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The Science Show

ABC Australia
The Science Show
Latest episode

363 episodes

  • The Science Show

    Lab Notes: What happens when a whale dies?

    2026-06-17 | 10 mins.
    The largest, deepest and oldest whale graveyard has been found off the coast of Western Australia: teeming with life. 
    Jonathan Webb takes a deep dive with environment reporter, Peter de Kruijff, into the science behind whale falls and their importance to underwater ecosystems.
    You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.
    Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au
    Featuring:
    Peter de Kruijff, environment reporter
    Further information:
    World's biggest whale graveyard found in Indian Ocean off Australia
    A 5.3-million-year-old deep-sea whale necropolis in the Diamantina Zone
    This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.
  • The Science Show

    Kris sword with an intriguing history, echidnas, tropical forests and Australia’s energy potential

    2026-06-12 | 54 mins.
    What might be the biggest threat to tropical forests? Climate change? Illegal loggers? Invasive species? None of the above. It’s roads. Bill Laurance explains.
  • The Science Show

    Lab Notes: Tallest tree in East Asia

    2026-06-11 | 10 mins.
    On an island full of trees, there can only be one that is the tallest. How did researchers in Taiwan manage to find the tallest tree in East Asia?
    This week, Jonathan Webb finds this out by speaking to Dr Rebecca Hsu, the lead researcher behind the project to find The Heaven Sword.
    You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.
    Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au
    Featuring:
    Dr Rebecca Hsu, Taiwan Institute of Forestry
    Further information:
    The journey of finding the tallest tree in Formosa Taiwan
    Finding and saving the world's biggest trees before they disappear
    This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.
  • The Science Show

    The First Inventors

    2026-06-05 | 54 mins.
    Evidence is mounting that Indigenous people were in Australia early than the 65,000 date most now know. And there are suggestions the continent supported a population of at least 2 million people. Authors Sean Ulm, Billy Griffiths and Larissa Behrendt explore these ideas in their book The First Inventors.
  • The Science Show

    Lab Notes: Plants can hear you

    2026-06-03 | 10 mins.
    Plants are more aware of their surroundings then we give them credit for. A growing body of work is showing that plants can change themselves in response to different sounds.
    Dr Samarth Kulshrestha, a molecular biologist from the University of Canterbury, is one of these researchers, looking at the mechanisms behind plant senses. 
    You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.
    Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au
    Featuring:
    Dr Kulshrestha, University of Canterbury 
    Further information:
    The secret sensory life of plants: researchers are discovering how they see, hear, feel – and even remember
    Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insect herbivore chewing
    Tuned in: plant roots use sound to locate water
    This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.
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About The Science Show
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
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