Cat explains why a changing climate might be changing peoples' allergies, and Chris unravels the reasons string theory has fallen out of favour

This week on Lost in Science, we’re all about good news! Join us for a feel-good episode as we explore some uplifting innovations. We’ll uncover tree bark microbes munching on methane, affordable e-waste metal recycling, and the incredible reboot of Voyager 1. Science bringing a dash of the positive to the news!

In this spine-tingling Lost in Science Fiction special, Catriona channels her inner Doc Brown to explore if harnessing lightning could actually be a viable renewable energy source—just like Back to the Future! Meanwhile, Chris dives into the biology of the iconic Xenomorphs from the Alien universe, dissecting what makes these terrifying creatures tick. Tune in for a Halloween episode that’s out of this world!

Some classic stories from our annual Lost in Science Fiction specials from years gone by. Chris and Stu talk Star Trek with popular culture researcher Andrew Lynch, Claire gets stuck into a hearty meal of Soylent Green, and Catriona wonders aloud why we still don't have hoverboards and flying cars

This week, Cat takes us through the science of puberty blockers, and how they can help young people sort out their gender identity; and Stu calls up the long list of research into the effects of smartphone use.

This week on Lost in Science, Claire chats with Dr. Matthew Snelson about how our diet affects gutmicrobiome health and the link with chronic diseases. And we dig into the archives with Chris to explore space junk—who's responsible for putting it up there, tracking it, and bringing it down.

Is it just Chris or are elections getting closer and closer of late? He spoke to psephologist Adrian Beaumont and was surprised by what he was told. And Stu has been looking at the moon and finding out there's more discoveries about the moon all the time, and not just regarding our local satellite(s). 

This week, Cat tells us what makes a moon, and how they can only orbit us temporarily like Earth’s latest mini-moon 2024 PT5; and Claire takes us underground and underwater as she speaks to palaeontologist Meg Walker about diving for megafauna fossils in South Australia’s limestone caves.

This week on Lost in Science, Chris investigates fresh research into the mysterious Wow! signal detected by the Big Ear radio telescope, and could it be evidence of a weird cosmic outburst? Meanwhile, Stu takes us on a journey through the sky—examining how microbes hitch a ride on atmospheric currents, traveling vast distances across the planet. How far can these tiny travelers go, and where do their limits lie? Tune in to find out!

How can a plant imitate the leaves of a plastic plant when it has no eyes, and no brain? How can a dead fish swim? Can animals breathe through their bums? These are the questions that have driven scientists and philosophers to insomnia and madness for centuries, but now, the Ignobel prizes has brought their answers to light. This week on Lost in Science

This week, Stu tells us about new research making animals invisible, or rather their tissue transparent, using a common food dye; and Cat tells us about how humpback whales make and use nets of bubbles as tools for hunting, and recently discovered secrets of their mating and birth.Zihao Ou et al. Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules. Science 385, eadm6869(2024). DOI:10.1126/science.adm6869Andrew Szabo et al. 2024. Solitary humpback whales manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake. R. Soc. Open Sci.11240328http://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240328Stephanie Stack et al. 2024. An observation of sexual behavior between two male humpback whales.  Marine Mammal Science https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13119Watch a video of the humpback whale heat run and birth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQPAgFH96mQ