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Each year the Australian Museum presents the Eureka Prizes for excellence in the fields of scientific research and innovation, leadership, journalism and school science. This year $200,000 will be handed out to twenty finalists, each receiving prize money of $10,000. The winner in the category of scientific research was awarded for research, synthesised across disciplines, employing a diversity of techniques in novel contexts. The judges found that his work revolutionised our understanding of the dietary causes of human obesity. But what led him to his findings was the humble locust.

Why do we often avoid speaking our mind? Does swearing have an evolutionary function? What do linguistic taboos do to your brain? How are new words born? Acclaimed author of The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker is a self-confessed verbivore. To him language offers a window into the human mind and how it works. He joins Natasha Mitchell in a feature interview to argue there´s nothing mere about semantics. Radio National often provides links to external websites to complement program information. While producers have taken care with all selections, we can neither endorse nor take final responsibility for the content of those sites.

The curse of the black rats Black rats were responsible for the death of 75 million people in the 13th Century during the Black Plague and today cost the US grain industry $19 billion a year. But black rats also happen to be brilliant at adaptation and survival. Feeling squirmish? Well the south Vietnamese aren´t, with their rat meat industry that creates 10, 000 tonnes of rat meat every year. While origins of the black rats come from South East Asia they have spread throughout every continent and if you think there not in your back yard....think again! Plight of the Houting fish The draining of rivers and the conversion of marshes into farm land has had a dramatic effect on the Houting fish in Denmark. So too has the myriad of fish farms in their rivers. With the fish's natural habitat destroyed the Houting Project has been established to secure 90 hectares of wetland for the fish to spawn. The project has also had an unexpected gain for fish farmers. Now required to use ground water rather than water from the river and as a result the farmers have seen a doubling of their fish production in a year. Energy from excrements In tropical North Queensland scientists are using an innovative method to produce bio diesel by feeding marine micro algae with the fish excretions. The algae use fish farm slurry as nutrients to produce oil. In fact, no other crop produces as much bio diesel as micro algae. Beside their oil production the micro algae also produce carbohydrates and proteins that could be used as stock feed. Happy 20th Birthday Questacon Twenty years ago Questacon was born out of the ANU as an experiment to gauge how the public liked hands on science. It was so popular that it became Australia´s National Science Centre in Canberra. Fast forward to 2008 and Questacon is still buzzing and more importantly attracting children, teenagers and adults to science.

CLASSIC LNL: Platypus Originally broadcast on 2/5/2001. Science historian Ann Moyal discusses the discovery of that great Australian icon, the platypus. This fascinating animal completely baffled early British and French naturalists, and overturned prevailing theories of species evolution and taxonomy. Reputations were won and lost over whether the animal was mammal, reptile or bird - and crucially, whether or not it laid eggs. CLASSIC LNL: Wombats Originally broadcast on 30/7/2001. In his book "The Secret Life of Wombats", James Woodford, writes: "Wombats are the hobbits of the Australian bush, living underground and perceived as lazy and unadventurous. The are retiring solo folk, who give the impression of potential unfulfilled - neckless, stubborn, ferocious when cornered, intelligent, cute and mysterious." There are three species of wombats left in Australia; the bare-nosed and two hairy-nosed species - the southern and the northern. Of the northern there are only about 100 left, which makes them the rarest mammals in Australia and probably the world. Experts estimate that the northern hairy-nosed wombat will become extinct within the next 100 years if nothing is done to ensure their survival. CLASSIC LNL: Bunyips Originally broadcast on 10/10/01. In his most recent book "Bunyips: Australia's Folklore of Fear", writer, Robert Holden, reveals the literature, folklore and superstitions that have immortalised Australia's most enigmatic creature.

The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith.

In this polar year many initiatives are offering new insights into changes in Antarctica. Dr Phil Tucak from Perth has spent several months exploring sites where Weddell seals are found. His studies of their behaviour and biology at a time of change are both illuminating and exciting.

The strife in South Ossetia between Georgia and Russia has been fought not only with bombs and guns, there is a 'cyber war' element as well. The Georgian government says a number of its computer servers have been taken over by hackers and its parliamentary website defaced with images of Adolf Hitler. So what is cyber warfare, and what effect does it have?

