Imagine This

Imagine This

Imagine This is a science podcast for the young and curious. Have you ever wondered how bees make honey? Or how do fish breathe underwater? Or, very importantly, where your poo goes when you flush it down the toilet? Imagine This is a series of puzzling science questions from inquisitive young minds. Our host, Dr Niraj Lal, chats to kids and Australia's leading academics, taking you on imaginative adventures to learn about the world around us and find the answers together. This podcast is suited to kids aged 4 and up, though all members of the family are sure to learn something!

Episodes

December 9, 2025 15 mins

We all know it’s important to use sunscreen in the hot Australian sun, but what exactly is sunscreen? And how does it work? Nij and the kids are joined by dermatologist Professor Pablo Fernández-Peñas for a slippery, summery and sparkling journey.

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It's time to get nosy as we answer: What is snot? What are boogers? How is snot made and why do we have it? Nij and the kids join Associate Professor Kim Murphy on a slimy slip and slide through some giant nostrils.

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The grass is wet, but there’s been no rain, and the skies are clear... What explains the dampness covering everything on a cool morning? It's called dew! 

Meteorologist and ABC weather presenter Nate Byrne joins Nij and the kids to explain what exactly dew is, and where it comes from. 

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November 18, 2025 14 mins

Nij is out of fridge magnets and discovers they can't be replaced by just any piece of metal. What gives magnets their power to pull and push, and how do they stick to things? Nij and the kids get the answer from physicist Dr Cathy Foley, who explains how magnets work and why they're so special.

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November 11, 2025 12 mins

Nij has nits! But what are nits, and why do they make us itch? Medical entomologist Cameron Webb and the kids comb through Nij's head for a close-up look.

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Imagine This host Dr Nij joins Costa and the Gardening Australia Junior crew to find out why worms are so good for the garden.

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August 12, 2025 10 mins

To celebrate Science Week, we're heading back to space with Dr Kirsten Banks to learn about something very powerful and mysterious.... Black holes! 

We recommend listening to How are stars made? first before listening to this bonus episode. 

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June 3, 2025 15 mins

Twinkle twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are…. No, really – what are stars made of and how did they get all the way up there in the sky? Let’s find out more with astrophysicist, Dr Kirsten Banks! Get ready to blast off in 5, 4, 3, 2 1!

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May 27, 2025 14 mins

If you don’t drink water, urine trouble! It’s a wee-lly important thing to stay healthy. So how do our bodies turn this clear water into yellow pee? Nij and the kids meet Dr Sradha Kotwal to follow the journey through our bodies from water to wee!

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May 20, 2025 14 mins

We see glass every day, we see right through it! It’s in our windows and our fridges, our cars and our devices… But how do you make all this hard, clear stuff? Pack your bags, we’re off to Ancient Egypt to find the answers!

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Some days we can feel happy and other times we can feel sad or frustrated, or downright angry! Where do all these different feelings come from and why do we feel them? Nij and the kids meet Dr Pete Koval at the F.E.E.L. lab to learn more…

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Step right up for the Tiny Tour of Toxins! Nij and the kids trek through the Aussie bush and go on an underwater adventure with venom expert Dr Timothy Jackson to explore the world of venomous animals... 

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We use phones a lot – to call our friends, message our grandparents, play games, follow maps… But what happens when our phones stop working? When the page doesn’t load or the call drops out? Nij and the kids meet Dr Shaghik Atakaramians to learn about this mysterious ‘reception’ and why it sometimes gets ‘lost’.

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August 13, 2024 15 mins

Every year we get older… we have birthday parties and eat cake but what is happening in our bodies? Why do we get taller and grow more teeth? And why do we eventually stop growing? Nij and the kids meet Dr Lindsay Wu to follow the microscopic lives of our cells and how we grow as we get older

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August 6, 2024 13 mins

More than half our planet is covered in seawater. There are about six teaspoons of salt in every litre. So, where did it all come from? Nij and the kids meet Dr Katharina Fabricius to follow the journey of salty seawater and their first stop is… the clouds?

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July 30, 2024 14 mins

Rocks are all around us… they’re in the garden, on the road, in the bush and all our waterways... But how did they all get there? And what are they made of? Nij and the kids meet Dr Heather Handley in her subterranean submarine 'Velma' and venture into a volcano for answers…. 

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July 23, 2024 13 mins

If you need an egg to make a chicken, then where did the first egg come from? Nij and the kids meet Professor Kate Buchanan to learn about how chickens make eggs... and which came first!

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December 19, 2023 13 mins

We can see them after a sun shower... or the spray of the sprinkler... we can even sing them! But why can't we ever catch them? Nij shares the ingredients to make a rainbow in this special episode of Imagine This...

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December 19, 2023 14 mins

Family trees have so many branches. You're on one branch, your parents on another, your grandparents on another and great grandparents after that... Could it go all the way back to the first person? Let's ask archaeologist Associate Professor Michelle Langley about how humans came to be...

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December 19, 2023 12 mins

Let's follow the slimy, shiny trail down the garden path all the way to... the Snail Whisperers! Drs John and Lorelle Stanisic will show us the secret lives of snails and how they get their famous spiral shells.

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