Category: News

CSIRO has now created more than 150 companies and currently hold interests in around 30. It is also Australia’s largest patent portfolio and issues around 80 licenses each year, many to Australian businesses.

CSIRO Director of Business Development and Commercial Jan Bingley said the deals for BARLEYmax, Zebedee and WASP, further demonstrate how CSIRO was helping build Australian businesses and boost the country’s productivity.

“CSIRO works with about 3000 clients each year, including more than 20 per cent of the Australian Stock Exchange top 200 companies and 1300 Small to Medium Enterprises,

Indeed, it’s Sunday again. But, it’s not only Sunday. It’s Easter for all Christians all over the globe. Happy Easter to everyone! Also, it’s our time to recapitulate what have happened in this week. To be honest, the task was quite challenging, since the science and technology market is highly competitive and unpredictable. Luckily, we made it. Now we would like to present you top stories that were published during this week.

The crashes that changed plane designs forever

Sacrifices were made in great numbers in the early days of powered flight. Aeroplanes suffered a catalogue of catastrophic construction and engineering failures compounded by bad weather and pilot error. These tragedies were part of a long and fraught process that helped make flying as safe as it is today.

Nasa Kepler telescope discovers planet believed to be most Earth-like yet found

A newly discovered planet may be the most Earth-like yet found in another solar system, scientists believe. Kepler-186f is almost the same size as the Earth and occupies its star’s “habitable zone” where temperatures are mild enough to allow liquid surface water.

Ancient viruses sound scary, but there’s no need to panic

The researchers raised concerns that drilling in the permafrost may expose us to many more pathogenic viruses. Should we be worried about being infected from the past? Can human viruses survive in this permafrost environment and come back to wreak havoc?

‘Dressed’ laser aimed at clouds may be key to inducing rain, lightning

The adage “Everyone complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it” may one day be obsolete if researchers further develop a new technique to aim a high-energy laser beam into clouds to make it rain or trigger lightning. Other possible uses of this technique could be used in long-distance sensors and spectrometers to identify chemical makeup.

Until next meeting, please stay thirsty for new updates from the world of science and technology.

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are Australia’s national annual awards for recognition of outstanding achievement in science and excellence in science education. Nominations are open to Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents.

The five awards are:

• The Prime Minister’s Prize for Science (AUD$300,000);
• The Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year (AUD$50,000);
• The Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year (AUD$50,000);
• The Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools; (AUD$50,000); and
• The Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools (AUD$50,000)

The Prime Minister’s Prize for Science

• The Prime Minister’s Prize for Science is awarded for an outstanding specific achievement or series of related scientific achievements advancing human welfare or benefitting society.
• Nominees can be an individual or a group of up to four, if the achievement is a collaborative team effort.
• There are no restrictions as to when the achievement was accomplished, however nominees must be currently active in research.
• Past recipients of the Malcolm McIntosh Prize and Frank Fenner Prize (or its predecessor, the Science Minister’s Prize) are eligible to be nominated and considered for this award.
• Previous nominees are eligible for re-nomination subject to eligibility criteria being met.
• The award comprises an award certificate, a gold embossed medallion, lapel pin and a grant of AUD$300,000.

Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year and Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year

• Nominations are open to individuals only.
• Previous nominees are eligible for re-nomination subject to eligibility criteria being met.
• The Frank Fenner Prize and the Malcolm McIntosh Prize recognise the achievement of scientists in their early to mid-career whose research advances human welfare or benefits society – or has the potential to do so.
• The Frank Fenner Prize is awarded for achievement in the life sciences, including health and medical research, biology, agriculture, veterinary science and environmental science.
• The Malcolm McIntosh Prize is awarded for achievement in the physical sciences and related enabling sciences, including chemistry, engineering, physics, astronomy, earth sciences, mathematics and information technology.
• To be eligible, the nominee must have achieved outstanding research during a research career spanning no more than 10 years (or full time equivalent):

The nominee’s highest degree should have been awarded not more than 10 years ago (on or after 29 May 2004), and a certified copy of the testamur must be provided.

The achievements listed in the nomination can include research conducted as part of studies for a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD.

At least four years of the nominee’s research career must have been spent in Australia.

Allowances will be made for career disruptions such as family leave.

Each award comprises an award certificate, an embossed silver medallion, lapel pin and a grant of AUD$50,000.

Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools and Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools

• These prizes are awarded in recognition of contributions by science teachers in their commitment and dedication to effective and creative science teaching.
• Nominations are open to individual teachers only.
• Previous nominees are eligible for re-nomination subject to eligibility criteria being met.
• The AUD$50,000 grant component of the prizes for science teaching will be shared equally between the prize recipient and the last school in the Australian education system in which the achievements cited in the nomination were realised. The school’s share of the grant must be used to finance a project or projects that will improve the school’s capacity to teach science.
• In addition to their share of the grant, the recipient will receive an award certificate, an embossed silver medallion and lapel pin.

The full eligibility criteria, nomination guidelines and the online nomination form are online at: http://www.industry.gov.au/scienceprizes.

For further information, please email: pmprize@industry.gov.au

How to nominate

Nominations for all five prizes will be conducted in two stages.

Nominators are advised to refer to the 2014 nomination guidelines for the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science before submitting a nomination. Nominations will be assessed in accordance with the guidelines.

