Fizzics Twist

Fizzics TWIST is back! This is the second episode in our series of podcast experiments. Let us know what you think!    Coronavirus is here and it can be both scary and confusing. What even are viruses and what make coronavirus different?  In this episode we conduct an experiment about how viruses can be transmitted from person to person, and how you can prevent getting infected.    This episode is curriculum linked from Year 5 to Year 10:   Year 5  Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043 - Scootle ) Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and reflects historical and cultural contributions (ACSHE081 - Scootle ) Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE083 - Scootle ) Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problem

Fizzics TWIST is back! In this episode we're doing something a little different. Nuclear power has a pretty bad reputation right now, but it might be the energy solution that we need. But wait - how does it work? How does nuclear science work? In this episode we visit ANSTO to learn about nuclear science and build our own cloud chamber (a basic particle detector) to see it in action for ourselves.   This episode is curriculum linked from Year 5 to Year 10:   Year 5  Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and reflects historical and cultural contributions (ACSHE081) Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE083) With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations (ACSIS231) Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problems using equipment and materials safely and

Fizzics TWIST is back! In episode 29 we discuss: Don’t Farm Octopuses: Scientists have warned that under no circumstances should we ever farm octopuses. The reasons are more numerous than their tentacles! Haha! Destination Moon: Under the direction of venerable dictator Donald Trump, NASA have announced they are going back to the moon. It’s been more than 45 years since we were last there, so why now? Dodgy Pineapples: The new Australian $50 dollar note (lovingly known as a ‘pineapple’) has a teeny tiny text problem. But Australian money is still some of the best in the world - and we have the best slang for it too.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from down to earth to out of

Fizzics TWIST is back! In episode 28 we get very heavy and discuss: Biological annihilation: The UN has warned of a 6th global extinction event, but what does this really mean? Are we headed to certain destruction? Will the mosquitoes finally disappear? Quill deconstructs the story.  5th extinction fossils: Fossils have been discovered from the very day that the Chicxulub asteroid collided with Earth and kicked off the extinction of the dinosaurs. But what actually happened that day? Duncan talks for a very long time about that catastrophic event.  Weird sooth-saying snake: A snake has been discovered with an all-seeing third eye. We attempt to make jokes about it.  What Year Is It?: We take a trip down memory lane with a jazz-assisted look at the scientific discoveries from this week in past years.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach provi

Fizzics TWIST is back! In episode 27 we get a little bit silly and discuss: Far out with Duncan: The first ever photo of a black hole has been released by the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration and while it’s an amazing feat it’s a bit hard to figure out what you’re looking at - Duncan looks past the event horizon to explain what’s going on. Veritasium’s excellent explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyH3XhpLTo Professor Alan Duffy on TV: https://www.facebook.com/astroduff/videos/1250228068461523/ On the Green with Quill: Red meat consumption is plateauing and may decrease significantly over the next few years. Meanwhile, vegan options are getting cheaper and tastier all the time - so what gives? Staunch hippie Quill dives in.  ViralGram: Cats are notorious for their fierce independence. Do they even know their own names or do they choose to ignore you? Dog loyalist Quill and avowed cat cynic Duncan explore.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science

Fizzics TWIST is back - with special guest Ben Newsome! Ben is the founder and director of Fizzics Education. In episode 26 we discuss:   Why the first all-female spacewalk never happened The media went nuts recently about how a planned all-female spacewalk was canceled. It seems like patriarchy has reached even the ISS. But the truth is a little more complicated.    Do you hear silent GIFs? GIFs are silent moving images, but certain GIFs can have 'sounds' for some people. How? Ben takes us through the science.    Even mosquitoes hate Skrillex Skrillex is (in)famous for being a divisive musician. But it looks like mosquitoes are tipping the balance as new research has found that playing Skrillex to mosquitoes reduces both biting and 'copulation activity'   About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and s

Fizzics TWIST is back! In episode 25 we discuss:   What’s on, Watson?: It’s the day of the equinox AND a super moon, giving us a Super Worm Equinox Moon. That was not a Dune reference - that’s what it’s really called. We take a look at what an equinox actually is, and how the super moon got its name.   On the Green with Quill: A new coral reef has been found off the coast of Italy. Let’s be honest, it’s not as good as the Great Barrier Reef, but fun to learn about anyway!   ViralGram: Not only does playing music to ageing cheese imbue it with a milder taste, but if you play it A Tribe Called Quest then it becomes award-winning. Just don’t play that wheel of cheese any 360! Ha!   Fact of the Week: Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew, eat them for 60 days straight...   About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading

