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Is AI Outsmarting Us? Part Two of the Great AI Safety Debrief with Dr. Petr Lebedev (461)

Release Date: 02/14/2026

The Wellness Woo Economy with Kate Thomas (466)

Shirtloads of Science

Pharmacist and science communicator Kate Thomas shares how a viral debunking video launched her into the world of online health education. In this episode we explore the booming “wellness woo” economy and sift through the weeds on why misleading short-form content spreads so easily and the risks of unregulated wellness influencers. Kate breaks down the truth about supplements, the power of placebo, and why accessible, personalised health advice is so hard to find online. She also highlights the important role pharmacists play in helping consumers make informed choices. TikTok &...

The Hidden Health Impact of Microplastics with Prof. Michaela Lucas (465)

Shirtloads of Science

***Prof Lucas would like to provide the following clarification in regards to comments relating to prenatal BPA exposure and male autism spectrum disorder: "A positive association between high prenatal BPA exposure and ASD diagnosis was only seen in male offspring with a genetic predisposition to low aromatase enzyme activity." Professor Michaela Lucas, an Immunologist and Immunopathologist researching the health impacts of plastics, joins me to explore what microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals may be doing inside our bodies. We discuss how compounds like bisphenols and phthalates...

Deepfakes Online and The Future of Truth with Dr. Anna Broinowski (464)

Shirtloads of Science

I’m joined by Dr. Anna Broinowski - Senior Lecturer and Director of the Master of Film and Screen Arts at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney - to unpack the rise of deepfakes and synthetic media. We discuss the emergence of deepfake pornography in 2017, the fact that around 90% of deepfake content targets women and girls, and the growing use of AI in propaganda. From political manipulation to fake ads impersonating me (!), this episode explores how deepfakes are eroding trust, and what that means for the future of media, filmmaking and truth more broadly.

The Rise In Nitrous Misuse with Assoc. Prof. Angela Chiew (463)

Shirtloads of Science

Nitrous oxide (better known as “laughing gas”) is widely used in medicine as a safe anaesthetic and pain reliever. It’s also found in whipped cream canisters and even used in car engines. But Angela Chiew, toxicologist and Associate Professor at UNSW, joins me to set the record straight: the growing recreational misuse of this easily accessible gas is causing serious long-term harm, including nerve damage, cognitive damage, weakening of the spinal cord and mobility impairments. Cases of misuse are rising globally, likely driven by how easy it is to legally purchase the drug in...

Will AI Take Our Jobs? Part Three of the Great AI Safety Debrief with Dr. Petr Lebedev (462)

Shirtloads of Science

In the final episode of the Great AI Safety Debrief series with Dr. Petr Lebedev, we discuss job eradication, AI alignment and the rise in cases of AI deceiving humans. Petr unpacks ideas like AI scheming, situation awareness, parasitic relationships between humans and machines, and even the possibility of AI developing belief systems of its own. We end by zooming out to existential risk, Alan Turing’s early warnings, and why aligning AI with human values may be one of the most difficult (and urgent) challenges humanity must face. Linkedin: Petr Lebedev palisaderesearch.org/

Is AI Outsmarting Us? Part Two of the Great AI Safety Debrief with Dr. Petr Lebedev (461)

Shirtloads of Science

In part two, Dr. Petr Lebedev and I dive deeper into how modern AI systems are grown, not programmed, and the emergence of Shutdown Resistance. We explore AI performance in math and coding competitions, the rapid evolution of ChatGPT models, and why companies are already letting AI write the majority of their code. Petr explains how huge investments globally are pushing these systems forward faster than we can fully understand or control. The final episode in this 3 part series drops next week! Linkedin: Petr Lebedev palisaderesearch.org/

The Great AI Safety Debrief Part One with Dr. Petr Lebedev (460)

Shirtloads of Science

Intelligence is emerging from sand and less than 1% of the population seems to care! Physicist and science communicator Dr. Petr Lebedev joins the podcast following his SXSW talk to explore the rapid advancement of AI and how it's dramatically shifting the global status quo. From completing a PhD in physics and writing for Veritasium, to leading science communication at Palisade Research, Petr steps in to bring some clarity to the weird, wild, and worrying sides of AI. Did you know that no one truly understands how large language models actually work? We go deep on misaligned systems,...

The Milky Way’s Mysterious Glow with Prof. Geraint Lewis (459)

Shirtloads of Science

A mysterious glow from the centre of the Milky Way has scientists intrigued. Astrophysicist Geraint Lewis explains how this gamma-ray excess, first detected in 2009, could be evidence of dark matter particles interacting deep in our galaxy. With dark matter believed to make up a vast, invisible halo that holds galaxies together, uncovering the source of this glow may bring us closer to understanding what the universe is really made of. Linkedin: geraint-lewis-4a499b1

Food Additives: What’s Safe, What’s Not? with Prof. Clare Collins (451) [REPEAT]

Shirtloads of Science

In this episode, I’m joined by Professor Clare Collins, Australian dietitian and Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle. Clare is my go-to expert when it comes to all things nutrition, and today she’s here to unpack the often confusing world of processed and ultra-processed foods. We dive into what really separates the two, explore the role of additives, emulsifiers, and flavour enhancers, and discuss how some of these ingredients, designed to make foods more appealing, may be doing our health more harm than good. Plus, she shares practical,...

Staying Safe Online Part 2 with Troy Hunt (439) [REPEAT]

Shirtloads of Science

In part two with Online Safety Consultant Troy Hunt (Have I Been Pwned), we unpack the risks of online age verification in light of Australia’s social media ban, including the personal data (often times photos or government documents) sites may demand, and how these security practices can be questionable. Troy explains why we should be thinking more about data minimisation and the dangers of unnecessary data retention. We go through the safest multi-factor authentication methods, from SMS to physical keys, and Troy shares a personal phishing story, reminding us that no-one is immune...

More Episodes

In part two, Dr. Petr Lebedev and I dive deeper into how modern AI systems are grown, not programmed, and the emergence of Shutdown Resistance. We explore AI performance in math and coding competitions, the rapid evolution of ChatGPT models, and why companies are already letting AI write the majority of their code. Petr explains how huge investments globally are pushing these systems forward faster than we can fully understand or control.

The final episode in this 3 part series drops next week!

Linkedin: Petr Lebedev
palisaderesearch.org/

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