Shows
Getting MetaMohan Krishnamoorthy : Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, RMIT University, MelbourneMohan Krishnamoorthy is one of my oldest friends - and I mean that in both senses of the word. He has many facets: He’s an accomplished academic (currently Pro Vice-Chancellor at University of Queensland, Australia), an active trekker and cyclist, and is an aficionado of several things, including board games and Indian classical music. But more than anything else, I wanted to speak to Mohan because I feel he leads the kind of life many of us would aspire to at his age (he’s close to 60 at the time of recording) and in a word - is “sorted...2021-07-231h 37
K rock ListenDeparture Lounge with Adam SpencerA lifelong numbers nerd Adam flitted with a law degree and a phd in pure maths before winning, of all things, a stand up comedy competition run by Triple J radio entitled "raw comedy". This national search for as yet undiscovered talent continues today but as Adam explains "I entered in its very first year - the standard was appalling - so I went really well".
Adam has complemented his radio career with numerous television roles hosting everything form the nation science show Quantum to poker championships, to appearing on the weekly sports review The Back Page...2018-11-1306 min
Shirtloads of ScienceScience + Quiz = Comedy National Science Week 2017To celebrate National Science Week in Australia, we all got together under the umbrella of the Sydney Science Festival to have a fun night called SquizCo – in other words, Science Plus Quiz = Comedy. We had two teams of top-notch scientists battling it out in an Arena of Knowledge and Wits under the watchful eye of host and fellow Sleek Geek Adam Spencer, with Dr Karl as the Brains Trust.2017-08-141h 14
Sleek GeeksTastebuds, Superfoods and AntioxidantsWhat are superfoods, how many tastebuds do we have on our tongue and how antioxidants can help add muscle after exercise. This and more about gold in your body and poisonous levels of banana consumption.2015-12-0700 minSleek GeeksTwinkle Twinkle Twitter TimeThey love it, answering questions that is. In this episode Dr Karl and Adam Spencer zip their way through the latest batch of audience quesitons via Twitter. They also manage to head off on a shameless book promotion tangent to chat about their new releases. Dr Karl’s new book, is Short Back and Science, and Adam Spencer’s World of Numbers is modestly titled.2015-11-3000 minSleek GeeksIt’s Xmas and book gifting timeDr Karl and Adam Spencer are back together in a new series of podcasts. They catch up for a chat, and exchange early xmas gifts, a copy of each others latest book. Funny that. Dr Karl’s new book, Short Back and Science is a grab bag of science topics that have caught his eye over the last year. Adam Spencer’s World of Numbers, is a book of numerical trivia a sort of excursion into the beautiful world of mathematics.2015-11-2400 minSleek GeeksInterview with Derek Veritasium MullerWith Dr Karl and Adam both out of town, we asked geek by association, Dan Ilic, to interview Derek Veritasium Muller on behalf of leek Geeks. Derek speaks about his PhD, his YouTube success, and his most recent documentary series Uranium.2015-09-2900 minSleek GeeksInterview with Neil deGrass TysonWith Dr Karl and Adam both out of town, we asked geek by association, Dan Ilic, to interview Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson on behalf of Sleek Geeks. Via Twitter Time, Adam asks what Dr Tyson’s favourite prime number is, whilst Dr Karl wants to know what effect his yellow jeans and loud shirts are having on the universe.2015-09-2200 minSleek GeeksRisk, Rasin Toast and Complaint LettersA MicroMort is a unit of measurement related to risk. If an activity exposes you to one MicroMort, then you have a one-in-a-million chance of sudden death while engaged in that activity. The very earliest customer-complaint letter goes back some 3,750 years and, why does raisin toast always burn when regular toast doesn’t?2015-06-3000 minSleek GeeksDoes sunlight kill odours?Does sunlight kill odours? Will the dog’s bed smell fresher by leaving it in the sun? Do mobile phones cause cancer? In what order did human senses evolve, and are there more senses on the way? And, Dr Karl and Adam’s ManWashing tips are back2015-06-0900 minSleek GeeksiPhones, Manbags and Computer Hacking TyresDr Karl's iPhone 6+ has caused him to carry a man bag because it won’t fit in bright