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Channel • 21 Shows

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Physics

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Updated 18/08/2022
Life Sciences

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Politics

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Updated 28/04/2020
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News

Every two weeks

12/04/2023

Theory of everything: do we really need one?

The quest for a theory of everything – explaining all the forces and particles in the universe – is arguably the holy grail of physics. While each of our main theories of physics works extraordinarily well, they also clash with each other. But do we really need a theory of everything? And are we anywhere near achieving one? Featuring Vlatko Vedral, a professor of physics at the University of Oxford and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, an assistant professor in physics and astronomy and core faculty in women's and gender studies at the University Of New Hampshire. This episode is presented by Miriam Frankel and produced by Hannah Fisher. Executive producers are Jo Adetunji and Gemma Ware. Social media and platform production by Alice Mason, sound design by Eloise Stevens and music by Neeta Sarl. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: The standard model of particle physics may be broken – an expert explains

12/04/2023

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57 min
15/03/2023

Fundamental constants: is the universe fine tuned for life to exist?

Imagine a universe with extremely strong gravity. Stars would be able to form from very little material. They would be smaller than in our universe and live for a much shorter amount of time. But could life evolve there? It after all took human life billions of years to evolve on Earth under the pleasantly warm rays from the Sun. Now imagine a universe with extremely weak gravity. Its matter would struggle to clump together to form stars, planets and – ultimately – living beings. It seems we are pretty lucky to have gravity that is just right for life in our universe. Featuring Fred Adams, professor of physics, University of Michigan, and Paul Davies, professor of physics, Arizona State University. This episode was presented by Miriam Frankel and produced by Hannah Fisher. Executive producers are Jo Adetunji and Gemma Ware. Social media and platform production by Alice Mason, sound design by Eloise Stevens and music by Neeta Sarl. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: The multiverse is suspiciously unlikely to exist unless it is one of many

15/03/2023

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42 min
09/10/2025

Nobel laureate Shimon Sakaguchi on his immune system breakthrough

Back in the 1980s, when Shimon Sakaguchi was a young researcher in immunology, he found it difficult to get his research funded. Now, his pioneering work which explains how our immune system knows when and what to attack, has won him a Nobel prize. Sakaguchi, along with American researchers Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell, were jointly awarded the 2025 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine for the work on regulatory T-cells, known as T-regs for short, a special class of immune cells which prevent our immune system from attacking our own body. In this episode Sakaguchi tells The Conversation about his journey of discovery and the potential treatments it could unlock. This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, Katie Flood and Gemma Ware. Sound design and mixing by Michelle Macklem and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the full credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation. Metal-organic frameworks: Nobel-winning tiny ‘sponge crystals’ with an astonishing amount of inner spaceNobel physics prize awarded for pioneering experiments that paved the way for quantum computersHow does your immune system stay balanced? A Nobel Prize-winning answerNobel medicine prize: how a hidden army in your body keeps you alive – and could help treat cancer

09/10/2025

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18 min
TRAILER

Great Mysteries of Physics - trailer

"There is nothing new to discover in physics", declared the British physicist Lord Kelvin in 1900. That is no longer true. Today it is becoming increasingly clear that there are problems that physics, as we know it, doesn't seem to be able to solve. Perhaps we just need more data, perhaps we need a new fundamental theory of reality. In this six-part series, host Miriam Frankel from The Conversation will take you on a mind-blowing journey from the smallest to the largest conundrums, exploring curled-up dimensions, consciousness and parallel universes along the way. We will discover the greatest mysteries facing physicists today – and discuss the radical proposals for solving them. The first episode will be available on March 8. Great Mysteries of Physics is produced by Hannah Fisher with sound design by Eloise Stevens. You can sign up to The Conversation’s free daily email here. Great Mysteries of Physics is a podcast series supported by FQXi.

Trailer

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3 min
08/03/2023

Is time an illusion?

