Explore every episode of the podcast Science Friction

It starts as a mozzie bite ... but then it turns into something much worse.

And the search for a cause stretches back decades.

How did flesh-eating bacteria come to be in Melbourne's inner suburbs?

And what do possums have to do with it?

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

KylahMelbourne

Professor Paul JohnsonInfectious diseases physician, Austin Health and University of Melbourne

Professor Tim StinearMolecular microbiologist, Doherty Institute and University of Melbourne

Dr Veronique ParisMedical entomologist, University of Melbourne

• Presenter: Belinda Smith
• Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins

More information:

In 2021, four people across four different parts of the United States fall ill.

They all have the same disease — a life-threatening bacterial infection.

But the weird thing is they haven't travelled anywhere. And the bug that causes the infection isn't found in the US.

So how did they get it?

This handful of cases kicks off a disease investigation with roots that stretch back to northern Australia.

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

Dr Julia PetrasEpidemiologist, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr Mindy ElrodMicrobiologist, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Will MisiSupport worker, Cairns

Dr Josh HansonGeneral and infectious diseases physician, Cairns

Dr Ella MeumannInfectious diseases physician; Clinical microbiologist, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin

• Presenter: Belinda Smith
• Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins

In 2000, people who visited the Melbourne Aquarium started to get sick. Really sick.

This outbreak would go on to become the largest of its kind in Australia.

This story goes back 50 years to a mystery that stumped scientists in Philadelphia. 

How did they crack the case, and why are we still struggling to stop this disease?

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

Professor Robert PromisloffClinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Drexel University

Dr Jane GreigEpidemiologist, Burnet Institute and Médecins Sans Frontières

Dr Verlaine TimmsMicrobiologist, University of Newcastle and University of Western Sydney

Stephen WalshLawyer

• Presenter: Belinda Smith
• Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins

From mystery illnesses to flesh-eating bacteria and the looming threat of bird flu — outbreaks can push scientists, communities and health systems to their limits. 

For Science Friction on ABC Radio National, Belinda Smith looks back on some of the disease outbreaks that shaped Australia.

Hear about the scientists racing to find answers, the unusual diseases they're hunting, and the everyday people caught in the middle.

Outbreaks is a four-part series from Science Friction on ABC Radio National. Episode 1 is out Wednesday October 14th.

When it comes to the often incomprehensible world of quantum, it can be hard to distinguish hype from reality. 

We might be on the verge of a breakthrough ... or tech start-ups might be trying to drum up momentum for the benefit of their stakeholders.

Hype is important in science, but can it go too far? And has AI knocked the wind out of the sails of quantum computing?

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

Dr Tara RobersonScience communicator

Stela TodorovicMedia Director for PsiQuantum Australia

Gideon LichfieldJournalist, former editor-in-chief of WIRED and MIT Technology Review

Professor Warwick BowenDirector of the Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology and leader of the Quantum Optics Laboratory, University of Queensland

• Presenter: Jacinta Bowler
• Script producers: Fiona Pepper, James Bullen
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond

You might not know it, but Australia is an unexpected frontrunner in the race to build a quantum computer. 

Despite our isolation, leading quantum experts have called Australia home for decades, chipping away at this massive challenge. 

What have we learnt, from our first digital computer CSIRAC, to now? And will it all culminate in the world's first million-qubit computer?

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

Dr Peter ThorneFormer weekend service operator for CSIRAC

Professor Michelle SimmonsCEO of Silicon Quantum Computing and director of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, UNSW

Professor Robert ClarkFounding director of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computer Technology, UNSW

Professor Geoff PrydeChief Technical Director, PsiQuantum Australia

• Presenter: Jacinta Bowler
• Script producers: Fiona Pepper, James Bullen
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond

It's 1994, and a mathematical algorithm puts a spotlight on quantum computing for the first time.

Defence departments, spy agencies and cybersecurity experts are on edge over the explosive Shor's algorithm.

They spend decades and billions of dollars searching for a solution before something called "Q-day" arrives.

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

Dr Henry EverittSenior technologist for optical sciences, US Army

Emeritus Professor Charles ClarkPhysicist, formerly National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Dr Sushmita RujAssociate professor, University of New South Wales' Institute for Cybersecurity

Special thanks to Nick Adams for reading Peter Shor's limerick. 

