Kelly Burnes – Australian Science

Weekly Science Picks

Kelly Burnes — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 08:05:01 +0000

Builder Bees – photo via Gizmodo.com

Welcome to Weekly Science Picks!

Here are some of the top science stories that caught my eye this past week. A smorgasbord of science stories, if you will. Topics include farming in the African desert, the publish or perish dilemma of academia, the wiring patterns of the male and female brains and skilled builder bees. Hope you enjoy.

Sudan hopes technology will transform farming by James Copnall

The idea is to produce hundreds of Sudanese “super cows” that will produce much more milk than local breeds.

Peter Higgs: I wouldn’t be productive enough for today’s academic system by Dekka Aitkenhead

Peter Higgs, the British physicist who gave his name to the Higgs boson, believes no university would employ him in today’s academic system because he would not be considered “productive” enough.

How Men’s Brains Are Wired Differently Than Women’s by Tanya Lewis and LiveScience

The research, which involved imaging the brains of nearly 1,000 adolescents, found that male brains had more connections within hemispheres, whereas female brains were more connected between hemispheres. The results, which apply to the population as a whole and not individuals, suggest that male brains may be optimized for motor skills, and female brains may be optimized for combining analytical and intuitive thinking.

These genetically-modified bees make concrete instead of honey – Original post by GEOFF MANAUGH on GIZMODO

For an ongoing collaborative project, New York-based architect John Becker and I have been looking at the possibility of using bees that have been genetically modified to print concrete as architectural printheads.

Until next time, stay thirsty for knowledge.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-12-08 08:05:01). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-57/

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Ocean Chemistry Unbalanced

Kelly Burnes — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 07:09:22 +0000

Ocean acidification is a decrease in the pH of the oceans, caused by the uptake of CO₂from the atmosphere. It’s a problem; a real problem. One that marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called global warming’s “equally evil twin.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-11-28 07:09:22). Ocean Chemistry Unbalanced. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/environmental-science/ocean-chemistry-unbalanced/

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Weekly Science Picks

Kelly Burnes — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 00:09:16 +0000

Destruction in the Philippines. Photograph by Bullit Marquez, AP, via National Geographic

Good morning. Or good afternoon, or evening, depending on your time zone. But it’s time for Weekly Science Picks, so let’s take a look at some of the stories making headlines in the world of science this week.

CLIMATE.

2013 ‘one of warmest’ on record by Roger Harrabin

Dr Steve Rintoul, research team leader at Australia’s CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research division, said: “A more significant point is that global-average temperature in each of the last three decades has been warmer than any prior decade dating back to 1850, as reported in the recently released IPCC report. It provides compelling evidence that human activities are primarily responsible for the warming over the last 50 years.”

In the light of climate, why the need for action is so dire.

5 Reasons the Philippines Is So Disaster Prone by Dan Vergano

From earthquakes to volcanic eruptions to previous super typhoons, death tolls following cataclysmic events in the Philippines tend to be high. Here are 5 reasons why:

I recall the movie “A Beautiful Mind” when the term schizophrenia comes up. It’s a beautiful movie about the life of John Nash,a mathematician working in differential geometry, game theory and partial differential equations. It depicts the highs and lows of a mental rollercoaster. This next article sheds light on new research, theories, and a little bit of controversy.

Forget the headlines – schizophrenia is more common than you might think by Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman

We tested the level of paranoia among the general public by asking volunteers to take a virtual reality tube train ride, during which they shared a carriage with a number of computer-generated “avatars”. These avatars were programmed to behave in a strictly neutral fashion, yet over 40% of participants reported that the avatars showed hostility towards them.

Here’s the perfect story to read over breakfast! Pancakes and Maths anyone?

Flipping pancakes with mathematics by The Guardian, Notes&Theories, Dispatches from the Science Desk

Thus the so-called pancake sorting problem was born. How many flips are required to turn a disordered stack of pancakes into an ordered stack?

It’s amazing how the designs architects draft on paper come to being before our eyes. Check out this gallery of slinky-esque buildings.

