Catalyst - Season 17

Dr Jordan Nguyen is a biomedical engineer. Riley Saban is a 13-year-old kid with cerebral palsy. Together they develop extraordinary, cutting edge technology that gives young Riley superhuman powers.

Biomedical engineer Dr Jordan Nguyen & 13-year-old Riley Saban aren't content to just develop cutting edge technology that gives Riley superhuman powers, now they want to push the boundaries to see if Riley can drive a car.

Dr Graham Phillips embarks on an eight week meditation course and undergoes a raft of rigorous brain tests and scans, to find out if the ancient art of meditation lives up to the current hype.

Could bottles, salvaged from a 220 year old Tasmanian ship wreck, contain the remnants of the world's oldest beer? Plus 'unboiling an egg' technology leads to new discoveries in renewable energy.

Lab experiments show it's now possible to fight the four major diseases of old age. Anja Taylor investigates one of these methods achieving extraordinary results. Could this be the key to a long & healthy life?

Researchers may have found a way to prevent the stress induced spread of cancer cells. Guest reporter, oncologist Dr Ranjana Srivastava investigates. Plus we reveal Pluto's secrets with mind boggling pictures.

Do Australian ticks pose a greater health risk than we thought? For the first time, microbes inside native Aussie ticks are being probed, leading to new discoveries which may reveal the causes of unexplained illnesses

The natural world tells unseen stories through sound. Catalyst discovers what we can learn from listening to nature. Plus we go to Australia's tracking station Tidbinbilla to witness Juno going into orbit around Jupiter.

How are storms changing as the world warms? Plus can orang-utans teach us a thing or two about computer games? #ABCcatalyst

Could our food be making us sick - very sick? In the first of a two-part special, Dr Graham Phillips reveals research about the interplay between food and the bacteria deep within our guts. #ABCcatalyst

The final part of a Catalyst investigation into whether food could actually be our medicine. A healthy diet could be even more important than previously thought because food affects the bacteria deep inside our guts.

Catalyst looks at the game-changing new Australian device that aims to help the paralysed walk again. Plus virtual reality takes scientists and patients on a unique interactive journey inside the human body. #ABCcatalyst

Catalyst goes behind the scenes at the NGV to see how scientists are revealing hidden secrets behind acclaimed artwork. Plus we revisit what genomicist Professor Vanessa Hayes discovered about the origins of modern society.

Catalyst investigates how cutting edge forensics together with developments in DNA testing are working towards putting a face to the nameless. Plus the massive megastructure puzzling astrophysicists - could it be alien-built?

In this confronting special, Catalyst explores the lethal threat of coral bleaching to the Great Barrier Reef, and the challenges we all face to protect this global treasure.

South East Asia's Plain of Jars is an archaeological enigma. Who carved these megalithic stone jars & what were they used for? Plus, Space is being invaded by a new breed of cheap satellites, smaller than a loaf of bread.

Dr Graham Phillips investigates how testosterone affects our abilities, behaviour & health, in both men and women. Plus Dr Jane Goodall & her work as a World-renowned primatologist, conservationist & activist. #ABCcatalyst

The anecdotal evidence that cannabis has a positive effect on a long list of medical conditions from epilepsy to Alzheimer's Disease is building. Researchers are now applying scientific rigour to convert anecdote into data.

Dr Jonica Newby meets Dr Sheryl van Nunen, the clinician who discovered the link between tick bites & meat allergies. Plus we revisit a story of one of Australia's most charismatic & endangered birds - the swift parrot.

Scientists claim that the Earth has shifted out of the Holocene state & into a new geological epoch. We look at how the last 60 years has transformed the human race into a geological force to rival nature. #ABCcatalyst (Season Final)