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Sibling duo attempt to explain and discuss some fun science; banter and hilarity ensue.
Episodes
Saturday May 16, 2020
Saturday May 16, 2020
Welcome to the first of our special episodes brought to you in conjunction with Pint of Science! If you don’t know what Pint of Science is, you can find out more via their website: https://pintofscience.com.au .
Have you ever wondered how the cells in your brain and nervous system talk to each other? Neurons connect and communicate with each other via tiny structures called “synapses”. Elysa Carr - a graduate researcher from the Presynaptic Physiology laboratory at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health - joins us for this special Pint of Science episode. They teach us all about these synapses, their research trying to understand the processes involved in how synapses work, and why on earth we should care. So, crack open a beer (or a soft drink!) and enjoy!
If you loved what Elysa had to say, you can find them on twitter (https://twitter.com/asciencequeer). If you want to know more about Pint of Science you can also find them on twitter (https://twitter.com/pintofscienceAU). And as always, you can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email us at curiosityrat@gmail.com
Episode Sources:
Saturday May 02, 2020
Saturday May 02, 2020
What do a facebook group, a superhero movie, and a science podcast have in common?
ANTS
That’s right, this episode we dive deep into the world of ants! What is really going on inside an ant’s nest, deep below ground? How do ants carry out epic heists when they can’t really plan or communicate? How accurate WAS Marvel’s Ant Man? Both in ant science… but also in physics?
Episode Sources:
You can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Saturday Apr 18, 2020
Saturday Apr 18, 2020
Kate and Matt are joined this episode by the chemical cowboy Declan Burke, who tells us all about the wonders of Hydrogen. Why is Hydrogen such a good fuel? How do we make Hydrogen fuel? Why hasn’t the world fully embraced it yet? We also tackle a listener question that builds on our previous episode as we plunge briefly back into the world of soap… can germs grow on a bar of soap? If so… can soap actually make us sick?
Studies mentioned in episode:
You can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Saturday Apr 04, 2020
Saturday Apr 04, 2020
Amidst the madness of the COVID-19 pandemic, we keep hearing the constant message of “wash your hands”… but why is this so important?! How does something as simple and ancient as soap manage to become our most effective weapon against this virus? To understand this, Kate and Matt delve into the chemistry behind soap and what is actually going on when you wash something with soap. Our listener question then takes a slight detour from our current pandemic-driven reality, and we chat about alcohol… does drinking on an empty stomach actually effect your blood alcohol concentration? How!?
Episode Sources:
You can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
In the final instalment of our epic 3-part coronavirus special, once again joined by public health expert Ellie Duckworth, Ellie and Kate tackle all your questions! We plough through most of the questions we got, which range from molecular-based to philosophical to basic advice. We then go over some of the best conspiracy theories we’ve heard - is there any truth there? We then wrap up with the positives to have come out of this situation, to leave you maybe a sense of hope going forward!
If you loved what Ellie had to say you can find her on twitter (https://twitter.com/elliedemiology), and as always, you can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Refences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQsu3Kz9NYo (good visualisation of PCR)
ACE-2 References:
Reproductive number calculations:
Genome Sequencing and Origins
Clinical features:
COVID-19 vs. Flu:
Kids and COVID-19:
Respiratory droplets:
SARS and MERS:
WHO Situation Reports:
Other:
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
This is part 2 of a 3-part series on the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the globe. Joining us again we have Ellie Duckworth – our epidemiologist – weighing in with educated opinions on the matter. This episode the Duck teaches the Hucks about the specifics of this novel coronavirus, SAR-CoV-2, and the resulting COVID-19 illness. We give a brief outline of how this thing has unfolded, and how it differs from the SARS and MERS situations discussed in the previous episode. We talk about the method of testing for COVID-19, how that works and why there is currently a shortage of tests. We discuss the Australian government’s response, specifically delving into the response regarding schools – are we doing the right thing by keeping them open? We then blast through some of the biology and virology of the disease. How does it bind and enter our body? What does it do once it gets in there? Then we address and explain the all-important buzz term of “flattening the curve”, why it matters, and how you can help. Finally, we clarify what is meant by the “incubation period” and what you can actually expect regarding symptom presentation.
If you loved what Ellie had to say you can find her on twitter (https://twitter.com/elliedemiology), and as always, you can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Refences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQsu3Kz9NYo (good visualisation of PCR)
ACE-2 References:
Reproductive number calculations:
Genome Sequencing and Origins
Clinical features:
COVID-19 vs. Flu:
Kids and COVID-19:
Respiratory droplets:
SARS and MERS:
WHO Situation Reports:
Other:
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
This is it. Our biggest and most ambitious episode so far. In this massive multi-part special episode, we talk all things coronavirus. Matt and Kate are joined by Ellie Duckworth: A Master of Public Health graduate, specialising in epidemiology and biostatistics. In our opening episode, we try to give a bit of background and context to the current situation. We give a brief history of other coronavirus outbreaks, like SARS and MERS, which have given scientists a head-start when it comes to understanding this novel coronavirus. We detangle definitions: what is COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 or just plain old “coronavirus” and how are they different? What do we mean by a pandemic vs an endemic vs an epidemic?
If you loved what Ellie had to say you can find her on twitter (https://twitter.com/elliedemiology), and as always, you can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Refences:
ACE-2 References:
Reproductive number calculations:
Genome Sequencing and Origins
Clinical features:
COVID-19 vs. Flu
Kids and COVID-19
Respiratory droplets:
SARS and MERS
WHO Situation Reports:
Others:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQsu3Kz9NYo (good visualisation of PCR)
Saturday Mar 07, 2020
Saturday Mar 07, 2020
Almost everyone has experienced being tickled at some point in their lives, but what exactly IS tickling? Is it pleasure, or is it pain? Is it possible to tickle yourself? This episode, Kate and Matt talk about tickling, and some of the research exploring what it actually is. They also talk about fish… do they sleep? Episode Sources:
You can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Saturday Feb 22, 2020
Saturday Feb 22, 2020
In an episode where Kate and Matt are joined by astronomer Benji Metha, the big hitting questions are asked. Are we living in a simulation? Is the matrix real? Can people really get super-human strength and lift cars off the ground in emergencies?
Handy Links:
https://www.tng-project.org/media/ - Pretty pictures/videos from the IllustrisTNG simulation.
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/72918.php?from=267097 - Our real universe (left) vs what Hubble would see if it were looking at the simulated Illustris universe (right). Absolutely uncanny.
https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/archive/category/starclusters/ - Beautiful Hubble photos of globular clusters
https://www.origin.com/aus/en-us/store/the-sims/the-sims-4 - Fun fact! "Sims" is actually short for "Simulations"
You can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com
Saturday Feb 08, 2020
Saturday Feb 08, 2020
Hypnosis: Pseudoscience or real thing!? This episode, Kate and Matt deep dive into the world of hypnosis. Is hypnosis just a stage trick? Are people just playing along? Or can you be made to do/ think/ feel things just by being lulled into a trance? And if so, how the hell does it work?! They also chat coffee and caffeine – what is it doing in your brain and why can it give you the jitters? Episode Sources: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325348289_Improving_hypnotizability_in_adults_with_Modafinil_What_is_the_trick
You can follow Curiosity Killed the Rat on twitter (https://twitter.com/CuriosityRat), Insta (https://www.instagram.com/curiosityrat/), and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/curiosityrat/), and email in your listener questions to curiosityrat@gmail.com