Warning: This episode of Fizzics TWIST contains discussion of HIV/AIDS from 16:00 to 26:30. If you or the person you’re listening with don’t want to hear about this then we suggest skipping that section.   Fizzics TWIST is back!! In episode 24 we discuss: Far Out with Duncan: NASA have ‘sonified’ an image of space taken by the Hubble telescope. Is it eerie and terrifying or oddly pleasant? You be the judge. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Ci_YwfH04 Our Shepard tone podcast: https://www.rode.com/myrodecast/listen/entry/739 or https://apple.co/2HgVV8E Extracting sound from video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUzB0L0mSCI   On the Green with Quill: Quill is back to fire up about climate change - climate modelling has revealed that if global CO2 levels reach 1300 ppm then clouds start to break apart and this really lets the genie out of the bottle - with sizzling consequences.     UnTwist: A second and possibly third person have been functionally

Fizzics TWIST is back for 2019! In episode 23 we discuss: Huge if True: How a supernova caused a mass extinction including a very fierce animal you might have seen at the movies! ViralGram: Why do zebras have stripes? While they may look fly, it’s the flies they have to worry about! Read the article and see the pictures here: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/02/why-do-zebras-have-stripes-flies/583114/   UnTwist: An amazing prehistoric discovery right here in Australia - and we’re very excited because our own staff have been involved. Anyone up for a road trip? Fact of the Week: The human body can be pretty gross sometimes, but it can be even more gross in space... About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the superson

Fizzics TWIST is back for 2019! In episode 22 we discuss: What’s on?!: It’s the International Day of Women and Girls in Science AND International Women’s Day - Kate joins us to talk about some groundbreaking achievements by women made in 2018. Far Out with Duncan: A little rover close to Duncan’s heart, the Opportunity Rover has been declared… dead. We discuss this somber moment. ViralGram: Have you lost a USB stick recently? Been kayaking near seals recently? The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand would like to have a word with you! Listen to our previous story about seals in Episode 21. Fact of the Week: An amazing revelation that brings both space and dinosaurs together in this positively titan fact. About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a

Fizzics TWIST is back for Episode 21! This will be the last episode for 2018! In this episode we discuss: ViralGram: A wayward seal has been photographed with an eel stuck up its nose. It turns out this is not the first time this has happened... See the photo at https://www.instagram.com/fizzicstwist/  Huge if True: Mobile phones will be banned from primary schools across NSW from next year. Is this a good idea?  Far Out with Duncan: The Mars InSight Lander has sent back audio from the surface of Mars. Sound from an alien world. Hear it in this segment!  Fact of the Week: Quill brings some fun festive facts for this Christmas episode!  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from down to earth to o

Fizzics TWIST is back for Episode 20! In this episode we discuss: ViralGram: Students around Australia have staged protests against inaction on climate change. We applaud their efforts!  In the Lab with Quill: Researchers from the University of Queensland (strewth) have discovered a DNA signature of multiple types of cancer. What on Earth does that mean you ask? Quill applies her VLB (Very Large Brain) to the problem. Read the ABC article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2018-12-05/researchers-discover-unique-cancer-biomarker/10581914  Far Out with Duncan: CIMON (pronounced 'Simon') is a cute space-robot with a dark and insecure past. Will he take over the ISS? Duncan explores. Fact of the Week: Are you a Round-Earther? Well, we've got bad news for you... About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we

Fizzics TWIST is back for Episode 19! In this episode we discuss: UnTwist: A Chinese scientist claims to have modified the genes of twin girls. We break down the science behind this case, and discuss the implications. ViralGram: Knickers the cow is a massive unit... but why? The answer is simple.  Far Out with Duncan: Duncan explores his favourite topic, Mars landers. Check out the amazing handshake after landing: https://youtu.be/bGD_YF64Nwk?t=3279.  What Year Is It?: Everything that happened in late November in years gone by... it's a good one!  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from down to earth to out of this world, and from the ancient world to the distant future, Fizzics TWIST has it covere

