeptic? What’s the difference, if any, between being a sceptic and being a skeptic? How does one become a skeptic, and how is it useful?

I visited a talk presented by the Australian Skeptics and after it had finished, I talked to Dr Rachael Dunlop, Dave the Happy Singer, and Richard Saunders - all well known within the Australian Skeptics movement.

Download MP3 of Ep 99

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The upcoming century

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:30:22 +0000

Hi all,

As you know, the 100th episode of the show is coming up fairly soon. What has been your favourite episode so far? What genre or topics have interested you the most? Which episode made you stop and think “Wow, really? I didn’t know that?!” Drop me a line and let me know!

098 - Dr Seth Shostak - Science and the movies

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:11:20 +0000

I talk to Dr Seth Shostak, from the SETI Institute, on the topic of science and the movies. We cover:
- The portrayal and accuracy of science in entertainment
- Seth’s role as science adviser in the movie remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
- What does a science adviser in a movie do?
- Why is Hollywood using science advisers more of late?
- How important is it to get the science right in movies?
- Society and its view of science versus other pursuits - the difference in attitudes between the west and the east
- Seth’s new book, “Confessions of an Alien Hunter”

Seth’s book:

Download MP3 of Ep 98

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097 - Dr Rosemary Mardling - Extra solar planets

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:17:52 +0000

I talk to Dr Rosemary Mardling, an astrophysicist from Monash University on the topic of extra-solar planets. Topics we cover include:

- What is an extra solar planet?
- How do we find extra solar planets?
- How do we estimate the size and form of these extra solar planets?
- How do we explain the “Hot Jupiter” style planets that have been found?
- Most extra solar planets that have been found are short period - why is this the case?
- Is our solar system “normal”, or unusual?
- How do we determine if a system has more than one extra solar planet?
- What could finding extra solar planets mean for us here in our solar system?

Also included in this show are the listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Apologies for the audio quality of this interview - it’s been cleaned up as much as possible.

Download MP3 of Ep 97

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096 - Dr Ginger Campbell - Brain chemistry, plasticity and imaging

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:03:02 +0000

I talk to Dr Ginger Campbell, the host of the Brain Science Podcast and Books and Ideas on the fascinating topics of
- brain chemistry - what do we know about how chemicals may or may not influence us,
- brain plasticity, learning languages or new skills and how to keep yourself young and vital (we hope!), and
- brain imaging - and how this has been useful for the medical field and what it can tell us about our brains.
Dr Campbell also answers the all important question of which medical tv show is THE one worth watching.

Download MP3 of Ep 96

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095 - Dr Andrew Prentice - The Saturn System

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:19:51 +0000

Dr Andrew Prentice from Monash University continues his discussion with me about his theories of the formation of the solar system. In this episode, we concentrate on the Saturniun system, satellites such as Titan and some of the observations in comparison to his predictions, and conclude by reflecting back on what was discussed in the previous two episodes.

This is the final part of a 3 part interview series with Dr Prentice. Please listen to episodes 93 and 94 first.

Download MP3 of Ep 95

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094 - Dr Andrew Prentice - Planets and Satellite formation

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:00:25 +0000

I continue my talk to Dr Andrew Prentice from Monash University, extending on the discussion in part 1 of this interview series on Supersonic Turbulence, to talk about the Modern Laplacian Theory, and how it helps describe planetary and satellite formation, and it’s weaknesses. The discussion on satellites, and especially Titan, is fascinating.

This is part 2 of a 3 part interview series.

Download MP3 of Ep 94

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093 - Dr Andrew Prentice - Supersonic Turbulence

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:59:12 +0000

I talk to Dr Andrew Prentice on the topic of Supersonic Turbulence, a theory he proposed which helps in understanding his predictions on the objects within the solar system and formation of the solar system. Dr Prentice has also made some astounding predictions as has been documented here

This is the first of a 3 part interview.

Download MP3 of Ep 93

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Third 365 DoA appearance

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:22:03 +0000

A summary of the most recent episode on the expansion of the universe was featured for the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast today.

