Owner: The Mr Science Show URL:http://www.misterscience.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:52:39 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: The Mr Science Show is your weekly prescription of popular science. Recorded in Sydney Australia and broadcast across China and the world over China Radio International and through the podcast, we discuss popular science topics, road test scientific ideas Site statistics:Click here
Playing Space Invaders with your mind, small testes and inherited faces 2006-10-20 06:14:00 This week on Mr Science, we are tackling some science news issues:A 14 year old boy has learnt to play SpaceInvaders
using only his mind - not his hands! His brain was hooked up to a computer and he was able to complete a number of levels with only his mind. This has implications for controlling biomechanical devices such as prosthetic limbs.Scientists have found that you can either be tough and good looking, or you can have lots of sperm, but not both. By examining a species of Dung Beetle, it was found that many have large horns to attract mates, and many have large testes to impregnate them, but none had both. It just goes to show that those of us with fast cars and loud sound systems are just compensating for something else.Israeli scientists have found that facial expressions are inhereted from your parents, and aren't just learnt through minicry.
EnjoyMarcwww.mrscienceshow.com
Read more:inherited
, faces
Science of Speed-Dating 2006-10-13 05:17:00 We live in a fast paced world. And the modern approach to dating embraces this idea. This week we are going to tackle the science of speed dating.My friend, and fellow Diffusion Science
Radio team member, Vanessa Gardos and I travelled down to Canberra for a SpeedDating
extravaganza. There we heard a talk by our friend, and communicator extraordinaire, Lish Hogge on the science of speed dating, and got lost in the whole speed dating experience.This podcast contains our reflections on the evening and the science of speed dating, as heard on the Diffusion Science Radio show recorded and broadcast through 2SER in Sydney. This was live and unscripted, and so rather honest, although as a gentleman I can not divulge too much information from the evening! Ian Woolf and Justin Zeltzer take part in this discussion, and the segment was produced by Ian.Following this, and a brief interlude by Jose Gonzales, I have included, with permission, an interview Lish did with Richard Aedy about the scien
Travelling broadens the mind and opens the bowels 2006-10-07 04:28:00 I had imagined this particular story to be
about the science of the amazingly developed city of Hong Kong. I thought it
would make a fantastic tale to contrast the role of science in people's lives
between India, the Philippines and Hong Kong. However, unfortunately, my
experiences during my week in Hong Kong were largely confined to public toilets
and the bathroom of my friend Aaron, with whom I stayed. But this in itself
makes a good story, so this week on Mr Science, we are going to look at the
diseases that my brother and I picked up during our tour of Asia, and how they
were treated. It is ironic that, having been so careful with the water and food
in India, that my brother James and I should get sick from eating at McDonalds,
but all the evidence is pointing that way. They probably made the Coke we
ordered using tap water. James's illness hit within 12 hours, with vomiting and
severe dehydration. He was so dehydrated that he took in about 2 litres of
saline drip in the Indian h Read more:Travelling
Astronomical Controversies 2006-09-30 04:24:00 You expect controversy in politics. Every
religious story comes served with intense debate. And you almost demand
hullabaloo in sport. But controversy in science? Scientific controversies are
actually quite common, and throughout history, within and outside the
scientific community, battles have raged over many topics, from Galileo vs. the
Catholic church over the motion of the planets, to Einstein not believing in
quantum mechanics, and current debates over global warming, intelligent design
and stem cell research. But the controversy that we are dealing with today is
astronomical in size, yet deals with the runt of the litter. Whatever do we do
with Pluto? A few months back, when we did a Mr Science show on Pluto, we all
slept soundly in the knowledge that Pluto was a planet. But now things have
changed, and Pluto has been demoted to a new class of heavenly body called a
Dwarf Planet.
