Conversations

When Professor Mandyam Srinivasan began studying bees almost 35 years ago, we was interested in learning how bees landed so elegantly, and avoided colliding in mid-air.What Mandyam discovered was a complex and astounding system of vision and flight, which is now being applied to machine vision and robotics.He and his team at the Queensland Brain Institute built an autonomous aircraft, without GPS or radar, that flies like a bee.The technology could have widespread applications for surveillance, rescue operations, defence, and planetary exploration.Further informationMandyam Srinivasan is now Emeritus Professor at the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland.The episode of Conversations covers neuroscience, bees, sensory neuroscience, the study of bees, intelligent machines, 

As a marine molecular biologist, Dr Nerida Wilson spends a lot of her time getting acquainted with the mysterious creatures lurking in the dark depths of the sea.From nudibranchs, to sea dragons and a UFO-looking spiral that's around 150 feet long, Nerida doesn't need to know why these weird and wonderful creatures exist, that they made it here in the first place is enough.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris and the Excecutive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It covers marine life, research, science, nudibranch, sea horse, oceans, discovery, deep sea life and exploration.

When Lee Berger entered the field of palaeoanthropology there was a one in 10,000,000 chance he would discover anything 'worthwhile' digging around South Africa. But this real-life Indiana Jones kept bucking the odds.First, he found a pair of hominid teeth in southern Africa, and then after a fossil-hunting dry spell, his 9-year-old son Matthew found the jawbone of a completely new hominid species.A few years later came Lee's most extraordinary discovery yet: a nearly inaccessible cave filled with skeletons of another new hominid species, which seemed to be violating all the rules.The story of what happened in this cave revolutionises what we understand about the origins of our own human species.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, executive producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores human history, archaeology, Africa, caving, exploration, science, modern history, evolution, biology, bones, forensics, media, journalism, what to study, curious kids, curiosity, podcasts for kids, fascinating science, fascinating history, research, human mysteries, anthropology.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Dr Culum Brown is a leading researcher in the field of fish cognition, his research has shown that even that smallest fish are capable of learning and can retain memories for months.His fascination for fish stems from growing up in parts of south-east Asia, where he would spend every possible hour in the ocean with a snorkel.As an adult, Culum's marine biology studies around the world have revealed many facts which challenge our common understanding of fish.Within schools of fish, there is often a strict social hierarchy which can include forms of bullying.His research into Port Jackson sharks has revealed a lot about their social lives as 'puppies of the sea'.He work has also revealed that sting rays have especially good memories and can distinguish days of the week.Further informationFind out more about Culum's work

Dr Campbell Costello's work as a vet has taken him out of his family's station in North Queensland to places as far flung as Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Patagonia.He's acted as the official vet for a sled race in Alaska, for epic horse races in Mongolia and Argentina, and he has run a cattle station in the former Soviet Union.But after a family tragedy, Dr Costello got his pilot's licence so he could service Australian communities and stations in the country's most remote corners.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, the executive producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores animals, adventure, veterinarians, animal welfare, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, the Andes, Central Asia, horses, dogs, flying, getting your pilot's licence, learning to fly, outback Australia, top end, Northern territory, Queensland, travel, travel for work, death of a parent, farm accidents, grief, loss, love, family, Middle East, South America, far flung places, places less travelled, vet mental health, podcasts for kids, kids who love animals.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.