ABC1's blog

8:30pm – Thursday, September 9 on ABC1

In this final episode in the series Michio looks at what he believes to be the most profound revolution to occur. He argues that we are entering a world where we will be able to manipulate and create matter itself.

Teleportation and invisibility cloaks might become a reality. But does this development of technology also offer a warning? As Michio says “We will have the power to animate the inanimate, the power to create life itself. We will have the power of gods. But will we also have the wisdom of Solomon?”

8:00pm – Thursday, September 9 on ABC1

In part 1 of Fatherhood, Dr Jonica Newby followed three dads-to-be, testing their hormones and their humour – as they made the transition to fatherhood. It revealed the biological changes that turn human males into caring dads, and examined couvade syndrome – a sort of sympathetic male pregnancy.

So what happens after baby arrives.

Our three dads have now changed their first nappies and spent their first sleep-interrupted nights. They’ve also said goodbye to something most males hold very dear – their testosterone. Common in many animal species, after courtship and birth have occurred, testosterone plummets. Tests reveal the same to occur in men.

But other biological changes can occur. Post-natal depression, recognised in some women after childbirth, can also afflict men. Unfortunately, it can be the touchpaper that causes the departure of a father from the family unit. The biological and behavioural impacts on children who don’t have devoted contact with their fathers is presented and reveals outcomes such as early onset of puberty, higher school drop-out rates and delinquency.

This suggests that dads provide something different to mums when it comes to nurturing our kids. And playtime is a large part of it. Experiments show a link between the ability of kids to mix with their peers and time spent playing fun games with dad.

The challenge that is addressed is the modern prevalence of non-residential dads and whether it is possible to be a good dad and a non-residential one. It is highly complex with many factors at play such as money, relationships and education. But it seems that dads are getting better at being all round parents – not just fun playmates.

The more we look, the more we discover about what it takes to be a good dad – there’s the natural biology – and there’s the behaviours we can learn.

6:00pm – Thursday, September 9 on ABC1

For ten years Ben Law, a woodsman, fought for and gained planning permission to build a house in the heart of the West Sussex woods where he worked. But there was a condition attached: he could never sell the house, only pass it on to his successor. Ben wanted his home to be totally self-sufficient with no main services, and had decided to build it using only materials from the woods, using techniques pretty similar to those used 1000 years ago.

Ben relied on friends to help him build the house, and despite a tiny budget, ended up with a beautiful hand-crafted woodland cottage – the first real shelter he had enjoyed for years.

Six years after his initial visit, Kevin McCloud revisits Ben to discover that he is now happily married with two young children. The house has grown to suit their needs and Ben’s relationship with the woods is flourishing.

9:30pm – Wednesday, September 8 on ABC1

On tonight’s episode of United States of Tara, with Tara (Toni Collette) not quite herself, an imminent visit from a social worker sends Max (John Corbett) into a tailspin.

Tara horns in on Kate’s (Brie Larson) friendship with Lynda (Viola Davis). Courtney (Zosia Mamet) pushes Marshall (Keir Gilchrist) to the brink. Neil (Patton Oswalt) discovers Charmaine’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) big secret.

THE GRUEN TRANSFER

EPISODE 9: WED 8 SEPT AT 9PM ON ABC1, THURS 9 SEPT AT 8.30PM ON ABC2

In Episode 9, Wil Anderson, Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft are joined by Jane Caro and – for the first time on Gruen – CEO of BMF, Jeremy Nicholas.

How Do You Sell? – Religion

Atheism’s on the rise on Australia. In fact, religion appears to be a brand under threat. Yet few of its branches seem to advertise. Or do they? This week’s The Gruen Transfer rounds up religious ads both local and global, from the deeply spiritual to the deeply disturbing.

Ad Crunch – Harvey Norman vs Kogan

We love a good ad stoush. Last month online retailer Kogan, the new kid on the flat screen block, booked ad space during Channel Seven’s Ben Cousins documentary. It wanted to run an ad that took clear aim at Harvey Norman. Seven ultimately refused to broadcast it.