These Skytwisters Are the 21st Century’s Answer to the Skyscraper by Vince Miklos

We live in the age of the twisty, twirly, spun-up skyscraper. From the pages of conceptual architectural journals, to the streets of many cities, these eye-boggling wonders look like some of the most futuristic buildings in the world.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s edition. Have a great weekend. And stay thirsty for knowledge.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-11-17 00:09:16). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-54/

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Plastic’s Reach

Kelly Burnes — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:08:53 +0000

Ocean Cleanup Array by Boyan Slat via inhabitat.com

Plastic. Seems it has extended its reach into the farthest corners of the universe. An earliest post described how plastic has changed our lives, for better…and for worse. ADD link to earlier post. That post largely reflected on the growing problem of plastic in the oceans and the effect on plant and animal life. Now, it seems that plastic threatens our freshwater lakes now too. LINK here.

But wait. It doesn’t stop there. Plastic particles have been found on Saturn’s moon, Titan. The Cassini Probe has detected propene, or propylene on Titan.

It is the first definitive detection of the plastic ingredient on any moon or planet, other than our home world, says the US space agency (Nasa).

What does this mean for the oceans, lakes and rivers? What does it mean for outer space?

With the vast engineering knowledge present around the globe, you’d think we could solve this problem. And we can. We have ambitious engineers. It will take some financing from some courageous and gusty entrepreneurial types. Those aren’t hard to find. It will take people who have an undying passion for the environment and the drive to protect it. We have those. So why can’t we get started on this problem? Any company wanting good PR, this would be an easy ticket to kudos and celebratory high fives.

So realistically, what can be done?

Here’s something that could be a real contender, a real solution to the problem.

Check out Boyan Slat’s idea on this TEDxDelft video. He was just 18 years old at the time. He’s since gone on to found his own non-profit organization, The Ocean Cleanup Foundation. His idea is an ocean cleanup array that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic from the world’s oceans.

Sounds easy, right? Not only that, it also sounds possible.

Plastic in the oceans, lakes and rivers on this planet is a problem that must be solved. It must be solved now. And then the problem of plastic from satellites or space junk will then need to solved. Of course, managing plastic, and preventing plastic from escaping into natural environments, is the first step.

There’s always work to do. Ending plastic’s reach could very well be within reach.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-10-31 00:08:53). Plastic's Reach. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/plastics-reach/

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Weekly Science Picks

Kelly Burnes — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 09:13:10 +0000

Close-up view
Giant ants (Paraponera Clavata), appearing at the exhibition “Mille milliards de fourmis” at the Palais de la Decouverte in Paris. (Copyright: Getty Images)

Welcome to this edition of Weekly Science Picks!

Here’s a great little story to get us started about how one scientist found out about his Nobel Prize win this past week. He doesn’t carry a mobile.

Prof Peter Higgs did not know he had won Nobel Prize by BBC News

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Prof Peter Higgs has revealed he did not know he had won the award until a woman congratulated him in the street.

It’s now the 11th day of the US Government Shutdown. This past week I attempted to go to the Census Bureau website for research on population demographics near a development project I’m working on. No dice. This next story shows the impact that government funding has on science. The implications could be huge.

Fears for science amid US shutdown by David Shukman

Imran Khan, chief executive of the British Science Association, said: “The biggest lesson we should take from this week’s Nobel Prizes is that science doesn’t belong to one nation; it’s an international and collaborative human enterprise.

One could spend hours, even days pondering the origins of our solar system. Some devote their life’s work to it. Check out this story about comets and presolar grains.

First Evidence Found of a Comet Strike on Earth by Andrew Fazekas

“Because there is no sign of an impact crater, it has been a mystery as to what kind of celestial event actually could have caused this debris field, but a small, black stone found lying in the middle of the glass area caught our attention,” said study co-author David Block, an astronomer at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Balancing the needs of economic development with conservation principles is not easy. Governments do have hard choices to make. Sustainable management of resources, both natural and economic, is not a choice; it should be a top policy priority.

In Indonesia, Environmentalists See a Disaster in the Making by Sara Schonhar

Now conservationists say the rapid clearing of virgin forest is paving the way for environmental catastrophe, turning critically endangered orangutans, tigers and elephants into refugees, and triggering landslides and flash floods.

