From the ground breaking and life saving to the wacky and implausible, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki reveals some of the best moments in science.
Latest episodes
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29 min
The Greatest Moment in Science
Dr Karl was first heard on the wireless in 1981 when he convinced Triple J that a talk about the space shuttle would be good listening because he had applied to be a NASA astronaut…
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Why the 'marijuana munchies' make you feel good
We know that the drug called cannabis, or marijuana, increases the appetitecommonly called the 'Marijuana Munchies', and we are finally getting closer to knowing what makes it happ…
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Insects fly to the light
The ancient Romans thought that insects were attracted to bright light, and then there's the well-known phrase, "drawn like a moth to a flame", so it seems like people over many ye…
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Dreaming a diagnosis with Dr Karl
Some sleepers who act out their dreams are later diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. As Dr Karl explains, it's one of a few slightly odd new diagnostic tools.
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Sniffing out disease with Dr Karl
The power of smell can't be understated — our noses don't just sniff out tasty treats, they can also alert us to danger. In this episode of Great Moments in Science, Dr Karl tells…
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How tall is time? Well, it's all relative
Atomic clocks are the most precise time-keepers we have.But that doesn't mean they can escape the timey wimey effects of gravity. In this episode of Great Moments in Science, Dr Ka…
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The physics of dunking biscuits
Humans have been dunking biscuits for as long as biscuits have existed. But why do we do it? Why are soggy biscuits so darn good?In this archive episode of Great Moments in Science…
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Want to see an eclipse without travelling? You might be waiting a while
Thousands of people will descend on the tiny WA town of Exmouth later this month to witness the Moon block out the Sun for a whopping one minute. But if you're a homebody not all t…
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I do not like green eggs and ham... or potatoes?
Green potatoes — would you like them here or there? Would you like them anywhere?Well as Dr Karl taught us last week, potatoes contain a potentially deadly chemical, and a green ti…
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Potentially poisonous potato no small fry
Given the right (or wrong) circumstances, the humble potato packs a punch. It contains a chemical that could kill if ingested in large amounts. The catch-22? That chemical is exact…
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6 min
Of Mice and Milk
What you eat or drink just after you finish pumping iron is crucial to laying down muscle. Dr Karl weighs up the best way to bulk up, in this archive episode of Great Moments in Sc…
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7 min
Avalanche under the sea
The destructive force of a wall of snow is well known. Major avalanches can not only kill, they can also completely reshape a landscape. But it's not just mountainsides we need to…
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A slip of the tongue
There are plenty of reasons why a person might poke their tongue out. Sometimes it can be a rude or cute gesture. Maori warriors do it as a sign of defiance, and Tibetans do it as…
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Speaking your mind—with AI
In development is an amazing new technology which may, eventually, turn your thoughts into speech. It's being designed to help people who can’t speak, turn what they're thinking in…
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Athlete deaths—and COVID vaccines
Athletes are not just fit, they also attract a lot of media attention, especially if stories are put around that COVID vaccines are a cause of death in this group. In late 2021 suc…
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Neanderthal DNA kills superbugs
In 2022 we found that Neanderthal DNA could kill superbugs. Wait, what ... didn't Neanderthals die out? Yes, but their hidden power could make them important in modern medicine.
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Why hangovers happen, Part 2
Continuing the story about the effects of alcohol we arrive at the “drunchies”—short for the “drunken munchies”. They’re what occur after a bout of too much drinking. You become ve…
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Why hangovers happen, Part 1
Alcohol in small quantities can make people sociable; but too much of it can mean hangovers and associated consumption of non-nutritional foodstuffs. There's a whole chemical famil…
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5 min
How to snap spaghetti: Pt 2
For some snapping spaghetti is sacrilege — but for others it’s science.
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5 min
How to snap spaghetti: Pt 1
From spaghetti strands to trees to nanotubes — we need to know about the physics of rod-like structures.