CSIRO – Australian Science

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 06, 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 06, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-54/

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World Oceans Day – 7 June 2013, Live Event

Kelly Burnes — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:28:05 +0000

The Great Barrier Reef, © Gary Bell/Oceanwidelmages.com, via Australian Conservation Foundation website

Good morning Australians and to the rest of the world! Today is World Oceans Day and to celebrate this important day, a special, world first, 12-hour event will broadcast live from the Great Barrier Reef! Richard Fitzpatrick, a marine biologist and Emmy award-winning underwater cinematographer, along with other marine experts and reef ambassadors will take you on a journey as they showcase the diverse beauty and awe that is the Great Barrier Reef. The event starts 7 June 10:00 AM (AEST). The countdown is on and you can watch here at Queensland’s YouTube Channel!

You’ll see live underwater broadcasts that include sharks, whales, manta rays and turtles. 30-minute panel sessions will take not only underwater at the reef, but from Lady Elliot Island and Reef HQ Aquarium. The panel discussion will feature both local and international marine biologists and experts who will highlight why protecting our oceans is so important.

And why is it so important? Well, Australians, if you haven’t seen the news from yesterday, listen up.

A new CSIRO study, reported by the Herald Sun, finds the ocean is littered with rubbish, 74 per cent of it is plastic and it is impacting sea creatures, including turtles, sea birds and whales. There are 5.2 pieces of debris for every person in Australia and 3.2 pieces of rubbish for every metre of beach. The waste is not coming from other countries, it is coming from cities and other major areas in Australia. And while Australia does have great waste management practices, It’s important to note that more must be done to keep the beaches and waters pristine. Take action on this World Oceans Day. Find a beach clean up, join a surf life saving club, volunteer at a conservation park – do something to help protect the ocean which is vital both to our global economies and societies.

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-06-07 00:28:05). World Oceans Day - 7 June 2013, Live Event. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 06, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/world-oceans-day-7-june-2013-live-event/

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Australia’s National Science Agency – Focused on the Future

Kelly Burnes — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:44:20 +0000

I find myself spending a lot of time thinking about the future of our society and planet – how we can solve problems of today and prevent those of tomorrow. Quite often I draw up battle plans on scrap paper in preparation for those policy battles we don’t even know exist yet, those looming around the corner. Thinking I knew the CSIRO website in and out, you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon CSIRO Futures. This forward thinking, strategic planning group is dedicated to helping government and industry make the tough, and smart, choices that will be critical given our uncertain future.

Wanting to learn more about this group’s work and impact, I reached out to Dr Stefan Hajkowicz, the Theme Leader for CSIRO Futures. This is our digital conversation about science, education, energy, and what Australia must do to secure its future.

Can you provide some historical background on CSIRO Futures? What was the impetus for the creation of this unit? How and when did it come about?

The birth of CSIRO Futures was somewhat serendipitous. In 2009 we started a small internal think-piece to inform CSIRO strategic planning. It wasn’t ever intended for the outside world. However, at a major Industry and Government conference in Melbourne a video link to Boston Consulting Group (BCG) broke down. That was our lucky break. Someone from BCG was going to deliver a talk on “megatrends”. When the video link broke I was asked to step in and cover the session with our own homegrown megatrends. The audience loved the fact this work was also being done down-under and we subsequently received heaps of offers to present the work in boardrooms and at conference keynotes. We later received requests to do foresight research/consulting projects for industry sectors. So that’s when we set up CSIRO Futures. It’s now running pretty well. We’ve delivered a bunch of projects and more are in the pipeline. Our aim is to inform, engage and from time-to-time entertain.

Can you describe your role as theme leader at CSIRO and the impact this role has had (or will have) on the future of science?

This is an interesting role in CSIRO. In fact – I love it. I was appointed in July 2012 and it’s been fascinating and productive. This role is having impact in many ways. One way is that it’s making science accessible to people in industry, government and the community. For many people CSIRO means evidence-based, robust and well-researched information. When the CSIRO logo is mixed with imaginative stories about the future of the world there’s much interest. The aim is to mix science fact with science fiction to inform people’s decision making.