blue stretch jeans. Adam on the other hand will happily accept any colour iPhone 6 that Apple send his way. Also, just how can a computer hacker access your tyres to kill you?2015-05-2600 minSleek GeeksPat Rafter, Big Data and Space ElevatorsDr Karl and Adam try to get through a series of Twitter questions from their listeners, but what unfolds is everything but that. Topics they blast through include … Galois, Fermat Primes, fear of numbers, Pat Rafter, Big Data and space elevators.2015-05-1800 minSleek GeeksDad jokes, Tumbleweed, Cows and Strawberry MilkIn this episode, Dr Karl and Adam ditch the stories in favour of answering questions from Twitter, like this corker … If you feed cows strawberries, will they produce strawberry milk? To find out, download their latest podcast2015-05-1200 minSleek GeeksScience of Breaking the SealWhen running wheels are set up in the wild, random wild mice will come and run on them. 10,000 year old ancient sea rise stories have been accurately passed down by the Australian Aborigines. Breaking the Seal, why is it after that third beer, that you have to keep visiting the bathroom every 20 minutes.2015-05-0500 minSleek GeeksGeeks on GallipoliThe First World War combined modern science and technology in an effort to kill people more efficiently. It saw the advancement of many existing technologies, many of which had a beneficial flow on effect, both during and after the war.2015-04-2400 minSleek GeeksSneezing, Sex and the ACHOO SyndromeSexual interest and arousal can lead to sneezing, but only in a very small subset of people. We have found the surprising link between the common cold and cold weather ... and the ACHOO Syndrome, and why sunlight makes some people sneeze.2015-03-1700 minSleek GeeksCounting, Drugs and Smart CardsWhy do we count in base 10? Why are there 60 minutes in an hour? Why do kids need more anesthetics than adults, and how do contactless smart cards work?2015-03-1000 minSleek GeeksPlants consciousness, cows milk cancer and lightningCan a plant be intelligent. Some plant scientists insist they are — since they can sense, learn, remember and even react in ways that would be familiar to humans. Does drinking cows milk cause cancer. Is it possible to harness the energy from lightning2015-03-0300 minSleek GeeksBreastcancer BreakthroughIn this ep, special guest Prof Susan Clarke walks Dr Karl and Adam through her breakthrough research looking at the methylome of breast cancer, finding distinct patterns associated with different types of breast cancer. Working out how to distinguish between aggressive and benign forms of cancer will have far reaching implications for treatment2015-02-2400 minSleek GeeksHeatwaves, rubbers ducks and GershwinThis is a hot geeky special .. the science of heatwaves. What causes them and what defines a heatwave? Will heatwaves increase with climate change? While we’re on hot things, did you know it rains on the Sun, and why do yellow rubber ducks fade in the sun?2015-02-1700 minSleek GeeksWhy are veins blue?Brought to you by the No. 31, but why? What’s so special about the phrase “the five boxing wizards jump quickly” Why are veins are blue, and where does the phrase blue blood come from? In Twitter Time this week ... “If we quantum teleported a camera 150 million lightyears away, took snaps of earth, then teleported it back. Would we see dinosaurs?”2015-02-0300 minSleek GeeksCoconut Water and Paleo DietsApparently both coconut oil and coconut water will do everything from beautifying your skin to boosting your immunity. What exactly is a Paleo-diet? Fruit, green vegetables, eggs, poultry, meat and seafood — but no dairy, grains, legumes or processed oils. There are a few problems with this2015-01-2700 minSleek GeeksDo antioxidants actually workWhat’s the link between the number 13 and anagrams? Are the antioxidants you’re taking just propping up a $23 billion dollar snake oil industry? What happens in the brains of people who see the face of Jesus in a piece of toast? In Twitter Time this week … can you have thunder without lightning?2015-01-1300 minSleek GeeksWhen you lose weight, where does the fat goIf you've popped on a few KGs over Xmas and are wondering how to shift them, then take a listen to this fascinating chat with Dr Karl, Adam Spencer and their good mate The Surfing Scientist Ruben Meerman2014-12-3000 minSleek GeeksA Very Geeky XmasThis week's very geeky NERD ALERT Xmas Special is brought to you by the number 