Technology Archives - Science Queeries

Cloudy With a Chance of Bias

catriona.nguyen-robertson — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:38:57 +0000

Ever wondered how much of you is floating around in the cloud? We dive into the world of big data: who gets counted, who gets mis-categorised, and who gets left buffering forever. From algorithmic bias to the very real land and water swallowed up by data centres, we’re unpacking the hidden costs of the digital world.

When it comes to artificial intelligence and big data, the world is messy… and beautifully so. We’ve seen how technology can scale harm, scale hope, and sometimes scale chaos.

Dr Cat and technologist Dr Sophia Frentz decode what machine learning algorithms get wrong about people, especially transgender and gender-diverse communities. We’re talking the cloud, the costs, and the marginalised communities who end up paying the most. We’re also talking about the beautiful opportunities that AI can provide.

On LGBTQIA+ STEMM Day and in Transgender Awareness Week especially, Dr Cat is grateful for people like Dr Sophia, who remind us that science gets better – and more inclusive – when everyone gets to show up as their full self.

Originally aired 18th November, 2025.

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Thy of the tiger

vaughan.mccarthy — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:18:54 +0000

We’re bringing science back from the dead — almost literally! Dr Cat chats to Professor Andrew Pask, who is developing tools and resources to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) – which could help save endangered marsupials before they vanish for good. They explore how gene editing, stem cells and assisted reproduction could give our lost and threatened marsupials a second life.

Professor Andrew is a well-renowned geneticist and conservation biologist at The University of Melbourne. He leads the aptly named TIGRR (Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research) Lab, and his work will help the Tassie tiger thyla-shine again! This episode may give you some real paws for thought about extinction and conservation science!

Originally aired 30th September, 2025.

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This week’s guest makes a splash

vaughan.mccarthy — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 07:21:59 +0000

Want to be dam well-informed about floods and dams? How do we protect our homes and communities from disastrous floods? Why do insurance companies seem to know more about whether your house is at risk than you do?

Water engineer Erin Hughes helps us wade through the world of floods and dams. Erin is a Senior Surface Water Engineer at Hydrology and Risk Consulting. She has led many projects around Australia and the world to help predict floods and assess dam safety. Growing up in the Torres Strait, Erin was surrounded by water and saw first-hand the impact engineering could have on local communities when trying to manage water challenges. Her chat with Dr Cat will give you plenty to soak up!

Originally aired 9th September, 2025.

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Entanglement in conversation

vaughan.mccarthy — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:36:28 +0000

Is all that talk of “quantum” in the movies legit?

Dr Cat asks Professor Nick Menicucci about what quantum is, how close we are to getting quantum tech in our pockets, and whether its representation in movies is accurate. They collapse this complex topic of conversation into one very enlightening state. From quantum myths to cosmic time-travel dreams, they measure up some big ideas without any uncertainty.

Prof Menicucci is a senior member of the QuRMIT group at RMIT University, and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology. He will entangle you with his wisdom.

This episode originally aired on 2nd September, 2025.

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A cracking good episode

vaughan.mccarthy — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 05:02:35 +0000

Did you know that someone you know may have ceramics inside their body? Maybe it’s even you. Ceramics are used for so many things – including art and expression, medicine, space exploration, and more. Dr Cat chats to a ceramicist who is (not) straight up kiln-ing it: Rory Young. They get fired up, digging into the rocky geology of ceramics, glazing over its chemistry, and spinning through the tech that’s shaping the future of the industry.

This episode originally aired on 10th June, 2025.

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Somewhere over the rainbow there’s gay space

catriona.nguyen-robertson — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 05:59:54 +0000

Space is soooo gay. Let’s go star gay-zing. Dr Cat and Zofia Witkowski-Blake, presenter at Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks, orbited queer cosmic stories, launched into what happens when humans are in space, and reflected (or should we say refracted?) on rainbows. Queerness – like the universe – is vast, dazzling, and ever-expanding. This week, we’re going full galactic glam and reaching for the stars, bending light, and being our own rainbows.

This episode originally aired on 3rd June, 2025.

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Water’ll we do?

vaughan.mccarthy — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:29:22 +0000

Dr Cat and Amber Craig splashy deep dive into water — where it goes, who gets it, and what happens when there’s way too much… or not nearly enough. From drenched cities to parched paddocks, they wade through the ripple effects of floods, droughts, and the under-appreciated world of sewerage systems.

This episode originally aired on 15th April, 2025.

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A STEMulating history lesson

vaughan.mccarthy — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 02:26:27 +0000

Dr Cat and JOY’s very own Clayton Wimshurst celebrate the International Day of LGBTQIA+ people in STEM. They share the amazing contributions of legendary LGBTQIA+ scientists who’ve made history and are shaping the future.

Hear the stories of Ben Barres, a neuroscientist and fierce gender equality advocate, having experienced many hurdles in academia as a female before transitioning; Alan Turing, famous for his work developing the first modern computers, who was only pardoned for being gay after his death; and Alan Hart, one of the first trans men in the US to undergo a hysterectomy and a physician who saved countless lives by developing a screen for tuberculosis.

This episode originally aired 19th November, 2024.

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Jupiter have a coffee break

vaughan.mccarthy — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 07:52:10 +0000

Are you keen for some spicy, science ginger tea? Or if not tea, perhaps coffee is your beverage of choice? Dr Cat chats with Anshul Phaugat about the health benefits of ginger and coffee. Plants have a lot to offer – and they’re only getting better as we explore new ways to grow them. Anshul also shares some of his work with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants For Space, optimising the growth of medicinal plants and food crops in changing environments here on Earth… and beyond!

This episode originally aired on 8th October, 2024.

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Voltaic you there

vaughan.mccarthy — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 06:16:01 +0000

Dr Cat and Dr Mohammad Taha conduct a conversation about different materials for more sustainable buildings. Did you know that around 60% of energy used in buildings is used to control the temperature? Or that over three-quarters of Melbourne city’s energy demand could be supplied by solar if we were smarter about the placement and design of solar panels? Strap in for some pulsing, high energy discussion. It’s a gas… but not the greenhouse-type.

Dr Mohammad Taha is a multidisciplinary researcher at the University of Melbourne, bridging materials science, sustainability, and electronic engineering.

This episode originally aired 24th September, 2024.

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Electrifying material facts

vaughan.mccarthy — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 04:42:51 +0000

Dr Cat has a solid chat with Dr Mike Wilson about the building blocks of our world. She’s a Material Girl, and they’re a material scientist-turned-educator. Can fabric generate electricity from our body heat? Can we make DNA-like nano-particles to deliver drugs to tumors? Is everything actually “plastic”? Life IS plastic, and it’s fantastic.

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