Without a sense of time, leading us from cradle to grave, our lives would make little sense. But on the most fundamental level, physicists aren't sure whether the sort of time we experience exists at all. We talk to three experts and find out if time could potentially be moving backwards as well as forwards. Featuring Sean Carroll, Homewood professor of natural philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, Emily Adlam, postdoctoral associate of the philosophy of physics at Western University and Natalia Ares, Royal Society university research fellow at the University of Oxford. This episode was presented by Miriam Frankel and produced by Hannah Fisher. Executive producers are Jo Adetunji and Gemma Ware. Social media and platform production by Alice Mason, sound design by Eloise Stevens and music by Neeta Sarl. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Quantum mechanics: how the future might influence the pastFour misconceptions about quantum physics

08/03/2023

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44 min
22/03/2023

Is there a multiverse?

Interest in the multiverse theory, suggesting that our universe is just one of many, has spiked since the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once was released. The film follows Evelyn Wang on her journey to connect with versions of herself in parallel universes to stop the destruction of the multiverse. The multiverse idea has long been an inspiration for science fiction writers. But does it have any basis in science? And if so, is it a concept we could ever test experimentally? Featuring Andrew Pontzen, professor of Cosmology at University College London, Katie Mack, Hawking chair in cosmology and science communication at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and Sabine Hossenfelder, research fellow of physics at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. This episode is presented by Miriam Frankel and produced by Hannah Fisher. Executive producers are Jo Adetunji and Gemma Ware. Social media and platform production by Alice Mason, sound design by Eloise Stevens and music by Neeta Sarl. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: The multiverse: how we're tackling the challenges facing the theoryCurious Kids: how likely is it that there are parallel universes and other Earths?The multiverse: our universe is suspiciously unlikely to exist – unless it is one of many

22/03/2023

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41 min
12/06/2025

Pemerintah cairkan BSU: solusi lesunya daya beli masyarakat?

Pemerintah Indonesia kembali menggulirkan program Bantuan Subsidi Upah (BSU) sebagai bagian dari upaya menjaga daya beli masyarakat pekerja di tengah tekanan ekonomi. Program ini mulai dicairkan pada 5 Juni 2025, menyasar para buruh dan pekerja yang memenuhi syarat tertentu sesuai regulasi ketenagakerjaan dan kebijakan ekonomi nasional. BSU ini dirancang sebagai bentuk intervensi fiskal langsung untuk membantu kelompok pekerja yang terdampak dinamika ekonomi seperti deflasi atau menurunnya daya beli masyarakat. Bantuan ini diberikan sebesar Rp300.000 per bulan selama dua bulan (Juni–Juli) dan langsung dicairkan sekaligus sebesar Rp600.000 pada bulan Juni. Pemerintah mengalokasikan dana sebesar Rp10,72 triliun untuk pelaksanaan program BSU tahun ini. Di tengah tantangan seperti inflasi dan ketidakpastian global, pemerintah berharap bantuan semacam ini bisa menjadi stimulan bagi masyarakat supaya tetap bisa menggerakkan roda ekonomi. Apakah pemberian BSU ini benar benar menjadi solusi jitu untuk menggerakkan perekonomian negara yang belakangan dianggap lesu? Dalam episode SuarAkademia terbaru, kami membahas isu ini bersama Jaya Darmawan, peneliti ekonomi dari Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS). Jaya berpendapat BSU menjadi salah satu instrumen andalan pemerintah untuk merespons tekanan ekonomi yang dialami masyarakat kelas pekerja. Meskipun program BSU bermanfaat dalam jangka pendek, ia menganggap besaran bantuannya belum mampu mengimbangi tekanan ekonomi saat ini. Salah satu masalah yang menurut Jaya juga perlu disoroti adalah kriteria kelayakan penerima manfaat. Banyak pekerja tidak memenuhi syarat bantuan karena batasan administratif yang tidak mempertimbangkan kompleksitas kerja informal. kriteria penerima BSU ini membuat pekerja yang ada di sektor informal kerap luput dari jangkauan bantuan sosial, meskipun mereka berada dalam posisi paling rentan secara ekonomi. Meskipun kebijakan pemerintah ini perlu disambut dengan baik, namun Jaya beranggapan langkah-langkah ini masih belum cukup untuk mendorong daya beli masyarakat secara berkelanjutan. Ia berpendapat perlu ada pergeseran arah kebijakan dari sekadar bantuan jangka pendek menuju strategi jangka panjang yang lebih menyeluruh. Fokus kebijakan pemerintah sebaiknya tidak hanya memperbaiki daya beli secara sementara, tetapi juga membuka akses terhadap pekerjaan yang layak dan mendukung pekerja untuk keluar dari sektor informal. Menurutnya, pemerintah perlu memikirkan strategi yang lebih komprehensif untuk menciptakan kebijakan ekonomi yang tidak hanya responsif terhadap krisis, tetapi juga berorientasi pada transformasi sosial dan ekonomi yang berkelanjutan. Simak episode lengkapnya hanya di SuarAkademia—ngobrol seru isu terkini, bareng akademisi.

