What The Duck?‪!‬ ABC listen

It's the early 20th century,  a government scientist position was determined by a boxing match, and a tomato virus threatened to stop the development of Australian-style tomato sauce in its tracks. 

Luckily, apart from their prowess as fighters, Australian plant scientists were leaders in identifying and controlling plant illnesses. 

They wouldn't do it without some drama though, and in this very special podcast extra, Ann Jones traces some of the turbulent history of tomato virus research down under. 

 

Featuring:
Associate Professor Andrew Geering, University of Queensland.

Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering:  Hamish Camilleri.

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

Plants are fully sick right now - and not just because indoor plants are in fashion. 

They have an immune system, they get infections, and can catch viruses... they just can't move away from their sick neighbours.

While we depend on white blood cells to fight off and remember pathogens, plants rely on inherited knowledge of past threats in their DNA, plus the effective altruism of individual cells to sacrifice themselves rather than damage the whole. 

Featuring:
Associate Professor Andrew Geering, University of Queensland.
Professor John Rathjen, Australian National University. 
Dr Amy MacKenzie, University of Adelaide.
Belinda Smith, ABC Science reporter.

Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering:  Emrys Cronin

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

It seems absolutely bonkers that an animal can muster ELECTRICITY, especially enough to send out a zap like a taser. 

But that's exactly what electric eels can do, and the world record holder more than doubles the voltage of the Australian electricity supply. 

More than that, electric eels inspired the design of Volta's first batteries, but (hold onto your socks so they don't get blown off) they're not the only ones who've got electricity pumping through their bodies. 

Featuring:
Professor Will Crampton, University of Central Florida.
Professor Ken Catania, Vanderbilt University.
Professor Kate Trinajstic, Curtin University.

Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering:  Emrys Cronin

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

A superhero origin story would absolutely be 12 years in a cage and then set free by secretive criminals.

That’s the story of Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, released from his vandalised cage in Central Park Zoo, New York City. 

He turned up in the middle of an intersection nearby, looking dazed and people in the know thought, ‘This is going to end badly,’ because animals released from captivity have an extremely low survival rate. 

But Flaco – ‘skinny’ in Spanish – flew in the face of all that. Flaco not only learned to live, he seemed to thrive.

He turned up on fire escapes and windowsills, and was photographed around Manhattan like a coked-up socialite with wide eyes and fabulous ear tufts. 

But, how long could Flaco possibly last in the graveyard of bird diversity that is the city? How long could he fly without confusing a window for the sky?

Featuring:
Ed Shanahan, Metro reporter, The New York Times. 
Julia Wang, Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 
Brendon Samuels, Fatal Light Awareness Program and Western University in Canada.
Dr Kylie Soanes, Urban ecologist at The University of Melbourne.
Mat Howard, Midjuburi Ward (Marrickville), Inner West Council, NSW.
Kat and Zach, Flaco Song.

Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering:  Hamish Camilleri.

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

Usually, it's humans putting animals in cages, but sometimes the animals do it to themselves.

Female platypus lock themselves in burrows to breed, great hornbill males lock females up in the hollow of a tree (they seal it up with fruit and poop) and potter wasps paralyse caterpillars for their babies to eat.

Today on What The Duck?!, Dr Ann Jones investigates the wild and hostile world of animal jails.

Are the animals just psycho killers or do they have their reasons?

 

Featuring:
Geoff Williams, Biologist, Australian Platypus Conservancy. 
Pooja Pawar, Nature Conservation Foundation of India.
Dr. George Binns , Entomologist, Macquarie University.
Dr. Graham Brown, Entomologist, Darwin.

Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering:  Hamish Camilleri.

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

At first, you might think it is a plot from a zombie movie: that undead animals are coming for you.

But it turns out that Australia's animals aren't just dangerous when they're alive — they can be deadly even when they're dead.

Ann Jones is joined by science reporter Belinda Smith to examine why snakes can still bite up to 45 minutes after death and are potentially dangerous for years.

Think we're lying? Belinda found a guy whose great aunt (and her dog) were killed by a decapitated snake!

So if a snake could commit multiple murders from beyond the grave, what other animals are going to get you?




Featuring -  
Ray Miller, relative died after being bitten by a dead snake. 
Dr Christina Zdenek, Australian Reptile Academy. 
Professor Kylie Pitt, Griffith University.  
Dr Olaf Meynecke,  Griffith University.  
Len Zell, retired marine scientist and author of Australian Wildlife – Roadkill.

Production:
Belinda Smith, ABC Science Reporter/Producer. 
Ann Jones, Presenter/Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering: Hamish Camilleri.

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri and Kaurna people.