These next two links speak for themselves. You know that line, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. The power of communication, through both photos and words, assists scientists in developing and proving theories and solving problems of the modern world. Enjoy your weekend. Maybe grab a camera, or your smartphone, and capture some scientific snapshots of your own.

Awesome Photos of NASA Equipment Tests by Vincze Miklos

The best science and technology pictures of the week by BBC Future

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-10-13 09:13:10). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-50/

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Big Data…Big Deal

Kelly Burnes — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 00:32:20 +0000

Data is everywhere. Via CRN.

Data is everywhere. It touches and informs every aspect of our lives.

You go to the doctor, and your medical records are electronic on a computer screen before your eyes.

You bank online.

The stock market is all done by computers.

We are living in The Data Age.

I grew up in a time where the word data seemed to be only used in science classrooms. Now, it’s data this, data that, data here, data there. Consumer technology and social media have shot data out of a cannon. We want to pinpoint the minutiae of every day life down to the smallest factoid so that a story can be told from it. And this is not such a bad thing, but it does make me wonder what the next 50 years will bring. How much more can we manipulate and manufacture data into other ‘life’ forms?

It seems as though modern times are placing a huge expectation upon big data; mainly, that it will solve all of our problems. And while there is this potential to help us make informed decisions, we cannot expect data to tell us what the decisions are that need to be made. Creativity is the first ingredient in the blender.

This creativity emerges again in the processing of the data and figuring out the best means to present the data in a way that paints a story that is easily understandable. Many are not literate in data and this divide is very clear in different populations of students and communities. How we teach data literacy in schools is and will be increasingly important. How kids learn the very act of searching the Internet will be crucial in helping them understand data and how to present that data.

A good example of teaching data literacy comes from within my own family. A 70-year old man wanted to learn how to use the Internet. His sons tried, became frustrated at the process. The sons passed him onto the grandsons, who became frustrated as granddad paused to write down every step so he could get online by himself. One of the sons, a principal at a primary school tried something different. He brought his dad to school and set him down in the computer class with the 8-year-olds. There he learned everything he needed to know – how to get online, how to search. Now he’s planning trips to the Italian Alps, keeping up on the golf scores, staying in touch with his children over email, reading history books online.

The Internet of Everything is expanding. Machines are connected globally. Data has gotten big, really big. Data illiteracy and a lack of computer basics will continue to divide populations. However, with the right instruction, generational gaps can be bridged. Fundamentally how we learn is the same; it’s just the tools that are changing. Big data is changing the world.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-09-13 00:32:20). Big Data…Big Deal . Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/big-databig-deal/

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Weekly Science Picks

Kelly Burnes — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 07:43:48 +0000

Flying virus carrier. Photo credit: Jonathan H. Epstein/ EcoHealth Alliance

Well, it’s a new day in Australia with the election of Tony Abbott. It will be interesting to see what changes may be ahead for environmental laws and science.

But this is Weekly Science Picks and not a political roundup at the moment, so let’s get started on some of the fascinating stories in the world of science this week.

With H.I.V., SARS, and now MERS, a virus catalog seems like a good resource to have for future and potentially deadly epidemics.

A Catalog for All the World’s Viruses? by Carl Zimmer

In a new study published in the journal mBio, Dr. Anthony and his colleagues have taken an initial step toward such a catalog by exhaustively searching for all the viruses that infect a single species of mammal — a bat known as the Indian Flying Fox. They found 55 viruses, 50 of which are new to science.

If you had hopes of escaping planet Earth and heading to your lunar estate for some peace and quiet…well, you might need to think again.

Why we might not be able to live on the Moon by Philip Ball

A new paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters drives another nail into the coffin of lunar living. It suggests that what was at first taken to be bright, reflective ice in the Shackleton crater is in fact more likely to be white rock.

An intriguing story about land, mining and the afterlife.

Inside the Battle Over a Strip-Mine Cemetery by Pat Walters

To your rear will be 40 graves—old men and women, small children, veterans of conflicts from the Civil War to World War II—surrounded by a white, split-rail fence and a thin ring of trees. Underfoot: approximately four billion dollars’ worth of coal.

