Fuzzy Logic Science Show

We all have to cope with tragedy in our lives, but it's hard to imagine on a scale of the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and few of us ever encounter the dark results of violent crime. Fuzzy listeners will be well aware that shows like CSI don't really describe what foresnic scientists do, but here's someone to tell you first hand. Dr James Robertson is director of National Centre for Foresnics Studies, and has been guest on ABC Catalyst program. Also, why would you strip naked, don a hair net, and cover yourself with vaseline? Some sort of sexual gratification, or the perfect crime? Hosted by Rod and Broderick.

Does it hurt when you wee? Are you losing your faculties? Here are a couple of conditions we hope we never have: urinary tract infections and Alzheimer's disease. What are the symptoms, how do we get it, and what can we do about it. Research brought to you by University Canberra students: Carissa, James, Anh;  and Warsan and Veronika. Hosted by Rod.  Part 2 of 2. We're on FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fuzzy-Logic/201994992233 Pictures from this show at http://www.photoblog.com/FuzzyLogic/2010/11/07/uc-does-fuzzy-1.html

Is laughter good for you (of course), but should it be part of medicine? Should we harvest pig organs - not just for food, but for transplantation?  And what happens when the the Earth lets rip with a really big volcano. Our guests today are science communications students from the University of Canberra who'll bring you these topics. Laughter - Jaimee, Orleena, Yelena. Xenotransplantation - John, Tom, Tharindu.  Super Volcanoes - Trent, Morgan, Rosalind, Rachel. Hosted by Rod.  Part 1 of 2. We're on FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fuzzy-Logic/201994992233 Pictures from this show at http://www.photoblog.com/FuzzyLogic/2010/11/07/uc-does-fuzzy-1.html

A few weeks back, during the Australian Science Festival we managed to catch up with The Doctor (no, not that one). Funny thing how I managed to catch him. The media minder said no, he was not available to record a promo for us. But we thought oh, what the heck, we'll give it a go anyway. So I turned up at his public talk with voice recorder, and promo all scripted, and wearing my extremely stylish Fuzzy hoodie. Before it started I was wondering whether it'd all work out, and was washing my hands when.....well blow me down, who's that at the next basin?!! And yes, he said why not, so we stepped outside and grabbed this audio. Well how about that, a Dr Karl Fuzzy Logic promo! I think you'll like it.

What happens when rocks get grumpy? Anything from a minor grumble lava flow right up to a full explosive tantrum. Here's an insight into volcanoes from Dr Adele Bear, volcanologist from Geoscience Australia. Interview by Rod at the open day, 17 Oct.

With footy grand finals being contested and the Commonwealth Games about to start, Fuzzy Logic decided it was time to look at some of the science behind sport. Join Pahia, Roof & Broderick as they investigate some amazing sports people and some questionable technologies in sport. Special bonus: our tips for the NRL & AFL grand finals!

Silly question, of course they should. But what do they do differently from male writers? Kathy Sullivan is from Broad Universe, an organisation with the goal of promoting women science fiction writers. I caught up with Kathy at Worldcon (aka Aussiecon4) in Melbourne. www.BroadUniverse.org Interview by Rod  5min.

Should we colonise the Moon? I've just been down to Melbourne, and dropped in at the science fiction / fantasy conference WorldCon. By chance I bumped into Chris Carson from the Luna Project (www.lunarcc.org).  Good thing, because I really enjoyed this interview. I think you'll find it fascinating too. What would we get on the Moon. How would we get there. What about the dust! And most of all, Why? Also some interesting tidbits about the Apollo 11 moon landing. Brought to you by Rod. You can see a picture of Chris on our Facebook.

Most of us love the taste of honey, but what does it take to keep bees? Our helpful little insect friends bring flavour to a slice of bread, and even us useful antibacterials.  But what does it take to keep bees? Interview by Eamon at the Australian Science Festival.

Here we are at the Shine Dome, The Australian Academy of Science for the Science Festival. What a day! Lots of great talks by top Australian scientists doing ground breaking research. Dr David Topping is Chief Research Scientist CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences. So you thought it was enough to eat less meat?  Hear the fascinating role of starch in our diet, and how the CSIRO is working to help us with their BARLEYMax product. Interview by Rod.  30MB, 30min See photos of the Handsome Fuzzy crew on Facebook.  More audio from the Shine Dome later.

