Category: Australia
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2012 Winners from the 60SecondScience Video Competition
Results from the 2012 60SecondScience Video Competition have been released. For the last two years 60SecondScience has been a global science event involving students and citizens from 40 countries. These citizen and student-created videos have been downloaded and viewed well over 700,000 times, and growing daily. The competition is sponsored by DEECD Victoria, Australia. Winners below share…
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We Support the Petition to End the Faroe Islands’ Whale & Dolphin Slaughter
Thousands of signatures have now been presented in person to the Faroe Islands Government. Add your voice to this petition to keep up the demand until this cruel whale slaughter is banned. Hundreds of pilot whales are slaughtered every year on the Faroe Islands, a small group of islands north of Europe. Faroe men go…
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A Tankful of Sugar
Remember those toy trucks, the 18-wheelers (tractor-trailers) that gas companies manufactured? If you grew up in the 80’s, and were a boy or had a brother, or just loved trucks, your dad probably bought one for Christmas. My brother and I would build towns out of Lincoln Logs and Legos and we would wait for…
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Social networks and culture among dolphins
Recently published research in Nature Communications ‘Social networks reveal cultural behaviour in tool-using using dolphins‘ is exploring social networks of dolphins. In particular, it finds evidence for homophily on a learned skill which leads that there’s an exclusion and cultural contagion even among cetaceans. Abstract Animal tool use is of inherent interest given its relationship to…
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Did life’s building blocks crash land?
In 1969, on September 28, the skies near Murchison, Victoria (not to be confused with Murchison, Western Australia) were illuminated by a dramatic sight. A spectacular fireball blazed its way through Earth’s atmosphere, its outer layers heated to extreme temperatures by its speed. Residents of the town reported seeing the fireball split into three pieces…
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Horticultural Tourism as a form of Sustainable Tourism
Tourism industry has a significant effect on the Australian economy. The tourism industry was accounted for 2.5% of Australia’s GDP at a rate of $35 billion to the national economy in the financial year of 2010/2011.This is comparable with $94.8 million contribution of tourism a day to the Australian economy. (Australian Bureau of statistic. “Tourism…
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BioGrid Australia links data to show bowel cancer screening is making impact on patient survival rate
BioGrid Australia links data to show bowel cancer screening is making impact on patient survival rate. Victorian researchers have been able to confirm that the national bowel cancer screening program is making a major impact on patient survival. Using data made available through BioGrid Australia, the researchers have shown that patients diagnosed as a result…
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Radio quiet, please!
Originally conceived over 20 years ago, there’s a project being undertaken by scientists and engineers across the whole world to help us all better understand the mysteries of the galaxy and the very beginnings of the Universe. It’s estimated to be completed by around 2024,costing $1.85 billion AUS (€1.5 billion). Once completed, it’s set to…
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Who Doesn’t Love a (Penguin) Parade?
It’s not just 5-year old children who get excited by the sight of penguins; on no, penguins have been “all the rage” in movies and on television these past few years, delighting all ages. These magnificent, peaceful flightless birds are a key indicator to the health and environment rating of our planet. But I’ll get…
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Bike Brisbane: Brisbane winners announcement
On Thursday, the Lord Mayor announced the winners of the hack::Brisbane competition at a presentation in New Farm Park. The winners of the hack::Brisbane competition are:
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60 second science: Engaging with the ‘Youtube Generation’
Being one of the International judges for the International Science Video Competition, I have talked with Brendan O’Brien, the convenor of the “60 second science“. What is “60 second science”? 60SecondScience is a fully online International Video Competition sponsored by the Department of Education (DEECD-Innovation Next Practice Division), Victoria, Australia. Since its first iteration in 2008,…