Fizzics TWIST is back for Episode 18! In this episode we discuss: UnTwist: In the future, all meat might be grown in a lab instead of taken from animals. Quill, who is a vegetarian and has a PhD in Hippietarianism, takes us through this high-steaks topic.  On the Green with Quill: It turns out that apart from being cute and cuddly little units, wombats also poop out cubes. Quill, who has a PhD in faecal cubeism, explains how this might impact all of the manufacturing industry, forever.  Far Out with Duncan: Boffins from MIT have a made a plane that flies silently, with no moving parts, using technology straight out of Star Trek. Duncan, who doesn't have a PhD, perfectly illustrates this amazing tech in extreme detail.  Fact Of The Week: The year was 2009. Presidents were respected, the economy was stimulated, and the sky was a deep, dark red. Quill takes us back.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education i

Fizzics TWIST is back for Episode 17! In this episode we discuss: Huge If True: How much does a kilogram weigh? No one seems to know! Watch this video about how the kilogram will be redefined: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo0jm1PPRuo  On the Green with Quill: The world’s oceans are being eaten up, but by what? Where is the water going? Far Out with Duncan: Underneath an ancient glacier in Greenland, scientists have discovered something with cosmic origins. Check out the tectonic plate diving: . Fact Of The Week: This week’s fact will boil your brain and give you brainfreeze at the same time. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEzkHqWIiKM. About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from d

Huge If True: The 'Pando' Aspen tree system is dying. Or maybe it's just getting old? Fizzics TWIST investigates.  On the Green with Quill: The EU has banned 10 types of single-use plastics. Quill, predictably, rants about it.  What Year Is It?: Duncan's alter ego recounts what happened this week in past years. (PS check out the video of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFzu6CNtqec)  Far Out with Duncan: China has revealed its plans for a new space station that might replace the ISS. But their track record with space stations isn't great (read: Tiangong-1. We talked about it in Episode 4) - so how will this new one fare?  Fact Of The Week: This week's fact is so mind-boggling it'll send you into orbit!  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a

You can't use your phone while driving, but what about using your phone while... learning? Quill's on the case.  Pluto's a planet again! Hooray! Maybe!  The Ocean Cleanup has been deployed. A giant plastic-eating machine has been set loose towards the Great Pacific Garbage patch. Hopefully it will tide-y up!  Fact Of The Week! This week's fact is positively electric.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from down to earth to out of this world, and from the ancient world to the distant future, Fizzics TWIST has it covered. Hosted by Duncan Bell, Quill Darby, and the entire Fizzics team. https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au

We're talking about the Great Barrier Reef again! Now that pesky Crown of Thorns Starfish is being targeted by robots.  Scientists have found a new coral reef off the east coast of the USA. How come we didn't know about it already? The International Space Station has sprung a leak! How does this happen and what does it mean? Fact Of The Week! It's a real word salad this week. Salad gold. We're just pollen your leg. Once and floral.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from down to earth to out of this world, and from the ancient world to the distant future, Fizzics TWIST has it covered. Hosted by Duncan Bell, Quill Darby, and the entire Fizzics team. https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au

The lovely people of Jervis Bay get to go to a bioluminescence party. But will they light up the dance floor?  Duncan updates us about the Opportunity Mars Rover, and it's not looking good... Lastly, some ancient human news - homo sapiens are not the only ape in town.  Fact Of The Week! We get a lot of questions about rain, so it's time to separate fact from fiction.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from down to earth to out of this world, and from the ancient world to the distant future, Fizzics TWIST has it covered. Hosted by Duncan Bell, Quill Darby, and the entire Fizzics team. https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au

NASA are firing a spacecraft into the sun! But why, and will its intrepid crew survive? Just kidding it's a robot.  The Moon has ice on its surface! Which means it has water! Humans need water, so could we live on the moon? TWIST investigates... Quill has found out about a type of ant that protects their nests by exploding with a delicious smell.  Fact Of The Week! Potatoes are one of the most interesting plants around.. here's why!  It's time for another Secret Sound! Get this right and you could earn some solid CO2IN.  About Fizzics TWIST This Week In Science & Technology, brought to you by the team at Fizzics Education! Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. Each week we take a look back at the hottest yet coolest science stories. From the supersonic to the glacial, from down to earth to out of this world, and from the ancient world to the distant future, Fizzics TWIST has it covered. Hosted by Duncan Be