Magdeline.L – Australian Science

Weekly Science Picks

Magdeline.L — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 11:49:29 +0000

Bring out your bongo drums and beat in celebration of the entirety of Volume One of The Feynman Lectures is available online thanks to a partnership between Caltech and The Feynman Lectures Website making this possible. Richard Feynman was a brilliant physicist reknown for making physics and indeed science accessible to people outside of the scientific community. He also played the bongo drums.

This work is based lectures Feynman delivered at Caltech to undergraduate physics students. Fear not though because the words are easy to read and understand. In my opinion it is a very good example of science communication. It’s also an excellent resource material for teachers and students. The lectures have been compiled into three volumes of books before but now Volume One is freely available and designed to be able to be read on any device with the ability to zoom in on figures and equations.

Palaeontologists have applied physics to show how feathery dinosaurs adapted to flight. There is growing acceptance that birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs but no one knows how. Researchers from the University of Southampton built a full scale model of Microraptor, a four winged dinosaur, and put it to the test in a wind tunnel.

The blue whale is the undisputed largest known living animal on the Earth ever. However, it is not the largest known living organism ever. Confused? MinuteEarth took time to explain in the latest video offering.

Cite this article:
Lum M (2013-09-22 11:49:29). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-47/

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Your ABC Wants Your Opinion

Magdeline.L — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 06:25:02 +0000

ABC Mobile Studio Caravan – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is intertwined with the Australian identity since the 1920s. For Australians living in regional and remote locations away from the bright city lights of capital cities the ABC had been the only constant media and information source until recently when commercial media stations invested on capturing this audience. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s in regional Western Australia, the ABC was the go to media outlet for information about the world outside of the town I was in. Sometimes there was no other media outlet.

It was the ABC that taught me about story telling with the broadcast of Sesame Street and Play School. It was also through these mediums that I got my first tastes of science. I did not know what it was at the time but I enjoyed finding out why things worked the way they did and how things could be categorised. All this during the formative years of my education and especially helpful when I was having to learn English at school on top of writing, reading, and mathematics. I don’t think I’m alone in growing up with the ABC.

Now the ABC is wanting our opinions on their science coverage. I don’t know of any other media outlet in Australia who wants to listen to the opinion of their audiences, let alone their audience’s opinion on science coverage. They are also asking for honest feedback. A few weeks ago I was invited to an ABC Community Science Forum in Perth to talk about just this in a room that included the ABC Advisory Council.

It was honest. People talked about the things that they liked and what they did not like about the ABC’s Science Coverage. We did not get much of a description of the event before the forum and I admit to being hesitant in attending. I was concerned about the process being more of a marketing ploy than a feedback session. By the end of the session I felt that it had been well worth attending and that I shared some of the concerns raised in the discussion. What I especially liked was that no member of the ABC staff came on the defensive when criticisms were aired by participants.

I turn to the ABC for so many things today, interviews with notable people of their field, documentaries, investigative journalism, and of course the latest news. What I adore is the coverage of science. It percolates through many things that the ABC programmes and I think this is unique and should be applauded. No other media outlet in Australia comes close to this. This is the only Australian media outlet that does not make a special case out of science except in the case of specialised science shows. The most notable example that I cannot get enough of at the moment is Conversations with Richard Fidler which brings a variety of people for interviewing. These people are all part of our community no matter what their day job may be.

There is dedicated science content on radio, television, and online and with this has come the invitation for the public to interact with the ABC. It has especially grown with the explosion of social media. With the Australian Curriculum being implemented across the nation, ABC has created ABC Splash which is a collection of multimedia resources for use in the classroom and also for young people to explore. It is in its infancy and still being fully fleshed out but yet again it is another example of how ABC is the only media outlet going it alone working to provide science content to the Australian public.

After 30 years of consuming products from the ABC, the act of inviting me to a feedback forum in an area I am passionate about has cemented the love I have for Australia’s public broadcaster. It demonstrates commitment in my pet area of interest and that they are not going to let their science coverage fall by the wayside. This is why I am also working on a written submission to the ABC Advisory Council, not because I want to see more science content but because they really are taking all opinions into consideration.

If you have an opinion about the ABC’s science coverage, let them know. They want to know about it.

Cite this article:
Lum M (2013-07-31 06:25:02). Your ABC Wants Your Opinion. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/your-abc-wants-your-opinion/

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Are Australians Really Getting Dumber?

