The Science Show

Robyn Williams reports from the 2026 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Backyard sprinklers have transformed the Aussie urban landscape. But their path to domination of our suburbs was haphazard — and hinged on the inventions of several knockabout tinkerers. Meanwhile with a rapidly drying climate, we may need to re-consider our reliance on this invention.
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:  
James Purtill, technology reporter 
Extra information:
How the garden sprinkler conquered Australia
This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

An ancient human may be a new species, and extinct giant kangaroos - could they hop?

A quick online search reveals multiple paid services for naming stars as commemorative gifts. You'll be provided with a certificate and a map for finding your star in the sky. But these names are not official and are not used by astronomers — or anyone else, for that matter. So what's going on, and how do stars really get their names?  
‌Featuring:  
Laura Driessen, radio astronomer at the University of Sydney 
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]
This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.

A cave in Sulawesi was home to our ancestors for tens of thousands of years. Archaeologists are piecing together the story.