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PODCAST

Shirtloads of Science

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Dr Karl"s a curious optimist. Join him as he explores the latest developments in science with leading researchers and communicators. And remember, it"s never too late for a happy childhood. Series Producer: Isabelle Benton Technical Producer: Maya Cook Contact: shirtloadspodcast@gmail.com Watch Shirtloads on Youtube! www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5v8fnD27rc&list=PLbDH9bxN-EryKiiRoeFnOm0Ejif3-rdIx

science physics

All Episodes

32:40

The Human Cost of One Degree with Prof. Ollie Jay

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/05/09

Professor Ollie Jay, a leading expert in heat and health, returns to Shirtloads to discuss the growing toll of climate change on human wellbeing and global economics. Insights drawn from the latest Lancet Countdown report show that over half a million people die from heat-related causes each year, and a million more from fossil fuel pollution - deaths that are largely preventable. Rising temperatures are quietly reshaping our daily lives, from reducing physical and cognitive productivity, to

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31:04

Incidental Exercise with Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis (472)

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/05/03

In this episode, we speak with Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis about Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) - short bursts of high-intensity movement built into everyday life, like walking briskly or carrying groceries. With only a quarter of adults exercising regularly, his research highlights how incidental activity, when done with enough intensity, can offer meaningful health benefits. We discuss how VILPA is grounded in observational research and the idea of "exercise snacks"

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33:08

Dumb Stuff In Space with Assoc. Prof. Michael Brown...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/04/25

We're living through the great Space Boom and with great innovation comes a lot of whacky ideas... Astronomer and Associate Professor Michael Brown from Monash Univeristy joins me to discuss stupid things in space. The conversation dives into some of the more bizarre and ambitious ideas circulating the space industry, from firing villians and radioactive waste in to the sun to deploying giant orbital mirrors to light up Earth's dark side. Brown breaks down why many of these concepts are far less

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31:07

Using Soundwaves To Measure The Sun with Prof. Conny...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/04/18

In this episode I sit down with Professor Conny Aerts, a pioneering mathematician and founding figure of astroseismology, who reveals how scientists are "listenting" to stars to understand what's happening deep inside them. From oscillating stars to solar sunquakes, she explains how sound waves can measure the sun's size, age and activity. Beyond the science, she shares her remarkable journey from a small rural town in Belgium where she had to attend an all-boys school, the only school near her

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30:34

How To Die in the 21st Century with Dr. Hannah Gould...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/04/11

We're scared to say the D word! But why is talking about death such a taboo? Dr. Hannah Gould, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Melbourne, joins me to discuss the topic in the wake of the release of her new book 'How To Die in the 21st Century'. The discussion dives in to the modern experience of dying, from the pressures of having a 'good death' to the reality of overly medicalised, 'prolonged dwindling'. Hannah unpacks how death isn't just biological but also cultural and legal,

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28:59

How Two Students Fixed the Focus of James Webb from...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/04/04

When a problem with the James Webb Space Telescope left its images frustratingly out of focus, the solution wasn't fixed in space... it was fixed from Earth. At the University of Sydney, PhD students Dr. Louis Desdoigts and Max Charles spent two years rewriting and refining code to recalibrate a critical instrument designed by Professor Peter Tuthill: the Aperture Masking Interferometer. Their breakthrough sharpened the telescope's infrared vision unlocking clearer views of distant worlds, including

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26:34

Forensic Science: Fact, Fiction, and Failure with Dr...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/03/28

This episode features Dr. Linzi Wilson-Wilde and Hannah Jarman discussing the realities of forensic science beyond shows like CSI. Through cases such as the Phantom of Heilbronn case and Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, they explore how flawed evidence and forensic myths have contributed to wrongful convictions. They also examine common misconceptions around techniques like bite mark analysis, fire investigation, and glass evidence. The conversation emphasises the importance of approaching forensic

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30:52

The Wellness Woo Economy with Kate Thomas (466)

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/03/21

Pharmacist and science communicator Kate Thomas shares how a viral debunking video launched her into the world of online health education. In this episode we explore the booming "wellness woo" economy and sift through the weeds on why misleading short-form content spreads so easily and the risks of unregulated wellness influencers. Kate breaks down the truth about supplements, the power of placebo, and why accessible, personalised health advice is so hard to find online. She also highlights the

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31:44

The Hidden Health Impact of Microplastics with Prof....

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/03/14

***Prof Lucas would like to provide the following clarification in regards to comments relating to prenatal BPA exposure and male autism spectrum disorder: "A positive association between high prenatal BPA exposure and ASD diagnosis was only seen in male offspring with a genetic predisposition to low aromatase enzyme activity." Professor Michaela Lucas, an Immunologist and Immunopathologist researching the health impacts of plastics, joins me to explore what microplastics and plastic-associated

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33:18

Deepfakes Online and The Future of Truth with Dr....

