Catalyst

Electric Cars Part One The team kick off their scientific trek with an electric car trial out of Perth. Land Speed Record Dr Derek Muller ditches electric cars in favour of a rocket vehicle. Electric Cars Part Two Simon Pampena discovers his sporty electric Lotus can't quite go the distance. Leaning Tower Dr Derek Muller turns watermelons into fruit salad in the name of physics. Future Farm Our trio measure how much methane sheep actually burp and a clever way to reduce their emissions.

Part 1: Blasting for Gold The team go underground gold mining in Kalgoorlie. Part 2: Comedy Gold Simon Pampena performs comedy using mathematics in Kalgoorlie, but will his numbers add up? Part 3: Salt Satellites The trio "sail" on Lake Lefroy and meet scientists using the salt lakes to keep satellites accurate.

Part 1: Weebubbie Cave After a quick round of golf, Anja Taylor joins a team of scientists for a spell-binding diving expedition into the Nullarbor's deepest cave. School of the Air Derek and Simon stage a physics and maths roadshow for School of the Air students who live on the Nullarbor. Part 2: Weebubbie Cave On her second dive, Anja teams up with Dr Stefan Eberhard to discover the microscopic crustacea that inhabit the cave. Eucla Sand Hills The team reveal the surprising origin of the sandhills using just a touch of vinegar.

Nullarbor safari Anja,Derek and Simon join critter-wrangler, Harald Ehmann and find more Nullarbor wildlife than they bargained for. Measuring Our Coastline Derek and Simon unpack the "coastline paradox" as they gaze out over the stunning Bunda Cliffs. Yalata Mulloway The team go fishing for Mulloway and discover a satellite tagging project aimed at protecting this iconic fish. Diprotodon Dig The team join a fossil dig in the badlands of South Australia and discover the world's largest marsupial.

Coorong Wetlands The team check on the health of the Lower Lakes and Coorong following the Big Dry. Technoviticulture Technology has become indispensable to modern wine making. Penguin Patrol In a world first, Maremma sheepdogs are protecting penguins from hungry foxes.

Mapping Underwater Victoria Anja and Derek hit the high seas to find out what lies beneath Victoria's coastal waters. Cape Otway Lighthouse Koalas In the Great Otway National Park and surrounding private land, there are as many as 18 koalas per hectare – the highest density ever recorded. Hot Air Balloon Finale Our On the Road team head to the Melbourne skies on a Hot Air Balloon.

Fire Tornado How does a bushfire turn into a fire tornado? Flies for Food Maggots…they make you squirm…but what a healthy meal of pure protein they’d be! Graham Phillips explores a scheme to supply fly feed to agriculture and aquaculture. Dog Empathy Do dogs really care?

Sustainable Fishing A look at the science involved in managing Australia's largest fishery. Cyber Attack How vulnerable is critical infrastructure to cyber attacks? Smart Arm A Smart Arm is helping stroke patients recover mobility.

Dengue Fever Dr Maryanne Demasi reveals Australian research which may help to eliminate Dengue Fever. Scramspace A world leading Australian research team is preparing to launch a hypersonic scramjet. Voyager What has Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object, discovered?

Doping to Win Do "performance enhancing" drugs really work and what are the side effects? Life Enhancing Drugs There are substances that could improve your mind power and help you learn faster or improve your memory.

Extreme Weather This special report looks at the domino effect of environmental and atmospheric factors that drive the globe to wetter, hotter, drier and colder extremes. Underwater Optics Cinematographer Pawel Achtel has developed a camera housing that brings ultra high definition underwater images to the big screen.

Chiropractors Are chiropractors putting babies at risk?

Rainbow Children Mark examines the evidence from social scientists and whether more research matters to the growing numbers of children from same sex couples. Sundrop Farm Anja and Simon visit an unlikely location for a sustainable energy world first, a huge greenhouse on the edge of the desert in South Australia. Air Operations Simulator Research Centre Ruben takes flight at the Air Operations Simulator Centre in Melbourne. Algorithm of Love Simon takes a look at how dating websites use complex maths to find you your perfect match.

The Chemistry of Attraction Catalyst pulls back the covers on the science of attraction.

Southern Surveyor Join Mark Horstman aboard the Southern Surveyor as she embarks on her last science voyage. Ancient Teeth Dr Graham Phillips looks at what ancient teeth reveal about our dental health today. Future Music How are computers changing the composition of music?

Toxic Sugar? Is sugar in the diet driving the obesity crisis? Water Fluoridation Ruben reports on the benefits of fluoride and the controversy behind adding fluoride to our water supplies.

Energy Drinks Anja Taylor reveals the hidden dangers of energy drinks. 3D Virus Simon Pampena explores how a supercomputer can help researchers to better understand the poliovirus at an atomic level. Military Uniform Dr Graham Phillips goes deep inside a climate controlled defence chamber to test chemical warfare suits.

Coal Dust Mark Horstman heads to Newcastle to reveal the efforts that are underway to identify potentially harmful concentrations of coal dust particulates. Quantum Computing Dr Graham Phillips delves into the world of the very very small to reveal the huge potential of quantum computing.

In a Catalyst special we explore the possibilities of Gravity waves. Einstein predicted them and now a telescope may have found evidence they exist, supporting the idea that there may be many universes.

Fossils Exposed Engineers unearthed a remarkable treasure trove of fossils beneath Brisbane. Wings of Wonder Anja Taylor reports on how the amazing properties of insect wings could offer new hope for surgical implants. Eureka Prizes Interviews Catalyst asks some of our eminent scientists about the most important scientific issues facing Australia.

Anja Taylor looks at the controversial issue of recreational hunters shooting feral animals as an effective management technique; do sharks choose their friends? And do men look sexier with a guitar?

Teaching drones to think for themselves; looking at ways to combat the super-bug gonorrhoea; and what causes bike rage?

Will the 21st century be remembered for the eradication of HIV? It's possible. Dr Maryanne Demasi reports. And Dr Graham Phillips sees how 3D printing is being used to bring history within our grasp.

In this Catalyst special, Dr Maryanne Demasi investigates the science behind the long established claims that saturated fat causes heart disease by raising cholesterol.

In the second episode of this two-part Catalyst special, Dr Maryanne Demasi uncovers the tactics used by drug companies to distort the data to make cholesterol lowering medications seem more effective than they are.