It's that time of year again: it's muck up day at Sister Doctor Squared HQ! Tune in to hear what happens when Aleena and Janine do minimal prep and have maximum fun: reflections around space junk; Janine's progress with fighting bedtime procras

25. What’s the latest in melanoma research?

Nov 23rd, 2023 40m 31s

Melanoma is a rare but incredibly lethal form of cancer. Although melanoma accounts for only 2% of skin cancers, it accounts for 80% of skin cancer deaths. How does melanoma develop? Why is UV light so dangerous? What role does genetics play? I

24. Fertility matters

Aug 28th, 2023 52m

Having babies! It’s a part of so many people’s life plans. But for those who want kids, when is the ideal time to start trying? Our knowledge of fertility (our ability to conceive a pregnancy) and of how age affects fertility has a real impact

23. Junky Stardust: what should we do about space junk?

Jun 30th, 2023 38m 44s

Would you believe us if we told you that humans have left a bit of a mess in outer space? Orbiting Earth right now are tens of thousands of human made objects with no purpose – they are simply floating around as space junk. Why does this matter

22. Bedtime procrastination. What is it? How can we stop?

May 31st, 2023 37m 9s

Janine introduces the episode by outlining her nightly ritual of bedtime procrastination: cleaning, journalling, compiling lists, listening to podcasts, embroidery, meme harvesting, party planning, and bingeing on Portlandia! Just a few of the

21. Muck up day 2022!

Dec 14th, 2022 52m 26s

As we come to the end of another year, Aleena and Janine take things down a notch and bring back muck up day! Muck up day in Australia is the last day of school for the year where there are much laughs, huge pranks, and minimal productivity. Tu

20. Is blue light at night really that bad?

Nov 3rd, 2022 46m 25s

What is all this fuss about blue light? You've probably heard about it having something to do with the backlighting on your smartphone or other electronic device. But what actually is blue light? What's it doing to your brain? Is it really that

19. Aah, the feels... the link between music & emotion

Sep 21st, 2022 41m 22s

Engaging with music, whether it’s listening to it, or creating it, is one of life’s great joys. Neither Aleena nor Janine could get through a whole day without listening to some music. Humans have a deep emotional connection with music. But jus

18. Firestarter: not just a song by The Prodigy

Aug 4th, 2022 42m 8s

How amazing is it to sit around a campfire? Watching those beautiful, flickering flames; listening to the gorgeous crackle of firewood. It's mesmerising. Humans are innately fascinated by fire, but our relationship with fire is complex. Sometim

17. Go with your gut? What does the science say?

Jun 17th, 2022 46m 15s

Have you ever had a really strong gut feeling about something? You don't know why. You don't know where it's coming from, but it's telling you something very clearly. Should you trust it? In this episode, Aleena and Janine delve into the scienc

16. The truth about Tourette Syndrome with Seamus Evans

May 2nd, 2022 1h 34m

Tourette Syndrome Awareness Week is running from 2 - 8 May 2022! So, Janine and Aleena are raising understanding and busting some myths around Tourette Syndrome, especially as Janine's little boy has this condition. The sisters are joined by th

15. Fight, flight, or... “freeze”?

Mar 28th, 2022 43m 20s

WARNING: This episode contains discussion related to traumatic experiences that may be distressing for some listeners.Janine excitedly shares details of her new pet dog Calli (#RescueGreyhound), who massively inspired this episode, since Calli

14. New Year’s Resolutions: can we use science to make them stick?

Jan 29th, 2022 43m 14s

Welcome to 2022! You might have mixed feelings about what is to come in the year ahead... a new year often brings a lot of hope, excitement and promise, but with so much uncertainty in the world at the moment, many are feeling quite despondent,

13. Muck up day 2021!

Dec 15th, 2021 38m 11s

In the spirit of the traditional 'muck up day' on the last day of school in Australia, Aleena and Janine mix things up a bit in this episode... They reflect on Sister Doctor Squared turning 1, the many random and interesting things they've lear

12. Scared of needles? Science has some answers.

Nov 19th, 2021 44m 16s

With vaccination rates currently a topic of daily conversation, Aleena and Janine have been looking into what factors might be behind poor vaccination rates in some settings. They are surprised to find that fear or phobia of needles could be an

11. Distorted sense of time: how is this possible?

Oct 19th, 2021 33m 22s

Aleena and Janine investigate how the passage of time can often feel slower or faster even when, objectively, we know that time is always passing at a constant rate. Why do some days drag on while others disappear in a flash? How is it possible

10. Why is cancer so rare in whales?

Aug 23rd, 2021 34m 27s

Janine was helping some students with high school genetics when she came across some fascinating research suggesting that whales and other cetacean mammals hardly ever get cancer. She and Aleena were super intrigued and just had to know why, es

9. Antibiotic resistance: what's the deal?

Jun 24th, 2021 42m 48s

Aleena was recently offered antibiotics by a doctor, for a situation where antibiotics were completely inappropriate. She called immediately called Janine and it was decided that they just needed to do an episode about this massive issue. Meanw

8. The ’nocebo’ effect: just as important as the placebo effect?

May 11th, 2021 38m 37s

Janine and Aleena kick off by summarising the well-established 'placebo' effect, before focusing in on the lesser-known 'nocebo' effect. What's the difference? How might these effects play a big role in treatment effectiveness? Can these effect

7. Why do bowerbirds hoard and steal blue stuff?

Mar 26th, 2021 54m 56s

Aleena and Janine respond to a listener request for an episode about their own scientific research. They're happy to oblige! They kick off with Janine's past research into satin bowerbirds and explain just why males collect, hoard, and steal so

6. Why do we cry?

Feb 12th, 2021 46m 28s

In this episode, Aleena and Janine get stuck into the research around human crying. Why do we do it? How did this bizarre behaviour even evolve? Why are humans the only animals shedding tears due to emotion? Should we hold in the tears or let t

5. What is La Niña? Can it really lead to diarrhoea?

Jan 22nd, 2021 30m 16s

In this episode, Aleena and Janine respond to a listener question (#exciting!): Deepak got in touch to ask them to explain the La Niña weather cycle that he keeps hearing about in the news in Australia this Summer. They start by breaking down t

4. Clutter in your home? What does the science say?

Dec 29th, 2020 36m 43s

Aleena and Janine open this episode by chatting about how physics may partly explain your messy house. They go deeper into the scientific literature about clutter in your home - how bad is it really? And what can you do about it? Do Marie Kondo

3. Why are we so obsessed with true crime?

Dec 3rd, 2020 34m 16s

WARNING: This episode contains discussion related to violent crime that may be distressing for some listeners.In episode 3, Aleena and Janine admit to spending countless hours engaging in true crime media. They really want to get to the botto

2. Multitasking: myth or not?

Nov 11th, 2020 27m 35s

In this episode, Aleena and Janine delve in to the evidence behind multitasking – is it a myth or not? Janine’s consistent inability to multitask has always been a source of much amusement within the family. Aleena, on the other hand, has alway