Read more:Astronomical
, Controversies
Farewell Steve Irwin 2006-09-23 04:14:00 Steve Irwin
, probably one of the best known advocates for wilderness and animal conservation in the world, tragically passed away recently in North Queensland, Australia. He was arguably Australia's best-known science communicator. His unconventional methods of communicating his work drew criticism from some and inspired others,
yet it is unarguable that Irwin will have a lasting effect on the environmental and conservation movements in Australia and around the world. Unlike so many other "wacky and zany" science communicators, Irwin was so genuinely passionate about his cause that he bought millions of dollars of land worldwide in the name of wilderness and animal conservation. How many people can you name
that have become famous to some degree through their television persona that have taken the next step and invested a large percentage of their rewards in their cause? I can barely think of one other. And nothing he ever did on screen was fake - he loved what he did and this shone t Read more:Farewell
, Steve
India - Mr Science becomes the travelling scientist 2006-09-16 04:01:00 India - the 2nd in my
travelling scientist
series, and the second stop in my all-to-brief tour of
South Asia. I have edited together my recordings from India into a 30 minute
feature about science in the developing world. India is a fascinating
combination of developed and developing worlds, and this contrast was seen on
my very first day on landing in Delhi. Simply comparing Old Delhi with New
Delhi set me up for an amazing tour of an amazing country. I also gained a little
bit of insight into the types of illnesses one can encounter on the
subcontinent. Some of the serious, and not-so-serious, topics dealt with this
week include: 1. A storm in a coke bottle - the Indian political debate over
minute levels of pesticides in soft drinks - whilst most of the country does
not even have clean drinking water. 2. How to make the "Mother of
Satan" bomb, and other Indian takes on terrorism - a real day-to-day issue
for the country. 3. Travel bugs - helping my suffering brother through Indian
h Read more:Science
, India
The Philippines - Mr Science becomes the travelling scientist 2006-09-09 03:52:00 This podcast is a 30 minute feature on the
Philippines
, containing recordings made during my recent two weeks in the
Philippines, as well as a little Pinoy music. We investigate serious, and
not-so-serious, Philippino scientific topics through interviews with
Philippinos and ex-pats, and my own musings. Some of the topics covered are: 1.
Scientific Philippino facts (i.e. 80% of the world's tropical fish come from
the Philippines) 2. Our trek to the world's longest navigatable underground
river on the island of Pelawan 3. The role science in the developing world 4.
How science and analysis can inform developing world governments 5. Balut - boiled
chicken embryo still in the egg 6.
Speech therapy in the Philippines 7. Pollution, rabies, immunisation 8. Strange
Philippino fruits I hope it is entertaining as well as scientific, so please
email me (mrscienceblog@gmail.com) or leave comments on the website
(www.mrscienceshow.com) if you have any thoughts, and let me know if
the longer feat Read more:Science
, scientist
Y is it so? 2006-09-02 03:50:00 It is a question that
has plagued humankind's deepest philosophical thinkers ever since men were men
and women were women: Why are men and women really so different? Most women
claim to have long noticed the strangeness in males, but now it seems that at
last scientists have the evidence.
Music on the brain 2006-08-26 03:47:00 Music has an indisputable ability to
trigger powerful emotions. It is frequently associated with memories of the
past, and hearing just a short clip of a song can often trigger feelings from
deep within the subconscious. It is also used in various therapies, can add
considerable depth to a movie or film clip, and can have a substantial effect
on your mood, even the first time you hear a song. What is it about music that
conjures up such feelings?
Read more:Music
The Science of Boredom 2006-08-19 03:41:00 What do you do when
you're bored? Do you send emails to friends? Do you play cricket in the
hallways of your work place? Do you Photoshop pictures of David Hasselhoff? Or
do you obsessively clean your house... not that I have done any of these things.
Everyone has different ways of coping with boredom. And although most of us
think that boredom is a bad thing, there is some support to the notion that
boredom is a naturally occurring emotion, and far from being suppressed, it
should be embraced.
Read more:Science
, Boredom
Travel Vaccinations 2006-08-12 03:37:00 In the spirit of
taking medical science into my own hands, and with a holiday to India and the
Philippines coming up, I thought I would take a look into vaccinations.
Read more:Travel
, Vaccinations
I wish I'd read that book by that wheelchair guy (or how Stephen Hawking Communicates) 2006-08-05 03:30:00 Stephen Hawking
is possibly the greatest
physicist of the last century, and arguably one of the most influential ever.
His list of achievements is enviable, and what makes them even more astounding
is that many of his accomplishments have been achieved whilst he has suffered
from a debilitating form of motor neuron disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS) is a progressive and ultimately fatal neuromuscular disease, but despite
enduring this difficulty, he has 184 scientific publications, including a best
selling book A brief history of time. This week, we are going to look not at
this man's scientific achievements, but at some of the cool technologies he
uses to communicate.
Read more:wheelchair
, Stephen
Alchemy 2006-07-29 03:24:00 Gold! Some people think that the only thing
that alchemists ever tried to do was turn common metals into gold. Other people
think that alchemists were only concerned with finding a panacea to cure all
diseases and allow us to live forever. But alchemy throughout history has been
much more than just charlatans looking to perform magic tricks. Most were
intelligent scholars, and included among them are illustrious scientists such
as Sir Isaac Newton. Many were innovators who wanted to investigate the true
nature of chemical substances, and who developed experiments, coupled with
their own lateral and speculative thinking, to uncover the mysteries of the
universe. Modern science owes much to these broad minded individuals.
Read more:Alchemy
The Science Circus turns 21 - and I look back at the class of 2001 2006-07-22 03:13:00 The Shell Questacon
Science
circus, the most extensive science outreach program of its kind in the
world, celebrated its 21st birthday with a gala event and a book launch at the
Great Hall of Parliament House last week. Its also 5 years since I did the
circus, so I've included my top 10 recollections from 2001. Tune in to hear me
badly sing some science songs and attempt to do audio recording using dodgy
free audio tools. Listening back, I think I was quite caffeinated when I did
this.