When it comes to science, we constantly search for new technological breakthroughs. But today, there's news that one group of scientists are making the globe's seal population do scientific research for us. Elephant seals typically travel between 35 and 65 kilometres every day, and in our Southern Oceans they are able to collect a wide range of data humans simply don't have access to. Now there's hope that this data could provide accurate information about sea ice production and its influence on global climate.

Genetic profiling. It seems that almost every week scientists announce the discovery of a gene connected to an illness or disease. But should access to insurance, employment, or even a mortgage be determined by someone´s genetic profile?

Southern Lands through French Eyes Josephine Bonaparte is said to have kept kangaroos and emus in her garden after the 19th century French expedition of Nicholas Baudin and Francois Peron returned from Australia. At the time, an Atlas about this voyage was also created and the Atlas has just been published in facsimilie for the first time in Australia by the Friends of the State Library of South Australia. Steven Isserlis - cellist and children's book writer Many music lovers regard Englishman Steven Isserlis as the world's greatest living cellist, and his passion for music extends beyond performances and recordings.

In 2005, Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink argued that spontaneously made decisions are often as good as, or better, than carefully considered ones. The idea being that, through intuition, we think without thinking and snap judgements instantly draw on the most salient issues. Then, in 2006, there was the famous Dutch study that argued we should "sleep on it", and enable our unconscious mind to consider complex decisions. Now a psychologist in Australia has new research suggesting neither is the case, but that good, old fashioned, calm and conscious deliberation is the best way to make complex decisions.

150 years ago Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace made a joint presentation to the Linnean Society of London of their views on biological evolution. But who was Alfred Wallace? Emeritus Professor Tony Larkum from Sydney University relates the story of this unsung man.

For a long time now, it has been fashionable to say that what science offers is not a true mirror of nature but a distorting mirror, reflecting our presuppositions, prejudices and politics. But can we take the criticisms on board while still maintaining a belief in objective truth? We meet a philosopher who says we can. Also, objectivity and the arts: can artistic judgments ever be objective or is it all down to just knowing what you like?

CLASSIC LNL: Globalisation and the City Saskia Sassen talks about globalisation and the city - does the notion of the city change in a global environment? Is physical location still important? What happens to cities as economic centres when so much business goes on in cyberspace? Originally broadcast on 22/11/2001. CLASSIC LNL: Ben Chifley: What a Life Originally broadcast on 22/11/2001. RG Menzies said there wouldn't be a dry eye left in Australia after news of the death of his political foe, Ben Chifley, in 1951. Chifley's new biographer, David Day, talks to Phillip about Australia's wartime Labor PM, Ben Chifley, and the legacy Menzies owed him.

The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith.

10 questions you must ask your doctor As health consumers we´ve come a long way. Gone are the days of 'doctor knows best'. Blanche d'Alpuget: On Longing You're a successful writer, beautiful, married - and you've fallen head over heels in love with the then head of the ACTU. Music Track - Fly Me To The Moon Nursing In South Sudan: Fiona Gillett Nurse and midwife, Fiona Gillett turned 40 and found the milestone to be a very challenging one. Your feedback There seems to be no end to the stories behind the names of Life Matters listeners. It's been fascinating to read the guestbook entries and emails prompted by our program on Friday on names.

Today Richard Begbie from Canberra looks at the environmental cost of air travel. Airplanes add around 750 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year to the atmosphere and in the process burn 250 million tonnes of a non-renewable resource.

What makes someone gay? The quest for the biological roots of sexual orientation remains rife with controversy. Is it in your genes, handedness, or the hormonal soup of the early foetus? Or, is the answer hidden deep inside the brain? Homo or hetero - the science of sexual attraction captures everyone´s attention.

The polyglot linguist Alexandra Aikhenvald describes the study of linguistic typology: classifying how languages are structured and comparing them to ascertain recurrent patterns and variations. This program was first broadcast on 24/5/2008.

Environmentalists may hate it, but we live in a disposable world. The disposable camera, for example, is so cheap that it's cost-effective to throw it out after one use and simply buy another one next time. Meanwhile the latest in digital camera technology means a disposable microscope may soon be available. But before you get frustrated at the waste, this product could actually deliver a great deal of social good.

The quiet hero of snoring therapy has just received a Clunies Ross Award, yet another recognition for physiologist Professor Colin Sullivan of Sydney University. His work began over thirty years ago and has led to a global, multibillion dollar industry based on masks directing airflows over the user's face. But is it true that apnoea, when people stop breathing as they snore, is behind most of today's vascular disease? And what next in this immensely important research?