• Presenter: Jacinta Bowler
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond
• Additional audio courtesy of CSIRO Publishing

Google announces it has achieved something game changing — quantum supremacy. But not everybody agrees.

The company claims its quantum computer called Sycamore has solved a problem that no classical computer could manage in hundreds of thousands of years. 

IBM wants this stricken from history.

A war of words breaks out as two tech giants race to build a useful quantum computer that could change how the world works.

Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Guests:

Scott YoungCropping and livestock farmer in Ballan, Victoria

Gideon LichfieldJournalist, former editor-in-chief of WIRED and MIT Technology Review

Professor John Martinis2025 Nobel laureate in Physics

Credits:

• Presenter: Jacinta Bowler
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond

This story was made on the lands of the Wurundjeri, Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

More information

Quantum computers could be the next giant leap in technology — transforming how we heal people, how we grow food, how we get around our cities.

So how close are we to the quantum future we've been promised?

For Science Friction on ABC Radio National, Jacinta Bowler unpacks how the weird world of quantum physics could change everything.

Hear about the surprising twists, the quantum cat-fights and the plucky heroes that have defined humanity's effort to build nature's most unpredictable machine. 

Dead and Alive is a four-part series from Science Friction on ABC Radio National. Episode 1 is out Wednesday July 8th.

The Integrity astronauts are back on Earth recovering from their journey, while NASA prepares for Artemis III. 

Belinda and Jacinta answer some of your questions in the wake of a successful moon orbit mission. 

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

There wasn't a dry eye in mission control as the Artemis II astronauts safely returned in what NASA called a "perfect" splashdown.

Belinda and Jacinta relive the historic re-entry, and dig into the wild physics associated with blasting through Earth's atmosphere and plopping into the ocean.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

Nine days down … only one to go.

The Artemis II mission is currently hurtling through space back to Earth, and is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean off the Californian coast tomorrow morning, Australia time.

Belinda and Jacinta find out what the four astronauts on board have been doing as they make their approach, including being sent on an impromptu scavenger hunt, and what they can expect to feel as they re-enter Earth's atmosphere.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

With under two days to go, the Artemis II astronauts are making the most of their remaining time in space. 

Belinda and Jacinta take a look at what they've been up to in the lead up to re-entry, and what they can expect to feel as they return to Earth.

And if you've ever wondered what urine looks like as it's sprayed into space, well, we have you covered.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

After the high of the lunar flyby, the four Artemis II astronauts are now on the return leg of their mission while scientists pore over the thousands of images sent back to Earth so far. 

Belinda and Jacinta delve into some surprising observations from the flyby, and answer more listener questions about everything from space navigation to the need for belts in weightlessness.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

It’s been a big day for the Artemis II astronauts. They broke a 56-year record for the furthest distance humans have travelled from Earth, successfully looped around the Moon, and capped off the flyby with a solar eclipse. 

Belinda and Jacinta break down what the crew saw as they gazed upon the Moon’s far side and why they lost contact with mission control for 40 minutes. 

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

We’re at the pointy end of the Artemis II mission now: It’s the eve of the lunar flyby. 

With the four astronauts now looped into the Moon’s gravitational clutches, they’ll have an intense few hours observing the lunar surface, taking photos, and breaking Apollo 13’s record for humans furthest from Earth. 

Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.  From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.

If you have a question about the Artemis mission you'd like Belinda and Jacinta to answer in a future episode, email sciencefriction@abc.net.au

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

Alongside taking snaps of Earth, chatting with mission control and fixing the toilet, the Artemis II astronauts are also taking part in all kinds of scientific research. So what experiments are running on the Orion capsule, and what do Australian lasers have to do with anything? 

Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.  From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.

If you have a question about the Artemis mission you'd like Belinda and Jacinta to answer in a future episode, email sciencefriction@abc.net.au

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

The Artemis II astronauts have passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon, and still have around another day's travel time before they approach their lunar flyby. 

So what do they get up to while they’re hurtling through space? And how do astronauts go about their daily routine in a cramped Orion capsule?

Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.  From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.

