Science: we’ll never really understand it all

Dr Karl, as we call him, is one of Australia’s best-known scientists.

He has a number of degrees and awards (his resume is an impressive 15 pages long), regularly speaks about all things science on radio and television, has written a plethora of books, and has released a music single, Get Fact, in 2009.

His groundbreaking research into bellybutton lint earned him the prestigious Ig Nobel Prize awarded by Harvard University in 2002.

He also has an asteroid named after him.

Dr Karl has always had an interest in science, though he admits it’s a bit of a futile mission to try to understand it all.

“You’ll never get there,” he told The Senior.

“But it leads to enlightenment and a better quality of life.”

Dr Karl began to spruik science in 1981.

He walked straight into the ABC and offered to talk about the space shuttle launch after NASA classified him as “non-astronaut material”.

His newly-released 40th book, The Doctor, covers everything from climate change to raw milk and everything in between.

“It’ll make you laugh and learn at the same time,” he said.

Dr Karl celebrated his 68th birthday in March, so he understands what it’s like to get a bit older.

He said there isn’t a science to ageing well. “We don’t fully understand ageing and why it happens.”

While many micro details contribute to getting older, he said the best way to promote healthy ageing is “just by having a nice quality of life”.

“Don’t get fat, exercise and get enough sleep,” he said.

Generally, the earlier someone adopts this healthy lifestyle, the better they’ll age.

But hope isn’t lost for those already battling the kilo creep – “unfatternising” is still helpful.

Despite the research that still needs to be done into ageing, Dr Karl thinks future scientists may be able to stop it all together. All they have to do is understand programmed cell death.

“If we can find the program and change it, we’d be heading towards immortality.”

While living forever in the body of a 27-year-old sounds wonderful, what would be the impact on our planet?

“We have to become a space-going race.

“We were nearly wiped out last October when a rock 600 metres in diameter just missed us.”

Dr Karl has no plans to slow down. In fact, he has already started work on his next two books.

“New science is always coming through all the time. It would be a shame not to get it out.”

And what of retirement? He’s having far too much fun to think about that!

When he isn’t writing, Dr Karl is normally found with his wife Mary, and children Lola, Alice and Karl.

He also likes to fix things around the house, such as computers, and spend time in the garden.

But the burning question remains: where does he get his fabulous bright shirts?

“My wife makes them for me!”

So there you have it.