Fuzzy Logic Science Show

This week Broderick and Ian chat to Eddie about her discovery of two new peacock spider species. Listen to hear the adventures of the peacock spiders "Sparklemuffin" and "Skeletorus"!

What has tying shoelaces got to do with anything? Try lacing your shoes from the wrong end, and you'll get a tiny glimpse of complexity. It's all around us, but it's so big we have to look away.

In today's Fuzzy Logic we look at some examples technology. Leggo robot projects to inspire kids. We found them clustered around, the robots whirring along a track at the NICTA TechFest. Doarama lets you relive a 3D experience, wearing stereo goggles. 

Sian and Hannah give us a heads-up on 3D printing and some exciting possibilities.

Brought to you by (the real) Sian, Hannah, and Rod.

What would it take to get us to Mars? After our interview on Sunday, Dr Robert Zubrin presented this talk to a packed hall at the ANU. Dr Zubrin is the author of The Case For Mars.

It becomes clear that with some clear thinking, the mission could be far closer than we thought.

It's also a good idea. We should do it.

Today on Fuzzy Logic, we're launching into space, on a dangerous adventure.  This is the inscription at the site of the Honeysuckle Creek radio telescope, with words from Prime Minister of the day, John Gorton.

The dangerous adventure takes humanity to places where no managers would go. This is the stuff of can-do, the inspiration that lead us to new places.

Dr Robert Zubrin is President of the US Mars Society, and author of The Case for Mars. Jon Clark is President of the Mars Society Australia. What will it take to get there? The answer, surprisingly, is a lot closer than you might've thought.

Brought to you by Broderick and Rod.

Psy, an unknown Korean singer, broke YouTube with his song Gangnam style after it went viral on YouTube, with over 2.5 billion views. So the question beckons - how do you create a viral YouTube clip? is their a secret formula? Can science help? In this episode of the Fuzzy Logic podcast, Ian chats with Dustin Welbourne, Science Communicator extraordinaire, who set out to answer this very question.

Dustin and co-author Will Grant analysed over 400 science communication video YouTube clips and published their results in the Journal Public Understanding of Science. They came up with a list of seven essential criteria to make that /entertaining/engaging/education YouTube clip and channel, keeping your audience coming back for more.

Have you ever wanted to break YouTube, just like Psy? Well listen to this great podcast to find out more.

Hosted by Ian McDonald

After Rumination #3, we delve further into sound and speech. Shame on your naughty...what?

Written and presented by Rod.

Do you have any of those freeze-frame memories? You know the sort. Maybe you misjudged the intersection, or you said something embarassing in front of an audience.
In these moments, time ticks slowly. In Rocks on Bonnets we delve into consciousness.

To be continued in Ruminations #4.

Written and presented by Rod.

In the previous episode of Ruminations we shrunk ourselves small enough to be injected into a person's body. Today, we're going even further, right down into the sub atomic world.

Things are really weird down here.

Ruminations #2 continues the Fantastic Voyage.

Did you ever watch the old B-grade movie, Fantastic Voyage?

See our clever heroes shrunk down to the micro-scale, injected into and save the blood stream of someone who must be saved. Desperate stuff, and a fun story.

But would would it really be like down there? Assuming it's possible in the first place of course.
Oh...and sorry about the goat.

Enjoy this first instalment of Ruminations, recorded for the Community Broadcasting Network.

Next time on Ruminations...we shrink even further!

Written and presented by Rod, with thanks to David Jenkins and Deborah Hawke.

Today we delve into the mind of a psychopath. These characters fuel countless books and movies, underlying our fascination with them. Perhaps after listening to this, you'll recognise some psychopathic characters. Maybe even someone you work with. Or perhaps a voice you've heard on podcast.

Few topics in science are so evocative. But... it's never that simple.  Psychopathy turns out to be a slippery concept.

Along the way, we bump into the Myers Briggs indicator often used workplace training. Is it real? Many of us have been lumped into one of four boxes this way. Next time you do, have this authoritive quote ready.

Dr Martin Sellbom brings scientific rigour into a muddy topic. Dr Sellbom is Associate Professor, Director of the Clinical Psychology program at the ANU.

And bringing a writer's perspective is fantasy author KJ Taylor, who's works many explore the darker side of human nature.

Fuzzy Logic is grateful for the support of Australian Science Communicators.