If you have a question about the Artemis mission you'd like Belinda and Jacinta to answer in a future episode, email sciencefriction@abc.net.au

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

Just over a day after blasting off, four astronauts encased in an Orion capsule have veered away from Earth and are now on course to fly around the Moon.

Bel and Jacinta unpack what the "trans-lunar injection" manoeuvre involved, and take a look at some of the highly relatable challenges faced by the astronauts during their first day in space. Because when you're flying towards the Moon, email problems should be the last thing on your mind.

Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.  From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.

If you have a question about the Artemis mission you'd like Belinda and Jacinta to answer in a future episode, email sciencefriction@abc.net.au

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

And we have lift off!

Four astronauts successfully blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center and have started their journey to the Moon.

But it wouldn't be a Moon launch without a couple of hiccups. We walk through what went down (and up!).

Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.

From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.

If you have a question about the Artemis mission you'd like Belinda and Jacinta to answer in a future episode, email sciencefriction@abc.net.au

The new moonshot

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples.

For the first time in 50 years, humanity is on the cusp of returning to the Moon, with the Artemis II lunar flyby mission set to launch in the coming days.

But if we've already been to the Moon, why bother going back now? And who will be on board when the spacecraft blasts off?

Welcome to the first episode of Artemis Explained. From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates and answer your questions about life as an astronaut, the science of spaceflight, and plans to venture beyond the Moon.

If you have a question about the Artemis mission you'd like Belinda and Jacinta to answer in a future episode, email sciencefriction@abc.net.au

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits:

• Presenters: Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler
• Senior Producer: Shelby Traynor
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove

This episode was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Wurundjeri peoples. 

What's the point of space exploration? Would you fly on a space shuttle? How did they fix the joints after the Challenger disaster? 

For this special bonus episode of The Challenger Legacy, hosts Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Fiona Pepper answer your questions.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Guests:

Peter KingCorrespondent for CBS News Radio

Wendy Whitman CobbSpace policy expert at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

Tony AntonelliRetired NASA astronaut

Credits:

• Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki
• Reporter: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Series Producer: Jonathan Webb
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Emrys Cronin

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

NASA is gearing up for the Artemis II mission — where it will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in 50 years. While space exploration is never without risk, a retired astronaut is warning that NASA is "playing Russian roulette" with the lives of the crew. 

So have lessons been learnt from the Challenger and Columbia disasters?

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch with us: sciencefriction@abc.net.au.

Guests:

Peter KingCorrespondent for CBS News Radio

Wendy Whitman CobbSpace policy expert at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

Charlie CamardaRetired NASA research engineer and astronaut

Howard BerkesFormer investigative reporter, NPR

Leslie EbelingDaughter, Bob Ebeling

Brian RussellFormer engineer, Morton Thiokol

Credits:

• Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki
• Reporter: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Series Producer: Jonathan Webb
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Simon Branthwaite
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

In the wake of twin disasters two decades apart, how do we make sense of why they happened?

In episode four, we find out what happened on the very first flight after Columbia — and ask whether NASA changed at all.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

Mike CiannilliFormer Columbia integration systems engineer, NASA

Miles O'BrienAerospace correspondent, CNN

Adam HigginbothamAuthor, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Mark MaierDistinguished professor of leadership, Chapman University, California

Eileen CollinsFormer astronaut; commander, STS-114

Credits:

• Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki
• Reporter: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Series Producer: Jonathan Webb
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

In 2003, close to two decades after the Challenger disaster, seven astronauts were killed in another space shuttle accident. 

History has repeated itself and NASA faces another reckoning — the parallels between the two disasters are undeniable. 

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

Miles O'BrienAerospace correspondent, CNN

Jon ClarkFormer NASA physician and husband of Laurel Clark

Mike CiannilliFormer Columbia integration systems engineer, NASA

Julie PayetteFormer astronaut, NASA

Credits:

• Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki
• Reporter: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Series Producer: Jonathan Webb
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond

Special thanks to the Clark family for sharing their family archives.

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

In a conference room in Utah, space shuttle Challenger engineers watch in horror as it explodes live on TV.

These engineers are more than 3,000 kilometres from the launch site - but they're about to become the centre of this story.

