abc.net.au

DIY obstacle courses keep this two-year-old entertained in lockdown

Brisbane parents Lachlan and Kristin Ryan are keeping their energetic daughter Sophia entertained while in lockdown with games and obstacle courses.







abc.net.au

Contagious behaviour

We all know that certain diseases are contagious, but sometimes behaviour is contagious as well. We take a look at some historical examples—such as the Tanganyika laughter epidemic of 1962, and the 1518 case of uncontrollable dancing—and we consider what might drive copycat crimes. There's also the possibility of suicide contagion. Trigger warning: this episode touches on the subject of suicide, please take care while listening.




abc.net.au

Brains old, new, and augmented

Believe it or not … a Formula 1 car can be driven by someone just using their brain. We consider the neurogeneration: people who in the future are likely to be using some kind of brain-powered technology to do their job or to extend their knowledge. But we don’t leave the past behind, there’s also a peek into the brain collection of Cornell University.



  • Brain and Nervous System
  • Science and Technology
  • History

abc.net.au

When your eyeballs become audible

When some people take a deep breath they can hear air rushing into their lungs. As their lungs expand they can hear their ribs creaking… and their heart beating… and their blood moving. These things happen to people with Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome. It's so strange and rare that most doctors haven’t even heard of it, yet it can have a profound impact on a person’s life and mental health. We go into a hospital operating room to learn about this little-known condition. Warning: this episode contains a description of a surgical operation.




abc.net.au

A riff on creativity, design, and toys

Design and creativity really can work together. We talk with a design critic and a product design educator who both have an interest in toys - their history, and how they’re created and assessed in the real world. Get your blocks ready to play along. 




abc.net.au

The ageing brain: it ain't all downhill

Growing older is something we only get to do if we’re lucky, so why are so many of us unenthusiastic about the prospect of ageing? We speak to neuroscientist and author Dan Levitin about his new book The Changing Mind, which looks at the ways the brain actually improves as we age, and how we can help it. 




abc.net.au

Mental health on the Covid frontline

The uncertainty, isolation, and danger posed by the Coronavirus pandemic affects the mental health of many people - but for those on the frontline, all of those feelings can be heightened. We talk to health professionals who have been managing their own panic attacks and anxiety. 




abc.net.au

Seeking help for the first time in a crisis

If you’ve noticed a change in your mental well-being over the past few weeks you’re not alone.  As the effects of the pandemic and the conditions of isolation begin to be take hold, manyAustralians are searching for support for the first time in their lives. So if you choose to ask for help, how do you takethe first steps. 




abc.net.au

Podcast extra: The pineapple project

Sharing with you one of the ABC's other great podcasts. Join Jan Fran and friends as they take life’s prickly bits and make them sweeter and easier to deal with.




abc.net.au

The brain in isolation

Over the past few weeks many of us have been living more isolated lives than we’re used to. We might not be in government-mandated quarantine but there’s no doubt that COVID-19 has upended our social lives. Yet isolation can be deeply troubling for humans because we’re social animals; and that’s just as true in our current circumstances as it is in very extreme forms of isolation.




abc.net.au

How can tech fight coronavirus?

It’s a weird time in the world, but what role does technology play in the age of COVID-19? Also, forget roll call, schools could soon have facial recognition. And will it ever be possible to get conspiracy theories off YouTube? Guests: Nick Kwek, Technology Journalist & Filmmaker @NICKKWEK and Angharad Yeo, ABC television presenter, video game critic, technology journalist and entertainer @angharadyeo




abc.net.au

Updated: Locked down and ready to Zoom

There are too many video conferencing apps. So this week on Download This Show, which is the least worst? Plus, how well is Australian internet holding up to our socially isolated future? And, how are streaming services responding to us all being stuck in the house? Guests: Tegan Jones, Editor, Gizmodo @Tegan_Writes and Seamus Byrne, writer, broadcaster of tech, future, gaming and digital culture @seamus This is an updated version of our episode




abc.net.au

Has COVID-19 killed the cinema?

Remember when going to the movies was a thing? Well this week on Download This Show we ask whether the combination of streaming and COVID-19 will be the final nail in its coffin. Plus, Singapore has signed hundreds of its citizens up with a contact tracing app to help limit the spread of the virus. But is this government surveillance gone too far? And, how faith groups are leading the way in building communities in the age of isolation. Guests: Ariel Bogle, online technology reporter, ABC Science @arielbogle + Jonno Seidler, Advertising Creative @jonnoseidler




abc.net.au

Is new streamer Quibi any good?

