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In 1963, Philip K. Dick won the coveted Hugo Award for his novel The Man in the High Castle, beating out such sci-fi luminaries as Marion Zimmer Bradley and Arthur C. Clarke. Of the novel, The Guardian writes, “Nothing in the book is as it seems. Most characters are not what they say they are, most objects are fake.

While the number of immigrants in English-speaking countries such as Australia is rapidly increasing, the number of qualified ESL (English as a second language) teachers is not meeting this growing demand. Being an ESL teacher is not the easy job. It requires a lot of skills and training. But, what are the facts that a good ESL teacher should know?

Becoming an ESL teacher gives a unique multi-cultural opportunity. One of the biggest advantages of getting a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification is the chance to work abroad. Despite “formal

Conroy was named as one of the winners of the BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards in Melbourne today.

Conroy’s first place in the Investigations category of the awards was for developing a method to measure the risks of texting while driving, and also making hands-on and hands-free voice calls.

Using a readily available driving simulator, Conroy ‘drove’ the streets texting friends, calling his family and measured how his driving was affected. Conroy hopes the process will allow people to experience firsthand the dangers of texting while driving.

“I have loved science and engineering in any size or shape, for as long as I can remember,” Conroy said.

“I always get excited at the prospect of ‘making stuff’, and also enjoy riding my bike and reading. My ambition is to become a scientist or an engineer, perhaps in the field of nanotechnology.”

Winner in the Engineering section was 18-year-old Ethan Buston from Wollongong, NSW.

Ethan created the SMART (Stroke Management with Augmented Reality Technology) system – a camera based augmented reality system that aims to aid the recovery and increase the safety of stroke patients. By manipulating what they can see, a clearer visual picture is provided to the patient.

“Science is my life and one of my major passions,” Ethan said.

“I love the discovery that comes with science and using that discovery to help benefit others.”

Since 1981 the BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards have been Australia’s most prestigious school science awards.

“Science will always be at the core of understanding how we address human, environmental and business challenges while engineering helps us find the way to do it,” BHP Billiton Chief Executive Officer Andrew Mackenzie said.

“That’s why we have supported these awards for over 30 years.

“As a global natural resources company, scientists and engineers are an integral part of our present and future, and fundamental to the ongoing development of society.”

The awards reward young people who have undertaken practical research projects, which demonstrate innovative approaches and thorough scientific or engineering procedures.

“This year’s finalists are tackling at high school some things that are being tackled in leading research laboratories,” CSIRO Chief Executive Megan Clark said.

“They have taken on great challenges, like wireless power transmission, bamboo bikes, food production, pollution and helping stroke victims to recover. They inspire  us with their courage.

“We are proud to be associated with our partners BHP Billiton and the Australian Science Teachers Association.”

The awards are sponsored by BHP Billiton and are managed by CSIRO and are a partnership between BHP Billiton, CSIRO and the Australian Science Teachers Association. The awards are also supported by Intel Corporation.

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We came to the end of this week and it is our time to recount the most exciting and incredible stories from the world of science and technology. As usual, we had to make a hard decisions and after a careful consideration we decided to promote the news as follows:

Dinosaur fossils from China help researchers describe new ‘Titan’

Paleontologists have characterized a new dinosaur based on fossil remains found in northwestern China. The species, a plant-eating sauropod named Yongjinglong datangi, roamed during the Early Cretaceous period, more than 100 million years ago. This sauropod belonged to a group known as Titanosauria, members of which were among the largest living creatures to ever walk the earth.

Fifth of Neanderthals’ genetic code lives on in modern humans

The last of the Neanderthals may have died out tens of thousands of years ago, but large stretches of their genetic code live on in people today. Though many of us can claim only a handful of Neanderthal genes, when added together, the human population carries more than a fifth of the archaic human’s DNA, researchers found.

How reintroducing wolves helped save a famous park

Wolves had been absent from Yellowstone National Park for more than 70 years when they were reintroduced in the 1990s – and their return had some surprising benefits.