Because they had tried to stop the launch from happening in the first place.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

Leslie EbelingDaughter, Bob Ebeling

Brian RussellFormer engineer, Morton Thiokol

Adam HigginbothamAuthor, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Howard BerkesFormer investigative reporter, NPR

Credits:

• Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki
• Reporter: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Series Producer: Jonathan Webb
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond
• Archive Credits: The Footage Company/Nine Network Australia, National Public Radio (NPR).

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

It's the morning of January 28th, 1986. On board the space shuttle Challenger are seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.

She is set to be the first ever teacher in space. But Christa never makes it to orbit.

In the wake of an unprecedented disaster, questions start to be asked.

Should this mission have been launched in the first place?

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

John TribeRetired shuttle engineer

Steve NesbittFormer NASA public affairs officer

June Scobee RodgersWidow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee

Adam HigginbothamAuthor, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Credits:

• Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki
• Reporter: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Series Producer: Jonathan Webb
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

Forty years ago this January, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated on its way into orbit. All seven astronauts on board were killed.

In the days after the tragedy, the world wanted answers. What really caused the shuttle to explode? And should the launch have been stopped altogether?

For season five of Science Friction, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Fiona Pepper investigate how the Challenger disaster unfolded – and what that has meant for space exploration from 1986 to now.

The Challenger Legacy is a five-part series from Science Friction. Episode 1 is out Wednesday 21st January.

In 2018, a Chinese scientist made an announcement that shocked the world — and landed him years in prison.

In a special episode of Artificial Evolution, Health Report reporter Shelby Traynor traces the story of He Jiankui, the researcher who helped to produce genetically edited babies.

His actions invited condemnation from scientists worldwide and opened new fronts of scientific and ethical debate.

Thank you to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for supplying the baby KJ audio, and Genepool Productions for supplying the citizen's jury audio used in this episode.

You can hear more episodes of Science Friction with journalist Peter de Kruijff about DNA, cloning, genetic modification and gene editing on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

• Reporter: Shelby Traynor 
• Presenter: Peter de Kruijff
• Producers: Shelby Traynor, Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Roi Huberman

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Whadjuk Noongar and Menang Noongar peoples.

Timothy Andrews has lived with a pig kidney in his body for eight months.

That makes him a record breaker — living longer with a gene-edited pig kidney than anyone else in the world so far.

In the final episode of Artificial Evolution, he tells us about his journey, his hopes for making it a year with the transplant, and the challenges he's faced along the way.

With expanded clinical trials into this 'xenotransplantation' around the corner, researchers and advocacy groups argue a future in which animal organs are used in life-saving transplantation procedures for humans is not far off.

So what is the science and history of xenotransplantation? What are the ethical concerns? And what's happening in Australia?

You can hear more episodes of Science Friction with journalist Peter de Kruijff about DNA, cloning, genetic modification and gene editing on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

Timothy AndrewsNew Hampshire, United States

Professor Wayne HawthorneProfessor of Transplantation, Westmead Hospital

Professor Dominique MartinProfessor of Health Ethics and Professionalism, Deakin University

Professor Syd JohnsonProfessor of Bioethics, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York

Credits:

• Presenter: Peter de Kruijff
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Tim Symonds
• Archives Researcher: Lisa Chidlow

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Whadjuk Noongar and Menang Noongar peoples.

Gene-edited fish are on the market in Japan, and similar foods could soon be on Australian shelves. But will we want to eat them, how affordable will they be, and what do they even taste like?

On this episode of Artificial Evolution, Pete looks at the future of gene editing for consumption, what's on the menu, and whether it’s a sustainable way to feed the world.

You can hear more episodes of Science Friction with journalist Peter de Kruijff about DNA, cloning, genetic modification and gene editing on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits:

• Presenter: Peter de Kruijff
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Richard Girvan/Angie Grant
• Archives Researcher: Lisa Chidlow

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Whadjuk Noongar and Menang Noongar peoples.

Earlier this year, a US biotech company claimed it had brought back a long-extinct species - the dire wolf, which roamed ancient America thousands of years ago.

And the same editing technology that remade dire wolves could also be used to stop Australian species from going extinct.

In episode two of Artificial Evolution, Pete heads to the labs that are safeguarding the genetic material of unique Australian species and working to bring back the thylacine.