Magdeline.L — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 00:00:27 +0000

The Australian Academy of Science has found that when it comes to science Australians are getting dumber in its latest report on science literacy. Compared to three years ago, less people in Australia know that the Earth’s orbit of the sun takes one year. Among 18-24 year olds 62% surveyed knew the correct answer, a fall from 74% three years ago. Other results would also send scientists into a tail spin of despair, with 27% of respondents saying that the earliest humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs, though an improvement from 30% of respondents in 2010 who thought this.

What does this all say? If you take the face value of the press release and the ensuing media coverage, Australians are getting dumber. I’m a scientist who dedicates a significant proportion of time to science outreach activities and announcements like this get sent my way. They get sent my way not because I moonlight as a science journalist but because people genuinely want to know what I think and feel about such a survey. I suspect what they really want to know is whether I feel I have wasted my time.

Here is my honest answer: There ought to be no panicking and nor should there be any despair of the results. This survey does not reflect science literacy in Australia.

This survey is asks these six questions of people:

How long does it take for the Earth to go around the Sun?
Is the following statement true or false? The earliest humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs.
What percentage of the Earth’s surface is covered by water?
What percentage of the Earth’s water is fresh water?
Do you think that evolution is occurring?
Do you think that humans are influencing the evolution of other species?

The results of the answers of these six questions is what science literacy in Australia is measured against by the Australian Academy of Science. These questions are an exercise in recall. Some facts are bigger than others and are covered with more significance in the Australian Science Curriculum that is currently being rolled out across the nation. A curriculum I would like to point out that is formed from the basis of previous curricula from the states and territories of Australia. It is freely available to anyone who would like to see what some are demanding more science content in but not stating specifics as to what. More focus is not a sufficient demand.

As a scientist sitting here typing this article, I could not tell you what percentage of the Earth’s water is fresh water. I certainly hope no one expects me to know this fact. I have memories of teachers stating the number but I can’t recall it. Instead what I do remember from those lessons is that fresh water is rare and that it is precious and that it should not be wasted. Which is the more important science lesson?

I will go further and make a confession as a chemist. I cannot recall the first 20 elements of the Periodic Table. I know that hydrogen and helium are the first two elements and that’s where my recall is. However, place me in a chemistry lab, I can perform all manner of inorganic and wet chemical analysis. I know chemistry so well that I can tutor the subject so well that a C-grade student can become an A-grade student who no longer needs tutoring. I am not just imparting chemical knowledge but also the skills of lifelong learning and an appreciation for the reasons behind chemical relationships.

Science is so much more than recalling factoids. The only use factoid recall will ever have is winning a quiz. It won’t even guarantee you an A in an examination. The vast majority of reporting of results of this quiz has widened the divide between the scientific community and everyone else. Going on the attack labelling Australians for not only being illiterate in science but also assuming that they did nothing to improve the results three years since the last survey is not being inclusive in the lead up to National Science Week. It is frustrating to witness this communication gaffe.

I doubt many scientists or even Nobel Science Laureates could score 100% in the survey questions without any assistance. Does this diminish their ability as a scientist? Would you dare to question their interest and curiosity of science? I don’t think anyone would.

What is science? I have heard it described as a common sense approach to finding out why things work. It is also about discovering new understandings of accepted scientific understanding. It is about communicating with other people interested in the same part of the world that you are. It is about being able to gather information and use evidence to form a hypothesis for testing. It is also about telling the world about why you see the way something is based on the evidence in front of you. It is also an ability to accept new ideas when the evidence presents itself. It is also a skill to recognise when something is not what you thought it was.

Science is so many things. The practicing of observing events objectively and requiring evidence to form a conclusion is something that takes place in every science classroom in Australia. This underpins so many areas in life that require analysis. In this election year, I hope that eligible voters in Australia remember the skills of observation and reasoning from science lessons rather than factoids. It is the former that will allow them to discuss policies and make decisions.

It is time that the Australian public is given credit where credit is due. I spend time reading the comments left on news articles dealing with contentious issues like vaccination and climate change. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, there are people that will argue against conventional knowledge under the guises of skepticism or conscientious objection. Time and time again there are Australians who are non-scientists engaging with the discussion to explain what the scientific evidence means.

Additionally there are numerous citizen science projects dotted around the nation with armies of volunteers who don’t hold a science degree collecting and processing data for scientists to analyse. Take the time to talk to these volunteers and you will find that they are an incredible asset to Australia. They know the finer details of their local environment and add so much value to the numbers being collected.

