Blogs

400ppm

[ By James Byrne on May 22, 2013 ]

Last week the world’s atmosphere took a giant leap backward. For the first time in more than 3 million years, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 400 parts per million. This was recorded at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Earth System Research Laboratory located on Mauna ... Continue Reading »

Tasting Notes: the Sensory Perception of Wine

[ By James Byrne on May 21, 2013 ]

Before I started researching for this blog post, the most important thing I knew about wine was that I enjoyed drinking it. I’m not the kind of person who reads the back of wine bottles before buying, or swirls the wine before drinking it, or pretends to know the difference ... Continue Reading »

Nope, I’m not a gardener! – Interview with Dr Daniel J. Murphy

[ By James Byrne on May 16, 2013 ]

“The difference between a botanic garden and any other garden is the science.” - Dr. Daniel J. Murphy. Dan Murphy is not a liquor supermarket proprietor; he is a molecular systematist, or a systematic botanist. In plain English: his job is to classify flowering plants, by naming varying plant species, explaining how ... Continue Reading »

In full bloom – Science in Botanic Gardens

[ By James Byrne on May 13, 2013 ]

Behind the floral façade of these much loved social institutions, botanic gardens have an often forgotten scientific basis. It’s not hard to understand why the science is lost on visitors of these gardens. Botanic gardens are beautiful. Not to mention that they have played host to memorable family cricket matches, throw-together ... Continue Reading »

The clock ticks in all of us

[ By James Byrne on May 10, 2013 ]

This week I'm on tour with ActNow Theatre with a play we commissioned called The Clock. Written by Emily Steel, the play examines the science of ageing, from both a social and biological perspective. We're 2 shows into a six show tour of regional South Australia. As part of one of ... Continue Reading »

Why leaves turn brown in autumn

[ By James Byrne on May 9, 2013 ]

I love Autumn, watching the leaves change colour is a beautifully orchestrated spectacle. Within the temperate zone, autumn is marked by some very striking colour changes in leaves, prior to shedding (in biology we call this ‘abscission’). The reason for this visual exhibition, however, is still ... Continue Reading »

A brush without peer-review

[ By James Byrne on May 8, 2013 ]

You've probably heard about peer-review and the peer-review process. This is a cornerstone of the scientific process and an extremely important concept to both understand and adhere to. But it’s coming under threat and needs the protection of vigilance and understanding. If you don’t know what your peers think of ... Continue Reading »

Smallpox: a Vaccination Success Story

[ By James Byrne on May 1, 2013 ]

What do Abraham Lincoln, Josef Stalin and Ramses the fifth of Egypt all have in common? The answer is all contracted smallpox, a disease with a special place in our medical history. Smallpox – one of the deadliest diseases known to man - was the first disease for which ... Continue Reading »

Compost chemistry and microbe management

[ By James Byrne on April 30, 2013 ]

If you have a compost bin, you are the proud parent of trillions of pets. They are called ‘microbes’, and while they won’t fetch your newspaper and slippers or purr contentedly on your lap, they can do your garden a world of good. Investing a bit of time in the ... Continue Reading »

For the love of graphs

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 24, 2013 ]

Although I’m pretty much allergic to finance and business news in the evening bulletins, I do look forward to Alan Kohler’s segment on the ABC News because no one deals with graphs on telly better than him. Graphs can be difficult to interpret and are often misleading but they are ... Continue Reading »

Are needles really necessary?

[ By James Byrne on April 23, 2013 ]

You roll up your sleeve. The nurse flicks the needle twice. Now your heart is racing and you feel a little dizzy. Turning your head away, you resolve to wait. It won’t be long. And then there it is: a sudden and sharp sensation in your upper arm. The injection ... Continue Reading »

Flu vax shot third time lucky

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 20, 2013 ]

Pregnant women are at greater risk of the flu, because their immune system is compromised and their lung capacity is reduced, so the government offers the vaccine for free. Health authorities including the World Health Organisation strongly recommend vaccination against influenza for all pregnant women, in any trimester. Why then, ... Continue Reading »

Immunising before you travel – Why is it so important?

[ By James Byrne on April 18, 2013 ]

A renewed bird flu epidemic is imminent. There have been 28 reported cases of infection from the bird flu strain H7N9 in eastern China since February this year, in which 9 people have died. There is scientific evidence to suggest that bird flu is a fatal, but preventable disease. ... Continue Reading »

What would happen if we stopped immunising?

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 11, 2013 ]

Imagine yourself in the year 1900. You would be wearing a lovely period costume which would have included a hat, your house may still be without electricity and a toilet and you probably left school before your teen years to work to help support your family. If you were particularly affluent ... Continue Reading »

One web to divide us all

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 10, 2013 ]

I recently had the unpleasant experience of having to ‘unfriend’ someone from my Facebook page. I say it was unpleasant, even if I haven’t seen him for decades, because it is confronting to have to deliberately block someone who was once a real-life, flesh-and-blood friend in the days long before ... Continue Reading »

The International Year of Water Cooperation: Bottled Water

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 8, 2013 ]

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), are organising this year’s International Year of Water Cooperation and aim to remind the world of its commitment to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (UN MDG). In particular, they want to focus the world’s efforts on achieving target seven, ensuring ... Continue Reading »

Review of Science Behind the Headlines – Drugs in Sport

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 5, 2013 ]

I don’t know very much about sport. It would seem, therefore, an odd choice for me to be asked to review last week’s RiAus Science in the Headlines event entitled Drugs in Sport, but sometimes it pays to be clueless. With no preconceptions and no bias, I could approach the ... Continue Reading »

What is Immunisation?