And visits the researchers working on quolls to make them immune to cane toad toxins and experimenting with putting alpaca genes into endangered frogs to protect them from a deadly fungal disease.

As this new field of science opens up opportunities to edit endangered species … can and should we act? And do we have our priorities wrong in tackling species loss and climate change?

Artificial Evolution is a four-part series from Science Friction about how gene technologies are changing the world around us.

You can hear more episodes of Science Friction with journalist Peter de Kruijff about DNA, cloning, genetic modification and gene editing on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits:

• Presenter: Peter de Kruijff
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Angie Grant
• Archives Researcher: Lisa Chidlow

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Whadjuk Noongar and Menang Noongar peoples.

Last year, 81-year-old rancher Arthur 'Jack' Schubarth was sentenced to six months in prison.

His crime? An elaborate, multi-country conspiracy to smuggle in the tissue of a rare big horn sheep — clone it — and sell the offspring to hunters.

But how did we get to the point where such a scheme could be run out of an elderly rancher's backyard?

In episode one of Artificial Evolution, we trace the story of cloning from Dolly the sheep right through to the present day.

We discover the technology being used to clone horses right here in Australia — and find out whether Barbra Streisand's clones of her pet dog are anything like the original.

Artificial Evolution is a new four part series from Science Friction about how gene technologies are changing the world around us.

You can hear more episodes of Science Friction with journalist Peter de Kruijff about DNA, cloning, genetic modification and gene editing on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

Matt Brown

Reporter, Associated Press

Professor Russell Bonduriansky

Evolutionary Ecologist, UNSW Sydney

John Farren-Price

Director, Catalina Equine

Karlene Hennig

Horse Manager, Catalina Equine

Dr Kim Fung

Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO

Credits:

• Presenter: Peter de Kruijff
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Angie Grant
• Archives Researcher: Lisa Chidlow

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Whadjuk Noongar and Menang Noongar peoples.

In 1996, Dolly the Sheep became the first ever cloned animal. Nearly 30 years later, genetic technology has reshaped the world around us. What exactly has happened, where are we headed, and are we OK about it?

In Artificial Evolution, our latest series of Science Friction, ABC environment reporter Peter de Kruijff follows the story of gene technologies all the way from Dolly right through to the present day.

From the bizarre criminal conspiracy to clone the world's largest sheep, to the lab trying to bring back long-extinct species, and new trials transplanting animal organs into humans — each episode covers how these technologies are reshaping the world around us.

Episode 1 is out Wednesday, September 3.

You can hear more episodes of Science Friction with journalist Peter de Kruijff about DNA, cloning, genetic modification and gene editing on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

We’ve all dreamt of lobbing our smartphone into the ocean and going off grid. 

So what happens when you follow through with it?

For our final episode of Brain Rot, we speak to the people who decided they’d had enough. 

From a French village, to Gen Z ‘luddites’ in New York City and a group of parents in regional Victoria, there are clubs, campaigns and even laws dedicated to a smartphone-free life.

But in 2025, how do you pull it off? And is it actually worth it?

Guests:

Stan Awtrey

Sportswriter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Vincent Paul-Petit

Mayor, Seine-Port, France

Lisa Given

Professor of Information Sciences, RMIT University

Steph Challis

Founder, The Phone Pledge

Jameson Butler

Co-Founder, The Luddite Club

Credits:

• Presenter: Ange Lavoipierre
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Ross Richardson

Thanks to Sam Goerling for the assistance with French translation.

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

Plenty of people will say they are addicted to the internet. But how well-recognised, scientifically, is an addiction ... to your screen?

In episode four of Brain Rot, we dig into how behavioural addictions work.

And we hear from self-described internet addicts about the treatment programs that help them stay “internet sober”.

Brain Rot is a new five part series from the ABC’s Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre.

Guests:

Jillian and Kate

Internet and Technology Addiction Anonymous members

Hilarie Cash 

Psychologist and Co-Founder, reSTART

Anna Lembke 

Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine

Anastasia Hronis 

Clinical Psychologist; Author, The Dopamine Brain

Dar Meshi

Associate Professor, Michigan State University

Credits:

• Presenter: Ange Lavoipierre
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Tim Symonds

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

We’re trusting tech with more tasks than ever — including the ones our brains once did.We’re Googling things we used to know, taking screenshots of things we’ll instantly forget, and hoarding all kinds of data we’ll never check again.On this episode of Brain Rot: is tech giving your brain a holiday, or putting it out of a job?You’ll also meet a guy who’s turned the tables, by using AI to help recover his lost memories.

