The Fact Detectives – Details, episodes & analysis

What IS an allergy? What’s the difference between an allergy and an intolerance or a sensitivity? Even though there's no cure for allergies, find out how Australian researchers are helping people.
 
Esther and Anika find out all the interesting facts about allergies with Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson who is an immunologist at Scienceworks.

This episode of The Fact Detectives is a Kinderling co-production with Scienceworks. To find out more about the world around you, head to museumsvictoria.com.au 

Guest: Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson - immunologist at Scienceworks.
Hosts: Anika and Esther   
Production: Cinnamon Nippard   
Sound Design: Josh Newth   
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are planets made of? 🌏  What makes a planet a dwarf planet? And why isn’t Pluto a planet anymore? If we could live on one of the other planets in our solar system, what would it be like? 🪐
 
Anika and Esther find out all the amazing facts about planets with Dr Tanya Hill who is astronomer at the Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks.

This episode of The Fact Detectives is a Kinderling co-production with Scienceworks. To find out more about the world around you, head to museumsvictoria.com.au 

Guest: Dr Tanya Hill - astronomer at the Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks
Hosts: Anika and Esther   
Production: Cinnamon Nippard   
Sound design: Josh Newth   
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When did Halloween start? Why do we dress up, carve pumpkins and go trick or treating?

Anika and Esther find out all the ancient, spooky facts about Halloween with Michelle Smith who studies fairytales and children's literature at Monash University. 

Guest: Michelle Smith who researches fairytales and children’s literature at Monash University in Melbourne.   

Hosts: Anika and Esther   
Production: Cinnamon Nippard   
Sound design: Josh Newth   
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we answer questions from our fans, Detective Rocco and Detective Olive. We find out why we burp and how cocoons are made.

Host: Billy and The Super Computer
Production and Sound Design: Josh Newth 
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the difference between a glow-worm and a firefly? How and why do glow-worms glow? And where can we see them? 
  
In this episode, Anika and Esther catch up with author, Cathie Plowman, who illuminates all the glimmering facts about glow-worms. Find out why they’re the Australian Cave Animal of the Year in 2023 
https://www.caveanimaloftheyear.org.au/ 

  
Guest: Cathie Plowman, caver and author of the book: Living Lights: The Glowworms of Australia and New Zealand. 
Hosts: Anika and Esther  
Production: Cinnamon Nippard  
Sound design: Josh Newth  
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was music first recorded onto? How does a microphone work? What's the difference between analogue and digital music?

Anika and Esther find out all the amazing facts with Simon Pampena who is a mathematician, a stand-up comedian, and a science communicator at Scienceworks.

This episode of The Fact Detectives is a Kinderling co-production with Scienceworks. To find out more about the world around you, head to museumsvictoria.com.au

Guest: Simon Pampena is a mathematician and a stand-up comedian, and a science communicator at Scienceworks

Hosts: Anika and Esther
Production: Cinnamon Nippard
Sound design: Josh Newth
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that dragonflies are the fastest insect in the world? Just how fast can they fly? Why are their wings so special? 

Anika and Esther find out all the amazing dragonfly facts with Dr Claire Keely from Melbourne Museum.   

This episode of The Fact Detectives is a Kinderling co-production with Melbourne Museum. To find out more about the world around you, head to museumsvictoria.com.au 

Guest: Dr Claire Keely who is a Collection Manager of Invertebrates at the Museums Victoria Research Institute 

Hosts: Anika and Esther   
Production: Cinnamon Nippard   
Sound design: Josh Newth   
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many stars are there? How do we count them? Why do stars twinkle?
 
Anika and Esther find out all the celestial facts about stars with Dr Tanya Hill who is an astronomer at the Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks. 

  
Guest: Dr Tanya Hill who is an astronomer at the Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks. 
Hosts: Anika and Esther  
Production: Cinnamon Nippard  
Sound design: Josh Newth  
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How big were Megalodon sharks? What did they eat for lunch? Were humans alive when Megalodon sharks roamed the oceans?

Anika and Esther find out all the fantastic facts about Megalodon with Tim Ziegler who is a palaeontologist and geologist at Melbourne Museum 

This episode of The Fact Detectives is a Kinderling co-production with Melbourne Museum. To find out more about the world around you, head to museumsvictoria.com.au 

Guest: Tim Ziegler who is a palaeontologist and geologist at Melbourne Museum 
Hosts: Anika and Esther  
Production: Cinnamon Nippard  
Sound design: Josh Newth  
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that not all animals fart?! What is a fart and why do we do them? How do our bodies make poo? 

Anika and Esther investigate poo with Douglas Bair from Scienceworks who gives them all the stinky facts! 
 
This episode of The Fact Detectives is a Kinderling co-production with Scienceworks. To find out more about the world around you, head to museumsvictoria.com.au 

Guest: Douglas Bair from Scienceworks
Hosts: Anika and Esther 
Production: Cinnamon Nippard  
Sound Design: Josh Newth 
Executive Producer: Lorna Clarkson 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.