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Samples of asteroids contain a range of organic molecules. Do asteroids raining down on Earth explain how life started on Earth?

Only six years ago there were doubts about electric vehicles: range! charging facilities! cost!  Now in 2026, the mood is reversed. Peter Hadfield reports from the Sydney EV auto show.

Peter Newman says fossil fuels industries face long term risk as renewables offer cheaper options. And urban density is increasing around public transport.

Humpback whales narrowly survived being hunted to extinction in the era of industrial whaling, but while their recovery has been strong, they are left with low genetic diversity which may affect their resilience in a changing climate.

Len Fisher gathered Nobel laureates, leaders in science, philosophers and economists to brainstorm serendipity in science, asking how it might be exploited for even more gain. 

Fire, insects and disease all pose a threat to Australia's forests but scientists are now seeing a rise in natural tree deaths right across the country.  New research links this background mortality to higher average temperatures. So what do these higher temperatures mean for our forests and the future of Australia's ecosystems?  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 Belinda Medlyn, plant ecologist from Western Sydney UniversityExtra information:  Pervasive increase in tree mortality across the Australian continent Rising tree death rates in all types of Australian forest tied to climate change This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

It pulses every 18 minutes. What could it be?  A white dwarf? A neutron star? It had been missed in over 30 years of images. Natasha Hurley-Walker describes some of the possibilities.

Small patches of forests in schools initiate discussion and leaning across biology and ecology. Students develop a sense of ownership and community awareness with improved mental health.

Vice-Chancellor Harlene Hayne describes how science is a pilar at Curtin University in Perth. 

Exactly when people first set foot in Australia has sparked fierce debate, with two times currently cited: Around 50,000 years ago, and 65,000 years ago. Which is correct?

Leading marine scientist and university educator Emma Johnston has died from complications associated with cancer at the age of 52.

Peter Newman outlines how cities can achieve net zero and sustainability agendas together as part of the global shift to a new economy.

A faint orange hand stencil on the wall of a cave in Indonesia just became the oldest art known to science.    The art, made by splattering ochre over a hand, had been painted over by subsequent generations and was only preserved because moisture combined with the limestone of the cave to form a protective layer on top.  The finding strengthens the picture that humans migrated via Borneo, Sulawesi and Papua to reach Australia at least 65,000 years ago.  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:  Jacinta Bowler, ABC science reporter Extra information:  Hand stencils discovered in an Indonesian cave are oldest-known rock art Rock art from at least 67,800 years ago in Sulawesi This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

Australia's summer UV levels are high enough to cause sunburn in as little as 11 minutes. Yet the summer sun in the Northern Hemisphere rarely feels that full on. So why does our sunlight have that extra "bite"? Spoiler: it's not the hole in the ozone layer. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith 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:  David Whiteman, medical epidemiologist and Cancer Control group leader at QIMR BerghoferMore information: Why is UV so high during Australia's summer? The ozone hole is not to blame Cancer Council — UV Radiation World Health Organization — Radiation: The ultraviolet (UV) index CSIRO — The future of the ozone hole This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.

The next time you pick up a bag of spuds from the supermarket or fill up the car with petrol, you can thank the Treaty of the Metre for the metric system that underpins daily life.  The treaty was signed exactly 150 years ago, when delegates from 17 countries gathered in Paris to establish a new and standardised way of measuring the world around us.  But the metre's inception predates the treaty that bears its name by nearly 100 years. So how did it come about, and how has its definition changed over the centuries?  This episode was first broadcast in May 2025.  You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith 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: Bruce Warrington, CEO and chief metrologist of the National Measurement Institute  More information: The metre originated in the French Revolution, but its definition has changed many times since This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.