Acid Treatment Could Provide Breakthrough Stem Cell Technique

Scientists have found a surprisingly simple way to turn mature cells back into a primitive state. Simply giving mouse blood cells an acid bath is enough to produce so-called pluripotent cells that can develop into any cell type in the body, they report in two new papers this week. The remarkable transformation contradicts many assumptions about cell biology and may ultimately lead to new ways to treat disease and injuries.

Please stay curious and scientifically passionate. New stories are coming soon!

Last November Magnus Carlsen, then only 22 years old, became the Chess World Champion when he soundly defeated Viswanathan Anand in a best-of-12 series match held in Chennai, India. Carlsen won three games, tied ten, and lost none. Only the second chess champion from the West since World War II (and the first since the “eccentric genius

The winners of the awards will be announced in Melbourne next week by the Chief Executive Officer of BHP Billiton, Andrew Mackenzie, and CSIRO Chief Executive, Megan Clark.

Ben Beagley from Victoria’s St Kevin’s College has been selected as a finalist in the awards for developing an organic light-weight bamboo bike.

Using the bamboo in his garage, Ben designed and constructed a cheaper alternative to the traditional bike that uses the strength and flexibility of bamboo to replace heavy, industrial metal components

Jake Coppinger from Canberra has come up with The Swirlesque, a wearable glove which allows the user to make natural gestures for human-computer interaction and perform actions.

Swirlesque detects hand gestures and acts upon them in intelligent ways such as controlling a music player on a smartphone, control a computer, a TV, a home media centre, or a light bulb.

Other finalists include an app to warn drivers of approaching emergency vehicles, removing nutrients and pollutants using wetland plants, and a forward facing rowing machine.

“Science will always be at the core of understanding how we address human, environmental and business challenges while engineering helps us find the way to do it,

The Indian Ocean contains vast fisheries and mineral resources that are of strategic importance to both Australia and India. It also plays a direct role in driving the climates of its surrounding regions – home to more than 16 per cent of the world’s population.

The new ‘Bio Argo’ floats, to be launched in mid 2014, will enhance the already successful Argo float technology to measure large-scale changes in the chemistry and biology of marine ecosystems below the Indian Ocean’s surface.

The Argo floats are a network of 3600 free-floating sensors, operating in open ocean areas that provide real-time data on ocean temperature and salinity.

The ‘Bio Argo’ floats will include additional sensors for dissolved oxygen, nitrate, chlorophyll, dissolved organic matter, and particle scattering. They will target specific gaps in our understanding of Indian Ocean ecosystems of immediate concern to India and Australia, such as the Bay of Bengal and the waters of north Western Australia.

CSIRO’s Dr Nick Hardman-Mountford said the pilot project, led by CSIRO in collaboration with the Indian National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, will improve our understanding of cause and effect in the Indian Ocean’s climate and ecosystems.

“By studying the Indian Ocean in this detail, we can investigate the origin and impact of marine heatwaves like the one that devastated the coral reefs and fisheries off north Western Australian in 2011 – and improve our prediction of them in the future,” Dr Hardman-Mountford said.

CSIR-NIO Director, Dr Wajih Naqvi, said the novel technological innovation will give researchers from both countries a new understanding of the Indian Ocean.

“We expect the technology being utilised in this project to provide new insights into the biogeochemistry of the Indian Ocean and how it is being impacted by human activities,” Dr Naqvi said.

The proposed advances in ocean observation, ecosystem understanding and resources management, which will benefit the entire Indian Ocean Rim, can only occur through collaboration between India and Australia.

Dr Nick D’Adamo, Head of the Perth Programme Office supporting UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) – a partner in the project – praised the collaborative nature of the project.

“By combining the research capabilities of India and Australia we will see an improved ability to predict and prepare for global climate change, as well as better conservation of marine biodiversity,” Dr D’Adamo said.

The $1 million project was funded in part by the Australian Government under the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund.

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