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/03/08

I'm joined by Dr. Anna Broinowski - Senior Lecturer and Director of the Master of Film and Screen Arts at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney - to unpack the rise of deepfakes and synthetic media. We discuss the emergence of deepfake pornography in 2017, the fact that around 90% of deepfake content targets women and girls, and the growing use of AI in propaganda. From political manipulation to fake ads impersonating me (!), this episode explores how deepfakes are eroding trust, and what

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27:55

The Rise In Nitrous Misuse with Assoc. Prof. Angela...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/02/28

Nitrous oxide (better known as "laughing gas") is widely used in medicine as a safe anaesthetic and pain reliever. It's also found in whipped cream canisters and even used in car engines. But Angela Chiew, toxicologist and Associate Professor at UNSW, joins me to set the record straight: the growing recreational misuse of this easily accessible gas is causing serious long-term harm, including nerve damage, cognitive damage, weakening of the spinal cord and mobility impairments. Cases of misuse are

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28:44

Will AI Take Our Jobs? Part Three of the Great AI...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/02/21

In the final episode of the Great AI Safety Debrief series with Dr. Petr Lebedev, we discuss job eradication, AI alignment and the rise in cases of AI deceiving humans. Petr unpacks ideas like AI scheming, situation awareness, parasitic relationships between humans and machines, and even the possibility of AI developing belief systems of its own. We end by zooming out to existential risk, Alan Turing's early warnings, and why aligning AI with human values may be one of the most difficult (and

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23:54

Is AI Outsmarting Us? Part Two of the Great AI Safety...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/02/14

In part two, Dr. Petr Lebedev and I dive deeper into how modern AI systems are grown, not programmed, and the emergence of Shutdown Resistance. We explore AI performance in math and coding competitions, the rapid evolution of ChatGPT models, and why companies are already letting AI write the majority of their code. Petr explains how huge investements globally are pushing these systems forward faster than we can fully understand or control. The final episode in this 3 part series drops next week!

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24:10

The Great AI Safety Debrief with Dr. Petr Lebedev -...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/02/07

Intelligence is emerging from sand and less than 1% of the population seems to care! Physicist and science communicator Petr Lebedev joins the podcast following his SXSW talk to explore why AI is advancing so fast, and why that should make us pause. From completing a PhD in physics and writing for Veritasium to leading science communication at Palisade Research, Petr steps in to bring some clarity to the weird, wild, and worrying sides of AI. Did you know that no one truly understands how large

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32:28

The Milky Way's Mysterious Glow with Prof. Geraint...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2026/01/31

A mysterious glow from the centre of the Milky Way has scientists intrigued. Astrophysicist Geraint Lewis explains how this gamma-ray excess, first detected in 2009, could be evidence of dark matter particles interacting deep in our galaxy. With dark matter believed to make up a vast, invisible halo that holds galaxies together, uncovering the source of this glow may bring us closer to understanding what the universe is really made of. www.geraintflewis.com/ Linkedin: geraint-lewis-4a499b1

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30:01

Climate Overshoot: The World Beyond 1.5 Degrees with...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2025/12/27

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Andy Reisinger, an internationally recognized expert in climate change science and policy, with a focus on mitigation and agricultural emissions. Together, we unpack the concept of climate overshoot - why the world is set to exceed the 1.5°C warming limit within the next five years, and what that means for people and the planet. Dr. Reisinger explores whether the damage already done is reversible, what it would take to get back on track, and, hypothetically, the

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17:40

More Everyday Consumer Good Facts Part 2 with Ashley...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2025/12/20

Consumer technology expert Ashley Iredale returns for part two, bringing more surprising facts about everyday household appliances. We break down why your fridge actually contains more heaters than coolers, demystify the Energy Star rating system, and settle the debate on whether front-loading or top-loading washers are more efficient at cleaning clothes.

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18:35

Cooking Dinner In Your Dishwasher?! & Other Fun Facts...

Shirtloads of Science ·

2025/12/13

This episode i'm joined by Ashley Iredale, a consumer technologist and content producer whose winding career through industrial design has armed him with a trove of quirky tips and practical wisdom. Ashley breaks down the real efficiency of hand-washing versus dishwashers, explains how a dishwasher can double as an oven, and settles the age-old question of how toilet paper should hang. We also dig into his non-linear career journey and how it led to his deep well of surprising insights. There was

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32:01

The Discovery That Changed Astrophysics with Prof....

Shirtloads of Science ·

2025/12/06

In this episode, I'm joined by the legendary Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell - the pioneering astrophysicist who discovered pulsars, launching an entirely new field of astrophysics. She began her PhD searching for quasars, but soon noticed a strange, repetitive signal appearing night after night - so peculiar she jokingly labelled it LGM ("Little Green Men"). That signal would become one of the most important astronomical discoveries of the century, though the credit and Nobel Prize were

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24:29

Sunscreen Safety in Australia with John Staton (454)

Shirtloads of Science ·

2025/11/29

This week I'm joined by John Staton, one of Australia's leading sunscreen-testing experts, to unpack the big headlines surrounding sunscreen safety. A recent Choice report revealed that 16 out of the 20 tested sunscreen products failed to meet their advertised SPF rating by a significant figure. John helps us to understand what is really going on. He breaks down how sunscreens actually work, the science behind SPF testing and why so many products fell short.

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482 results

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