Stories of Australian Science

We occasionally publish storybooks covering Australian science and Australian research collaborations. You can view our storybooks website here

Stories of Australian Science is a magazine-style collection to designed to illustrate the diversity of Australian science. View the Stories of Australian Science website here.

Stories of Australian Astronomy is a magazine-style collection designed to illustrate the diversity of astronomy research in Australia. View the Stories of Australian Astronomy website here.

We also helped the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research by compiling stories highlighting Australia-China research collaboration. Read more here.

Mission design at rocket speed

Planning space missions is traditionally a time-consuming and costly process. But the new Australian National Concurrent Design Facility (ANCDF), housed at UNSW’s Canberra campus, speeds things up so a mission can be planned in weeks rather than months.

Harnessing the expertise, design processes and software of the French Space Agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), the UNSW team has created Australia’s first concurrent design facility.

The ANCDF allows engineers and scientists—both professionals and students—to design different parts of a mission in parallel rather than one after the other, which is the traditional approach. [continue reading…]

Wheat that’s good for guts

A new kind of wheat high in resistant starch can improve intestinal health

Bowel cancer is the world’s third most common cancer. A diet that includes more resistant starch, a kind of fibre that feeds good bacteria in the large intestine, can make it less common. Resistant starch helps improve gut health and reduces the risk of conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer.

Since 2006, CSIRO scientists have been working in a joint venture with French company Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients and the Grains Research and Development Corporation to develop wheat with more resistant starch. [continue reading…]

Radar-in-a-suitcase makes bridges safer

Assessing ageing bridges just got safer and easier, thanks to a high-tech radar device that fits inside a suitcase.

Developed by Dr Lihai Zhang of The University of Melbourne as part of a collaborative research project supported by The Australia-Indonesia Centre, the IBIS-S radar technology can scan a bridge in 15 minutes from a kilometre away with an accuracy of 0.01mm, quickly assessing its condition and stability.

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Australia’s Nobel Prize winner, the Square Kilometre Array and more – stories of Australian Science 2012 out now

Our latest collection, Stories of Australian Science 2012is now online here.

In the past year Australian science has continued to come of age on the global stage.

Brian Schmidt won a Nobel Prize, Australia won part of the $2 billion Square Kilometre Array radio telescope and Australians continue to add to the leadership and ranks of the most prestigious and productive research groups across the planet.

In this collection, you’ll learn about: the winners of major science prizes, the work of Australian science institutions, Australia’s connection to the 2012 announcement of the discovery of a Higgs boson-like particle and much more.

Australia's Nobel Prize winner, the Square Kilometre Array and more – stories of Australian Science 2012 out now

Our latest collection, Stories of Australian Science 2012is now online here.

In the past year Australian science has continued to come of age on the global stage.

Brian Schmidt won a Nobel Prize, Australia won part of the $2 billion Square Kilometre Array radio telescope and Australians continue to add to the leadership and ranks of the most prestigious and productive research groups across the planet.

In this collection, you’ll learn about: the winners of major science prizes, the work of Australian science institutions, Australia’s connection to the 2012 announcement of the discovery of a Higgs boson-like particle and much more.

Stories of Australian Science 2012

Call for stories open until 1 June 2012.

We are gathering stories for our next magazine collection and online showcase of Australian science — Stories of Australian Science 2012.

We’ll publish online by 30 June, in print by 31 July, and distribute them to our contacts in Australia and overseas. We’ll also present them to guests at the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science dinner in October.
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Oz research of note, 16 January, 2012

A fly named in honour of Beyoncé; plum extracts as food preservatives; and the crucial role of social media during the 2011 Queensland floods are just some of the interesting stories that emerged from Australian research published in the last week. Find over a dozen other stories below.

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Oz research of note, 9 January, 2012

A friendly sugar to fight diabetes; wires just four atoms wide; and debunking the “famous and dead at 27” curse are just some of the interesting stories that emerged from Australian research published in the last week. Find other stories below.

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Oz research of note, 18 December, 2011

A new test for tracking the spread of breast cancer; Canberra astronomers may have calculated a sweet spot for Martian life; and a microscope that can watch living cells being infected are just some of the interesting stories that emerged from Australian research published in the last week. Find over a dozen other stories below.

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Oz research of note, 11 December, 2011

A new sugar that could prevent heart disease; an Alzheimer’s vaccine that cures the memory of mice; real Star Wars bacteria and robot aircraft that copy insects are just some of the interesting stories that emerged from Australian research published in the last week. Find over a dozen other stories below.

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