The Science Show - Separate stories podcast

Who was the man who stole hundreds of rare butterfly specimens from Australian museums 70 years ago? And why on earth did he do it? Peter Bernhardt reviews a book that teases out the strange tale.

Back at the time of Charles Darwin in the 1800s, a pair of artists in Sydney were producing incredibly detailed and lifelike illustrations of insects and plants, some of which are still used by scientists today. These talented artists were the Scott sisters, Harriet and Helena, who managed to break into the male-dominated world of botany all those years ago.

It was thought Homo habilis, the ancient tool-using "handy man", gave rise to Homo erectus, which gave us Neanderthals in Europe and Homo sapiens in Africa. But that lineage has been called into question, and recent fossil discoveries have shown that our current way of naming ancient humans may no longer be fit for use. So which of our ancestors should be included in the genus H...

Rapidly rushing rivers scour the land, washing huge amounts of soil and other material out to sea. Adam Rose at Central Queensland University is looking for ways to slow these massive torrents.

A monsoon over summer provided some reprieve for the heat-stressed Great Barrier Reef but this effect was short-lived. Jennifer Matthews at UTS is looking for ways to fortify the reef in the long-term, and she and her team are seeking to understand coral health and nutrition to enhance their survival, growth and reproduction.