78. Now, we all know Santa is real, but what kind of scientific time and motion physics caper is at play here that allows him to achieve his appointed workload and deliveries? Cue segue ... Xmas is a time for friends, family, eating, and laughter, so in this holiday season special, Dr Karl and Adam take a look at nut allergies and the physiology of laughter.2014-12-1600 minSleek GeeksPopular 7, Mid-life Crisis and the Placebo EffectIn a recent UK poll, the number 7 topped the list of people’s favourite or lucky number. But why? What is a mid-life crisis, and does it really exist? Researchers have tracked the happiness levels of thousands of people and confirmed the age-old suspicion of a dip in human happiness during middle age. In Twitter Time this week, the truth behind healing benefits of purring cats, plus an overview of hippy dribble practices, and how the placebo effect works.2014-12-0900 minSleek GeeksDr Karl and The Amazing James RandiIn this episode, Dr Karl is joined by none less than the Amazing James Randi. Randi is a magician and scientific skeptic best known for his challenges to paranormal claims and pseudoscience which he collectively calls woo-woo. Randi is currently on a world tour to promote his film, An Honest Liar. This is a sensational chat with two critical thinking minds.2014-12-0200 minSleek GeeksBook Club with Dr Karl and Adam SpencerThis week in Book Club, Dr Karl reviews and interviews his good mate Adam Spencer about his latest book, Adam Spencer's Big Book of Numbers. Adam chats to Karl about why he loves numbers so much and he reveals what his favourite number is and why …2014-11-2500 minSleek GeeksBook Club with Adam and Dr KarlThis week in Book Club, Adam has chosen to review and interview Dr Karl about his latest book, 'House of Karls'. Adam chats to Karl about the process of writing a book, how Karl chooses the stories and asks him just exactly what the phrase 'toilet read' means …?2014-11-1800 minSleek GeeksWe need to talk about EbolaThis week Sleek Geeks are joined by Dr Grant Hill-Cawthorne to chat all things Ebola - where did it come from, how does it spread and just how infectious is it? Dr Grant is a Lecturer in Communicable Disease Epidemiology at the Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity Sydney School of Public Health, so he a little bit across this topic2014-11-1100 minSleek GeeksMan Washing, Spiders Silk and Subatomic-particlesThis podcast is brought to you by the number 22. This week Karl and Adam are back on their favourite subject, #manwashing. Karl recently met a young bloke at Sydney Uni who as a 12 year-old kid, created what Karl believes to be an almost perfect #manwashing invention - it seems Adam agrees, this kid is a genius. Speaking of impressive, we don’t exactly know how spiders make silk, but we do know how we might use this research to help cure to Alzheimer’s Disease.TWITTER TIME this week … Is there a theoretical minimum size for the smallest sub-particle?2014-10-2100 minSleek GeeksListen here to hear about the ear ...This episode is brought to you by the number 19 and associated segues … Now hear this: Why do we like to listen to music loudly? What have you done physically when you’ve damaged your hearing? Just how does the ear work and what role do the ‘hairs’ inside play and, why do we speak more loudly if we’ve had too much alcohol? Twitter Time this week: Olber’s Paradox and why is the sky dark at night and not just a blanket of white light?2014-10-1400 minSleek GeeksBill Bailey joins Sleek Geeks for a chatWhen Bill Bailey arrived in town to kick off his Limboland tour, Dr Karl and Adam Spencer sat down to have a natter, and what unfolded was quite special. During this half hour chat they zip through an extraordinary range of topics, from phantom limbs and parallel universes, to Bill's Theremini and his new obsession with standup paddle boarding. Totes worth a download...2014-10-0300 minSleek GeeksLocusts, Obesity with Special Guest Prof Stephen SimpsonProf Simpson is a world-renowned biologist whose research on nutrition is changing the way we look at diets. Professor Simpson’s research into Locusts has led him to some rather interesting nutritional discoveries. Check out the work of the Charles Perkins Centre at Sydney University2014-10-0100 minSleek GeeksMuscles cramps, bruising and UFOsA journey which weaves from Dr Karl's yak fur jumper, via his very bruised buttocks and Adam's knockout bruising hit delivered by Lleyton