Vaguely Accurate - Science

Ashley Cooper is an environmental photographer who has spent the past 13 years visiting every continent on the globe to visually document the effects of global warming. What’s unique about Ashley’s approach is that he doesn’t just document physical changes of the world. The medium of photography allows him to capture the sociological impacts of global warming. His work highlights the impact of global warming on a human scale and also showcases cutting-edge innovation of environmentally...

Digital Disruption and a post-truth world: Future Planning for Science Communicators In this era of digital growth and with more information than ever being readily available on digital platforms, how you present your message and cut through the noise has never been more important. The Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year 2016 is 'post-truth'. At this year’s conference we delve into helping people in science communication to separate science from fiction. I was invited to this conference to...

Have you ever questioned the origins of universe? Are you curious about the beginnings of the early solar systems? If you are you should almost definitely check out this week’s episode. Luke Daly is a planetary scientist, aka cosmic geo-chemist, investigating the start of solar systems by measuring the chemical composition of meteorites. Luke has just completed his PhD at Curtin University under the mentorship of Professor Phil Bland and has made some ground-breaking discoveries in the...

Kate Derry is a psychology PhD candidate from The University of Western Australia. She currently operates between the UWA campus and various children play centres to conduct her experimentations (don’t panic they are all humane). Kate has tried several university courses before finding her true passion in psychology. Throughout the discussion with Kate we discuss about the two types of narcissism to develop in children, how parenting techniques are likely to lead to these states of mind and...

Hannah Etchells is a Botany PhD candidate from The University of Western Australia. She currently operates between the UWA campus and the great bushland of South West Australia and investigates nature’s response to wildfires. Throughout the discussion with Hannah you will learn about the field of fire ecology, how smoke can cause seeds to germinate and how fungi are essential to the reconstruction of an ecosystem after a wildfire. We also discuss the sciart movement. If you enjoyed this...

David Gozzard is a Physics PhD candidate from The University of Western Australia. He currently operates within the basement of the UWA physics building developing methods of more stable signal transmission. Not only does David specialise in the field optical metrology, he is also an avid science educator with a strong appreciation for science communication. David has competed within the 3 Minute Thesis competition. Throughout the discussion with David you will begin to understand what the...

Today we have a special episode of Vaguely Accurate. We meet Helen Czerski, a physicist, oceanographer and science communicator for the BBC. She graduated from Cambridge University in 2001 with a 1st degree in Physics and then furthered her education with a PhD in experimental explosive physics – we do talk about what exactly this is. Helen currently works as a Research Fellow in the department of mechanical engineering at University College London. She is over in Australia for the Cosmic...

ECR #20 – Weight Cutting in Combat Sports: Dehydration & Rehydration & Repeat Performance in Elite Athletes Cutting weight for an upcoming fight is standard practice for elite combat sport athletes. Those who compete in competitions such as the UFC have been known to drop up to 5% body weight before a fight! There has been research to suggest that dehydration impacts aerobic & anaerobic performance however there has been little research done investigating the effect of rehydration upon...

This week will meet Pieter Luitjens, an engineer currently working on the development of self-driving cars for Mercedes. Pieter previously worked as an industrial programing engineer within the mining sector before noticing the forthcoming employment slump. Pieter moved to complete a master’s degree at the University of Toronto, Canada – A world leader in computer science. Throughout my discussion with Pieter we talk about the advancement of self-driving cars, learn that advanced cruise...

Today we dive into the field of health & exercise Physiology as we meet physiotherapist & sonographer, Anna Scheer. Anna is currently a PhD candidate at Curtin University investigating the effects of water-based exercise on vascular function and health outcomes in people with coronary heart disease. Anna is an incredibly busy individual, volunteering her time & working several different research projects, while continuing employment. It was amazing that she spared some of her valuable time...

