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Australian crystals set to take over industry: 2014 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year

Matthew Hill

Forty per cent of the energy consumed by industry is used to separate things—in natural gas production, mineral processing, food production, pollution control. The list is endless. Each offers an application for Matthew Hill’s crystals. He has demonstrated that the space inside metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)—the world’s most porous materials—can be used as an efficient and long-lasting filter. [Read more…] about Australian crystals set to take over industry: 2014 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year

A taste of real-world science to take to the real world: 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools

Geoff McNamara

From the moment students step into ‘Mr Mac’s Lab’, they’re greeted by dinosaurs, skeletons, spacecraft and a model galaxy that hovers overhead. Their eyes can’t help but gravitate towards the huge solar system at the back of the room. No matter where they look, Geoff McNamara wants his students learn something about science—whether the students realise they’re learning or not. [Read more…] about A taste of real-world science to take to the real world: 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools

Combining play, science and language: 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools

Brian Schiller

At Seacliff Primary School in Adelaide’s south, Brian Schiller’s students are describing states of matter, mixing of materials, and products of chemical reactions—in Japanese.

It’s just one way that Brian is creatively using science to enhance student learning in a range of curriculum areas.

“Science can be a basis for teaching many different subjects, such as language, music, numeracy, reading and writing,” he says. “Students can play and create, and relate their learning to the world around them.

“When my students are given practical experiences and a chance to learn through being active, they are then motivated to plan their paths of enquiry, present their ideas and then write about their discoveries. A good primary science class develops maths skills, language, and problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The children and their learning are the focus of the classroom, and they inspire each other to such a great extent.”

Brian nurtures this creativity through student-initiated investigations, where the students bring the questions and Brian guides them in setting up investigations to get the answers.

But it’s not just the answers that Brian wants his students to get. It’s the ability to use their imaginations to ask “what if…?” or “why does…?” and to be able to find their own way to an answer using ‘fair testing’ and experimental controls.

For his contributions to science teaching and for taking it in new creative directions, Mr Brian Schiller has been awarded the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools.

A new way of looking at the immune system; Imaging Centre launch

Launch 15 October 2014 from 11 am at Building 75 (STRIP Building), Monash University, Clayton. Click for map.
With Professor Aidan Byrne, CEO of the Australian Research Council and MP Michael Sukkar.

The $39 million ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging launches today with the mission of changing the way we see the immune system.

Understanding our immune system is central to fighting cancer and infectious diseases. And understanding why our immune system sometimes over-reacts is critical to tackling auto-immune diseases.

Yet many of the workings of our immune systems are a mystery, especially at a molecular level – for example:

How does trauma and infection trigger inflammation?
How does a T-cell recognise an infected and cancerous cell?
And how does it persuade other T-cells to join the fight?
What happens when our immune system over-reacts?
How is coeliac disease triggered?
How do diabetes and other autoimmune diseases start?
How can we persuade the immune system to accept organ transplants?

The urban intelligence to make Townsville a resilient growing smart city

Can numbers give Townsville a secure future?

Townsville Data Hub to harvest data to help residents, businesses and Council create a secure future

Townsville City Council is partnering with the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) on a major data project that will help guide Townsville’s future water and energy security. AURIN will be launched today in Melbourne at 3 pm.

The Townsville Data Hub will research information and trends on energy and water consumption that will assist residents, business, and Council plan for a sustainable future for the city’s predicted population growth.

Water and energy security is seen as fundamental areas of future planning for Townsville with the expected doubling of the city’s population over the next 25 years.

A related project showed last year that just giving households access to daily information about trends in their water use helps them use water smarter – saving on average ten per cent. The AURIN project will bring energy and water consumption data, and weather records and climate data, together with council’s land use, geospatial and demographic information. [Read more…] about The urban intelligence to make Townsville a resilient growing smart city

Big data for urban intelligence

13 October 2014, launch at 3pm, Woodward Conference Centre, Level 10 Law Building, University of Melbourne, 185 Pelham Street, Carlton

Prof Bob Stimson_AURIN Launch 13 Oct 2014_2 — Director, Professor Robert Stimson, at the launch of the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN). Photo credit: AURIN

Can Townsville secure the water and power to needed sustain a doubling in population?
Where are the hotspots for mortgage stress and the locations of affordable housing in Sydney?
What makes a walkable neighbourhood in Perth?
Can we plan new suburbs that work for residents, councils, and developers in our major cities?
What makes Melbourne the “world’s most liveable city”?
How can employment issues be managed in Adelaide as the industrial sector restructures?

A new national urban intelligence initiative is giving researchers, planners and policy-makers access to the numbers to answer these questions. AURIN, the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network, gives access to thousands of data sets—from Australian Property Monitors (Domain.com.au) to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, from Geoscience Australia to city councils. It allows researchers to jump in and ask big questions of big data without first spending years getting access to the data. Making sense, visualising and mapping big data will be made easier through AURIN’s online analytical tools.

This $24 million Australian Government research infrastructure investment will be launched by Dr Ron Sandland, AO and Mr David Gray, Chair of AURIN. [Read more…] about Big data for urban intelligence

Citizen science marches to victory in national science prizes

Two citizen science projects and one project with exciting potential for citizen scientists were among winners of the 2014 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, announced at an Award Dinner held last night at Sydney Town Hall. Fifteen prizes were given for outstanding contributions to Australian science.

The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are the country’s most comprehensive national science awards. The Eureka Prizes have been rewarding science since 1990—celebrating 25 years in 2014.

For more information about all the winners visit australianmuseum.net.au/eureka. [Read more…] about Citizen science marches to victory in national science prizes

2014 Eureka Prize Award Dinner photos

2014 Eureka Prize Award Dinner at Sydney Town Hall. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Winners of the 2014 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes announced

A $2 smartphone microscope and floaties for choppers: Australians rewarded for excellence in science

Last night the 2014 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes winners were announced at an Award Dinner held at Sydney Town Hall. A total of 15 prizes were given for outstanding contributions to Australian science. With so many fabulous entries it was difficult to pick the winners.

“I’m extremely impressed by the amazing scientific work happening around our country,” Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay said. “I want to extend an enormous thank you to all the sponsors and supporters of the Eureka Prizes for helping us continue to reward excellence in Australian science.”

The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are the country’s most comprehensive national science awards. The Eurekas have been rewarding science since 1990—celebrating 25 years in 2014.

Full media releases for each prize winner are available at australianmuseum.net.au/eureka.

The 2014 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes: [Read more…] about Winners of the 2014 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes announced

Buddhist singing bowls inspire new tandem solar cell design

The shape of a centuries-old Buddhist singing bowl has inspired a Canberra scientist to re-think the way that solar cells are designed to maximize their efficiency.

Dr Niraj Lal, of the Australian National University, found during his PhD at the University of Cambridge, that small nano-sized versions of Buddhist singing bowls resonate with light in the same way as they do with sound, and he’s applied this shape to solar cells to increase their ability to capture more light and convert it into electricity.

“Current standard solar panels lose a large amount of light-energy as it hits the surface, making the panels’ generation of electricity inefficient,” says Niraj. “But if the cells are singing bowl-shaped, then the light bounces around inside the cell for longer”. [Read more…] about Buddhist singing bowls inspire new tandem solar cell design

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Operations

Can numbers give Townsville a secure future?

Townsville Data Hub to harvest data to help residents, businesses and Council create a secure future

13 October 2014, launch at 3pm, Woodward Conference Centre, Level 10 Law Building, University of Melbourne, 185 Pelham Street, Carlton

A $2 smartphone microscope and floaties for choppers: Australians rewarded for excellence in science

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