PODCAST

Curiosity Killed the Rat

Kade Huckstep & Matt Huckstep

Sibling duo attempt to explain and discuss some fun science; banter and hilarity ensue.

science

All Episodes

01:11:29

James Webb Space Telescope: Round 2 (ft. Maddie...

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2022/06/30

Way back in 2020 we did an episode all about the James Webb Space Telescope. Since then, this Bad Boi has been launched, is in space, unfolded, and ready to deliver it’s first data to the world! Given this, we thought it was time for an update, getting the low-down from high-up about the current status of the James Webb Space Telescope! With Kate out this episode due to an unfortunately timed cased of COVID, friend-of-the-show Benji steps up alongside Matt to chat to fellow astronomer Maddie

en-au

01:24:27

Refrigeration (ft. Mark Kelly)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2022/05/31

The refrigeration cycle is so fundamental to human society, but it can be very easy to take for granted. This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by Mark Kelly, who teaches us all about the science and history of refrigeration. We dive into thermodynamics and heat transfer, as Mark explains just why he thinks refrigeration is amazing and how it relies on what feels like a bug in the physics engine of our world. We also tackle a listener question about dust… what is it, exactly? As always, you can find

en-au

01:15:43

Schizophrenia & Brain Development (ft. Ulysse Thivisol)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2022/04/30

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by Ulysse Thivisol to chat about the brain and some of the cool research he is doing to learn about it! We talk about everything from brain development and substance use to schizophrenia, and how those things overlap. We also tackle a listener question about the mysterious “alcohol jacket”… does drinking actually warm you up? If you enjoyed what Ulysse had to say and want to find more of him, you can follow him on twitter @Uthivisol. And, as always, you can

en-au

01:08:43

Stingrays

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2022/03/31

This episode, join Kate and Matt as they take a deep dive into the world of Stingrays! The many species of stingray range so greatly in size and habitat, but they share some common incredibly cool features. Just how exactly do they hunt for their prey? How do they sense it? Of course, we also discuss the tragedy of Steve Irwin’s death. But just how dangerous are stingrays? What usually happens if you get stung by one, and what should you do? We also tackle a listener question about breathing and

en-au

01:15:49

Fear (ft. Brandon Richards)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2022/02/28

Kate and Matt bring in a brand new season of Curiosity Killed the Rat with the help of this week's guest, Brandon Richards, to talk about all things fear. What's the difference between fear and anxiety? Why do adrenaline junkies love fear so much? What actually occurs in the brain when we're scared, and how could we use this knowledge? Stay tuned till the end of the episode for our Listener Question, where Kate reveals the truth about what is actually inside those DO NOT EAT packets that seem to

en-au

01:06:52

Botox

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/11/14

For the final episode of the season, we take a deep dive into the science of Botox! Or, more accurately, botulinum toxin: one of the most dangerous biological substances known to humankind. We mostly associate Botox with its cosmetic use, but there is so much more to it! This toxin was first discovered thanks to the illness it causes when accidentally eaten. From there, its powers were harnessed by the medical and cosmetic industries… but HOW does it work!? This episode, Kate goes into the history,

en-au

38:05

Vaccines: Booster Episode (ft. Catriona...

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/10/18

This is a super special BONUS EPISODE all about vaccine science communication! Do you have loved ones or people in your life expressing some hesitancy around the COVID vaccine? Is hitting them with facts just not doing the job? This episode, Kate, Matt, and Cat have a chat about vaccine hesitancy and how to best have those conversations. We discuss WHY some people might be feeling hesitant, and how best to approach a conversation with them. We talk about where some of the mis/disinformation is

en-au

50:43

Vaccines: Dose 2 (ft. Catriona Nguyen-Robertson)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/10/18

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined once again by our resident immunologist Catriona Nguyen-Robertson! We hit you up with your second dose of vaccine science, expanding on our previous vaccine episode. We start with a quick recap of the past ep’s key points: what are vaccines, how do they work, and what is new and cool about the COVID ones? Then we talk about second doses! Why do we need a second dose of the COVID vaccine, but not for some other vaccines? We also chat about booster shots… will we

en-au

01:27:05

Ig Nobel Prize

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/10/04

This episode, Kate informs Matt about the fantastically hilarious “Ig Nobel Prizes”. The Ig Nobels are a parody of the better-known Nobel Prize, and they reward science that makes you laugh, and then makes you think. We take a dive into some of the most entertaining award winners from this year, last year, and across history. From levitating frogs and giving helium to alligators… to knives made from faeces and unboiled eggs. This is a wild ride of hilarious, but also super interesting science! We

en-au

01:27:03

Butts

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/09/20

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by Elysa for a super serious scientific conversation about… butts. Specifically, we talk about the role butts play in a very important part of life: waste removal. Interestingly, not all creatures have butts that develop and function the same, nor do they deal with waste removal in the same ways. So, this episode, we go on a tour of anuses across the animal kingdom. We talk about humans, and how our anus develops and works. But(t) we also talk about animals

en-au

01:24:13

Space Debris (ft. Benji Metha)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/09/06