Was it all just a marketing stunt? And does the discussion we had to have make The Gruen Transfer part of its strategy too? The panel discusses the ins and outs of the campaign, and Harvey Norman’s response.

The Pitch: Sense Advertising (Melbourne) vs 12:20 (Sydney)

One Code. A campaign to convince Australians that in order to win the round-ball World Cup (and Aussies do like a sporting trophy) we should surrender support for all football codes … except soccer.

abc.net.au/gruentransfer

8:30pm – Wednesday, September 8 on ABC1

Joining Adam, Myf and Alan this week are musician, composer, comedian and the man behind Keating the Musical Casey Bennetto, English comedian Tim Vine, ‘impossible dreamer’ Kamahl, and show favourite Meshel Laurie.

Games this week include Know Your Product, Something’s Missing, Word Up, Substitute and The Final Countdown.

In Substitute one member of each team must sing the tune of a popular song using lyrics from an unrelated text. Team members must guess the name of the tune. Casey Bennetto takes to the stage to read from The Pirate by Harold Robbins, while Kamahl takes his lyrics from The Australian Deck and Pergola Construction Manual.

To close the show tonight Kamahl performs a special spoken word number, accompanied by Casey Bennetto on the piano.

8:00pm – Wednesday, September 8 on ABC1

Hosted by James O’Loghlin, The New Inventors is bursting with the innovative and the imaginative, the unique and the unusual, the fantastic and the fascinating.

Deciding the winner of these three inventions are: futurist and author Mark Pesce, science broadcaster Bernie Hobbs, and materials engineer Veena Sahajwalla.

Inventions featured on the program: SERVAL BATPHONE – by inventor Paul Gardner-Stephen from SA Ordinary mobile phones rely on towers, underground wires, and other expensive infrastructure. That infrastructure can be damaged by natural disasters and war, and in many areas it is difficult or impossible to install, leaving vast tracts of land without coverage, often in areas of great need. Inventor Paul Gardner-Stephen was inspired while watching the earthquake disaster in Haiti unfold, as he noticed how long it took to get communications restored after the quake hit.

The Serval Project, named after a problem-solving African wildcat, aims to provide fast, cheap, robust and effective telecommunications systems where conventional phone infrastructure has been destroyed or is not cost-effective.

The Project consists of two systems. The first is a temporary, self-organising, self-powered mobile network for disaster areas, formed with small phone towers dropped in by air. The second is a permanent system for remote areas that requires no infrastructure, using specially designed mobile phones operating on unlicenced frequencies, called the Batphone.

KNOT LOCK – by inventor Grahame Taylor from QLD The swivel braid knot is one of the most secure knots for tying hooks and lures to fishing lines. But a lot of people find it really hard to tie these knots, especially those who have poor vision or conditions that affect their hands.

Even an average person can have trouble. When you’re out on a boat trying to tie these knots your hands are usually covered in muck, and bobbing around on the water doesn’t make it any easier.

Grahame Taylor is the founder of a local inventors club. He was inspired to make his invention from drinking a beer- no, really. He was looking at a bottle opener which had a corkscrew. He started playing with the corkscrew and a piece of line and found that weaving it on several times created a knot. He took this concept and turned it into a fishing hook attachment that creates a knot three times faster and is stronger than any conventional knot.

HALO – by inventor Hayley Warren from WA Physiotherapists measure a patient’s joint angles to assess their injury and track their improvement. They do this using a device called a goniometer. These devices are completely manual, leaving them open to misinterpretation.

A wrong measurement could be mistaken for improvement, leading to a patient being discharged from hospital too early.

28-year-old inventor and physiotherapist Hayley Warren has developed HALO, the world’s first digital goniometer.

The device gives therapists a digital reading, eliminating the possibility of an incorrect reading, making the process accurate, reliable and repeatable.

6:30pm – Wednesday, September 8 on ABC1

This week, Poh is in Darwin cooking with international chef, Jimmy Shu. She discovers that the top end has glorious local fresh produce, wonderful people and stunning environs which provide a colourful backdrop to the tropical recipes Jimmy wants to show Poh.

