This is the sound of the first radio magnetar, J1810-197, recorded at 'The Dish' - the Parkes radio telescope - by CSIRO scientists John Reynolds and John Sarkissian in May 2006. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Sound of radio magnetar

This is the sound an E coli bacterium would make as its propeller-like flagellum spins, moving it through its liquid environment. The laser used to detect it slows and eventually kills the bug. Generated from motion capture data by Ashley Nord & Matt Baker.(Image: Wikimedia commons)

Sounds of science: a bacterium swimming

Thanks to an extra set of vocal folds, the male koala's mating call is way deeper than it should be for an animal that size. As well as advertising themselves to the ladies over long distances, the calls ward off other males so there's no need for wrestling. The sound was captured by Dr Bill Ellis (Koala Ecology Group, UQ) and analysed by QUT's Bioacoustica lab.

Sounds of science: Koala mating call

Hundreds of 6 inch terapons gather off northern Australian coastlines and pump their swim bladders to make these apparently attractive squawks and trumpeting noises. The collective sound travels for kilometres and has been known to keep yachties up at night! (Source: Assoc Prof Rob McCauley, Centre Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University).  

Sounds of Science: Terapons spawning

That's the sound of thousands of snapping or pistol shrimps snapping their claw. The noise isn't caused by the claw itself, but by a bubble formed when a tiny jet of water gets expelled from the claw at 100km/hr! The speed and low pressure turns the water into super hot  steam (4000C!), and when the bubble bursts it makes that clicking noise. At 250dB it's louder than a jet fighter! Sound courtesy of Detlef Lohse, full story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONQlTMUYCW4 

Sounds of science: Snapping Shrimp

Ants don't just rely on pheromones for communication - adult Myrmica ants make complex 'compositions' by strumming the spike on their abdomen with their leg (second half of recording). For pupa it can mean the difference between life and death - without making their single strumming beat they aren't recognised by worker ants who would normally protect/rescue them in times of trouble.  Full story: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.01.010  Sound: Luca Casacci et al. Image: wikimedia. 

Sounds of science: ant music

This torrent frog from Hainan, China has partially ultrasonic calls so we hear only a part of the call.

Odorrana Graminea

Tim performing in a house concert after his training

Look up! It's stargazing season at the ABC. Download our audio tour with astronomer Professor Fred Watson and join us on a journey across the southern night sky.

Stargazing April sky tour with Professor Fred Watson

Taylor Wilson was just 14 when he became the then-youngest person to build a nuclear fusion reactor in the world. At 22, he's a nuclear physicist with visionary ideas.

Hear the incredible saga of two nuclear boy scouts in Season 1 of Science Friction, a new show presented by Natasha Mitchell. Science, culture, and everything else in between - brought to you by ABC Science. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sciencefriction/

This is an extended interview with Taylor Wilson from Episode 1 of Science Friction.

Radioactive obsessions: Meet the kid who built a nuclear reactor at 14 (Part 1)

Taylor Wilson was just 14 when he became the then-youngest person in the world to build a nuclear fusion reactor. At 22, he's a nuclear physicist with visionary ideas.

Hear the incredible saga of two nuclear boy scouts in Season 1 of Science Friction, a new show presented by Natasha Mitchell. Science, culture, and everything else in between - brought to you by ABC Science. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sciencefriction/

This is an extended interview with Taylor Wilson from Episode 1 of Science Friction.

Radioactive obsessions: Meet the kid who built a nuclear reactor at 14 (Part 2)

Prof Zenobia Jacobs and Prof Bert Roberts explaining how the dates for the first humans in Australia were pushed back so far, on The Science Show with Robyn Williams.

Science Show - First Humans In Australia

A koala call, kindly supplied to RN Off Track by Brad Law from the Department of Primary Industries.

RN Off Track: Koala sounds

RN Off Track: Koala call

The recording of a south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo fledgling preparing to fly. Supplied by Daniella Teixeira.

ABC Science

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