Stage 1 requires that nominators register online to complete a form including:

• Nominator and nominee(s) details.
• Details of two supporters (for the three science prizes, one of these supporters must be based overseas).
• An achievement summary of no more than 800 words describing the achievement nominated, with reference to the selection criteria for the prize.
• A two-page curriculum vitae, which must be compiled with reference to the specific guidelines for each prize category.
• Certified proof of Australian citizenship or permanent residency.
• For the three science prizes only: the curriculum vitae should include reference to at least four articles or publications or patents which relate directly to the achievements for which the nomination is made.
• For the Frank Fenner and Malcolm McIntosh Prizes only: evidence that the nominee’s research career spans no more than 10 years (or full time equivalent):

The nominee’s highest degree should have been awarded not more than 10 years ago (on or after 29 May 2004), and a certified copy of the testamur must be provided.

The achievements listed in the nomination can include research conducted as part of studies for a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD, so long as the entire period covered is not more than 10 years.

At least four years of the nominee’s research career must have been spent in Australia.

Allowances will be made for career interruptions such as family leave.

Stage 2 requires shortlisted nominees to submit further details, including:

• Reference from the nominator of no more than five pages, addressing each point of the prize selection criteria.
• References from the two supporters endorsing the nominated achievement.
• A paragraph in simple English describing the nature, impact and importance of the nominee’s nominated achievements, for possible use in publicity.
• For the three science prizes only: a list of publications and copy of each of the four publications which best describe the nominated achievement.

CLOSING DATE: 29 May, 5.00 pm local time in Canberra

I can hardly think of a more appealing nexus of the sciences, for most of us and for obvious (and delicious) reasons, than food.

Add a kind of engineering to the mix, and you get the study of cooking. Back in 2012, we featured the first few lectures from Harvard University’s course Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter. Their collection of rigorous and entertaining presentations of that which we love to prepare and, even more so, to eat has since expanded to include one- to two-hour lectures delivered by sharp professors in cooperation with respected chefs and other food luminaries on culinary subjects like the science of sweets (featuring Flour Bakery’s Joanne Chang), how to do cutting-edge modernist cuisine at home (featuring Nathan Myhrvold, who wrote an enormous book on it), and the relevance of microbes, misos, and olives (featuring David Chang of Momofuku fame).

Alternatively, you can pick and choose from the complete list of Harvard’s Science and Cooking lectures on Youtube or on iTunes. Some get deep into the natural workings of specific dishes, ingredients and preparation methods; others, like “The Science of Good Cooking

CSIRO’s 3D mastication modelling, demonstrated for the first time in Melbourne today, is starting to provide researchers with new understanding of how to reduce salt, sugar and fat in food products, as well as how to incorporate more fibre and nutrients, and even how to create new food sensations.

CSIRO biomechanical engineer and computer modeller, Dr Simon Harrison, said the world’s first 3D dynamic virtual mouth can provide detailed insight for developing healthier foods.

Just in time for Easter, Dr Harrison has modelled a caramel filled Easter Egg to see what happens when the virtual mouth takes a bite.

“In polite company, we can’t see inside someone’s mouth while they’re eating and, until now, it has not been possible to view how the chewing process alters food,

Ever since Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth came out to critical accolades, Conservative scorn and a handful of Oscars, there has been no shortage of well meaning documentaries about the perils of climate change. Most feature a Hollywood celebrity or two, a liberal amount of liberal guilt, and a distinct sense of preaching to the converted.

The new Showtime series Years of Living Dangerously might have plenty of those first two elements but none of the third. In the first episode of the series –which has been released for free on YouTube (above) – Don Cheadle asks, “Is there a way to discuss climate change without politics or religion getting in the way?

Well, it’s Sunday again. It’s our time to recapitulate all the scientific contributions, ideas, events and discoveries that have occurred in this week. To be honest, the job was quite challenging, since the science and technology market is highly competitive and unpredictable. Luckily, we made it. Now we would like to present you top stories that were published during this week.

Nanostructures with applications in infrared and terahertz ranges

Scientists have created a compound semiconductor of nearly perfect quality with embedded nanostructures containing ordered lines of atoms that can manipulate light energy in the mid-infrared range. More efficient solar cells, less risky and higher resolution biological imaging, and the ability to transmit massive amounts of data at higher speeds are only a few applications that this unique semiconductor will be able to support.

Baking bread by the numbers

If we had to name who’s involved in bread making, most of us would probably identify the baker, the farmer who grows the wheat and maybe even the miller who grinds the wheat into flour. But how many people would think of the humble statistician? Dr Emma Huang would – and she’s eager to prove their worth in the process.

Try stargazing wherever you are

The first “wow” moment of my stargazing adventure took place before I had even looked through a telescope. Staring up at the cloudy night sky one cold March evening, I spotted a bright pinprick of light to the south-west. “Which star is that?” I asked Seb Jay, the astronomer who was going to teach me to stargaze and who was, at that moment, busy setting up a pair of telescopes in my back garden.

‘I have lived underwater’

The first night Deron Burkepile spent underwater was over 10 years ago, but the memory is still fresh in his mind. He remembers getting suited up — a couple of scuba tanks on his back, extra safety gear hanging from his rig—and stepping to the back of the boat. “You’re used to getting off the boat and coming back in an hour, maybe two at most,