To cap off this week’s edition, a story by Australian Science’s own, Danielle Spencer. What an incredible job to engage children in science and guide them on their journeys of exploration and discovery of the world around them! Take a look at Danielle’s latest post about teaching a unit on space to her students.

Where does the Sun Go at Night? by Danielle Spencer

Now other than being highly entertaining to read, identifying children’s misconceptions is an important part of science teaching. Whilst admittedly some of the above responses may have been guesses, the children were asked to provide their best reason. The responses included here are a sample of the wide variety provided by the children.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-09-08 07:43:48). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-45/

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Hyperloop – A Reality for Commuters?

Kelly Burnes — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 00:04:21 +0000

Hyperloop concept. Via AP Photo/Tesla Motors

As many of you may have heard, Elon Musk – founder of Tesla Motors, PayPal and SpaceX – released his plans for an extraordinary new mode of transportation, the Hyperloop.

Whether they are ‘his’ plans, and if it is a ‘new’ idea, is up for debate. But we’ll leave it there and focus on the idea itself.

So what is the Hyerloop? Remember those pneumatic tubes that transport capsules stuffed with paperwork in older buildings or drive-thru banks? That’s essentially what it is, a capsule moving through a tube. You would enter this capsule (the claustrophobic might want to find an alternative means of commuting), settle in, and then a force of acceleration would blast you through the tube. The capsules would be pulled down the line by magnetic attraction. Each capsule floats on a cushion of air, like a puck on an air hockey table. To reduce friction, a fan located at the front of the capsule would suck air to the rear in the already nearly air-free tube, creating a turbulence free ride to your destination. The system brings to mind that of Walt Disney’s Tomorrowland.

And will it work? Is it feasible?

Marc Thompson, a professor of electrical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts told ABC News that the core principles behind the Musk design should work, but travelling in pressurized tubes while encased in a pod went beyond core principles.

Ernst Frankel, an emeritus mechanical engineering professor at MIT (who also designed a tube-based high-speed public transit system in the mid ‘90s linking Boston to New York, and some might say where Elon Musk took inspiration for his idea) said the over 700 MPH speed Musk proposes runs risks. While trains have broken the sound barrier, we still don’t run passenger trains above that speed.

But can it actually be built?

Sure, it could be built, but I’m not sure if any of the barriers or obstacles Musk’s system might encounter were considered in this pie-in-the-sky presentation. First, there are the mountains in the Central Valley of California to get over, or under. Second, there are the land use and zoning laws and property rights to consider when building an elaborate system stretching approximately 381 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Where’s it going to go? Third, Musk mentioned that his Hyperloop system would never crash and would be immune to weather. Never say never. Where a system is operated by humans, there will be likely be human error. And the weather? Perhaps not so much a concern, but what about the seismic activity prevalent in the San Andreas Fault? Furthermore, if the system is underground, how exactly will it be solar-powered? Fourth is the cost. The price tag for the system is between $6 and $10 billion. Unrealistic.

Many big cities and suburbs are facing a transportation breakdown. We eventually get to where we need to go, but often not without congestion, increasing pollution and oftentimes a headache. It’s no wonder engineers, scientists and tinkerers are looking for the next big thing in transportation.

Hopefully, some feasible solutions are just around the corner.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-08-21 00:04:21). Hyperloop - A Reality for Commuters?. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/hyperloop-a-reality-for-commuters/

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Water, water everywhere?

Kelly Burnes — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 06:33:34 +0000

Gulf of Carpentaria showing Flinders River in north Queensland. Department of Natural Resources via www.abc.net.au

We often don’t plan for water in the broader sense when we think of developing communities and towns. The water pipes are underground, sure, and they flow to the water and sewer treatment plant, and we have water whenever we command the faucet to release it. But when you think about it, the water cycle is lost on the ground. The holistic concept of it being a cycle is washed away. Water is seen more as a nuisance, a problem, something to be taken care of rather than a resource. This is the real problem. While water is a need, and a serious one globally for clean water, water is treated more as an expectation, a guarantee of service.