365 Days of Astronomy - Brains Matter interview with Dr Brian Schmidt (summary)

092 - Dr Brian Schmidt - The acceleration of the universe

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:38:01 +0000

We’ve all wondered about the creation of the universe - from the big bang onwards. What next? Is the galaxy going to slow down from the big bang? Will there be multiple big bangs and big crunches? The reality of the matter is astounding. In 1994, Dr Brian Schmidt, along with some colleagues from around the world, found that the universe is far more fascinating and unexpected than we thought. Not only is the universe expanding, but it is also accelerating!

I talk to Dr Schmidt about this expansion. Topics we talk about include:

- How was this discovered?
- What could be causing the acceleration?
- How the cosmological constant relates to this
- What effects do we observe from dark energy and dark matter?
- How does this relate to zero-point energy?
- With the speeding up expansion of the universe, what will this mean to us as humans?
- What would science look like if we began our civilisation about 100 billion years into the future? Would cosmology be as we know it today?
- What is the future of cosmology research?
- Baryone acoustic oscillations
- Is there a relationship between dark energy and dark matter?

Also featured is the listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 92

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091 - Dr Maria Lugaro - Pre-Solar Grains

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:08:46 +0000

I talk to Dr Maria Lugaro on the topic of pre-solar grains. Topics we cover include:

- What are pre-solar grains?
- Do they only exist in our solar system?
- How big are they?
- How do we capture pre-solar grains on Earth?
- How do we determine if grains are pre-solar?
- How do the grains form?
- What percentage of material in the solar system is pre-solar?
- How is the information from these grains useful in understanding the solar system, and the evolution of the solar system?
- The age of this area of study.
- How these grains are studied and analysed.

Also featured is the listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 91

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Second 365 DoA Appearance

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:30:39 +0000

Those of you who follow the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast will have noticed that todays episode is a Brains Matter production.

Listen here

090 - Amanda Barnard - What is Nanotechnology?

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:20:58 +0000

I talk to Dr Amanda Barnard, an expert in nanoscience, from the CSIRO on nanotechnology. We discuss:

- What are nanoparticles?
- What are nanorods?
- What properties of a substance make it a useful nanoparticle?
- What makes nanoparticles useful?
- What do you need to know to understand nanotechnology?
- What are some examples of the usage of nanotechnology today?
- The usage of nanoparticles in medicines
- What about the re-use of nanoparticles?
- Capturing nanoparticles
- Nanotechnology in the ancient world and medieval times
- Current and future research in this area

Also featured is the listener of the episode.

Download MP3 of Ep 90

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089 - Dr Daniel Price - Stellar Formation

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:02:40 +0000

I talk to Dr Daniel Price, Monash Fellow from the School of Mathematics at Monash University in Melbourne Australia, about how stars form. We discuss:

- Star formation
- What constitutes a star?
- The first stars in the universe
- Current star formation
- For a given gas cloud, how many stars typically form?
- The Jeans Mass
- The initial mass function
- The evolution of massive stars v regular stars
- What happens to dead stars?
- Formation of stars in clusters and binaries
- The role of turbulence in star formation

Promo in this episode is for Skepticality

Also featured are listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 89

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088 - Dr Ross Church - Binary Star Formation

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:31:05 +0000

Dr Ross Church is a PhD from Cambridge, and is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Monash University. I talked to him about binary stars:

- What are binary stars?
- How common are they?
- Can stars exist in triple or more systems?
- How big are most binary stars?
- How do binary stars form?
- How can we detect binary stars through observation?
- Can binary systems have planets?

Also featured are listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 88

This episode of Brains Matter is brought to you by Swinburne Astronomy Online

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087 - Science Songs

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:07:25 +0000

Chemistry, biology, physics, climate change - the list of science topics are too numerous for me to mention them all here. And each subject has someone singing about it in some fashion. That’s right - the episode that a lot of you have been waiting for - the show on science songs. Marc West, from the Mr Science Show joins me as we discuss songs related to science, and the many suggestions provided by listeners. We talk about science topics and songs that relate to them - from maths to health, from astronomy to climate change - there’s even a song about hybrid cars!