The survey by the Australian Academy of Science does not highlight these sorts of activity and does a disservice announcing Australians to be dumber. When it comes to science literacy discussion in Australia I would like to see something more than press releases on six question survey that tests memory recall. My description of science makes it hard to measure and define because science is a combination of particular skills and understanding and the application of them. It is time that due respect be given to this and change measurement methods to reflect this if we want meaningful data about Australian science literacy.

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scjn/

Cite this article:
Lum M (2013-07-23 00:00:27). Are Australians Really Getting Dumber?. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/australia-2/are-australians-really-getting-dumber/

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All You Need is a Minute to Learn Physics

Magdeline.L — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:35:04 +0000

Really.

Well okay, maybe a little more than a minute. Three minutes tops. Well okay, maybe five minutes and throw in an appreciation of watching cartoons and Youtube videos. That’s it.

I was skeptical when I stumbled on Henry Reich’s MinutePhysics Youtube channel one night. How could anyone explain light, The Big Bang or relativity in just minutes and be understood? I decided to watch one in the expectation that I would be sent to sleep. It was well past midnight. In the end, I didn’t go to sleep until after I had watched every MinutePhysics video in existence. I was hooked. It all started with an explanation of what fire is.

I come across people who have not heard of MinutePhysics so here I am telling everyone on the internet. Each of Henry’s videos is well researched and easy to understand. It is firmly on the list of Youtube channels that I have subscribed to.

Henry Reich

Henry creates every MinutePhysics stop motion video himself. He draws, narrates and edits the entire thing. This is because while Henry has a Masters in Physics from the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics he had also pursued filmmaking as a hobby. After the masters was finished, Henry pursued filmmaking more seriously and discovered that Youtube isn’t just about cute cat videos.

“After I finished my masters at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, I took some time to work in film/video and ended up working for the youtube channel “Freddiew” where I learned that you could actually make videos intentionally for youtube,” says Henry.

“I’ve also always enjoyed explaining complicated things, so it seemed like it might be fun to try making some videos to explain complicated physics to the public.”

This is what Henry does and he does it well. Nothing seems too small or too big to tackle. He reads every personal message that is sent to him on Youtube and Facebook and does his best to respond. When asked on how he judges a video to be successful, it is not the number of views or whether it has gone viral. The answer Henry gives is humble and reflective.

“I know a video is successful when a middle schooler and the Nobel Laureate who did the research I’m explaining both tell me how much they liked the video.”

Henry doesn’t just make videos on physics found in textbooks and highlights how they do influence our everyday lives whether we think about it or not. He also makes videos on physics discoveries as they happen. One great example of this was when the Higgs Boson discovery was announced. He made a three part video series found its way onto New Scientist, Huffington Post, and NBC.

This is the first video in the Higgs Boson series.

Henry’s enthusiasm for theoretical physics is evident in his videos as he unpacks ideas and concepts for his audience and it is infectious. The videos spawn endless conversation on his Youtube and Facebook pages. After more than a year working on MinutePhysics, Henry has teamed up with other scientists creating MinuteEarth, a Youtube channel bringing together biology, geology, ecology, anthropology, and more.

So if you have a minute, you can learn just about anything.

Cite this article:
Lum M (2013-05-08 06:35:04). All You Need is a Minute to Learn Physics. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/interviews/all-you-need-is-a-minute-to-learn-physics/

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Weekly Science Picks

Magdeline.L — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:08:02 +0000

At the top of my list this week would have to be the ISS Commander Chris Hadfield from Canadian Space Agency wringing out a wet towel in zero gravity. If you haven’t watched it yet. Do it now.

The explanation behind what happens is more in depth than “magic”. Cmdr Hadfield is right when he mentions surface tension of water. Though it doesn’t explain the chemistry and physics of what is happening and also why he wasn’t worried about the exposed electronics in the ISS. I have to admit I was worried about droplets of water travelling out and into the wiring because water molecules are attracted to one another due to its molecular structure. I should have realised this being a chemist and all.

The arrangement of oxygen and hydrogen of water results in a slightly positively charged area and a negatively charged area so water molecules arrange themselves where opposites attract. This even holds in zero gravity.

What I especially like about Cmdr Hadfield is that he includes people on Earth in his daily routine on the ISS. He replies to people’s tweets. I personally got a kick when he retweeted one of my tweets. Real time communication with an astronaut on the ISS. That’s awesome. He also includes school students allowing them to ask him questions. If you’re on Twitter and he isn’t someone you’re following, go find him at @Cmdr_Hadfield.

