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Embargoed to 6 April, whale shark story, contact Andrew@scienceinpublic.com.au for password.
Detecting asthma in horses: Using a face mask, Adelaide researchers have a new way to detect a major hidden equine health issue.
Solving a mystery in 126 dimensions: After 90 years, scientists reveal the structure of benzene.
New bendable cement-free concrete: Swinburne researchers have developed a new cement-free concrete that can potentially make safer, long-lasting and greener infrastructure.
Ghostly traces of massive ancient river revealed: Using zircon crystals, researchers have discovered the route of a massive ancient river that could help find new reservoirs of fossil fuels and suggest how modern rivers might change over time.
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…]
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…]
Monday: Niall’s in Canberra for the $50,000 CSL Florey Medal announcement. Release and images here.
Tuesday: Niall’s at the Excellence in Health Journalism awards at the National Press Club. Update: Niall accepted the Health Journalist of the Year 2011 award on behalf of Melbourne film-maker Sonya Pemberton. More here.
Wednesday: Blamey & Saunders Hearing’s new name and office are being launched by Michelle Gallaher, CEO of the BioMelbourne Network
Thursday: For 30 years the Menzies Foundation has been awarding scholarships to researchers in health sciences and the humanities.
Tim’s off to the 2011 Menzies Memorial Scholars announcement tonight – more information here.
Immune Peacekeepers: Centenary Institute’s Barbara Fazekas St Groth has a paper coming out in PNAS Tuesday.
Centenary Creative Prize: Andrew and Niall are in Sydney to attend the $25,000 Lawrence Creative Prize on Wednesday.
Tamara Davis is talking Dark Energy at UQ in Brisbane, 6.30pm Wednesday.
PM’s Prizes: Niall, Sarah, Tim and AJ are at the PM’s Prizes for Science in Canberra. Details here.
Dark Energy: Tamara Davis is talking about dark energy in Victoria. details here.
On the horizon: For next week we’re thinking about the Centenary Prize for Creativity, and about an intriguing paper coming up about the immune cells in our skin – why don’t they go to war against our skin bacteria?
