Science Friction
ABC Australia
In humanity's next giant leap, astronauts are heading back to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
We'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates, from lift-off to splashdown, and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.
The Challenger Legacy (Season 5)
In January 1986, the Challenger space shuttle disintegrated 73 seconds after lift-off. This is the story of how the tragedy unfolded, the engineers who tried to stop it — and the enduring consequences for humanity's exploration of space.
Artificial Evolution (Season 4): Three decades ago, Dolly the Sheep became the first ever cloned mammal. Nearly 30 years later, genetic technology has reshaped the world around us. Environment reporter Peter de Kruijff explores what's changed, where we are headed, and whether we're okay with it.
Brain Rot (Season 3): How does being chronically online affect our brains? Technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre explores the wildest ways people are using tech — from falling in love with AI companions to data-dumping a life into a language model — and the big questions about our own screen use.
Cooked (Season 2): Why do some studies show ice cream is good for you? Why do some people say they feel good going carnivore, and do we really need as many electrolytes as the internet tells us? Food and nutrition scientist Dr Emma Beckett cuts through these confusing findings to explain how nutrition science works.
AI Overlords (Season 1): AI didn't come from nowhere, and its development hasn't been a smooth, straight line — it's been rife with drama, conflict and disagreement. Technology reporter James Purtill looks at where AI came from, who controls it and where it's heading.
We'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates, from lift-off to splashdown, and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.
The Challenger Legacy (Season 5)
In January 1986, the Challenger space shuttle disintegrated 73 seconds after lift-off. This is the story of how the tragedy unfolded, the engineers who tried to stop it — and the enduring consequences for humanity's exploration of space.
Artificial Evolution (Season 4): Three decades ago, Dolly the Sheep became the first ever cloned mammal. Nearly 30 years later, genetic technology has reshaped the world around us. Environment reporter Peter de Kruijff explores what's changed, where we are headed, and whether we're okay with it.
Brain Rot (Season 3): How does being chronically online affect our brains? Technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre explores the wildest ways people are using tech — from falling in love with AI companions to data-dumping a life into a language model — and the big questions about our own screen use.
Cooked (Season 2): Why do some studies show ice cream is good for you? Why do some people say they feel good going carnivore, and do we really need as many electrolytes as the internet tells us? Food and nutrition scientist Dr Emma Beckett cuts through these confusing findings to explain how nutrition science works.
AI Overlords (Season 1): AI didn't come from nowhere, and its development hasn't been a smooth, straight line — it's been rife with drama, conflict and disagreement. Technology reporter James Purtill looks at where AI came from, who controls it and where it's heading.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 25, 2020 • 42min
Censorship, political interference, and COVID-19 chaos - should scientists take a position in USA Election?
The showdown between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is on. Why are many scientists angry, frightened, and galvanised?
Oct 18, 2020 • 38min
These doctors got COVID-19, now they're suffering the serious, mysterious symptoms of 'long COVID'
The long haul of 'long COVID'. Are we facing another global pandemic...this one silent, confusing, and harder to understand?
Oct 11, 2020 • 35min
The wild woman of Brooklyn, the Peabody bones, and science of tree climbing!
A skeleton with a back story that's almost too bizarre to believe. What would Suzy think?
Oct 4, 2020 • 32min
Lucy's Story - the chimp, the poet, and the interspecies experiment that went weird
Psychotherapist Maurice Temerlin called Lucy his "daughter"...but then things got weird.
Sep 27, 2020 • 32min
Click-Sick: Part 3 Can 'wellness' make you...sick?
When Jade was 21, she was charmed by a wellness influencer. Then she got a big shock.
Sep 20, 2020 • 34min
Click-Sick: Part 2 The hidden political forces pushing pandemic conspiracies
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Kathrin's friends have been sending her a range of wild theories about the virus.
Sep 13, 2020 • 36min
Click-Sick: Part 1 Why sharing isn't always caring. On the trail of COVID-19 misinformation
Two families, two posts...and two stories of how seemingly benign shares on social media can turn bad.
Sep 6, 2020 • 41min
The rise of vaccine nationalism – should we be worried?
A vaccine arms race is on to get us out of this pandemic, but could we all lose out if we don’t do things differently?
Sep 1, 2020 • 5min
Introducing... Patient Zero
Even big diseases start small...PATIENT ZERO is a new podcast that tells the stories of disease outbreaks: where they begin, why they happen and how we found ourselves in the middle of a really big one.
Aug 30, 2020 • 30min
This river is a Person – Maori knowing meets Western science
When Whanganui River in New Zealand was declared a legal person, Maori scientists knew exactly what they meant. But how do you unearth the science hidden in ancient oral stories?