Space debris: What is it? Is it dangerous? How can we get rid of it? This week, we are joined by friend of the show Benji Metha to talk about space junk! Stay tuned to the end of the episode where we also tackle a listener question about eel junk. If you liked what Benji had to say and want to find more of him, you can find him on Instagram (@benjaminmetha). And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to

en-au

57:55

Flamingos

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/08/23

This episode, Kate and Matt chat about a wonderfully majestic and strange-looking creature: the flamingo! A large brightly coloured bird, the flamingo begs many interesting questions. Why are they bright pink? How do they eat and why do their tongues look like something out of a horror film? What do their social structures look like? And of course… why do they stand on one leg? This episode tackles a listener question about problematic substance use… what exactly is the difference between

en-au

01:38:10

Learning Science (ft. Janine Jaramillo)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/08/09

In a slightly different style of episode to usual, we’re joined by Janine Jaramillo for a chat full of reflections about science. We chat about our experiences studying and researching science, why science is so important and relevant to EVERYONE (whether you want to be a scientist or not), and some science-related life hacks to do with stress, drinking, and social media that we wish we’d known in high school! We also tackle a fun listener question about the brain – does it using it burn calories!

en-au

01:05:03

Video Games (feat. Meg Pusey)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/07/26

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by the amazing Meg Pusey to talk all about video games. Meg introduces us to a wildly cool concept: using video games to do SCIENCE! We learn about a whole category of video games out there being used to do either data collection or data analysis for real scientific research. We talk about some super cool examples you can go play yourself, such as Fold it (https://fold.it/) or Eye Wire (https://eyewire.org/explore), and about science mini-games embedded into

en-au

01:23:20

Colour

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/07/11

This episode we take a deep dive into the science of colour! From the physics to the biology to the psychology, Kate and Matt chat all about what exactly “colour” is, and how we’re able to perceive it. What are the physical properties of colour? How do fluorescent colours work? Why are the primary colours of paint and light different, and why do they mix differently? How are our eyes, and our brains, able to discriminate between different colours? We cover all this and so much more. We also tackle a

en-au

01:12:16

Artificial Pancreas (ft. Jasmine Schipp)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/06/28

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by the lovely Jasmine Schipp. Jasmine is a PhD candidate researching the experiences of people with type 1 diabetes who are using open-source technology to manage their condition. We chat briefly about what diabetes is, the different types of diabetes, the role of the pancreas… and how people are taking matters into their own hands to create artificial pancreases! We then take a deep dive into how this amazing technology, and the current trials and tribulations

en-au

01:05:30

Assisted Reproduction (ft. Jarrod McKenna)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/06/14

This episode, Kate is joined by reproductive biologist and science communicator Jarrod McKenna about some of the cool research going on in the world of assisted reproduction. How does a cute little animal like the Egyptian Spiny Mouse help us study reproduction? What are some of the cool techniques that exist to assist with reproduction? We also tackle a listener question about yawning. Why do we do it? And why does looking at other people yawning make us yawn? If you liked what Jarrod had to say

en-au

58:25

Pint of Science Special: Gravitational Waves (ft....

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/05/31

We’re once again teaming up with the wonderful crew from Pint of Science to bring you a super interesting episode featuring UWA physics PhD Candidate Chayan Chatterjee. Chayan teaches Kate and Matt all about gravitational waves: what they are, what we can learn from them, and how we go about using cool tech like AI to detect them! We’re also back with a listener question this week: why is milk the go-to solution for reducing spice, and are there better alternatives? If you liked what our guest had

en-au

01:17:47

Pint of Science Special (ft. Amanda Krause, Emily...

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/05/17

Kate and Matt are once again partnered up with Pint of science to bring you a very special episode with not 1, not 2, but 3 guests! In this episode we delve into three uniquely different topics: music psychology, the Fat Tailed Dunnart (an adorable tiny carnivorous marsupial!), and the use of Sugar Polymers in bioengineering! If you liked what our guests had to say today and want to find more of them, you can check them out on twitter @StudyListening @SciclunaEmily @brookefarrugia If you want to

en-au

01:15:51

Graphite (ft. Declan Burke)

Curiosity Killed the Rat ·

2021/05/03

This episode, Kate and Matt are once again joined by the Chemical Cowboy Declan Burke. This time he is here to chat all about graphite. Which, believe it or not, is more exciting than just pencils! We learn all about some of graphite’s incredible physical properties, the difference between natural and synthetic graphite, and some of the wildly cool uses for this amazing material! All this, and so much more. We also have a listener question about that dangly thing at the back of our throats… what is

en-au

73 results

Curiosity Killed the Rat

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

X Minus 1 - Old Time Radio Show

Inception Point Ai

Science, Spoken

WIRED

This Week in Space (Audio)

TWiT

DarshanTalks Podcast

Darshan Kulkarni

The Best of Coast to Coast AM

iHeartPodcasts and Coast to Coast AM