Brain Rot is a five part series from the ABC’s Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre.

Guests:

Dr Julia Soares

Assistant Professor, Mississipi State University

Morris Villaroel

Academic, Spain; Lifelogger

Max

Credits:

• Presenter: Ange Lavoipierre
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Angie Grant

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

Whether it’s social media, the omnipresent smartphone or AI companions, in recent decades the way we relate to each other has been completely up-ended. 

In episode two of Brain Rot, we explore the potential implications that tech poses to human relationships. 

Worldwide estimates suggest there are around one billion users of AI companion — people using software or applications designed to simulate human-like interactions through text and voice. 

So if the uptake of these AI companions is as rapid as is being reported, what are the ramifications? And could AI companions be both a cause and cure for loneliness? 

Brain Rot is a new five part series from the ABC’s Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre. 

Guests:

Kelly

In a relationship with an AI companion, Christian

Bethanie Drake-Maples

Doctoral Candidate, Research Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence

Nicholas Epley

Professor of Behavioural Science, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Nicholas Carr

Author and journalist

Credits:

• Presenter: Ange Lavoipierre
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Tim Symonds

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

Everyone seems to have a hunch that their phone is destroying their attention span, but is there any science to back it up?

In episode one of Brain Rot, we’re doing our best to focus on the topic of attention for a full 25 minutes — and find out what's actually happening in your brain every time your phone buzzes or dings.

Is brain rot a real thing? Or just another moral panic?

And how do you know when your own screen use has gone too far?

Brain Rot is a new five-part series from the ABC’s Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre. 

Guests:

Anna SeirianCEO, Internet People

Dr Mark WilliamsProfessor, Macquarie University; Cognitive neuroscientist

Michoel MoshelClinical Neuropsychologist Registrar; Phd Candidate, Macquarie University

Professor Marion ThainProfessor of Culture and Technology, University of Edinburgh; Director, Edinburgh Futures Institute

Credits:

• Presenter: Ange Lavoipierre
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Brendan O'Neill

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

More information:

Neuropsychological Deficits in Disordered Screen Use Behaviours: A Systematic Review and Meta‑Analysis - Neuropsychology Review, 2024.

Do we have your attention? How people focus and live in the modern information environment - King's College London, 2022.

Internet addiction-induced brain structure and function alterations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity studies - Brain Imaging and Behavior, 2023.

For Science Friction, it's Brain Rot — a new series about the science of being chronically online and what it’s doing to our brains.

What's really going on with our attention spans? Is data-dumping your entire life into ChatGPT helpful? And what's it like to be in love ... with an AI?

National technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre tackles the wildest ways people are using tech and the big questions about our own use. Episode 1 is out Wednesday 4 June.

For episode six of Cooked, we turn the lens on … science communication itself.

We’re looking at how information travels from a scientific study to the world and what can go wrong along the way.

This is the final episode in our Cooked series. We'll be back in May for another series of Science Friction on a different topic — digital devices and how they're driving us to delight ... and to despair.

Statement from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in response to Science Friction.

Guests:

Isabelle Oderberg

Founder, Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition

Professor Claire Roberts

Lead, Pregnancy Health and Beyond Laboratory, Flinders University

Dr Georgia Dempster

Research Fellow, University of Melbourne

Dr Nazmul Karim

Senior Lecturer, Monash University

Credits:

• Presenter: Dr Emma Beckett
• Producer: Carl Smith
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

More information:

NAD Deficiency, Congenital Malformations, and Niacin Supplementation - New England Journal of Medicine, 2017.

Scientific research in news media: a case study of misrepresentation, sensationalism and harmful recommendations - Journal of Science Communication, 2022.

Vitamin profile of 563 gravidas during trimesters of pregnancy - Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2002.

Effect of maternal dietary niacin intake on congenital anomalies: a systematic review and meta-analysis - European Journal of Nutrition, 2021.

Pregnancy Double Discovery - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 2017.

Statement regarding pregnancy discovery - Victor Change Cardiac Research Institute, 2017.