At the end of this week, a news story broke of how radioactive bacteria could potentially used to treat metastatic pancreatic cancer, that is where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. The bacteria used was Listeria monocytogenes which is a member of a bacterial family that can cause serious infections and health complications. The good news though is that immune system normally gets rid of Listeria.

One reason why tumours grow is that they suppress the immune system so scientists thought to exploit this hoping that introduced Listeria would concentrate in tumour sites and deliver targeted radiotherapy. They introduced Listeria bacteria dosed with radioisotopes in mice with pancreatic cancer.

The results are really promising. The mice that received this treatment had 90% fewer cancer tumours in other areas of the body than those who had received radiotherapy and saline. The original cancer in the pancreas though was unaffected. It’s early days and it’s a long way from human trials. There is still the need to explain what was observed in this trial and what remains unknown is the effect of radiation on healthy organs.

Pancreatic cancer is the 6th highest cause of death for all cancer types in Australia, and only about 6% of people with this cancer survive 5 years after diagnosis compared to a 5-year survival of 88% for breast cancer, 93% for thyroid cancer and 19% for lung cancer. Currently there are very few treatment options available.

Cite this article:
Lum M (2013-04-28 00:08:02). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/weekly-science-picks-28/

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Bumper Year for Whale Shark Sightings

Magdeline.L — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:16:30 +0000

Whale Shark Courtesy of Dr Brad Norman, ECOCEAN

It has been a big year for ECOCEAN’s whale shark whale shark photo identification library. There have been a record of 256 whale shark sightings at Western Australia’s most recently listed World Heritage site, Ningaloo.

This has been due to more people signing up as citizen scientists to contribute to ECOCEAN’s whale shake monitoring program. When more people collect data, more sharks can be identified.

Of the 256 identified whale sharks identified, 107 were new and 149 were whale sharks that had been seen in the Ningaloo Marine Park before.

“We couldn’t have achieved these results without the generosity of the WA community

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Weekly Science Picks

Magdeline.L — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:15:18 +0000

The midlife crisis is more complicated than first thought. It might be time to stop blaming troubled marriages and feeling obsolete in a sea of younger colleagues. A study published in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences has revealed that chimpanzees and orangutans also experience a midlife crisis.

Having a midlife crisis may not just be the result of a troubled marriage or the thought that life may be halfway over. It might be part of primate biology. That’s right, hardwired into us.

Economist Andrew Oswald told ABC Science that it might be beneficial.

“Maybe discontent lights a fire under people, causing them to achieve more for themselves and their family.”

A shiny new red sports car might just indeed lead to better things.

Danielle Spencer runs a science club at Mitchelton State School in Queensland and explored where gender stereotypes in science began. Where does the perception that men do the “hard” sciences and women do the “soft” sciences come from? A group of 45 primary school students were surveyed and it was found that a majority of students thought that science was accessible to both genders.

When asked why there are more men than women in engineering roles, the students responded with gender based answers like “Girls like dancing and other jobs.” and “Women are more suited to caring and developing jobs like childcare and nursing.”. There was no response that challenging this observation. This was despite 75% of the group thinking that science was accessible to them. It is disheartening to hear.

Students were asked whether their science club should be split into a boys only and girls only science club, there was overwhelming support for a combined science club. There was an appreciation and acknowledgement that irrespective of gender, everyone had a valuable contribution. At the moment this cohort of students believe that science is something that everyone can do. The question remains though, how do we get adults to believe this?

As this week drew to a close, attention focused on NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. A story broke at NPR reporting that the Curiosity Rover may have found some exciting news. Project Scientist at the Mars Science Laboratory, John Grotzinger was quoted to saying:

“We’re getting data from SAM as we sit here and speak, and the data looks really interesting.”

SAM, the Sample Analysis at Mars is a miniaturised chemistry lab. On board is a Gas Chromatograph, Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer, Tunable Laser Spectrometer as well as sample processing systems that allow heating and chemically treating samples. Normally these instruments would fill the space in a laboratory but on Curiosity it’s around the size of a microwave. SAM is being used to collect information about the past and present chemistry of Mars. As well as this SAM is also identifying organic and inorganic chemical molecules known to be important to life on Earth.

So what has SAM found? Nothing has been confirmed but it does sound like there is something especially when Grotzinger says:

“This data is gonna be one for the history books.”

We will have to wait at least several weeks before NASA makes an announcement.

New Zealand’s volcano, Mount Tongariro made it into this week’s news with an eruption on Wednesday. Luckily there have been no reports of damage or injuries. However, a group of travellers and journalists hiking at the time witnessed and filmed the eruption.

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