12/06/2025

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33 min
08/03/2019

Mark Latham in the upper house? A Coalition minority government? The NSW election is nearly upon us and it’s going to be a wild ride

It's a fight for a rapidly vanishing centre, which will make passing bills difficult for whoever wins. Chris Pavlich/Dean Lewins(AAP)We are but weeks away from an election in New South Wales – polling day is on March 23 – and it will be eagerly watched. Not just for the outcome but for the implications for the looming federal election. That’s according to Dr Andy Marks, a political scientist from Western Sydney University, who tells us on the podcast today that this state election outcome may give us some clues on how some global political themes are playing out here in Australia. “It’s not just about state politics. Increasingly the Australian electoral cycles, federally and at the state level, are subject to changes in political dynamics internationally. We’re seeing the erosion of centrist politics around the world […] and that even affects humble New South Wales.” He predicts a weakened Nationals Party will be facing a strong challenge from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party and that One Nation’s Mark Latham is almost a sure bet to win a spot in the NSW upper house. “I do think you’ll see a minority Coalition government returned but the really interesting play is what happens in the upper house. Currently, the Coalition have to deal with two to three independents or minor parties to get stuff over the line,” said Dr Marks. “I think what we’ll see in the coming parliament is that that the ranks of cross-benchers will expand quite dramatically, up to seven to nine cross-benchers. So that makes negotiations pretty fraught. "This is really going to be new territory,” he said. “We’ve got One Nation returning to the fold. Mark Latham, their number one ticket holder in the upper house, will get in. But potentially they’ll get two seats in the upper house. You’ll have an emboldened Shooters and Fishers Party. "So you really have a really broad field and it’s going to mean negotiating the passage of bills will be pretty difficult.” We also talked about: why East Hills (which takes in suburbs like Panania, Condell Park, the Bankstown aerodrome, Padstow, Revesby and others) is the most marginal seat in NSW how a plan to demolish and rebuild two stadiums turned into a political headache for NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian why Michael Daley, who took over from Luke Foley as NSW Labor leader late last year, is only now just making his mark how local issues in rural seats may end up deciding the fate of the state what it all means as we head into the May federal election. New to podcasts? Podcasts are often best enjoyed using a podcast app. All iPhones come with the Apple Podcasts app already installed, or you may want to listen and subscribe on another app such as Pocket Casts (click here to listen to Trust Me, I’m An Expert on Pocket Casts). You can also hear us on Stitcher, Spotify or any of the apps below. Just pick a service from one of those listed below and click on the icon to find Trust Me, I’m An Expert. Additional audio Kindergarten by Unkle Ho, from Elefant Traks ABC news report on 2GB interview 2GB interview clip. Image: Chris Pavlich/Dean Lewins(AAP)