This week on DTS, why 5G towers around the world are being torched. Plus, we'll put Quibi under the microscope and look at just how secure your Zoom meeting really is. Guests: Rae Johnston, Science and Technology Editor, NITV @raejohnston + Angharad Yeo, ABC television presenter, video game critic, technology journalist and entertainer @angharadyeo




abc.net.au

The race to contact trace

Ever think about how many germs live on your phone? This week on DTS, we'll talk you through the best way to clean it. Plus, Australia weighs up contact tracing apps, while Google and Apple join the fray. And e-sports are getting a boon from our social isolation, but does it still suck? Guests: Tegan Jones, Editor, Gizmodo @Tegan_Writes + Matt Hopkins, Senior Native Content Manager, Pedestrian Daily @mopkins88




abc.net.au

Money please? Google and Facebook asked to pay up

This week on DTS, exams in the age of isolation and why students are up in arms about privacy. Plus, the Australian government will compel Google and Facebook to pay local media outlets for content, but exactly what will that look like? And how social media giants are stopping illegal gatherings. Guests: Ariel Bogle, online technology reporter, ABC Science @arielbogle + Seamus Byrne, writer and broadcaster of tech, future, gaming, and digital culture @seamus




abc.net.au

How safe is COVIDSafe?

This is one of the big questions when it comes to the government's new app, but is there a simple answer? Plus, how an entire country in the South Pacific managed to lose their domain to Sweden. And Facebook launches their Zoom competitor, but is it really necessary? Guests: Ariel Bogle, online technology reporter, ABC Science @arielbogle + Nic Healey, Breakfast presenter, ABC Western Plains @dr_nic




abc.net.au

Success(ion): Foxtel keeps HBO

Game of Thrones, Succession, True Detective... there's no shortage of iconic HBO shows, but how much does Foxtel need them for its new streaming service? Also, would you entrust Facebook with a messenger service for your kids? Guests: Angharad Yeo, ABC television presenter, video game critic, technology journalist and entertainer @angharadyeo + Ben Grubb, technology journalist and Homepage Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald @bengrubb




abc.net.au

Sunday Story Image




abc.net.au

Benjamin Netanyahu - Hero or Villain?

On the 17th March Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel will appear in court, charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Despite the charges his party won the most seats in the recent election. So why is he so popular and what does it tell us about Israel politics?




abc.net.au

The Black Death - the plague that never went away

In the fourteenth century, the plague killed about half the population of Europe and Asia, making it one of the most devastating pandemics in human history - and it's a disease that persists to this day.



  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)

abc.net.au

1929 Revisited

After a month of almost unprecedented drama on global financial markets due to the spread of the Coronavirus, Rear Vision revisits the 1920s and the events that led to the stock market crash of 1929.




abc.net.au

SARS and MERS - what did the earlier epidemics teach us?

Singapore and South Korea – partly because of their experience with previous corona virus outbreaks – have managed this pandemic without locking people in their homes or shutting down their economies. How did they do it?




abc.net.au

SARS, Ebola and now Covid-19 - world health and the role of the W.H.O.

For over 60 years the World Health Organisation has been the pre-eminent international health organisation but questions have been asked about its response to several infectious diseases. This is the story of the WHO, its strengths and its failings. Episode first aired 1 March 2015




abc.net.au

What happened to the NBN, Australia's 'information superhighway'?

The NBN was supposed to provide all Australian homes with reliable, super-fast internet connections. As many of us adjust to living and working from home, connected with our jobs, friends and family online, has it lived up to its promise?




abc.net.au

In a fix - how match fixing became sport’s biggest threat

Find out how match fixing works. It's ubiquitous and now recognised as the biggest threat to sport integrity.




abc.net.au

Will Joe Biden be the next President of the United States?

Joe Biden has emerged as the Democratic nominee for the United States Presidential race in November. But he’s run twice before and both times been defeated soundly. Why did he win this time and how did he gain the support of African American voters?





abc.net.au

The Chairs

Eugene Gilfedder and Jennifer Flowers shine in this fast-paced piece of absurdist theatre.



  • ABC Local
  • brisbane
  • Arts and Entertainment:Theatre:All
  • Australia:QLD:Kelvin Grove 4059

abc.net.au

The Clean House

'The Clean House' is a funny and enjoyable play, despite its serious subject matter: death, infidelity and the search for meaning.