The report “Our Future World: Global megatrends that will change the way we live

Cite this article:
Burnes K (2013-02-06 00:44:20). Australia’s National Science Agency – Focused on the Future. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 06, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/australias-national-science-agency-focused-on-the-future/
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Weekly Science Picks

Kelly Burnes — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 07:45:56 +0000

Cosmic Evolution Connectedness

It’s that time again! Time for Weekly Science Picks! Let’s dive in.

This is interesting. This could really make things interesting. You just need to read this article on climate change and emissions that appeared in The Australian. It opens up a whole can of worms for debate, which I may tackle later, so feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear some thoughts on this.

Doha sets up $3bn hit for taxpayers as climate deal fails to deliver on emissions targets by David Crowe

“We can’t be allowed to free ride off the suffering of others,” he said yesterday. – John Connor, chief executive, Climate Institute

This is one of those stories that gets you excited and makes you wish you were part of that research team on assignment. I am anxiously awaiting the results. Earlier this week, drilling began at Lake Ellsworth in Antarctica. This project is testing the environments of where life is possible and has implications for future space exploration and discovery.

Drilling begins at lake hidden beneath Antarctic by David Shukman

“Exploring for life in such an extreme environment – in pitch-black conditions under high pressure beneath the ice-sheet – could open up possibilities for life on other worlds such as Jupiter’s moon Europa.” – Professor Martin Siegert, chief scientist

There’s so much focus and emphasis on space these days, that we forget about that big blue thing that covers 71% of our planet and is in need of some major TLC…ah, the ocean! The Argo data program started in the late 1990s and has since been put to use in weather and climate models. It’s also playing a major role in ocean forecasting, such as responding to environmental emergencies, helping the shipping industry and promoting safety at sea.

Ocean science robot revolution hits symbolic millionth milestone by CSIRO

“The world’s deep ocean environment is as hostile as that in space, but because it holds so many clues to our climate future exploring it with the Argo observing network is a real turning point for science. – Dr Susan Wijffels, Argo co-Chair and CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship scientist

And tying it all back to the source of what’s important, the kiddos. This last pick comes from one of our very own Australian Science authors, Danielle Spencer. Here Danielle examines the importance of play-based learning in the science classroom.

We’re Just Playing, Science by Stealth by Danielle Spencer

Play-based learning is highly sanctioned in early year’s curriculum, but why do we need to stop? Ask any child who doesn’t like science and it’s about too much writing, too much theory, too much bookwork. Maybe, we just should let them play some more.

Stay thirsty for knowledge, my friends. Stay thirsty.

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Weekly Science Picks

Kelly Burnes — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 03:01:39 +0000

So much science, so little time... - Photo credit, Leo Reynolds

Sigh, my photo caption sums it all up…

But here are the news stories that caught my eye and I hope you find them interesting as well. Maybe reading them will inspire your own work or to dig deeper for answers. In any case, enjoy!

This is one of my favorite topics because it offers up rampant debate on so many topics – society, education, cognition. You’re just going to have to read it for yourself.

This Is Your Brain on the Internet (Maybe) by Kyle Hill

So what is the Internet doing to our thinking? It is hard to say. Current research has a hard time keeping up with the break-neck pace of online culture, and only the more conventional mediums like television and newspapers have been evaluated in any rigorous sense.

Newspapers might be old school, but they do have an online media presence as well these days. This article was published in The Australian this week and concerns Australia’s own CSIRO. Genetically modified crops and foods have been a part of our collective diet for many years, whether or not some want to admit it. And they are here to stay. I am of the opinion that they play an important role in our food security given a number of ever changing variables in our environment. The usual characters are depicted in this piece and it will be interesting to follow this story and hear the response from CSIRO.

Scientists Wary of CSIRO GM Crop by Adam Cresswell

SCIENTISTS from three countries are warning a CSIRO-led push to make Australia the first nation in the world to introduce genetically modified wheat crops could pose a significant health threat to humans and other animals.

