Show Notes
These little spiders that live in the dark corner of your garage have a pretty crazy sex life. Researchers have known for a while that male redback spiders get eaten during sex — but not only that, they somersault themselves right onto the fangs of the female. Considering the ultimate aim of this process is to create more spiders , this seems pretty counterintuitive. So it begs the question: why do they do it? Jonathan Webb and Ellen Phiddian get caught up in the science of this act, discussing what researchers have uncovered in the genes of the redback spider and its relatives. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: [email protected] Featuring: Ellen Phiddian, science reporter Further information: Male redback spider's dramatic death somersault during sex coded in its DNACrossing experiments suggest a simple genetic basis of complex male self-sacrifice phenotypes in widow spidersThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.
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Over the past few years, our environment seems to have experienced multiple extreme events in quick succession. With a summer fuelled by what may be the strongest and wettest El Niño ever, can our wildlife withstand more extremes? Jonathan Webb speaks with Professor Euan Ritchie about what we're currently seeing with flying foxes, what could happen to other species over the summer, and what we can do to help our native creatures. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: [email protected] Featuring: Professor Euan Ritchie, Deakin University Further information: WIRES wildlife rescue assistance on 1300 094 737 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.
And palm oil producers in South-East Asia have changed their ways, considering the environment more than they did. Brendan May is turning his attention now to nickel mines in tropical countries.
In March 2018, a South African astronomer looking into the distant universe "discovered" a bright red spot in the sky that hadn't been there previously; it felt like an exciting potential discovery. A message was sent to other astronomers, asking them to look at this new dot and study it further. After forty minutes and a few more calculations, he realised this "star" was much closer to home and nothing new at all: it was the planet Mars. According to Dr Kat Ross, making this kind of mistake is something of a rite of passage for astronomers. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: [email protected] Featuring: Dr Kat Ross, Curtin University This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.
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If you reach for the old tea towel in the cupboard, this episode is for you. It's time to talk textiles: why older towels seem to be better at drying, and when it may be time to throw out your more well-worn towels. Jonathan follows the thread with Ellen Phiddian to find out what we can do with our linen. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: [email protected] Or get yourself a Radio National tea towel commemorating Science Week 2026! Featuring: Ellen Phiddian, Science Reporter ABC This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.