Today we learn about a sensitive subject almost everyone will have experienced in one way or another – cancer. To be more detailed we will be discussing a form of non-toxic adjuvant therapy known as the ketogenic diet. In our 17th episode, coming close to the end of series 1, we meet Angela Poff, a research associate from the University of South Florida & medical consultant at ‘Poff Medical Consulting & Communications’. Angela completed her PhD investigating the effect nutrition can have as...

For our 15th full feature episode we meet Erica Suosaari, a marine geologist who completed her PhD under the ‘Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science’ at the University of Miami. Erica is now a research fellow at Bush Heritage Australia and investigates the formation of the oldest lifeforms on earth – Stromatolites. Erica’s research is conducted at Hamelin pool, Shark Bay, WA. Please check out Ace Podcast Network for more shows and if you want to become a science communicator...

This episode is of a slightly different format than the previous episodes and thus is a special entry. I was invited to present at the Research Bazaar 2017 conference hosted by Curtin University. While I was there I met many researchers conducting fascinating research. This episode is a short showcase of those who attended hosting 4 short interviews highlighting their work. Enjoy! Please check out Ace Podcast Network for more shows and you could also check out Vaguely Accurate for episodes....

Vanesa Bochkezanian is a physiotherapist from Argentina with many years of clinical experience who has transitioned to the world of research. In this episode we will develop a greater understanding of those with spinal injuries and how different degrees of injury can impact the lifestyle of an individual. Vanesa is completing her PhD at Edith Cowan University investigating the rehabilitation process via electrostimulation therapy. *PhD funded by 'Spinal Cord Injuries Australia'...

In this episode we meet Leanda Mason - A PhD candidate at Curtin University investigating the effect of urbanisation on Trapdoor spiders. Throughout this show you will learn about the ecology of these critters, how to best remove mosquitos from your home via translocation and how spiders are integral to our ecosystem. We also try to uncover some of the many myths and misconceptions about spiders and why people fear them so much. I hope you enjoy the show and if you have any questions for...

What is Herpetology? Herpetology is the study of amphibians and is also the specialisation of our featured guest for this episode, Joshua Keen. Joshua graduated from the University of Western Australia in 2016 completing a degree in zoology and conservation biology. He then spent a year studying the fields of ecology and herpetology investigating frog ecology and pioneering new conservation monitoring techniques. Josh is passionate about his research and that is clearly conveyed in this...

Our featured guest for this episode is Bronwyn Milkins, a PhD candidate at The University of Western Australia in the field of psychology. She is also a multi award-winning public speaker, educator, and storyteller on the subject of mental health. Her passion lies in creating mentally healthy communities and inspiring others to take real steps that transform their world. *Part 1 of 2* Bronwyn specialises in the field of cognitive psychology and investigates the perceptions and fallacies...

Our featured guest for this episode is Bronwyn Milkins, A PhD candidate at The University of Western Australia in the field of psychology. She is also a multi award-winning public speaker, educator, and storyteller on the subject of mental health. Her passion lies in creating mentally healthy communities and inspiring others to take real steps that transform their world. *Part 1 of 2* Bronwyn specialises in the field of cognitive psychology and investigates the perceptions and fallacies...

By popular demand we are releasing a second episode this week. Today we meet Mariette Luitjens, a former Physiotherapist from Curtin University, who has just completed her MSc degree in Health Policy and Management at ‘Vrije Universiteit’ University in Amsterdam. In this episode we will discuss what motivated Mariette’s change of career from clinical physiotherapy to health policy, what is involved with the study of health policy and management and finally we will look at her research. Her...

Today on the show we meet Vish, a Masters graduate from RMIT University, who will introduce us to the discipline of aerospace engineering. This is a shorter show than usual, where we will discuss the academic and practical requirements of an aerospace engineer. We will also be introduced to the research project Vish undertook - The Vertical Take-off and Landing of a 4 Prop Aircraft. Besure to check out his drone 'in action' on our website: www.vaguelyaccurate.com Vaguely Accurate is part of...