Mercury is in retrograde! Are more bad things going to happen? How does retrograde even occur?

In this episode of Void Deck by Science Centre Singapore, Lydia asks SK, Science Centre's Exhibitions Manager and astronomy enthusiast, all about Mercury in Retrograde (November 2026):

00:00 - 00:33 Introduction

00:34 - 02:29 What is 'Mercury in Retrograde'?

02:30 - 03:18 Cultural Significances

03:19 - 04:20 Conspiracy??

04:21 - 04:57 Confirmation Bias

04:58 - 06:15 Retrograde of Other Planets

06:16 - 10: 45 Misconceptions & Clarifications

10:46 - 11:32 Why is it important to talk about this?

11:32 - 12:03 Outro

Guest Biography

Mr. Sng Seow Koon (SK) is a Manager in the Exhibitions department at Science Centre Singapore. While he oversees the development of certain exhibitions, he also volunteers with the Observatory team and is often chasing astronomical events around the world.

For full transcript and show notes, visit https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s3e6-mercury-in-retrograde

What does it mean when a planet is in opposition? What are they opposing!?

In this episode of Void Deck by Science Centre Singapore, Lydia asks science educator Jogie on the upcoming planet in opposition (October 2026):

00:00 - 00:41 Introduction

00:41 - 02:32 What are 'Planets in Opposition'?

02:32 - 03:17 Why is it important?

03:17 - 05:19 What to expect for the next opposition

Guest Biography

Ms. Jogie Ko is a Science Educator at Science Centre Singapore. On a day-to-day basis, she conducts workshops for schools, as well as planetarium live shows at the Omni-theatre on some Friday nights.

For full transcript and show notes, visit https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s3e5-planets-in-opposition

For more astronomy content, check out: https://www.science.edu.sg/whats-on/workshops-activities/stargazing

In this episode, we explore the Moon's significance in many cultures, why we only ever see one side of the moon, and talk about a recent man-made crater.

Episode highlights and timestamps

00:43 - 01:12 Introduction

01:12 - 02:10 The moon and its significance to various cultures

02:10 - 02:40 Why we only see one side of the moon: tidal locking

02:40 - 03:37 The shape and movement of the moon

03:37 - 04:16 What’s unique about our moon

04:16 - 06:39 Lunar impact of SpaceX rocket’s upper stage

06:39 - 07:19 Conclusion

Guest Biography

Mr. Lim Meng Hwee (Meng) is a Senior Science Educator at Science Centre Singapore. Some of the classes he teaches include the Aquatic Plants & Animals class, as well as astronomy workshops and planetarium live shows at the Omnitheatre on some Friday nights.

For more, visit https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/podcast/ T

ranscript and shownotes here: https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s3e4-moon-culture-significance-and-belly-vodcast

What's the difference between scuba and free diving? What kind of marine life is in Singapore? What sounds do you hear underwater? Can corals get un-bleached?

And most importantly, what on earth is zooxanthellae?

In this episode of Void Deck by Science Centre Singapore, Lydia asks science educators Meng and Edna to deep dive into all things ocean.

For more ocean content, join us for our Science Cafe panel discussion on 26 June 2026: https://www.science.edu.sg/workshops-activities/science-cafe

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 - 01:23 Introduction

01:23 - 03:11 Scuba and Free Diving

03:11 - 04:25 Marine Life: Dugongs

04:25 - 05:16 Marine Life: Peacock Mantis Shrimps

05:16 - 05:52 Marine Life: The Number 1 Rule

05:52 - 08:41 Marine Life in Singapore

08:41 - 11:46 Difference between Scuba and Free Diving

11:46 - 13:38 Are corals plants or animals?

13:38 - 15:48 Sounds underwater

15:48 - 16:28 Are whalesharks whales or sharks?

16:28 - 17:16 What is a plankton?

17:16 - 18:38 Coral bleaching

18:38 - 20:03 Guest Feature: Tara Ocean Foundation

Guest biography

Mr. Lim Meng Hwee (Meng) is a Senior Science Educator at Science Centre Singapore. Some of the classes he teaches include the Aquatic Plants & Animals class, as well as astronomy workshops and planetarium live shows at the Omnitheatre on some Friday nights.

Ms. Edna Chan is a Master Science Educator from the Gallery Experience & Sustainability team at Science Centre Singapore. She hosts some of the flagship shows at our centre, such as the Energy Titans and Fire Tornado shows.

For full transcript and show notes, visit https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s3e3-deep-dive-vodcast/

Get your tickets to ONE Ocean here: https://www.science.edu.sg/whats-on/one-ocean

Have you ever seen humanoid robots walking the streets or going viral online? How do they move? Why don't they fall while carrying out all those fancy moves? In this episode of Void Deck by Science Centre Singapore, Lydia sits down with in-house 'robot trainer' Wenjun to unravel how such humanoid robots work.

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• 01:11 Introducing the Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot
• 02:00 How can the robot do boxing?
• 03:10 How does the robot learn?
• 04:23 What can it help us with our daily lives?
• 05:00 'Would You Rather...'
• 05:43 Can robots replace humans?

Guest biography

Ms. Wenjun Liang is a Senior Science Educator at Science Centre Singapore. On a daily basis, Wenjun can be found around the centre conducting shows and interacting with guests. For the RoboFest, Wenjun has been specially trained to work with robots.