08/03/2019

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24 min
08/10/2018

Potensi energi angin di Indonesia begitu besar, mengapa kincirnya harus kecil

ENERGY.GOV/WIKIMEDIA, CC BY-SA Angin punya posisi penting bagi sejarah panjang peradaban manusia. Sekitar 7000 tahun lalu, angin tercatat telah memutar baling-baling kapal di sepanjang Sungai Nil di Mesir. Di Cina, 200 tahun sebelum Masehi, hembusan angin telah memutar kincir sederhana dan membantu petani memompa air. Sejak abad ke-20, angin telah menggerakan turbin dan menghasilkan listrik untuk rumah di Eropa dan Amerika Utara. Selain lebih murah, tenaga angin juga terbukti jauh lebih ramah terhadap lingkungan. Tapi mengapa Indonesia sepertinya sulit melakukan hal yang sama? Apa kita kekurangan angin? Adi Surjosatyo, Guru Besar Departemen Teknik Mesin Universitas Indonesia, mengatakan potensi Indonesia sangat besar. Tapi, menurut dia, selama ini kita telah keliru dalam memandang tenaga angin. Di Eropa, daerah kontinental, turbin angin dibuat besar karena angin besar. Tapi di daerah Indonesia, turbin angin harus kecil karena kondisi udara dan kelembapan air laut membuat angin di Indonesia kecil. Rata-rata kecepatan angin di Indonesia dua kali lebih lemah dari angin di Eropa. Hanya sekitar 2,5 sampai 3 meter per detik. Kecepatan angin rendah, kincirnya pun harus kecil. Itulah yang dilakukan oleh Adi di Kampung Bungin, Muara Gembong, Bekasi. Dia bikin energi terbarukan dari angin untuk mengaliri listrik kampung nelayan tersebut. Satu kincir angin setinggi 11 meter hanya butuh Rp 50 juta. Setelah memasang beberapa kincir di pinggir pantai, biarkan angin yang bekerja sepanjang waktu. Edisi ke-29 Sains Sekitar Kita ini disiapkan oleh Ikhsan Raharjo dan narator Malika. Selamat mendengarkan!

08/10/2018

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6 min
28/11/2024

Kenaikan PPN 12 persen: apa dampaknya untuk perekonomian Indonesia?

Kenaikan Pajak Pertambahan Nilai (PPN) menjadi 12% hampir pasti bakal berlaku pada tahun 2025 mendatang. Kenaikkan ini merupakan mandat Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 2021 tentang Harmonisasi Peraturan Perpajakan (UU HPP). PPN adalah instrumen fiskal yang mentarifi pembelian barang dan jasa hasil industri kepada masyarakat. Selain sudah jadi mandat undang-undang, Menteri Keuangan Sri Mulyani Indrawati mengklaim bahwa penyesuaian tarif ini juga bertujuan untuk meningkatkan daya saing Indonesia secara global, khususnya dengan rata-rata tarif PPN yang diterapkan oleh negara-negara anggota Organisasi untuk Kerja Sama dan Pembangunan Ekonomi (OECD). Saat ini, tarif PPN Indonesia masih lebih rendah dibandingkan rata-rata tarif pajak negara-negara dunia. Di tingkat teknis, Direktorat Jenderal Pajak Kementerian Keuangan sedang mengebut aturan teknis pemberlakuan tarif baru ini. Apakah kenaikan PPN ini akan berdampak terhadap perekonomian Indonesia? Adakah dampak yang akan dirasakan langsung oleh masyarakat? Dalam episode SuarAkademia terbaru, kami membahas isu ini dengan Jaya Darmawan, peneliti ekonomi dari Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS). Jaya mengatakan kebijakan kenaikan PPN menjadi 12% ini mempelihatkan kurangnya sense of crisis dari pemerintah. Sebab situasi ekonomi masyarakat yang sedang sulit. Hal tersebut terlihat dari tren deflasi yang stabil terjadi beberapa bulan terakhir. Jaya berpendapat seharusnya pemerintah melihat situasi ekonomi masyarakat saat ini sebelum memutuskan untuk menaikkan tarif PPN. Meskipun tidak menampik kebijakan ini akan membuat penerimaan negara akan meningkat, namun Jaya melihat kebijakan ini bisa jadi bomerang yang jutru bisa kian memperlambat pertumbuhan ekonomi. Penurunan tersebut karena konsumsi penopang nilai produk domestik bruto Indonesia berpotensi akan mengalami penurunan. Alhasil, target pertumbuhan ekonomi yang dipatok pemerintahan Prabowo-Gibran sebesar 8% hanya menjadi janji kampanye semata tanpa realisasi nyata. Jaya menyarankan agar pemerintah harus mempertimbangkan menerapkan pajak yang adil, alih-alih meningkatkan PPN. Ia menambahkan, sudah banyak jurnal dan hasil riset yang menunjukkan dengan penerapan sistem pajak yang menggunakan prinsip berkeadilan dan tata kelola yang baik justru bisa memberikan negara pemasukan yang lebih banyak daripada menaikkan PPN saat ini. Simak episode lengkapnya hanya di SuarAkademia—ngobrol seru isu terkini, bareng akademisi.

28/11/2024

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25 min

Listen to experts explain the world around us and tell the stories behind brand new research. Podcasts from The Conversation, an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community. Shows in English, French and Bahasa Indonesia. Free to listen.