Catalyst Season 17, Episode 5: Science of Sci-Fi Films, Mercury Hotspots

1

Batteries 24 Hour Renewable Power

Dr. Jonica Newby investigates home batteries - how they work, why you will want one, how they will change the way we consume electricity & what they mean for the future of the world's power generation.

28 min

2

Oxytocin, Crown of Thorns Starfish

It turns out oxytocin is responsible for a lot more than just love. Dr. Graham Phillips discovers oxytocin's great potential to treat social disorders, like drug addiction and alcoholism.

31 min

3

Wi-Fried?

Wi-Fi blankets our homes, schools & cities. Dr. Maryanne Demasi takes a closer look at the link between mobile phones & brain cancer & explores whether our wireless devices could be putting our health at risk.

30 min

4

Out of Africa

Prof. Vanessa Hayes is searching for the origins of modern society, revealing the bedrock of human genetic diversity. Her work exposes some startling truths about racial inequality in modern medicine.

30 min

5

Science of Sci-Fi Films, Mercury Hotspots

Dr. Graham Phillips sits down with physicists Dr. Katie Mack & Professor Lawrence Krauss to review Hollywood's treatment of science. And is the level of mercury in the fish we're eating safe for our health?

30 min

6

Music on the Brain

Could the soundtrack of your life bring back fading memories? Catalyst takes you inside an extraordinary new program, revealing how personalised playlists can re-awaken the brains of people with dementia.

30 min

7

Micro-Plastics, Tassie's Secrets

We look into marine life in Australia, to find out what plastics escape our household drains & what kind of damage they can do. And the geology of north-western Tasmania reveals similarities to Antarctica.

30 min

8

If Pain Persists

This week we investigate recent advances in science and medical engineering that are transforming our understanding of chronic back pain & opening the door to new treatments.

28 min

9

Motorcycle Clothes, Gravitational Waves

A new kind of telescope will allow us to observe a whole host of astronomical phenomena, like gravitational waves. Plus how protective is safety motorcycle gear anyway? Mark Horstman lays his body on the line.

30 min

10

Lavender and the Honey Bee, Tassie Fires

New research reveals that Lavender can help bees make new memories & even change their DNA. Could it do the same for humans? Plus, climate change is affecting the 1000 year old World Heritage forests in Tasmania.

30 min

11

Blind Leading the Blind, Bionic Bra

Researchers are getting a clearer picture on the way the brain turns sounds into images, redefining our understanding of vision. Plus, the "Bionic Bra" - providing the right amount of breast support as needed.

29 min

12

Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives, but their overuse is making them less effective as bacteria develop resistance. Can researchers outwit these clever bacteria & find novel ways to beat resistance?

30 min

13

Short Sightedness In Children, Saving A Furry Friend

We look into the rise of myopia & how scientists are finding a way to turn the tide on the epidemic. Plus meet Australia's first koala scat detection dog that's helping koala conservation researchers.

27 min

14

Exercise and Cancer

By the time you hit mid life, odds are you or someone close to you will be touched by cancer. In this half-hour special, Dr Jonica Newby investigates a medicine that will double your chance of survival – Its exercise, but not as we know it.

26 min

15

Becoming Superhuman (Part 1)

Dr. Jordan Nguyen is a biomedical engineer. Riley Saban is a 13-year-old kid with cerebral palsy. Together they develop extraordinary, cutting edge technology that gives young Riley superhuman powers.

26 min

16

Becoming Superhuman (Part 2)

Biomedical engineer Dr. Jordan Nguyen & 13-year-old Riley aren't content developing cutting edge technology to give Riley superhuman powers. In Part 2 they want to push the boundaries to see if Riley can drive a car.

26 min

17

Meditation: Can It Really Change You?

Dr. Graham Phillips embarks on an 8 week meditation course to find out if the ancient art lives up to the current hype. New research shows that it can affect the body & the mind & even alter the structure of the brain.

30 min

18

Oldest Aussie Beer, Unboiling An Egg

Could bottles, salvaged from a 220 year old Tasmanian ship wreck, contain the remnants of the world's oldest beer? Plus 'unboiling an egg' technology leads to new discoveries in renewable energy.

30 min

19

Live Long Die Young

Lab experiments show it's now possible to fight the four major diseases of old age. Anja Taylor investigates one of these methods achieving extraordinary results. Could this be the key to a long & healthy life?

28 min

20

Stress and Cancer, Secrets of Pluto

Researchers may have found a way to prevent the stress induced spread of cancer cells. Guest reporter, oncologist Dr Ranjana Srivastava investigates. Plus we reveal Pluto's secrets with mind boggling pictures.