Vitamin B3 supplementation in pregnancy - NSW Health, 2017.

The 'vegemite cure' - the Sydney finding that could help women everywhere - ABC Sydney Drive, 2017.

Could vegemite prevent miscarriage? - Women's Health Melbourne.

Pregnant women shouldn’t start taking vitamin B3 just yet: reports it prevents miscarriage and birth defects are overblown - The Conversation, 2017.

Can a simple vitamin prevent miscarriages and birth defects? - The Australian, 2017.

The common vitamin that could be the key to preventing some cases of heart birth defects and miscarriages - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 2023.

Over the past few years, you might have heard advertisements in your podcast feed or on social media for electrolyte supplements.

If you haven’t seen them, they’re basically these little sachets or tubs that get mixed in with water as a drink.

News media reports demand for such products is exploding – with the market for electrolyte supplements set to grow to 112 billion dollars by 2030, more than doubling in size in less than a decade.

They go by a bunch of different names … and their marketing often suggests we could all use more electrolytes in our life.

But what’s the science on this swing towards salty beverages? Who actually needs them? And what does our obsession with optimised hydration … say about us?

Guests:

Dr Alan McCubbin

Senior Teaching Fellow, Department of Nutrition Dietetics and Food, Monash University; Accredited Sports Dietitian

Dr Colleen Derkatch

Professor of Rhetoric, English Department, Toronto Metropolitan University; Author, Why Wellness Sells

Jay Clark

Athlete and fitness coach

Dan Newton

Athlete and fitness coach

Credits:

• Presenter: Dr Emma Beckett
• Producer: Carl Smith
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

More information:

Modelling sodium requirements of athletes across a variety of exercise scenarios – Identifying when to test and target, or season to taste - European Journal of Sport Science, 2022.

The Impact of Dietary Sodium Intake on Sweat Sodium Concentration in Response to Endurance Exercise: A Systematic Review - International Journal of Sports Science, 2018.

Impact of Sodium Ingestion During Exercise on Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review - International Journal of Sports Science, 2018.

Sodium Intake Beliefs, Information Sources, and Intended Practices of Endurance Athletes Before and During Exercise - International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2018.

Sports Dietitians Australia Position Statement: Nutrition for Exercise in Hot Environments.

Why Wellness Sells - Hopkins Press, 2022.

Exercise - the low down on hydration - Better Health.

The electrolytes boom: a wonder supplement – or an unnecessary expense? The Guardian, 2024.

No, you don't need daily electrolyte supplements - Axios, 2023.

Why did a group of anonymous strangers on the internet try to eat almost nothing but potatoes for a month? 

On Cooked this week, an unusual experiment and the possibilities and perils of a mono-diet.

Guests:

Andrew Taylor

Melbourne, Australia

Slime Mold Time Mold

Scientist collective

Dr Jess Danaher

Associate Dean, RMIT University; Nutrition Scientist and Dietitian

Credits:

• Reporter: Alistair Kitchen
• Presenter: Dr Emma Beckett
• Producer: Carl Smith
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Angie Grant

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

More information:

It was one of the world's biggest nutrition trials. A study of thousands of people which found that following a Mediterranean diet could meaningfully reduce someone's risk of heart disease and stroke.

But as data detectives began to comb through the results of the trial, something wasn't quite adding up.

On Cooked this week, we're taking a look at what can go wrong when implementing a nutrition science trial at scale ... and what it means for one of the world's most popular diets.

Guests:

Dr John Carlisle

Anaesthetist, NHS, United Kingdom

Dr Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz

Epidemiologist, University of Wollongong

Dr Evangeline Mantzioris

Program Director, Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of South Australia

Credits:

• Presenter: Dr Emma Beckett
• Producer: Carl Smith
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Angie Grant

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

More information:

The analysis of 168 randomised controlled trials to test data integrity - Anaesthesia, 2012.

Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet - New England Journal of Medicine, 2013.

Data fabrication and other reasons for non-random sampling in 5087 randomised, controlled trials in anaesthetic and general medical journals - Anaesthesia, 2017.

Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts - New England Journal of Medicine, 2018.

Mediterranean‐style diet for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019.

