"Taste your tongue" is an expression that originates in the West Indies meaning "think before you speak." Sounds simple right? And yet there's so many people now-a-days who forget to do so. On this podcast we make it a point to combat this reckless habit.
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Scratch Track is a chat podcast about those useless opinions we all have. Join hosts Kyle and Darin, along with a cavalcade of guests, as they navigate a tangent-filled wonderland of banter, laughs, and figuring out how to run this friggin' podcast. It's like a warm cup of hot chocolate for your ears – but, like, not the good kind made on the stove. It's the kind that's from a pack and mixed in water you heated up in the microwave, and it scalds your tongue on the first sip so you can't even ...
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From the ground breaking and life saving to the wacky and implausible, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki reveals some of the best moments in science.
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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. The shuttle did (eventually) launch ... and along with it, the all-science-media career of one Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. This is Dr Karl's last Great Moment in Science, as …
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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 happen. Half-a-billion years ago a biological system evolved to make sure that hungry animals would eat.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 years have spotted insects coming into the lights, at night. But what's the real reason? Host: Dr Karl KruszelnickiΑπό τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 the story of a super-sniffer who might've unlocked a powerful diagnostic tool.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 Karl explains how this enables super-accurate clocks to not just measure time, but height as well.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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, Dr Karl submerges himself into the mechanics of this age-old activity.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 that keen on a road trip, how long might it take to see a total solar eclipse from where you are right now? Dr Karl investigates in this archive episode of Great Moments i…
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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 tinge is its greatest tell. In this archive episode, we explore why green potatoes are best avoided.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 exactly why potatoes taste so good. In this archive episode of Great Moments, Dr Karl digs into the science.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 Science from 2011.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 worry about. There are also avalanches happening under the surface of the ocean — forging canyons and threatening our telecommunications.…
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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 a greeting. But many times it's a sign of concentration. So here’s why your tongue helps your brain think. Host: Dr Karl Kruszelnicki…
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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 into speech. But it’s still early days.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 such claims were being made - and they’re plainly not true.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 very hungry and much your way through any fast food within reach. Host: Dr Karl KruszelnickiΑπό τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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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 family of 'alcohols', so what's the deal with the one that humans kinda like—ethanol.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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For some snapping spaghetti is sacrilege — but for others it’s science.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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From spaghetti strands to trees to nanotubes — we need to know about the physics of rod-like structures.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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How do trees face an incoming threat if they can't move, see, or hear?Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Trees are solid and dense. However, they're made from air. Wait, what?Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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About 95 per cent of the mass in the universe seems to be missing — what's going on!?Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Our skin is like a personal space suit protecting us from the outside world. Skin is best when you are a child—because of the elastic protein keeping it fresh and supple—but, unfortunately, that freshness doesn’t last. Host: Dr Karl Kruszelnicki Producer: Diane DeanΑπό τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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An interesting demographics exercise is to add up the number of humans who've existed. This is different from how many people are in a population—which in late November 2022, is about 8 billion. But using data going back as far as possible, the number of people who've existed is reckoned at over 100 billion. Host: Dr Karl Kruszelnicki…
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One might imagine that face masks work because the multiple layers will stop a virus getting through. But no, that's not it—they use a high-tech 'melt-blown' material, developed from a technique first noticed in volcano eruptions. Host: Dr Karl Kruszelnicki Producer: Diane DeanΑπό τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Nowadays we're pretty familiar with wearing a face mask to reduce infection rates, and that some masks are better than others.But understanding why the N95 mask is a really good mask one came as a surprise. Host: Dr Karl Kruszelnicki Producer: Diane DeanΑπό τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Nuclear weapons carry enormous destructive power in a very small package. A nuclear weapon weighing about a quarter of a ton can release as much energy as exploding 1.2 million tons of TNT – that’s a multiplication factor of about five million. During the Cold War the combined numbers of US and Soviet nuclear weapons reached about 70,000. There are…
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The further adventures of some of the most powerful events in our Universe: Gamma Ray Bursts. The biggest one recorded was in October 2022, in a galaxy far, far away. What would have happened if it had exploded inside our Milky Way galaxy?Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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First on the list of Most Energetic Events Ever in our universe is The Big Bang. No mean contender for top ranking is the "Gamma Ray Burst" - aka the GRB. GRBs can put out more energy in a few seconds than our Sun produces in its 10-billion-year lifetime.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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The invention of the elevator made city-living possible. It made possible a rapid mixing of cultures and concepts, efficient use of energy—and ultimately, increased economic output. And now there's a further improvement called 'destination despatching'.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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The first definite proof of a link between humans and dogs is a 15,000-year-old grave holding a dog, a man and a woman. Intensive breeding of dogs began about 200 years ago, which resulted in most of today's 450-or-so breeds. And there's a definite mutual appreciation society between people and canines…
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In 2013 the academic journal published an article called, “Taste perception: from the tongue to the testis”. It looked at some of the distinct taste sensations that we register in the Gustatory Cortex - the taste centre of our brain which are picked up by taste buds on the tongue. However, there's a difference between taste buds and taste receptors…
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Earth's defence against the existential threat of extraterrestrial rocks has been bolstered. But is it really all that important for humanity to have a plan of attack for an asteroid ambush?Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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It wasn't the first, second or even third issue to come up in the wake of this year's huge undersea volcanic eruption in Tonga. But the eruption, and the ensuing tsunamis, did have a far-reaching impact on the kingdom's neighbours and beyond — including on Australia's coastline.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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For a long time our home solar system was all we knew. But since we’ve gotten a better look at other systems near and far, it has become apparent... our solar system is weird.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Dr Karl explains how artificial intelligence detects and distinguishes between look-alikes.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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The term 'doppelgänger' goes back centuries, but in recent years the internet has made it much easier to find your look-alikeΑπό τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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There's a precise science behind the impact of small, falling objects. Some can be deadly. Others don't pack much of a punch.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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The final installment of why the Earth is suddenly speeding up—after more than a billion years of slowing down. How do we measure the rate of the Earth’s revolution, and what happens when the time on our clocks doesn’t quite match up?Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Part 2 of the explanation about the accelerating spin of the Earth - which is against the trend of the last one-and-a-half billion years.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Part 1 about how the Earth is unexpectedly speeding up, and has recorded its shortest day ever – 1.59 milliseconds shorter than the standard 86,400 secondsΑπό τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Electricity supply is shifting to renewables, so batteries are important. It might even be cheaper to power your house with the battery from your electric car, rather than batteries specifically designed for houses.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Nose-picking is something that people find disgusting—yet we still do it. And how about the gunk that’s in your nose—is it ok to eat that?Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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The highest standard for measuring body temperature is via a heart sensor—after that, it's from inside a body cavity; and you can do it from inside the mouth or the ear, but that's not as accurate, and even less so when measured on the skin. Measuring brain temperature is different again—and be astonished that the temperature of the human brain dif…
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Have you ever been winded? You suddenly lose the ability to do something you've done 15 times each minute of your life. It's one part anatomy, one part physiology, and one part don't panic.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Dogs tend to hang around humans but do they really love us—and what’s with the head tilt? Their affability might be due to two genes known to influence sociability in mammals. Gradually genetics turned dogs and humans into best friends.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Measles is a nasty infection that you don't want to get. It can cause death and, what's more, it can also erase your immune system's memory. Only relatively recently scientists have measured this directly - by concentrating on antibodies – which can be generated by natural infection, and by vaccines.…
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Anticipation is a strange experience. It can take you all the way from hope and trust, to anxiety and fear. But there’s a happy balancing point where anticipation can enrich your life.Από τον Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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