The Quadrant hoax mentioned in the episode can be found here:
http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20090106-How-Quadrant-swallowed-a-giant-hoax-.html

The songs featured in this episode:

Ben lee – “I love pop music”

Barenaked Ladies – “The Big Bang”
David Bowie – “Life on mars”
David Bowie – “Starman”
Muse – “Supermassive black hole”
Liquido – “Mercury”
Shocking Blue – “Venus”
Jackson Mendoza – “Venus or Mars”
Duran Duran – “Planet Earth”
Liquido – “Way to Mars”
Thomas Dolby – “The Flat Earth”
The Beatles – “Across the Universe”
Kraftwerk – “Spacelab”

Tom Lehrer – “That’s Mathematics”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Zero”
Tom Lehrer – “New Math”
Johnny Cash – “One”

Peter Weatherall – “DNA Song”
Girls Aloud – “Biology”
Mental As Anything – “Brain Brain”
Bloodhound Gang – “The Bad Touch”
Weird Al Yankovic – “I think I’m a clone now”

Mondo Rock – “Chemistry”
Tom Lehrer – “The Elements”
Luke Koteras – “Glycerine”
Evanescance – “Lithium”
The Cat Empire – “Protons Neutrons Electrons”

The Futureheads – “Robot”
Kraftwerk – “Die Roboter”

Snow Patrol – “Warmer Climate”
Tom Lehrer – “Pollution”
The Socknockers – “Hybrid Car”
Crowded House – “Four Seasons in One Day”

Thompson Twins – “Doctor! Doctor!”
Ben Lee – “Cigarettes will kill you”
The Avalanches – “Frontier Psychiatry”
Madness – “Cardiac Arrest”
Ladyhawke – “My Delirium”

Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark – “Electricity”
Joy Division – “Transmission”
Neil Finn – “Faster than Light”
Cut Copy – “Time Stands Still”
Daniel Caine – “Quantum Leap Theme”
Rebecca’s Empire – “Atomic Electric”

Thomas Dolby – “She Blinded Me With Science”
Oingo Boingo – “Weird Science”
Aimee Mann – “The Scientist”
Counting Crows – “Einstein on the Beach”
Liquido – “Game Boy”
The Socknockers – “Five Minutes Into the Future”

Apoptygma Berzerk – “Apollo”

If you’re a big fan of science type songs, check out the kings in this area - the folks at Geek Pop

Download MP3 of Ep 87

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–
The following are the full list of songs that we came up with - including suggestions by listeners
–

