Every bad bushfire year, the call goes out for more, more, more hazard reduction burns. So do they actually help reduce fire risk? Are there other measures we could be using to prevent bushfires? And how long has the Australian landscape had fire in it? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Imma Perfetto ventures out to a patch of smouldering bush to ask about hazard reduction burns. She’s joined by locals Peter and Jane Bleby, and experts Dr Hamish Clarke and Dr Rohan Fisher. This episode was produced by Ellen Phiddian and edited by Andrew Wyrill. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ozempic is the diabetes drug that is seemingly everywhere. But what’s the science behind this ‘game changing’ weight loss drug? Why is there a shortage? And for those that take it, is it actually the easy way out? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Matthew Ward Agius talks to Professor Amanda Salis, Associate Professor Priya Sumithran and the TGA’s Professor Robyn Langham about research, misconceptions and whether to believe the hype. This episode was produced by Jacinta Bowler and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over half of us are trying to lose weight, and often we’re told that diets are the way to do it. But is there any science behind cutting out food groups, or spending hours on a treadmill to try and outrun a can of coke? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Matthew Ward Agius lets loose on his love of donuts. Joined by Dr Evangeline Mantzioris and Dr Fiona Willer, they discuss if diets – especially the way we think of them – are actually a good idea. This episode was produced by Jacinta Bowler and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cosmos journalist Matthew Ward Agius loves his new fitness tracker. But is it making him healthier? Will he stick with it? And how do fitness trackers know so much data about you? In this episode, Matthew is joined by Dr Ty Ferguson and Professor Deborah Lupton, to investigate fitness trackers, and find out the truth behind the technology. This episode was produced by Jacinta Bowler and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a society, we’re obsessed with weight. One way to measure it - the BMI - has been a mainstay of our society for decades. But is it the best way to understand our collective health? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Matthew Ward Agius straps on his bike helmet to find out. Joined by Dr Evangeline Mantzioris and Dr Emma Beckett, they unpack our preconceptions about the Body Mass Index. This episode was produced by Jacinta Bowler and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens to an electric vehicle battery at the end of its life? If we can’t recycle them, are they really that good for the planet? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Ellen Phiddian recycles her batteries at the local library and ponders the death of an EV battery. Joined by Australian Battery Recycling Initiative CEO Katherine Hole and Professor Leanne Wiseman, they discuss the ins and outs of recycling all batteries–big and small. This episode was produced by Jacinta Bowler and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visitcosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram@cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Australia’s dirty power generation ruining EV's sustainable cred? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Ellen Phiddian visits a windfarm to find out how green Australia’s energy really is. Joined by engineer Tim Ross, Dr Jennifer Rayner and Dr Hussein Dia, Ellen gets to the bottom of how sustainable EVs really are. This episode was produced by Jacinta Bowler and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australians love their big cars. They’re perfect for road trips, towing your boat or going camping. So, as former Prime Minister Scott Morrison put it in 2019, have electric vehicles really ‘killed the weekend’? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Ellen Phiddian finds out. Joined by Dr Hussein Dia, Dr Gail Broadbent and Ben Roberts, they discuss road-tripping in an EV, queue anxiety and more. This episode was produced by Matthew Ward Agius and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visitcosmosmagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do electric vehicle batteries explode? In this episode, Cosmos Journalist Ellen Phiddian gets behind the wheel, literally, to find out if this is true. Joined by Dr Ruth Knibbe, firefighter Emma Sutcliffe, ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg, fellow Cosmos Journalist Matthew Ward Agius and even her parents, Ellen debunks if EVs really are a fire hazard. This episode was produced by Jacinta Bowler and edited by Helen Karakulak. Theme music by Will Berryman. For more science news, visit cosmosmagazine.com and Instagram @cosmosmagazine Love the show? Let us know by rating and leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Debunks! A podcast to serve as your myth-busting guide to the big science questions. From bushfires to electric vehicles, the science journalists at Cosmos sort fact from fiction on all the big topics to you let you know when you've been led astray. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.