30 min

21

Toxic Ticks

Do Australian ticks pose a greater health risk than we thought? For the first time, microbes inside native Aussie ticks are being probed, leading to new discoveries which may reveal the causes of unexplained illnesses.

29 min

22

Soundscape, Juno's Mission

The natural world tells unseen stories through sound. Catalyst discovers what we can learn from listening to nature. Plus we go to Australia's tracking station Tidbinbilla to witness Juno going into orbit around Jupiter.

30 min

23

Gaming with Orang-utans, Stormageddon

How are storms changing as the world warms? Plus can orang-utans teach us a thing or two about computer games?

30 min

24

Gut Reaction (Part 1)

Could our food be making us sick - very sick? In the first of a two-part special, Dr Graham Phillips reveals research about the interplay between food and the bacteria deep within our guts.

30 min

25

Gut Reaction (Part 2)

The final part of a Catalyst investigation into whether food could actually be our medicine. A healthy diet could be even more important than previously thought because food affects the bacteria deep inside our guts.

30 min

26

Artificial Sweeteners, Antarctica Fossils

GP & guest reporter Dr. Zeeshan Arain looks at artificial sweeteners and how they may impact our health. Plus an Australian paleontologist goes on a US expedition searching for dinosaur fossils in Antarctica.

30 min

27

Stentrode, Fantastic Journey

Catalyst looks at the game-changing new Australian device that aims to help the paralysed walk again. Plus virtual reality takes scientists and patients on a unique interactive journey inside the human body.

30 min

28

Alzheimer's - Can We Prevent It?

Can lifestyle choices delay or even prevent Alzheimer's disease? From what we eat to how much we move & sleep, scientists are suggesting that the power to push back the disease is largely in our hands.

30 min

29

Gene Editing, Is There Life On Mars?

Graham Phillips goes into the desert on a meteorite hunt to investigate the question: is there life on Mars? Plus the powerful gene-editing technique CRISPR that is transforming the field of genetics.

30 min

30

Making Dogs Happy (Part 1)

We all like to think our dogs are really happy with us, but how can we be sure? New research suggests most of us can't even tell. Are our dogs really happy & can we use science to make them happier?

30 min

31

Making Dogs Happy (Part 2)

In Part 2 of Making Dogs Happy, discover new science-based ways of communicating with dogs, how to better read what they are saying, how our own personalities impact their happiness & new technology to help make pets happier.

30 min

32

Smell: Our Most Underestimated Sense

Smell is our most ancient, but also our most underestimated sense. In this episode Anja Taylor investigates the hidden powers of smell & how smell influences many aspects of our lives in ways we often overlook.

30 min

33

Hidden Secrets Of Art, Out Of Africa

Catalyst goes behind the scenes at the NGV to see how scientists are revealing concealed gems with stunning clarity. Plus we revisit what genomicist Professor Vanessa Hayes discovered about the origins of modern society.

30 min

34

Forensic Future, Alien Megastructure

Catalyst investigates how cutting edge forensics together with developments in DNA testing are working towards putting a face to the nameless. Plus the massive megastructure puzzling astrophysicists - could it be alien-built?

30 min

35

Coral Bleaching

In this confronting special, Catalyst explores the lethal threat of coral bleaching to the Great Barrier Reef, and the challenges we all face to protect this global treasure.

30 min

36

Plain Of Jars, Tiny Satellites

South East Asia's Plain of Jars is an archaeological enigma. Who carved these megalithic stone jars & what were they used for? Plus, Space is being invaded by a new breed of cheap satellites, smaller than a loaf of bread.

30 min

37

Testosterone, Dr. Jane Goodall

Dr. Graham Phillips investigates how testosterone affects our abilities, behaviour & health, in both men and women. Plus Dr. Jane Goodall & her work as a World-renowned primatologist, conservationist & activist.

30 min

38

Medicinal Cannabis

Anecdotal evidence is building that cannabis has a positive effect on a long list of medical conditions from epilepsy, cancer, even Alzheimer's Disease. By applying scientific rigour can researchers uncover clinical evidence?

30 min

39

Tick Bites, Swift Parrot

Dr. Jonica Newby meets Dr. Sheryl van Nunen, the clinician who discovered the link between tick bites & meat allergies. Plus we revisit a story on one of Australia's most charismatic & endangered birds - the swift parrot.

30 min

40

The Anthropocene

Scientists claim that the Earth has shifted out of the Holocene state & into a new geological epoch. We look at how the last 60 years has transformed the human race into a geological force to rival nature.

30 min