Read more:Circus
, turns
, class
Fiona's Wedding 2006-07-15 02:40:00 My brother James and I were very
unfortunate to miss our lifelong friend Fiona
's wedding to Ash as we were both
overseas. However, we made this dedication to her as a sign of our love! This
was our debut as a working radio team.
The snorer from hell 2006-07-08 02:10:00 Not strictly a Mr Science story, unless you
feel like trying to understand what could bring someone to make such disturbing
noises in his sleep. My brother James and I were trapped in an overnight train
cabin with this snorer, and we could not escape. He was the snorer from hell!
Vacuum Cupping 2006-06-30 08:24:00 This week on Mr
Science, I'm taking medical science into my own hands and giving Vacuum
Cupping
a road test. Vacuum Cupping is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is a
way of applying acupressure to the skin. There is debate over whether it works
beyond the effects of a placebo, so like all good scientists, I'm doing the
experiement for myself. Check out photos from the experience at
www.mrscienceshow.com
Do not believe everything you see at the movies 2006-06-23 08:21:00 We've all watched films and thought,
"that's impossible" or "that's unbelievable". Sometimes
movies
take liberties with science, allowing things to happen that in real life
are impossible, or at least unknown. Today we are going to have a look at three
of my favourite science fiction films and see whether or not some of the
astounding things that happen in them have any scientific basis.
Read more:believe
Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, not around the eyes.... 2006-06-16 07:46:00 Ever seen people clucking like chickens,
pretending to be Michael Jackson or doing other outlandish things, supposedly
under the influence of a hypnotist? Does staring at a swinging watch really
make you fall into a trance-like state where you are so susceptible to suggestion
that you think onions taste like apples or that you can see everyone in the
room naked? And does hypnotism have anything to do with zombies?
Footy Science 2006-06-09 07:19:00 You might think that
the last thing going through a soccer player's mind would be science. It's
difficult to imagine a striker contemplating the current nature of the universe
just before game time, or the coach giving a short tutorial on statistics for
inspiration. Soccer may be the beautiful game, but what of the science behind
the artistry? With the soccer world cup currently being played in Germany, and
with the great Australian team performing exceptionally well, it is a good time
to take a look at the Science
of Soccer.
Read more:Footy
The Networked World 2006-06-02 07:16:00 These days you can do
almost anything on the internet. There is everything from internet banking and
internet dating, to music and video downloads, both legal and illegal. Most
busy people see more advertising on the bottom of emails and on pop-up internet
ads than on the TV or the radio. And why use a travel agent to book a holiday
or a work flight when you can do it from the comfort of your own home or
office? This week we will take a look at where this technology came from, and
where we might be heading in the future.
Read more:World
What the Hack? 2006-05-26 07:06:00 Computer hackers come in all shapes and
sizes. Some are just curious to see what they can do and do not cause any harm,
others look for flaws in software design and work out ways to exploit them.
Some seek power, others seek thrills, some steal money and others steal
secrets. We see them in movies all the time. But the term hacker can mean many
things, and they are not all negative.
She seems to have an invisible touch 2006-05-19 07:00:00 Ever wondered what it
would be like to be invisible
? Now scientists think that this staple of science
fiction may be close to science fact.
Read more:touch
Scientific Dating Tips 2006-05-12 06:55:00 What can science
teach about how to best woo our loved ones? Is there a scientific formula we
should follow to become stud-muffins?
Read more:Dating
, Scientific
Sniffing out a partner 2006-05-05 06:41:00 Is there a scientific
reason for love? How can we best choose our partner? And what has it got to do
with our noses?
Read more:Sniffing
Venus, Hell's kitchen 2006-04-28 06:31:00 Venus is about as
close to hell as you can get. Even though it started out its life much like the
Earth did, the lack of water has made Venus the hottest and most inhospitable
place in the solar system!
Read more:Venus
Can scientists predict our music taste? 2006-04-14 06:12:00 Has it come to this?
Can science now predict
something as personal as the types of music that
someone likes? This week we take a look at some of the advances being made into
helping us broaden our music appreciation, and predict the unpredictable.
Read more:scientists
, taste
The end of the universe 2006-04-08 05:58:00 How will the universe end? Will it end? Is
there a way to escape it or it is the end of everything for everyone? Will
there be a "big crunch", just the opposite to a "big bang",
or will the universe just expand forever and ever, getting colder and colder?
The mathematics of looking beautiful 2006-04-01 06:55:00 Is how good looking
we are determined by mathematics
? Is there really a formula for who turns you
on and who disgusts you? We take a deeper look into the mathematics of looking
beautiful and discover that maybe there was a reason to pay attention to high
school maths.
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