Hewitt. Muscle cramps are sudden, involuntary contractions that occur in various muscles, but what causes them? And, in Twitter Time this week … UFOs2014-09-1600 minSleek GeeksIQ vs EQ, are we really getting smarter?What is the link between 208 and the forehead of Adam’s daughter? Are we really getting more intelligent by 3 IQ points every decade or 9 IQ points every human generation, and what is the difference between EQ and IQ? In Twitter Time this week ... are cloud shadows the same size as actual cloud2014-09-0900 minSleek GeeksWhat is Triskaidekaphobia?What is Triskaidekaphobia? Dr Karl asks, why do people think the number 13 is unlucky? What is confirmation bias? You’re more likely to get killed in a road accident driving to and from the shops then you are to win the lotto. Twitter Time this week … is it possible to have autonomous vehicles?2014-09-0200 minSleek GeeksJames Cameron Listens to Sleek GeeksJames Cameron Listens to Sleek Geeks2014-08-2800 minSleek GeeksDr Karl interviews James Cameron and Ray QuintIn this week's Sleek Geeks podcast, Dr Karl goes solo and interviews Hollywood movie director and pioneering explorer James Cameron and director Ray Quint about their new movie Deep Sea Challenge 3D. Download and listen to what happened when these fabulous like-minded people got together to have a chat...2014-08-1900 minSleek GeeksPi, What's in a Name?, and Fuel EfficiencyThis episode is brought to you by the number 355... it's a better approximation for Pi, but why? We discuss the science and statistics of naming children, and, actors who are right-wing tend to have a greater upper body strength than those who are a little bit left...! And from the Twitterverse this episode: Is it more fuel-efficient to coast to a stop or brake to a stop?2014-08-1200 minSleek GeeksRice Rice BabyWhat is the Rice Grassy Stunt Virus? Rice sucks cadmium, mercury, arsenic and tungsten from the soil – and brown rice is worse. Karl loves cars, but there's a real downside to cars... Worldwide, road toll is the leading cause of death of people aged 15-19. Blind people can "see" with sound well enough to distinguish one human silhouette from another. Adam explains why a negative negative makes a positive.2014-08-0500 minSleek GeeksGeeks on Holiday SpecialWhere do geeks go on holiday? In this episode it's Dr Karl and Adam versus the Griswolds in a chitty chat about their recent overseas adventures. From Prosopagnosia, to a meeting of minds at a Nobel Laureates convention, then via Route 66, a Skeptics conference, some White Russian cocktails and the Weed Maps app – it's WAY more than 2,000 miles all the way...2014-07-2900 minSleek GeeksThe Number 12, Skeptics, and Ice-BeerThis episode is dedicated to the number 12... Dozen comes from the Latin word duodecim: duo, meaning two and decim, ten. A brief overview of skeptics and the things they believe. Why is chocolate bad for dogs and why does beer that’s been in the freezer turn to ice when you take the lid off?2014-07-2200 minSleek GeeksMoonshots, Hurricanes, and Man-WashingKarl and Adam discuss supercapacitors, moonshots and human breast milk. Also, do hurricanes with female names really kill more people than hurricanes with male names? What exactly is Man-Washing and why are Karl and Adam obsessed with it?2014-07-1500 minSleek GeeksThomas Midgley, Polio, and Emotional WaterMeet Thomas F. Midgley: amazing man, chemist and inventor of leaded petrol and CFCs (when he almost single-handedly destroyed all the oxygen on our planet) who died in a most unusual fashion. Polio is making a comeback – find out how and why. In Twitter Time this week, the Sleek Geeks answer and discuss facial attractiveness, Gwyneth Paltrow and ‘emotional water’...2014-07-0800 minSleek GeeksA Geeky Guide to the World CupHear some awesome football science and realise how bad a World Cup Football tipster Dr Karl is... How Beckham bends it and the Magnus Force; why goalies are worried about unknown toxins in artificial turf; and Prof Steven Hawking’s World Cup formulae and the fall of a childhood role model.2014-06-3000 minSleek GeeksThe Number One, Big Data and TwittertimeThe number one is the first of the counting numbers; it's a multiplicative identity, and is NOT a prime number. We look at the world of Big Data, where chain store Target has data-mined its way into my favourite organ, the uterus! And welcome to Twittertime, where Dr Karl and Adam answer questions from the Twitterverse.2014-06-2600 min