Category	Song	Artist	Suggested By

Astronomy	Third Planet	Modest Mouse
Astronomy	A Spaceman Came Travelling	Chris de Burgh
Astronomy	Across the Universe	The Beatles
Astronomy	Astro	Neil Finn
Astronomy	Astronomy Domine	Pink Floyd
Astronomy	Aurora	Foo Fighters
Astronomy	Big Bang Theory	Barenaked Ladies
Astronomy	Black Hole Sun	Soundgarden	Anna
Astronomy	Blue Moon	Cowboy Junkies
Astronomy	Champagne Supernova	Oasis
Astronomy	Climbing to the moon	The Eels
Astronomy	Dark side of the moon	Ernesto v Bastian
Astronomy	Distant Sun	Crowded House
Astronomy	Distant Sun	Brooke Fraser
Astronomy	Distant Sun	Lacuna Coil
Astronomy	Eclipse	Apoptygma Berzerk
Astronomy	Eclipse	Pink Floyd
Astronomy	Galaxy	Pulsedriver
Astronomy	Galaxy Song	Monty Python	Alan
Astronomy	Gravity Rides Everything	Modest Mouse
Astronomy	I Feel the Earth Move	Carole King
Astronomy	Into the Galaxy	Midnight Juggernauts
Astronomy	Lonely Moon	The Cat Empire
Astronomy	Mercury	Liquido
Astronomy	Mercury	Ayria
Astronomy	Planet Earth	Duran Duran
Astronomy	Planet Song	Animaniacs	Lionel L
Astronomy	Private Universe	Crowded House
Astronomy	Rocket Boy	Liz Phair
Astronomy	Rocket Man	Elton John
Astronomy	Rocket Man	Kate Bush
Astronomy	Satellite	The Hooters
Astronomy	Satellite of Love	Lou Reed
Astronomy	Saturn 5	Kubik
Astronomy	Solar System	Beach Boys	Ken
Astronomy	Space Oddity	David Bowie	Roger
Astronomy	Spacelab	Kraftwerk
Astronomy	Spaceman	Babylon Zoo
Astronomy	Star Trekkin’	The Firm	Anna
Astronomy	Starman	David Bowie	Roger
Astronomy	Stars	The Cranberries
Astronomy	The Flat Earth	Thomas Dolby
Astronomy	The Sun	The Cat Empire
Astronomy	The sun is a mass of incandescent gas	TMBG	Alan
Astronomy	The Universe is Collapsing	The Socknockers
Astronomy	The Universe is You	Sophie Ellis-Bexter
Astronomy	Twinkle Twinkle Little Star	Nursery Rhyme	Roger
Astronomy	Under the Milky Way	The Church	Paisley
Astronomy	Under the Yellow Sun	Sara Noxx
Astronomy	Uranus	Scared Weird Little Guys	Ian N
Astronomy	Venus	Air
Astronomy	Venus	Bananarama
Astronomy	Venus	Shocking Blue
Astronomy	Venus or Mars	Jackson Mendoza
Astronomy	Way to Mars	Liquido
Biology	Biological	Air
Biology	Brain Brain	Mental As Anything
Biology	Brains Body Both	George Hrab	Derek Colanduno
Biology	Clones	Ash
Biology	Dr Worm	TMBG
Biology	Electrolite	REM
Biology	Evolution	Ayu Trance
Biology	Evolution	John Steele Singers	Christopher
Biology	Heartbeat	Africanism
Biology	I think I’m a clone now	Weird Al Yankovic
Biology	Mammal	TMBG	Alan
Biology	More Serotonin Please	Apoptygma Berzerk
Biology	Muscle Museum	Muse
Biology	The Bad Touch	Bloodhound Gang	Adam W
Chemistry	Atomised	The Hampdens
Chemistry	Chemical	New Order
Chemistry	Chemical Beats	Chemical Brothers
Chemistry	Chemical Calisthenics	Blackalicious	David Bernstein
Chemistry	Chemical Dreams	George
Chemistry	Chemical Smile	Everclear
Chemistry	Chemistry	Mondo Rock	Paisley
Chemistry	Glycerine	Bush
Chemistry	Glycerine	Luke Koteras