Translation of a Mediterranean-Style Diet into the Australian Dietary Guidelines: A Nutritional, Ecological and Environmental Perspective - Nutrients, 2019.

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet is associated with physical and cognitive health: a cross-sectional analysis of community-dwelling older Australians - Frontiers in Public Health, 2022.

In conversation with John Carlisle: the silent hero shaping medical publication integrity - ENT and Audiology News, 2024.

That Huge Mediterranean Diet Study Was Flawed. But Was It Wrong? - NYT, 2018.

Errors Trigger Retraction Of Study On Mediterranean Diet's Heart Benefits - NPR, 2018.

How the Biggest Fabricator in Science Got Caught - Nautilus, 2015.

Statistical vigilantes: the war on scientific fraud - The Guardian, Science Weekly Podcast, 2017.

Diets like carnivore have been popping up all over the place. People who go carnivore aim to eat nothing but a select few animal products, like meat and eggs.

So why are some people turning to an all-meat diet? And why do they say they feel good doing so?

On this episode of Cooked, we sift through some of the counterintuitive findings around carnivore — the scientific pitfalls you need to be aware of when reading the research — and the health effects in the short and long term.

Guests:

Mick and JennyNew South Wales, Australia

Dr Jacob MeyAssistant Professor and Registered Dietitian, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana

Dr Richie KirwanLecturer, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Janet ChrzanNutritional anthropologist, University of PennsylvaniaAuthor, Anxious Eaters: Why We Fall For Fad Diets

Credits:

• Presenter: Dr Emma Beckett
• Producer: Carl Smith
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Angie Grant

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

More information:

Behavioral Characteristics and Self-Reported Health Status Among 2029 Adults Consuming a "Carnivore Diet" - Current Developments in Nutrition, 2021.

Limitations of Self-Reported Health Status and Metabolic Markers Among Adults Consuming a “Carnivore Diet” - Current Developments in Nutrition, 2022.

Anxious Eaters: Why We Fall For Fad Diets - Columbia University Press, 2022.

What is the carnivore diet? - Harvard Health Publishing, 2024.

Two decades ago, nutritional epidemiologists made a startling finding – that people eating more ice cream were less likely to develop diabetes.

In the years since, various groups have tried to account for this peculiar scientific signal — with limited success.

In multiple studies the link between ice cream and a reduced risk of diabetes persists. Yet nutrition experts globally still aren’t convinced.

But if it’s not true, what’s causing the signal?

Grab a spoon and dig into culture, causation and confounders — and the joy of a tub of ice cream.

Credits:

• Presenter: Dr Emma Beckett
• Producer: Carl Smith
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Nathan Turnbull

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

More information:

Nutrition Science's Most Preposterous Result - The Atlantic.

Here's the scoop on the new thinking about ice cream, yogurt, cheese and health - WBUR.

Dairy and your heart health - Heart Foundation.

For Science Friction, a new series — Cooked!

On Cooked, we dig into the nuance of nutrition. Why are studies showing that ice cream could be good for you? Do we really need as many electrolytes as the internet says? And why are people feeling good on the carnivore diet?

Nutrition and food scientist Dr Emma Beckett helps comb through the evidence on food groups and ingredients like meat, dairy and salt — to unpick why nutrition studies can be so conflicted and confusing.

Behind the rise of AI there's big questions about where this technology is going.

Is it going to be super intelligent — and if that happens — is it going to kill us all?

In our final episode, we're diving into the future and unpacking the full spectrum of expert predictions, from the idea that we're on the brink of creating human-level AI, to fears that AI will make humanity extinct.

Come meet our future AI overlords.

2023 was the year powerful new AI technology went mainstream, with image generators and tools like ChatGPT.

And people quickly started wondering where these advances were taking them.

This is the story of 2023 in three chapters: the first contact, the backlash that followed, and the new reality.

It's the story of actors fighting back against plans to replace them with digital clones, writers suing AI companies for stealing their words, and students figuring out how to use their new magical writing tool.

AI is often portrayed as being all about technology. But it is also about money and control. Because those who control AI, may control the world.

In the AI world, there are two names that keep coming up: OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and its CEO, Sam Altman.

Who is Sam Altman? How did his tiny company leapfrog the tech giants and win the scramble for control of AI? And what are Altman's plans for the future?