In order to create more sustainable and resilient developments, we need better management and regulation of water resources. Better governance. Water efficiency, water quality, conservation, drought prevention, supply and demand issues, these are topics that local, state and national governments must tackle, and soon. Water is critical to economic development in terms of manufacturing and technology.

Population distribution is skewed as cities and towns dot the coastlines. Over half of the world’s population lives within 200 kilometres (120 miles) of the coast. As we’ve seen increasingly over the past few years, extreme weather events such as cyclones, hurricanes and the resulting floods can cause great devastation to civilisation.

There are design elements that can enhance a community’s relationship with water. Creating driveways and sidewalks out of permeable surfaces rather than bitumen; installing green roofs; rain barrels and gardens to collect water are just a few solutions. Harvesting runoff from buildings (rain barrels) can be used to flush toilets or recycled water for watering lawns and washing. Integrating water into town planning can minimize damage to infrastructure during extreme weather events.

Better water management, which means integrating the water cycle with the urban environment, will produce more sustainable communities in the future. Can you imagine the alternative if we didn’t? A world without water would not last long. The human body can last about 3 days without water. Water and sanitation is a human right, with 3.4 million fighting for their survival each year for clean water. With the global economy’s current fixation on innovation, if we don’t recognize the basic resources needed to allow creativity to flourish, it will all be for nought.

Please check your local conservation office for water resources and other conservation practices you can adopt. These websites will also give you more information and ways to make a difference.

http://www.environment.gov.au/water/index.html

http://water.org/

http://www.charitywater.org/

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-08-20 06:33:34). Water, water everywhere?. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/water-water-everywhere/

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Weekly Science Picks

Kelly Burnes — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 10:05:14 +0000

The magenta exoplanet, Illustration courtesy S. Wiessinger, NASA, via BBC

What a week in the world of science! Let’s dive right in!

I’m currently re-reading the Ultimate ‘ Guide by Douglas Adams. This next story got me to thinking of custom designed planet building. What a lovely shade of pink!

Newly Discovered Pink Exoplanet on the Lighter Side by Jane J. Lee

In a new study announcing the magenta gas giant, researchers were able to directly image this exoplanet using the Subaru telescope on Hawaii. The color of this blushing body indicates it has less cloud cover than other observed exoplanets, meaning researchers can peer even deeper into its atmosphere to divine its components.

Anyone feeling hungry and a wee bit adventurous?

World’s first lab-grown burger is eaten in London by BBC News

The professor said the meat was made up of tens of billions of lab-grown cells. Asked when lab-grown burgers would reach the market, he said: “I think it will take a while. This is just to show we can do it.”

This next story highlights a growing global problem… teaching and STEM.

Science and maths teacher shortage may loom for England by Judith Burns

The government’s new School Direct scheme is recruiting too few trainee teachers in key subjects, says Oxford Brookes university’s Prof John Howson.

There is a mystery disease attacking the bottlenose dolphin population. It won’t be easy to pinpoint the source, but let’s hope some real progress is made soon.

Dolphin Deaths Off East Coast Worry Federal Officials by Michael Wines

Federal wildlife officials raised a formal alarm on Thursday over the deaths of scores of bottlenose dolphins in waters off the east coast, saying that a fast-spreading infection could be attacking dolphin populations from New York to Virginia.

Another fish tale… though this one may have leave a bad taste in the mouth with some viewers and readers.

Shark weak: the Discovery Channel’s famous week is sinking to tabloid tactics by Alan Yuhas

The Discovery Channel, which bills itself as the “#1 nonfiction media company” opened this year’s Shark Week with a fictional “documentary”.

I think this last “story” is a perfect capstone to this edition of Weekly Science Picks. Discovering new planets, investigating unusual mortality events in an animal population, even creating edible meat from stem cells; that’s all real science. And we need teachers to teach the subjects of maths and science to youngsters and to dispel these myths and sensationalism that media companies are hyping with outrageous headlines. It’s not just Discovery; the History Channel and National Geographic have departed from their traditional core programming, presumably to keep pace in the ratings race. And if that’s what viewers want more of, entertainment, well that’s one thing. But science should not be compromised at any cost.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-08-11 10:05:14). Weekly Science Picks . Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-41/

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