Chemistry	Helium	Bypass Unit
Chemistry	Lithium	Evanescence
Chemistry	Lithium	Nirvana
Chemistry	Protons, Neutrons, Electrons	The Cat Empire
Chemistry	The elements	Tom Lehrer	Dave Sharpe, Alia801
Climate	Electrical Storm	U2
Climate	Four Seasons In One Day	Crowded House
Climate	Hybrid Car	The Socknockers
Climate	Pollution	Tom Lehrer
Climate	Warmer Climate	Snow Patrol
Health	Cardiac Arrest	Madness
Health	Cigarettes Will Kill You	Ben Lee
Health	Doctor Jeep	The Sisters of Mercy
Health	Doctor! Doctor!	The Thompson Twins
Health	Don’t Mess With Doctor Dream	The Thompson Twins
Health	Frontier Psychiatry	The Avalanches	Hunter, Anna
Health	Spontaneous Human Combustion	The Bobs	Ken
Maths	Arithmetic	Brooke Fraser
Maths	New Math	Tom Lehrer
Maths	One	U2
Maths	One	Johnny Cash
Maths	One is the Loneliest Number	Johnny Farnham
Maths	Pi R Squared	Clint Mansell	Fab
Maths	Schwatzield Radius		Spectrum
Maths	Secrets from the future (cryptography)	MC Frontalot	Karaksindru
Maths	That’s Mathematics	Tom Lehrer
Maths	Zero	Smashing Pumpkins
Physics	Atomic Electric	Rebecca’s Empire
Physics	Chain Reaction	Diana Ross
Physics	Dynamite	Jamiroquai
Physics	Electric	Lisa Scott Lee
Physics	Electricity	Apoptygma Berzerk
Physics	Electricity	OMD
Physics	Faster than Light	Neil Finn
Physics	First and Second Law	Flanders & Swann	Paisley
Physics	Gravity Rides	Modest Mouse
Physics	Here’s to the Atomic Bomb	Smashing Pumpkins
Physics	Hydoelectric	MDFMK
Physics	Ohm Sweet Ohm	Apoptygma Berzerk
Physics	Radio	The Corrs
Physics	Radiology	Lovedrug
Physics	Tesla Girls	OMD
Physics	The Speed of Sound	Coldplay
Physics	Time Stands Still	Cut/Copy
Physics	Transmission	Joy Division
Physics	UV Ray	Jesus & Mary Chain
Physics	What is the light?	The Flaming Lips
Robotics	Android	Icon of Coil
Robotics	Die Roboter	Kraftwerk
Robotics	My Bionic Eyes	Liz Phair
Robotics	Paranoid Android	Radiohead
Robotics	Robot	The Futureheads
Robotics	We Are The Robots	Kraftwerk
Robotics	Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots	The Flaming Lips
Other	Computer Games	Mi-Sex	Roger
Other	Einstein on the Beach	Counting Crows
Other	Electric Deams	Giorio Moroder / Phil Oakey	Roger
Other	Five Minutes Into the Future	The Socknockers
Other	Game Boy	Liquido
Other	I am a Scientist	Dandy Warhols	Hunter
Other	Laptop Jam	Spiderbait
Other	Lots of sciency songs	Roisin Murphy	Christopher
Other	March the Mad Scientist	Jethro Tull
Other	Pop Science	Devin Anderson
Other	Professor Frink’s Autobiographical Song	Professor Frink	Sophia
Other	Science Fiction	Divinyls	Ozzmosis
Other	Scince is Golden	The Grates	Ozzmosis, Hunter
Other	She Blinded Me With Science	Thomas Dolby	Ken
Other	Technology	The Whigs
Other	The Future’s So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)	Timbuk 3	Ozzmosis
Other	The Science of the Two	Edan	Hunter
Other	The Scientist	Aimee Mann	Spectrum
Other	The Scientist	Coldplay	Ozzmosis
Other	Theorem	Kineto	Spectrum
Other	Weird Science	Oingo Boingo

