Let’s step back in time with five fascinating fast facts about how scientists date the ages of ancient artefacts, an interview with Belinda Huntriss, a Worimi woman who is passionate about sharing her knowledge of Aboriginal science and technology, and a tasty sedimentary layer activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Belinda Huntriss: https://freshwater-education.com/

Freshwater Education: Aboriginal education consultancy, professional development workshops, teaching resources, keynote speaker, educator mentoring

Books mentioned by Belinda:

Young Dark Emu – A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe

The First Scientists by Corey Tutt

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

04:07 Deep dive into the Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land

05:28 Interview with Belinda Huntriss

12:24 Edible sedimentary layers activity

Edible sedimentary layers activity instructions:

You will need: a bowl, a few spoons, a glass or tumbler, 2 or 3 biscuits or cookies of your choice, custard or chocolate pudding, chopped fruit and sprinkles. Note: You don’t have to use all of these ingredients to make the sedimentary layers. You might have some tastier ideas you’d like to try.

1. Place the biscuits or cookies on a chopping board or in a bowl and make biscuit crumbs by crushing the biscuits with the back of a large spoon.
2. Make layers of the ingredients in the glass or tumbler, by adding the ingredients one layer at a time. Start by covering the bottom of the glass with biscuit crumbs. Add a layer of custard or pudding, a layer of chopped fruit and a few sprinkles.
3. Repeat the layers, starting again with biscuit crumbs, and keep adding layers until you are happy with your sedimentary layer dessert.
4. Use a small spoon to dig into the layers and eat your dessert. You can travel back in time to a few minutes ago when you added the first layer of biscuit crumbs!

Sedimentary layers form when small pieces of rock, sand, and soil settle on top of each other. The layers can also include left over material from plants and animals. As more and more layers are buried, pressure and time causes solid rock to form, and this type of rock is called ‘sedimentary rock’.

It’s time to fire up the mind with five fun and fascinating fast facts about imagination, plus some questions for Sarah Macdonald and Max Gambale, two creative people with interesting imaginations, and a visualisation and drawing activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

03:43 Deep dive into aphantasia

04:30 Interview with Sarah Macdonald and Max Gambale

10:09 Visualisation and drawing activity

Visualisation and drawing activity instructions:

You will need: two pieces of paper, coloured pencils, and a banana. You don’t have to use a banana, but you will need an object that has a familiar shape and that is not too complicated to draw.

1. Hide the banana so you cannot look at it while you draw. In your mind’s eye, picture a banana in as much detail as possible. If you have aphantasia, you might be thinking of the idea of a banana and the concept that it is yellow, or maybe a bit green, and that it has a curved shape.
2. Draw a picture of the banana you are thinking about. Take your time to draw as much detail as possible. When you have finished your drawing, turn the paper over so you can’t see the picture.
3. Take the banana out of its hiding place, put it down in front of you, and look at it very carefully. Look at the colour and shape of the banana. Can you see any shadows on the banana and any markings on the skin?
4. Draw a picture of the banana and look at the real banana as many times as you like to try to make your drawing as realistic as possible.
5. When you have finished drawing the real banana, turn over the first drawing and compare your two pictures. Did you find it easier to draw a picture of a banana when you could see the real banana? Or did you find it difficult to draw all of the details?

When we picture a banana in our mind, we often see a simple image of a curved yellow shape, and maybe some black spots. Looking at a real banana reveals many details that we might not imagine in our mind. To draw a realistic picture, it also takes a lot of practice and skill to make an accurate drawing of what we are observing with our eyes.

It’s time to take a deep breath and get ready for five fascinating fast facts about breathing, an interview with Dr Kenneth Soo, a hospital-based doctor who knows a lot about breathing, and an energetic activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Creative Science: www.creativescience.com.au Facebook www.facebook.com/creativescienceaustralia Instagram www.instagram.com/creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

03:45 Respiration with Dr Kenneth Soo

09:59 Breathing rate activity

Breathing rate activity instructions:

You will need: a pen and paper and a timer (e.g. a smartphone timer, a stopwatch, or a clock with a second hand). 1. Sit quietly, breathing normally, and time exactly 60 seconds while you count the number of times you breathe in 60 seconds. A full breath in and a full breath out is counted as one breath. After you have counted your breaths for 60 seconds, write down the result. This number is your breathing rate, which is the number of breaths you take in one minute.

2. Repeat Step 1 to measure the resting breathing rate two more times to get a more accurate result.

3. Time another 60 seconds and do some very energetic star jumps, otherwise known as ‘jumping jacks’, and try to really push yourself to jump high and go as fast as you can.

4. Stop jumping, time 60 seconds, and measure your breathing rate again, by counting your breaths for 60 seconds, and write down the result.

5. If you are feeling energetic, Repeat Steps 3 and 4, by exercising again and re-measuring your breathing rate.

Did your breathing rate change after you exercised? When you exercise, your muscle cells use up oxygen and sugar and they make carbon dioxide. Having too much carbon dioxide in the blood makes the blood more acidic. This triggers the body to breathe faster to get rid of the extra carbon dioxide from the body. Breathing faster helps your body remove carbon dioxide from the blood and it delivers more oxygen to your cells.