Is it a good idea to ask a cosmologist about accounting?  Hear what happens in this interview with acclaimed astronomer, and lead on the Skymapper project at Mt Stromolo Observatory, Dr Brian Schmidt. We discuss the missing matter - dark matter in the universe, WIMPS, MACHOS, and black holes in the CERN collider. Gurarranteed to contain no election coverage. Hosted by Rod and Eamon. 52 min, 24MB

Most of us like to watch police shows, especially where the clever scientist helps unveil the crime. Here is an intriguing story, both scientific an personal. Dr Lynne Milne played a key role in bringing a murder case to justice using the evidence provided by pollen. This pollen tells the tale of a journey of a crime from house to bushland. Dr Milne reveals not just the scientific savvy needed to unravel such a case, but also close personal contact with a side of humanity most of us never see. Dr Milne is author of A Grain of Truth (Reed New Holland 2005). Also with us in this show is (almost Dr) Suzette Searle, wattle expertise and her empathy for this story make her an ideal companion. Hosted by Rod. 44 min MP3, 21MB

In the course of this podcast the Moon will move nearly half a millimeter* away from the Earth.  Does this mean it was once crazily close to us? For this show we were over the moon because our guest from a few weeks ago returned for another episode of Fuzzy.  Dr Phil Nicholson is a fabulous speaker and among other things, he tells us about work he's been doing with Dr Charley Lineweaver (Fuzzy guest not long ago) looking at tides over geological timespans.  This is one of those wonderful subjects that bring together several of the major arms of science including astronomy, paleantology and geology. Along the way we bring you a follow-up on the Plastiki story from last week with plans to harvest plastic to form an artifical island. And....the bizzare things people did with nuclear material.  Thumb-and-screwdriver controlled fission reactions?  You bet! * Note that the Moon will move regardless of whether you pause or fast-forward the show. Join Prof Phil Nicholson Cornell University, Rod, and Eamon. Chec

What happens to the air as it circulates around ground level? To find out you could build wind tunnels and mathematical models. Dr Margi Bohm, senior lecturer University of Canberra does exactly that. Also today we discuss using the online game Second Life to study mining techniques. What?? That's right, find out here. And we look at plastic and the Plastiki voyage in a boat built of reused drink bottles. And ways to engage young people in science. Lots in this show with Nyssa Skilton and Rod. 56min 24MB MP3.

Water, water everywhere, but is it fit to drink?  This week Fuzzy takes a look at how we can make our water drinkable and talks to Sunny Forsyth from Abundant Water about the amazing work that is being done in Laos to give communities fresh drinking water. Brought to you by Eamon, Pallavi and Broderick MP3, 47:52, 22MB

The science of ecstacy. From the archives, here's a re-pod this fascinating interview where ex-Fuzzy Tim interviews Amanda George. 6MB 6min MP3 We're on Facebook

What colour is the number 2?  Why does "Fuzzy Logic" have taste like fried tomatoes? Okay, maybe not, but perhaps you've heard of the strange phenomenon called synaesthesia. This is where some people associate things - such as numbers - with other things such as taste or colour.  So what does 2 have to do with red? Nothing really, but this is the sort of thing people with synaesthesia experience. Weird, eh. Also, what do we know about dyslexia?  And what does it mean when we pay attention to something -such as that man in a gorilla suit wondering around the basket ball court.  What's going on in the brain? Join Fuzzy for this interview Dr Kristen Pammer, Associate Professor at the ANU School of Psychology (my apologies - not senior lecturer as I say during this recording).  And Nyssa Skilton, science writer with The Canberra Times.  Hosted by Rod Taylor. 60min MP3 27MB

Our guest today has been researching one of big questions: what are we made of? There seems to be a progression from older, simpler forms of life up to more complex forms such as ourselves. As we move 'up' the tree of life, we use more and more of the available types of matter. Older life forms use fewer elements than newer forms. You could say, they accessorise themselves with a greater number of elements. Aditya Chopra, is a PhD student at the Planetary Science Institute at the ANU, and a student of past Fuzzy guest, Charley Lineweaver. Read about Aditya in today's Canberra Times. Also, today we bring you some of the science behind goings on at the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, on the Deepwater oil rig. We talk about the risks, and the extreme efforts we now have to go through to secure our oil supplies. PS we play a sneak preview of our new Charley Lineweaver Fuzzy promo....but....our silly presenter did not play the version promised as created by Tom McCoy.  Next time... MP3 57 min, 26MB Now avai

It seems no part of world is safe from development. I remember a time when the Kimberley region of West Australia was considered so remote that for many people, visiting it was a major exercise. These days it's a popular destination, and now it seems set for large scale resource development. In the light of oil disasters there and in the Gulf of Mexico, this interview is a timely reminder of what's at stake. Josh Coates is a marine scientist with the Wilderness Society, and here is interviewed by Rod about proposed development there. From the archives, November 2008.  8MB MP3, 16 min.

Professor Robert Street, AO is one of the pioneers of nuclear engergy, and worked on one of the first reactors ever constructed in Harwell, Great Britain. He is an advocate of the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a way to combat greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Robert was a dear friend of my late father, and were part of group of eminent people calling themselves E4E - Energy For the Environment, promoting nuclear energy. Not long after Dad died, I recorded this interview at his home in Perth. He is a wonderful, humble man, who represents a seminal moment in science. In this interview you'll hear him describe their approach to the reactor pile, and his attitude to the bomb. After this recording, we dined at a local club with his wife Jean. I made a special point of asking her about her experiences during the war. I'm very glad I did, because it turns out she was stationed and the famous Bletchley Park. If you don't know that story, have a look because it is an amazing episode, crucial to the Al