086 - Dr Ross Church - Hypervelocity Stars

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:16:10 +0000

Have you heard of hypervelocity stars? These are amazingly fast stars. How fast? I talk to Dr Ross Church, from Monash University, who tells us all about them. Topics of discussion include:

What are hyper velocity stars?
How do they form?
The relationship between binary stars and hypervelocity stars
The interactions between supermassive black holes and binary stars
Are hypervelocity stars all basically the same?
Could these stars join other galaxies?
Can hypervelocity stars collide with other stars in the plane of the galaxy?
What would happen if a hypervelocity star was heading towards us? What would happen to the solar system?
How many hypervelocity stars have we observed? Are they common or uncommon?
How do we find hypervelocity stars?
How long do these stars live?
Do hypervelocity stars change the evolution of the galaxy at all?
What happens to the companion of the hypervelocity star?

Also featured are listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

Download MP3 of Ep 86

This episode of Brains Matter is brought to you by Swinburne Astronomy Online

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

085 - Marc West - The Science and Psychology of Cricket - Part 2

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:14:34 +0000

In this episode, I continue my discussion with science journalist Marc West. We talk about the psychology and science of sport - and the case study we use is cricket. The topics we talk about can apply to practically any team sport, but being the cricket fans we are, we relate it to the gentleman’s game. Topics we cover in this second part of our discussion include:

- Psychology and batsmen
- The psychology of Shane Warne
- The difference between on field and off field psychology
- Body language
- The usage of sports psychologists and counselling for the English team
- Life after a sporting career
- The similarities between professional sportsmen and retired soldiers
- Research into injuries and sports medicine
- Kinematic studies of the doosra and off-break deliveries
- Tracking the workload of cricketers using GPS
- A mathematical surprise about the statistics of the best batsmen in the game - Sachin Tendulkar, Don Bradman, and even Ricky Ponting! (in fact, the top 34 test run scoring batsmen) What is this revelation, and how could this revelation be true? Mathematics will show you the way…
- Is it harder to get Ricky Ponting out at 49 compared to 51?
- The longer a batsman stays at the crease, the harder it is to get him out, right? Wrong! Listen in and find out why…
- How does this relate to the exponential distribution and coin tosses?

Also featured in this episode is Listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

This is part 2 of a 2 part interview. Please listen in to episode 84 for the first part of the interview.

Download MP3 of Ep 85

You can read Marc’s articles at the following sites:

The Curse of the Duck
Psychology & Cricket

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

084 - Marc West - The Science and Psychology of Cricket - Part 1

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:35:23 +0000

I talk to science communicator and cricket tragic, Marc West, on the topic of cricket - and the science and psychology of the sport. Marc has published several articles on the science and mathematics of the game, and in this episode, discusses the following with me:

- How fit are cricketers?
- How far do batsmen run during a century?
- How do batsmen know where the ball is going when their eyes can’t track the ball?
- The ways in which scientists make measurements of cricket players
- How does body language influence how good a batsman is?
- How much of the game is psychological?
- How can psychology be effective for a player?
- Mentally coping with new cricketing situations
- Using psychology to foster player development in the coaching process

Also featured in this episode is Listener of the episode, and listener feedback.

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview. Please listen in to episode 85 for the conclusion to the interview.

Download MP3 of Ep 84

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

083 - 365 Days BM Podcast (Astrobiology)

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:58:03 +0000

I was lucky enough to provide this audio to the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast (Official Podcast of the International Astronomical Union) - it’s an extract of episodes 81 and 82 on the topic of astrobiology. If you’re interested in the 365 Days podcast, go to

http://www.365daysofastronomy.org

Download MP3 of Ep 83

This episode of Brains Matter is brought to you by Swinburne Astronomy Online

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

082 - Dr Allie Ford - Introduction to Astrobiology

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:52:35 +0000

In this episode, continue my talk with Dr Allie Ford of Monash University about Astrobiology. We cover the following topics:

- Extremophiles
- Could life exist deep inside the Jovian planets?
- Why would it be beneficial to find life elsewhere?
- Europa as a possible candidate for life
- How likely is it that life elsewhere may evolve as we see in science fiction shows?
- Why did we evolve the way we have?
- What is useful to know to understand astrobiology?
- How SETI fits into astrobiology
- The Drake Equation

This is part 2 of a 2 part interview - if you missed part 1, please go back and listen to episode 81. This episode also features some listener feedback, pin of the episode, and the brain teaser.

Download MP3 of Ep 82

This episode of Brains Matter is brought to you by Swinburne Astronomy Online

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

081 - Dr Allie Ford - Introduction to Astrobiology

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:08:34 +0000

In this episode, I talk to Dr Allie Ford of Monash University about Astrobiology. We cover the following questions:

- What is astrobiology?
- The Urey/Miller experiment
- Do amino acids lead to life?
- What is life anyway?
- What conditions are required for life?
- The possibility of life elsewhere in our solar system
- Could life have come to Earth from elsewhere?

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview - make sure you listen to episode 82 for part 2. This episode also features some listener feedback, pin of the episode, and the brain teaser.

Download MP3 of Ep 81

This episode of Brains Matter is brought to you by Swinburne Astronomy Online

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

RSS Feed Update

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:50:36 +0000

Hi all,

As I mentioned yesterday, google has purchased feedburner, and as a result, the RSS feed for Brains Matter will be changing. The new feed, thanks to the imaginative folks at google, is

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/BrainsMatter

So what does this mean for you? If you’re using iTunes, it should hopefully not make much of a difference. Those who manually use the RSS feed or obtain the show via other podcast sites may need to update their feed to that above.