  • ABC Local
  • brisbane
  • Arts and Entertainment:Theatre:All
  • Australia:QLD:South Bank 4101

abc.net.au

Fat Pig reflects the audience

Neil LaBute is one of those contemporary playwrights whose work is both compelling and disturbing. This American, and former Mormon, is blessed with an uncanny talent for cutting right to the core of what it is to be alive in contemporary Western culture. He specialises in bringing to life seemingly ordinary characters who, as the narrative unfolds, become increasingly uncomfortable to watch and to listen to. This is not done, however, simply for the shock value, but rather for the purpose of holding up a mirror for his audiences to see just how dark, disturbing and often downright repulsive we all can be.




abc.net.au

The Merry Widow

Always a fan of opera, reviewer Nigel Munro-Wallis finds there's plenty to like about Opera Queensland's prodoction of 'The Merry Widow'.



  • ABC Local
  • brisbane
  • Arts and Entertainment:Opera and Musical Theatre:All
  • Australia:QLD:South Bank 4101

abc.net.au

I Love You, Bro

This very good and rather disturbing one-man play showcases the talent of star Leon Cain.



  • ABC Local
  • brisbane
  • Arts and Entertainment:Theatre:All
  • Australia:QLD:Kelvin Grove 4059


abc.net.au

Intimacy

Intimacy is a word we usually use as a euphemism for, ahem, sex. But in Ranters Theatre's production of the same name, you experience an intimacy of an entirely different kind.





abc.net.au

Stockholm

'Stockholm' is beautiful and disturbing, and one of the 'best written, directed and performed pieces you will see this year', according to theatre reviewer Nigel Munro-Wallis.



  • ABC Local
  • brisbane
  • Arts and Entertainment:Theatre:All
  • Australia:QLD:Kelvin Grove 4059

abc.net.au

Waltzing the Wilarra

Last night, Waltzing the Wilarra inspired that same elation, that slight prism shift. This show is funny, poignant and unerringly confident, enlivened by a suite of superb ballads by the play's writer-composer David Milroy.



  • ABC Local
  • perth
  • Arts and Entertainment:All:All
  • Arts and Entertainment:Opera and Musical Theatre:All
  • Arts and Entertainment:Performance Art:All
  • Arts and Entertainment:Theatre:All
  • Australia:WA:East Perth 6004
  • Australia:WA:North Perth 6006
  • Australia:WA:Perth 6000
  • Australia:WA:Perth Airport 6105
  • Australia:WA:South Perth 6151
  • Australia:WA:Subiaco 6008
  • Australia:WA:West Perth 6005

abc.net.au

The Manganiyar Seduction

I came out of this concert wanting to reach for my mobile phone and text 'OMG' to everyone I knew. Not being a text fan or the kind of person to use the OMG (Oh My God) moniker, I was surprised by my own reaction! So what was it about the sight and sound of 43 turbanned musicians from northern India, sitting in velvet-lined, curtained boxes stacked up on the stage of Perth Concert Hall?



  • ABC Local
  • perth
  • Arts and Entertainment:Performance Art:All
  • Arts and Entertainment:Theatre:All
  • Australia:WA:East Perth 6004
  • Australia:WA:North Perth 6006
  • Australia:WA:Perth 6000
  • Australia:WA:Perth Airport 6105
  • Australia:WA:South Perth 6151
  • Australia:WA:West Perth 6005
  • India:All:All

abc.net.au

Donka: A Letter to Chekhov

'Donka: A Letter to Chekhov' is a dreamy, visually stunning homage to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and his tender and incisive prose.




abc.net.au

Cafe Rebetika

ABC North Coast resident arts reviewer, Jeanti St Clair - her thoughts on Cafe Rebetika.




abc.net.au

The 2011 Northern Rivers Portrait Prize and Salon Des Refuses at the Serpentine Gallery

ABC North Coast resident arts reviewer, Jeanti St Clair looks at the Northern Rivers Portrait Prize.




abc.net.au

Appalling Behaviour Review

If this one-man show at The Blue Room is anything to go by, it would be appalling behaviour indeed if the rest of the Blue Room Season "Close Up" was not well attended. I'm not one for one-man shows generally, or for that matter one-woman shows. They can often be hard to sustain especially when the subject matter is not comedic.





abc.net.au

Review of 'Wish'

You've got to love experimental theatre don't you? Even when they choose a subject that would challenge most theatre goers. I went to see 'Wish' at the Blue Room last week. The second production in their 'Up Close' season of eight productions. And I haven't stopped thinking about it.