If competition is a good thing, then it wouldn't be a bad thing if there was another mainstream internet search engine. Even former staff members at Google, the most popular search enginge, think there's need for change. They've launched "www.cuil.com" which claims to be bigger, more private and ready to take on the might of Google.

The abominable snowman, also known as the Yeti, has been the stuff of legend ever since giant footprints were discovered in the Himalayas almost 90 years ago. Now, further clues are on offer, after scientists in Britain analysed hairs found in the north-east of India five years ago and discovered that they didn't belong to any known species leading to suggestions that they could belong to the elusive Yeti.

Ian Dunlop is Deputy Convener of the Australian Association for the Study of Peak Oil and warns that the oil supply will eventually run out and with that and the global warming issue in mind, we need to look for alternatives.

EuroScience Open Forum 2008 Wilson da Silva reports from the EuroScience Open Forum meeting in Barcelona. Chinese archaeology and ancient civilisations The Three Gorges Dam project in China has flooded vast areas. Rowan Flad describes some of the thousands of fossil specimens he collected before the waters rose. Now Rowan Flad is using archaeological data to create a picture of an ancient Chinese civilisation. In addition to land lost to flooding, rapid development means lands are being covered and lost for archaeology. Haptics Haptics is the use of a device to relay touch sensations from computer generated 3D models. Forces are relayed to the hand. It allows you to feel a virtual object. The object could be a body organ in surgery. In law enforcement, robots could be operated from a distance. Synthetic biology Synthetic biology is the engineering of biological systems so make them beneficial. Genetic parts can be made, which makes synthetic biology different to genetic engineering. The new functional units are called biobricks. They are then built up to form large units. A created biological device could perhaps detect cancer and send out a signal. There are currently about 1,000 specially designed biobricks. Other applications could be a biobrick which detects unwanted temperature change on food packaging, or a system which detects infection and changes colour for medical instruments. Great Southern Oceans - New Taronga exhibit opens Taronga Zoo in Sydney in undergoing a 12-year multimillion-dollar redevelopment. David Fisher reports on the opening of a major exhibit, Great Southern Oceans showing Australia´s marine wildlife. New coral alga discovered in Sydney Harbour Coral in Sydney Harbour has been found to contain a previously undiscovered alga. The coral encrusts rocks under the water. The alga lives in the coral and give it sugars. The family tree of algae based on sequencing DNA shows the alga is in a new position on the tree, and is related to the malaria parasite. The alga is seen as a missing link between another alga and a parasite. It was previously thought to be extinct.

The Universe in a Mirror

New developments in petrol efficiency can only be good news at a time when prices have continued to rise. Scientists in the United States have worked out how to get cars to drive 10% further on the same tank of fuel, which would ultimately help with petrol expenses and the environment. But cars aren't the only major carbon dioxide emitters. Science reporter Chris Smith also looks at the best ways to harness the waste from cows.

Why do humans, of all the primates, have so many babies? And what happens when sisters offer to carry babies for other members of their family? What happens to kinship? Professor Marilyn Strathern, a social anthropologist at Cambridge and head of Girton College, and Karen Kramer, another anthropologist at Harvard, have been tracking the complexities of motherhood and babies across many cultures, with surprising results.

Does science make belief in God obsolete? Cosmologist and mathematician Michal Heller's answer to this 'Big Question' this year won him the world's largest monetary prize given to an individual, the Templeton Prize. On Encounter Professor Heller explores 'creative tensions' between science and religion and talks about his research for a quantum gravity theory that might explain the Planck Epoch. And astronomer Guy Consolmagno SJ has things to say about meteorites, the Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan, and beauty.

While coal-fired power generators seek compensation to help them cope with the introduction of a carbon emissions trading scheme, other energy companies are already moving towards a low emissions economy. One is Origin Energy, the subject of a $14 billion hostile takeover bid from British energy giant BG group, which is eyeing Origin's strategic coal seam gas reserves. For years, Origin has also been investing in gas-fired generation, as well as in wind farms and solar energy. Origin's chief executive Grant King says he's not concerned that the government's Green paper doesn't specifically address investment in low emissions technology it's already set a renewable energy target of 20% by 2020. But he says the government needs to think carefully about how much and for how long it assists Australia's biggest polluters make the transition towards a carbon-constrained world.