The Science Show

Millions, perhaps billions of sharks teeth lie on the ocean floor. Valuable mineral deposits collect on their fossilised remains. Now they are viewed as a resource and if exploited devastation will come to an little known ecosystem.

Deep in an old gold mine in South Dakota, scientists witnessed a flash of energy in a giant pool of xenon. Some in the astronomical community are pretty excited, saying this is our best hint yet at what dark matter is. How do we know, why does it matter — and what happens next?
Jonathan Webb shines a light on dark matter with Dr Theresa Fruth, who was involved in the potential discovery.
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: labnotes@abc.net.au
Featuring:
Dr Theresa Fruth, University of Sydney
Further information:
'Exciting hint' of dark matter spotted by LUX-ZEPLIN detector, physicists report
Search for dark matter particle interactions in an extended nuclear recoil energy window with the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment
This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Plus the tree bark which hosts a whole world of methane-absorbing microbes

AI is getting so good at maths that it is now tackling, and apparently solving, some of the hardest mathematical problems that exist. But as huge companies like OpenAI and Anthropic race to outdo each other, human mathematicians are getting caught in the crossfire... and their field is changing forever. 
Jonathan Webb speaks to ABC AI Technology Reporter Cam Wilson about the furore over the Navier-Stokes equations and the million-dollar Millennium Prize.
Featuring:
Cam Wilson, AI Reporter at ABC.
Professor Tristan Buckmaster, Mathematician at New York University.
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: labnotes@abc.net.au
This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Kaurna people.

And botanists intervene to save a plant that may have become sterile