I believe the old feed will work through February, but if at some point in February you find that the feed no longer works, please go to the “Subscribing” link on the web site, and use one of the buttons (or the feed URL in your podcatcher of choice) to get it going again.

Apologies for the inconvenience. I still have no idea why they wouldn’t use the same feed URL, given the new one is almost the same!

RSS feed update

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:37:39 +0000

Hi all,

Just letting you know, if you experience difficulties with the feed over the next couple of weeks, that is because feedburner and google are having a bit of fun and games at the expense of many podcasters (this isn’t the only podcast that has been affected). So bear with me while these issues get sorted out.

080 - Professor Tim Flannery - Sustainability & Climate Part 2

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:29:01 +0000

Professor Tim Flannery is the author of the popular book “The Weather Makers” and is well known for his views on Climate Change. Professor Flannery was awarded Australian of the Year in 2007, and I attended a lecture he gave in September on Climate Change.

This is part 2 of a 2 part talk by Professor Flannery. Please listen to Part 1 in episode 79 first. Also included in this episode are questions presented to Prof. Flannery at the end of the lecture.

Thanks are due to Sarah Wall, Monash University 50th Anniversary Project Manager for permission to use the audio, courtesy of Monash University.

Download MP3 of Ep 80

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

079 - Prof Tim Flannery - Sustainability & Climate Part 1

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:29:06 +0000

This is part 1 of a 2 part talk by Professor Flannery.
Thanks are due to Sarah Wall, Monash University 50th Anniversary Project Manager for permission to use the audio, courtesy of Monash University.

Download MP3 of Ep 79

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

078 - Prof Roger Short - Saving Asian Elephants 2 (ft Dr Roger Rassool)

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:47:56 +0000

In this episode, which is the final of a 2 part interview, I talk once again with Professor Roger Short, from the University of Melbourne on further topics regarding Asian elephants, and on saving them.

- elephant accents
- what happens when you play Asian elephant vocalisations to captive African elephants? Some surprising results!
- Potelemic time African elephants versus Asian elephants in Gaza (circa 100 BC)
- Infrasound communication, and how this may relate to their aquatic ancestry
- The distance of infrasound communication
- Gestation of elephants
- Elephant mating
- How do elephants produce infrasound?
- Do elephants and whales understand each other?
- The relationship between whale and elephant communications
- Elephant mahoots and what they were able to train elephants to do
- How many words can elephants understand?
- The intelligence of elephants in comparison to primates
- Prof Short’s circus experiences
- The knowledge of mahoots
- How can we communicate with elephants, and help save them?

Also featured on today’s episode is a discussion on elephants from Dr Roger Rassool from the University of Melbourne, from an Australian & New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science presentation which I attended.
- Dr Roger Rassool showing elephant behaviour with different elephant sounds from an ANZAAS presentation
- How do we know elephants are communicating?
- The experiment on getting the Melbourne elephants talking to the Perth elephants
- How was the recording done?
- The actual elephant sounds!

Download MP3 of Ep 78

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

077 - Prof Roger Short - Saving Asian Elephants 1

mail@brainsmatter.com (Brains Matter) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:06:28 +0000

In this episode, which is the first of a 2 part interview, I talk once again with Professor Roger Short, from the University of Melbourne on further topics regarding Asian elephants, and on saving them.

- What are elephants used for?
- How many elephants have been released back into the wild from zoo breeding?
- What’s been doing to help prevent ivory trade?
- What is being done to help elephants breed?
- Where does the term ‘white elephant’ come from?
- The intelligence of elephants
- Elephant communication
- Vocalisations of African elephants vs Asian elephants
- Asian elephant vocabulary
- The playback of Helena Harrington’s elephant sounds to elephants in both Australia and the UK
- The friendliness of Asian Elephants

Download MP3 of Ep 77

Please vote for this podcast this month at

You can donate by clicking on the button above, and subscribe by subscribing in iTunes

Brains Matter

108 - Is Intelligent Life Common in the Universe?