If you haven’t heard, NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg has banned sugary soft drink sales in cups larger than 16 0z. in his efforts to personally tackle the obesity epidemic. I feel some disclaimers are in order: One, this story did appear on www.bloomberg.com, but you could have found it in a variety of online publications; and two, I serve on the Mayor’s Best Practices Partnership to identify strategies to combat childhood obesity. That being said, I find the details of the ban interesting as you can see in the quote below. I personally do not see the need for a a 32 oz. soda, but people who want their sugary fix will do some quick addition, carry more cans or bottles and walk to get more refills. Oh, how long must we wait for data on this?!

NYC Health Panel Backs Bloomberg Ban on Super-Size Sodas by Henry Goldman and Leslie Patton

Restaurants, movie theaters and other outlets have six months to comply or face a $200 fine each time there’s a violation, the health department said. The ban doesn’t apply to convenience stores and groceries that don’t act primarily as purveyors of prepared foods, which are regulated by New York state. The rules do allow consumers to buy as many of the smaller drinks as they want and to get refills.

To continue with the discussion on obesity, this is an interesting read which once again highlights the genetics vs. environment debate.

What’s the Main Cause of Obesity – Our Genes or the Environment? from ScienceDaily with resources from the BMJ (British Medical Journal)

The ongoing obesity epidemic is creating an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems around the world, but what determines who gets fat?

And one last article that I thought was noteworthy, and a bit on the strange side by the title:

Chemists Develop Nose-Like Array to ‘Smell’ Cancer from ScienceDaily, findings appear in the current issue of the journal ACS Nano

The chemist says, “Smell ‘A’ generates a pattern in the nose, a unique set of activated receptors, and these are different for every smell we encounter. Smell ‘B’ has a different pattern. Your brain will instantly recognize each, even if the only time you ever smelled it was 40 years ago. In the same way, we can tune or teach our nanoparticle array to recognize many healthy tissues, so it can immediately recognize something that’s even a little bit ‘off,’ that is, very subtly different from normal. It’s like a ‘check engine’ light, and assigns a different pattern to each ‘wrong’ tissue. The sensitivity is exquisite, and very powerful.”

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“Smarter, more competitive, more productive

Kevin Orrman-Rossiter — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:38:33 +0000

There is no doubt in the mind of Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, the future will be shaped by science technology, engineering and mathematics. Unfortunately, he finds that at present the standing of science, as an expert authority, is being challenged. Furthermore, Ian Chubb finds that the science message is getting lost in the white noise of the mainstream media. I was heartened to hear his positive words about science communication, social media, science and technology education and innovative Australian workplaces.

These were the messages from Ian Chubb at an address he gave as part of NICTA’s Big Picture Seminar series on Wednesday March 28, 2012 at the University of Melbourne.

It was refreshing to see Australia’s Chief Scientist out and about and addressing public forums such as this one. Although judging by the faces, the suits and the overheard conversations at the drinks and nibbles prior to the address, I think this was definitely a speech to the science and technology faithful. That is a pity, his words were worth exposure and considered comment in the mainstream Australian media.

Prof. Ian Chubb at the Climate congress, Copenhagen 2009, March 10-12. Opening session.

Professor Ian Chubb emphasises Mathematics, Engineering and Science provide the enabling skills and knowledge that underpin every aspect of modern life. They help us understand the natural world and enable us to respond as humans to this world with a constructed view aimed at improving the lot of human kind.

In Australia, as in many economies, we have observed a decline in the number of people choosing a career in these disciplines. Not only that, the STEM subjects (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics), as he called them, are taken for granted or simply ignored. Although it is obvious without at least an appreciation of these subjects, a modern citizen is hampered in their ability to critically evaluate and make informed decisions about the issues that are shaping their future. Among his many roles as Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb has been charged with examining this decline and offering strategies to address it.

Professor Ian Chubb is eminently suited to this task. He was appointed to the position of Chief Scientist on 19 April 2011 and commenced the role on 23 May 2011. Prior to his appointment as Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb was Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University. Professor Chubb’s research focused on the neurosciences. Although he jokingly said on the night he would prefer not to be quizzed, on science specifics, by such an informed audience. He has co-authored some 70 full papers and co-edited one book all related to his research. In 1999 Professor Chubb was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for “service to the development of higher education policy and its implementation at state, national and international levels, as an administrator in the tertiary education sector, and to research particularly in the field of neuroscience

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