For transcription and show notes, visit: https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s3e2-how-to-train-your-robot

On 3 March 2026, the Moon turns red into a Blood Moon as it goes through a total lunar eclipse. But how exactly does that happen? In this episode of Void Deck by Science Centre Singapore, Lydia sits down with in-house space expert Meng to unpack what makes this total lunar eclipse special. Why does the Moon turn red? Is a Blood Moon different from a lunar eclipse?

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• 00:51 Why does the Moon turn red?
• 01:32 Quickfire 'This or That' -- what does our space expert prefer?
• 02:10 How to watch the eclipse on 3rd March 2026
• 04:39 Embarrassing Question #1: Are all lunar eclipses red?
• 05:28 Embarrassing Question #2: Is a Blood Moon = a lunar eclipse?
• 06:18 Fun Fact!: Eclipses always happen in pairs

Guest biography

Mr. Lim Meng Hwee (Meng) is a Senior Science Educator at Science Centre Singapore. On a daily basis, Meng conducts workshops and classes in the centre, including the planetarium shows at the Omnitheatre some Friday nights. Meng is especially focused in astronomical sciences and you may often see him at local astronomical sites with his very own gear and mind full of stars.

For full transcript and show notes, visit: https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s3e1-lunar-eclipse/

Scattered across Singapore are 255 registered Heritage Trees—remarkable for their majesty, cultural value, and the histories these green landmarks are rooted in. While some are native, many aren’t. So how did our heritage trees end up here, and what makes them worth conserving? In this episode, tropical forest ecologist Dr. Shawn Lum walks us through the hidden world of our heritage trees, the work that goes into conserving them, and why they matter more than we might think.

Episode Highlights

• The meaning behind Heritage Tree status - how trees earn this prestigious designation through their botanical value and cultural significance

• The extensive work that goes into conserving our natural heritage, from expert arborist inspections to lightning protection installation

• The journey of Singapore's most common Heritage Tree species, the Rain Tree, from South America to Southeast Asia

• Discovering century-old majestic trees in the Changi area that still stand as living witnesses to Singapore's changing landscape

• How everyday citizens can contribute to forest conservation, from nominating potential Heritage Trees to participating in the One Million Trees movement

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:59 Definition and Criteria for Heritage Trees

02:29 Nomination Process for Heritage Trees

04:27 Non-Native Species and Globalisation

07:34 Maintenance of Heritage Trees

10:44 Dr. Lum’s Favourite Heritage Trees

13:44 What You Can Do to Help Our Forests

15:14 Outro

Guest Bio: Dr. Shawn Lum joined the NTU Asian School of the Environment in January 2016 after spending more than twenty years as a Lecturer at the National Institute of Education. He joined NIE upon completion of his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. Shawn is a product of islands - he was born in Tokyo, raised in Honolulu, and has spent his working career in Singapore. Shawn's teaching has centered upon plant diversity, forest ecology, and conservation. In addition to his teaching and academic work, he works closely with local environment and nature-related agencies and is also active in nature conservation NGOs and civil society. [From NTU]

Read the full transcript and show notes at https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s2e4-ecology

According to a study by IMH, about 1 in 3 Singaporeans aged 15 - 65 are reported to have problematic amounts of smartphone usage in their daily lives. But what happens when we’re seeing our peers on their 5th couples trip to Japan on Instagram? Does it make us more “kiasu” about our own lives? Can our brains get so overloaded with digital content to the point of “brain rot?” What can we do to develop healthier relationships with our devices? Behavioural scientist Dr. Jean Liu shares her insights.

Episode Highlights

• How the “fear of missing out” (FOMO) drives problematic social media use—people who fear missing out are most vulnerable to excessive platform engagement and its negative effects, especially on social networking sites

• Why the pop science concept of social media providing "dopamine hits" might be oversimplified and what neuroscience actually tells us about our brains on screens

• The truth about "brain rot" and why consuming "mindless" content isn't necessarily harmful

• How our phones are changing the way we remember and behave, from search-engine-oriented memory patterns to the psychological impact of "phubbing" (phone snubbing)

• Practical strategies for digital wellness including the concept of "digital minimalism" that focuses on aligning device use with life goals rather than arbitrary screen time limits

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:52 What is Kiasu?

01:39 FOMO and Social Media

03:06 Why is Social Media So Addictive?

04:51 Debunking the Dopamine Hit

06:42 Brain Rot

09:10 Effects of Screentime on the Brain

11:03 Healthier Relationships with Devices

13:25 Being Present for Others

14:37 Final Thoughts: Is Your Phone Making You More Kiasu?

15:12 Outro

Guest Bio: Dr Jean Liu is a Director at the Centre for Evidence and Implementation, and adjunct Assistant Professor at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. [Note: Since recording this episode, Dr. Jean Liu has been appointed as an Associate Professor of Psychology at Singapore Institute of Technology.] Her primary research area focuses on how digital devices impact our health and social relationships. To date, she has published >30 research papers on topics such as: how individuals use their phones during meals, how social media relates to mental health, how WhatsApp users transmit health messages, and whether following Taylor Swift predicts better mental health outcomes.

In recognition of her expertise, Dr Liu has served as consultant to the World Health Organisation, assisting with the roll-out of a new mental health framework for the Western Pacific Region. She is also a Council Member for the Agency for Care Effectiveness, expert panelist for the Health Promotion Board, and board member for several non-profit organisations. Her research insights have been discussed in parliament, and she speaks frequently in the media.

Read the full transcript and show notes at https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/s2e3-psychology/