Up Close Research Talk Show

Public policy experts Prof John Alford and Assoc Prof Janine O’Flynn discuss the hidden costs and long-term effects of outsourcing important public services to for-profit firms in the private sector. Presented by Jennifer Martin.  Download mp3 (35.8 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Biologist Prof Geoff Shaw discusses research into the reproductive cycle of Australia’s Tammar Wallaby, how it contributes to our understanding of developmental biology, and the insights it provides into sex determination in humans. Presented by Dr Dyani Lewis.  Download mp3      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Speech pathology researcher Prof Nan Bernstein Ratner discusses the condition of stuttering, how research into stuttering informs models of language acquisition, and possible therapies for the condition. Presented by Dr Dyani Lewis.  Download mp3 (28.3 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

In a wide ranging discussion on ageing, Professor Dame Linda Partridge delves into the research findings on longevity in humans and animals, and ponders evolutionary perspectives on the ageing process. Presented by Dr Shane Huntington.  Download mp3 (30.0 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Pioneering stem cell researcher Prof Martin Pera discusses where stem cell research has been and where it’s going, the therapeutic potential of stem cell technologies, and what we should and shouldn’t expect from this fast-developing research field. With host Dr Shane Huntington.  Download mp3 (26.1 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Philosopher Prof Dan Russell discusses the meaning of a good life and explores ways of achieving such a life. With host Jennifer Martin.  Download mp3 (29.2 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Optometrist Dr Lauren Ayton discusses the biology of vision, and how we’re trying to combat blindness through the development of bionic eyes. Lauren also discusses the research and development pathways that must be traversed before these devices become widely available. With science host Shane Huntington.  Download mp3 (24.5 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Forensic psychologist Rosemary Purcell discusses stalking, the different types of stalkers, and suggests ways for victims to deal with unwanted attention. Presented by Jennifer Martin.  Download mp3 (24.2 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Physicists Dr Serguei Ganjour and Dr Martin White delve into the details around the "likely" discovery of the Higgs boson and discuss the uncertainties that still surround the newly observed particle. They ask what it means for our understanding of the universe and of physics if it turns out not to be the Higgs. Presented by Dr Shane Huntington.  Download mp3      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Behavioral scientist and musician Assoc Prof Neil McLachlan brings a scientific understanding of sound to his research on our emotional responses to music. Presented by Dr Shane Huntington.  Download mp3 (31.5 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Sociologist Associate Professor Cheris Chan recounts the expensive lessons foreign insurance firms have had to learn in China and other ethnically Chinese countries when encountering cultural taboos and superstitions that directly impact on business success. With host Jennifer Cook.  Download mp3 (25.2 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Organizational theorist Prof Andre Spicer peers behind the myths surrounding “entrepreneurs” and “entrepreneurship”, and exposes the reality of these oft-heard terms. With host Jennifer Cook.  Download mp3 (23.7 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

China historian Prof Richard Rigby and political scientist Dr Pradeep Taneja discuss how a newly powerful China fares in promoting and protecting its interests in its dealings with the rest of the world. Presented by Eric van Bemmel.  Download mp3 (29.9 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

Evolutionary biologist Dr Devi Stuart-Fox explains how bird species in which plumage color form varies from member to member evolve into new species at a faster rate than species of a uniform plumage color form -- confirming a half century-old evolutionary theory. Presented by Dr Shane Huntington.  Download mp3 (23.1)      Listen now      Read transcript read more

International relations expert Prof Han Zhaoying gives his views on the potentially disrupting factors that threaten the China - United States relationship, and suggests how the two governments might find ways to quell their mutual distrust and seek out ways of working together. Presented by Eric van Bemmel.  Download mp3 (26.4 MB)      Listen now      Read transcript read more