Poh has never been to Darwin before but it quickly becomes evident to her why it is often called the ‘Gateway to Asia’. Visiting Darwin’s oldest famers markets, she sees growers and cooks from all over Asia, all providing exotic produce for the homes and restaurants of the Territory. This is also where Poh finds internationally acclaimed chef, Jimmy Shu.

Jimmy takes Poh for a guided tour of the market, showing her the produce that reminds him of growing up in Sri Lanka. He introduces her to the network of producers that help make his restaurant dishes so authentic.

It’s fair to say that Poh and Jimmy also eat their way through the market and during their eating fest Poh comes across a famous Darwin market institution, the Green Paw Paw Salad.

Later on, Poh and Jimmy make the same salad. The delightful crunch of paw paw and nuts and the tang of the sauce are further enhanced by a hit of chilli and fresh barbequed prawns.

The next dish on tonight’s menu is courtesy of a quintessential Territorian and a good friend of Jimmy’s, Billy Boustead. Billy takes Poh out on Shoal Bay, south east of Darwin to catch one of her childhood favourites, the mud crab. The silky, sweet flesh of the crab is elevated even further by an exotic torch ginger dipping sauce made by Jimmy.

The Jimmy Shu story would not be complete without a peek into his restaurant kitchen which serves over 300 Thai, Nonya, Indian and Malaysian dishes every night. In his kitchen Jimmy shows Poh how to make one of Australia’s favourite Asian take-aways, the Pad Thai.

Poh’s Kitchen will be repeated on ABC2 – Thursday, September 09 at 6.00pm

Love Lust & Lies is the fifth film in the documentary series Gillian Armstrong has been making about the lives, hopes and dreams of three lively, working class Adelaide girls since they turned fourteen in 1976.

For over more than 30 years, Kerry, Josie and Diana’s struggles have captured all our hearts, and Gillian’s series is the first, and longest, documentary longitudinal study of young Australians.

Because of the characters’ commitment to truth and their generous relationship with the filmmaker over such a long period all five films have captured a depth, openness and intimacy about these three ordinary but extraordinary women.

It‘s been 14 years since Not Fourteen Again, which focussed on the then 33 year-old mothers and their teenage daughters, Rebecca, Wendy and Amy.

In Love Lust & Lies Gillian returns to Adelaide in 2009 to explore where Kerry, Josie and Diana – and their families – are now. Significant changes have occurred in all their lives. The past is revisited and themes of growing up, love lost and found, family, and the part ‘destiny’ and opportunity play in our lives, are explored. The result is emotionally resonant and compelling viewing.

The three women are now 47 and two are grandmothers. And Rebecca, Wendy and Amy, the three teenage girls introduced in the last film, all have children of their own. As well, Josie and Kerry’s families include a new generation of teenagers: Michael and Micaela, Steven and Shannon. All of them have compelling stories to tell.

Love Lust & Lies captures the highs and lows that have occurred in all the women’s lives over the past 14 years. It explores the complexity, drama, joy and anguish that exist in all families. It exposes the emotional impact of family secrets and ‘skeletons in the closet’.

Love Lust & Lies asks universal questions about life and the opportunities offered by circumstance and shows how the ‘ordinary’ is quite often extraordinary.

Join us on ABC1 on Thursday September 30 at 8.30pm for a glimpse at where Kerry, Josie and Diana’s lives have taken them.

10:05pm – Tuesday, September 7 on ABC1

First Tuesday Book Club enters its 5th year with host Jennifer Byrne, and panellists Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger exploring the world of books; from prize-winners to blockbusters, hot off the presses new releases to much loved classics.

The books for September are: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Special guest Val McDermid brings this classic tale of justice and redemption as her favourite.

But truly, the club was looking for any excuse to revisit this gem which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Inheritance by Nicholas Shakespeare An intriguing premise kick-starts the latest book from the ever interesting UK author Nicholas Shakespeare: It all begins when Andy Larkham turns up late at the wrong funeral and inherits 17 million pounds from a complete stranger.

First Tuesday Book Club With Jennifer Byrne will be repeated on ABC2 – Sunday, September 12 at 6.30pm