25,000-Year-Old Highs, Fighter Pilot G-Suits & The Haunted Cemetery Car.

Danny Hoyland and Damien Lee are back for another packed edition of *Wake Up With Dr Dan*, with fishing, food, science, history, gardening, ghosts, endurance athletes and another collection of stories you probably won’t hear anywhere else. Shane “Shocking Jock” Bowering kicks things off with politics, the Queensland credit rating debate and his thoughts on the latest political controversies. He also reminds community groups that the Gambling Community Benefit Fund remains open, with grants of up to $35,000 available for eligible equipment, renovations and projects. Craig “Stinkbomb” Charlton brings in the fishing report and introduces the SpinWright Fluff Head Swim Jig, a skirted lure aimed at barramundi and Murray cod. He reports big flathead, whiting, snapper, school mackerel, trevally and bass — plus an extraordinary barramundi measuring more than 1.2 metres caught in the Brisbane River. Ranger Nick keeps things simple with a skillet full of Portobello mushrooms, peas, chorizo and pine nuts, while also looking ahead to the King of the Ranges event and his ambitious attempt to create an Australia-shaped meatloaf for an Australian record. Dr Deb Mills explains the fascinating science behind G-suits, the special garments used by fighter pilots to prevent them blacking out under extreme G-forces. She traces the technology from early water-filled suits to Australian researcher Frank Cotton’s compressed-air design and explains how modern suits automatically inflate to stop blood pooling in a pilot’s legs. Horticulturist Paul Plant checks in from the Noosa Botanic Gardens plant sale to talk about Oxalis triangularis, or purple shamrock. While many people know oxalis as a lawn weed, Paul explains why some ornamental varieties have become prized collector plants thanks to their striking dark-purple foliage. Resident scientist Dr Janine Young takes listeners back around 25,000 years, with research from Sulawesi suggesting humans were chewing betel nut far earlier than previously thought. Ancient teeth show distinctive wear consistent with chewing the whole nut, possibly for its psychoactive or pain-relieving effects — even though the practice itself could severely damage teeth. Food scientist Jeremy Ryland tackles food allergies and intolerances, from coeliac disease and gluten to peanuts, dairy, seafood and the serious risks of anaphylaxis. He also explains the growing challenge restaurants and caterers face when managing multiple dietary requirements and the importance of avoiding cross-contamination. History Out There’s Harold Peacock uncovers the extraordinary story of William Matson, a man of African descent born in Dominica who lived in Ipswich and attempted to enter Queensland politics in the 1860s and 1870s. Matson’s colourful life included court cases, political ambitions and later work connected to the Polynesian labour trade. Harold says his election could potentially have made him one of the earliest — and perhaps only — former slaves to stand for parliament in Australia. Five-time Coolangatta Gold winner and endurance athlete Caine Eckstein joins the show while undertaking another remarkable challenge — travelling from the Gold Coast to Sydney largely on foot with minimal planning and just one set of clothes. He’s also raising money to help families struggling to afford veterinary surgery for their pets, inspired by the care his own dog Hank received. Then Jack Sim delivers a cracking Goodna Cemetery ghost story. Back in the 1970s, a group of teenagers drove into the dark, overgrown cemetery and stopped near the mysterious “Headless Angel”. After hearing the legend that its head could reappear at midnight, they rushed back to their car — only to discover it wouldn’t start. They eventually pushed it all the way to the cemetery gates, where, inexplicably, it started normally again. Sam Ingemeyer rounds out the morning with the latest Pub Goss and sport from the Normanby and Rocklea Hotels, while Danny’s decades-old jockstrap somehow becomes one of the morning’s longest-running jokes. Plus there’s NFL in Melbourne, the Bridge to Brisbane, fishing, local events, plenty of sport and another three hours of unmistakable Dr Dan chaos. It’s *Wake Up With Dr Dan* — where ancient drugs, fighter jets and haunted cemeteries can somehow all end up in the same show.