The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are to be combined as one in 2026.  So how do you start a new university?  You could look at the most successful universities and see what makes them great.  Stanford University, just south of San Francisco amid Silicon Valley in one of the great universities.  Its graduates have created the high-tech companies which we all now rely on.  But Stanford has a dark history with a veil of silence drawn over anyone speaking about...

The ocean depths may be out of sight, but they play an important role in climate and the cycling of nutrients.

From deep within a mountain in Italy, scientists hope increasingly sophisticated experiments are closing in on the hidden matter of the universe.

For the next big steps in physics many believe it's time for a shake-up of the field's core theories - including those proposed by Einstein himself.

Deep in an abandoned silver mine in Germany, seismometres monitor the song of the Earth - including its most mysterious rumbles.

Just as DNA is unique, it turns out other molecules may also be unique. 

Paul Ehrlich has released a memoir. It covers his decades of science and activism. There have been some improvements. But mostly his concerns are even stronger.

I00 million years ago, there were more species of monotreme, the egg-laying mammals such as today’s platypus and echidna at Lightning Ridge in northern NSW than anywhere else on earth, past or present.

David Lindenmayer reveals the ugly truth and what’s really happening in our magnificent tall forests.

Ships which hitch a ride on small ocean currents could make big savings on fuel and reduce emissions.

There are no bone fragments or similar clues. But the structure of cells of ancient plants captured in charcoal is revealing the diet and lifestyle of the first Australians.

Large scale energy storage will allow users to rely on renewable energy alone. The US Department of Energy is funding research to make it a happen.

Scientists fear research will be hit in proposed changes at the South Australian Museum

Two inspirational books for younger readers show an intruiging world and the thrill of chasing a dream.

Friendship led ancient humans to cooperate and gain an edge over predators. Compassion is seen among 25 primates and other animals. Today we explore these qualities and meet scientists investigating the role of friendship in our evolution and our lives in the modern world.

Today we meet the people at the forefront of studying alpine plants - including how trees and plants survive in deep snow and ferocious winds.   We visit the mushroom lab to discovery why fungi are essential to life on earth and find out what seed collection in the Colorado mountains is teaching us how to adapt in a changing climate.   And while we're talking plants - Professor Peter Bernhardt of Missouri describes the thrill when the seventh millionth species was revealed and listed at his...

Sir Mark Oliphant of Adelaide was the main person missing from the film Oppenheimer.  It was Sir Mark who carried the letter from European scientists to New York to convince the American President that Hitler was trying to make an atomic bomb and needed to be beaten to the chilling quest. It led to the Manhattan Project. Mark also gave us microwave power, initially to equip planes, later to give us microwave ovens; he helped establish the ANU; was the first President of the Australian...

The Iter Tokamak nuclear fusion reactor is due for completion next year. In the US, a smaller cheaper reactor is also gearing up.

Join Robyn Williams and meet scientists at one of the world’s centres for the study of climate and weather.

Microplastics are everywhere and impacting ecosystems.

A supernova has been observed in great detail just 3.5 light years from Earth… and that’s close!

They’ve lived since the time of the dinosaurs. But the outlook is grim for Tasmania’s Maugean skate.

A great range of scientific and technical achievements were made in China hundreds of years earlier than in Europe.

More efficient molecules inside plants could bring a big increase in crop yields.