107 - Dr Yin Paradies - The Effects of Racism

Borders poster

106 - Dr Owen Carter - Research into the Ultraviolet Index

Brains Matter Live Show

Drinking with Aliens..

105 - Prof Bryan Gaensler - Magnetism in the Universe

104 - Dr Kristen Panfilio - Hox Genes and Evolutionary Developmental Genetics

103 - Nick Miller - English libel law and censorship in science reporting

Tell us your favourite episode of 2009 and win a Google Wave invite

102 - Dr Owen Carter - The Psychology of Tobacco Advertising

Happy Third Birthday Brains Matter!

Fourth 365 Days of Astronomy appearance

Brains Matter listeners making a difference…

101 - Dr Paul Francis - Comets, Pink Black Holes & Teaching Astronomy

2009 Stem Cell Awareness Day

100 - The Century - Dr Andrew Prentice and Dr Simon Singh

Redirect - The Century

099 - Skepticism 101 - The Australian Skeptics

The upcoming century

098 - Dr Seth Shostak - Science and the movies

097 - Dr Rosemary Mardling - Extra solar planets

096 - Dr Ginger Campbell - Brain chemistry, plasticity and imaging

095 - Dr Andrew Prentice - The Saturn System

094 - Dr Andrew Prentice - Planets and Satellite formation

093 - Dr Andrew Prentice - Supersonic Turbulence

Third 365 DoA appearance

092 - Dr Brian Schmidt - The acceleration of the universe

091 - Dr Maria Lugaro - Pre-Solar Grains

Second 365 DoA Appearance

090 - Amanda Barnard - What is Nanotechnology?

089 - Dr Daniel Price - Stellar Formation

088 - Dr Ross Church - Binary Star Formation

087 - Science Songs

086 - Dr Ross Church - Hypervelocity Stars

085 - Marc West - The Science and Psychology of Cricket - Part 2

084 - Marc West - The Science and Psychology of Cricket - Part 1

083 - 365 Days BM Podcast (Astrobiology)

082 - Dr Allie Ford - Introduction to Astrobiology

081 - Dr Allie Ford - Introduction to Astrobiology

RSS Feed Update

RSS feed update

080 - Professor Tim Flannery - Sustainability & Climate Part 2

079 - Prof Tim Flannery - Sustainability & Climate Part 1

078 - Prof Roger Short - Saving Asian Elephants 2 (ft Dr Roger Rassool)

077 - Prof Roger Short - Saving Asian Elephants 1

076 - Dr Richard Stancliffe - First Stellar Generations Part 2

075 - Dr Richard Stancliffe - First Stellar Generations Part 1

2009 - International Year of Astronomy

074 - Prof Roger Short - Asian Elephants Part 2

073 - Prof Roger Short - Asian Elephants Part 1

Science songs

Podcast Awards

072 - Dr Orly Lacham-Kaplan - Stem Cells and infertility

Stem Cell Awareness Day

071 - Prof Mike Sandiford - Geothermal Energy

070 - Marco Tippmer - Virtual Worlds

069 - Greatest Olympians

068 - Marc West - Fictional Scientists

Who is your favourite fictional scientist?

067 - Dr Pamela Gay - Arms of the Milky Way

Science, Learning, and the fun we have in the process…

066 - Seth Shostak - The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence

065 - Dr Pilar Gil-Pons - Binary Stars

Podcasting Public Service Announcement

064 - Dr Hunter Mulcare - Psycho-oncology - The Psychology of Cancer Patients

063 - Dr Sarah Maddison - Planetary Formation Part 2

062 - Dr Sarah Maddison - Planetary Formation Part 1

061 - Dr Geoff Campbell - Visible Lattice Points

25/4/2008

060 - Dr Hunter Mulcare - Drug & Alcohol Research

059 - Adam Parker - Robotics and Science Fiction

Arthur C Clarke

058 - Geoff Campbell - The genius of Srinivasa Ramanujan

057 - Lynne Kelly - Critical Thinking Part 2