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 4, 2013 ]

If you are like me, the most persistent memory of your childhood immunisations is the jelly beans or lollipop that you were given as a trade-off for sitting still. A lolly as a bribe for a needle hardly seems like a fair trade when you think back on it… But ... Continue Reading »

Florence Nightingale: Statistician

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 3, 2013 ]

Yes, you read that right: Florence Nightingale was not just a pioneering nurse and social reformer; she was also a medical statistician of some repute. In this International Year of Statistics it seems apt to remember her trailblazing work that applied statistics to public health with great success. Nightingale is ... Continue Reading »

Smartphones: Will it bend?

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on April 2, 2013 ]

At this very moment there is a very high chance that your mobile phone is within arms reach. You might even be reading this article on it! Smart phones have come a long way over the past few years, especially since Apple released its iconic iPhone in 2007. Advancements in processor ... Continue Reading »

How the moon affects the date of Easter?

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 30, 2013 ]

I don’t know about you, but my sceptical inquiry is fleeting at the best of times. Easter is no exemption. I, like many people, accept the changing dates of Easter each year without much question. Who, after all, is going to dispute a long weekend? I understand why it is easier ... Continue Reading »

Defying the laws of nature. Again.

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 29, 2013 ]

The Easter weekend is the climax of the most important week in the Christian calendar, ending with the death, then resurrection, of Jesus. It was an event so cataclysmic it changed the religious landscape forever, defying the very laws of nature. On 15 March 2013, the National Geographic headquarters in Washington ... Continue Reading »

Easter Egg-speriments!

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 28, 2013 ]

You may have groaned at my lame pun but I love Easter. It’s an EXTRA long weekend and there is always chocolate involved. What’s not to love?! The Easter weekend is also the perfect excuse for a few fun science activities involving eggs – so grab your lab coat and ... Continue Reading »

A Bone to Share with You

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 27, 2013 ]

This week something a bit different; a photo essay on a fossilised bone I found in Richmond, Queensland last year. On the picture on the right I am with the bone as I found it in the field just minutes after the original find. I was on tour through western Queensland ... Continue Reading »

The International Year of Water Cooperation: Countries in Need

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 22, 2013 ]

International World Water Day is on the 22 March 2013. Each year, the United Nations (UN) Water declares a theme for the day to a profile a particular issue concerning freshwater and this year’s theme is ‘water co-operation’. The theme supports the International Year of Water Cooperation, which is about ... Continue Reading »

What Are Drugs In Sport Used For?

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 21, 2013 ]

The ‘Organised crime and drugs in sport’ report that was conducted by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) in 2012 and then published February this year, ignited large scale media interest. The issue of drugs in sport is largely focused on the use of what has been ... Continue Reading »

Driven to Dope: Drugs in Sport

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 15, 2013 ]

"This is my body and I can do whatever I want to it. I can push it and study it, tweak it, listen to it. Everybody wants to know what I am on. What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are ... Continue Reading »

Life in the Sub-glacial Lakes of Antarctica

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 14, 2013 ]

A media storm rose up in the early hours of Friday morning (8 March 2013) as a Russian news station, RIA Novosti, reported that an ‘unclassified’ form of bacterial life had been identified in water samples from sub-glacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica. Despite there being no published or ... Continue Reading »

The Politics of Science

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on March 13, 2013 ]

This year we have the extraordinary occurrence of having a Federal election date set eight months in advance and, despite promises to the contrary, it appears that the campaigning has already begun. This gives us an unusually long period to reflect on the policies and performance of all the political ... Continue Reading »

Launching International Year of Water Cooperation

[ By franceneconnor on February 28, 2013 ]

On 11 February this year, UNESCO launched the International Year of Water Cooperation at their headquarters in Paris, France. UNESCO has been delegated to organise the activities that feature in the International Year of Water Cooperation, due to the multidisciplinary nature of the organisation. The event was marked with speeches from Irina ... Continue Reading »

I Am a Fish

[ By franceneconnor on February 27, 2013 ]

Recently I was taken to task by some of my Twitter followers for the seemingly outrageous claim that, because birds descended from dinosaurs, we ought to think of birds as still being dinosaurs. While this might be hard to take from a lay taxonomy where groups of animals and plants ... Continue Reading »

Top Trends in Medicine in 2013

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on February 25, 2013 ]

med i cine noun    /ˈmɛds(ə)n, ˈmɛdɪsɪn/ The science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease Medicine is moving so fast it’s hard to keep up. Once the product of science fiction, the treatments now emerging at the forefront of research are revolutionising modern medicine. This article takes ... Continue Reading »

The Life Beneath the Ground

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on February 21, 2013 ]

Have you ever wondered what might be living underneath your feet? I’d like to welcome you to the world of a subterranean biologist, tasked to investigate and understand the mysteries of life beneath the ground. Gather your sunscreen and hat, as I’d like to take you to the Pilbara region of ... Continue Reading »

Celebrating the International Year of Water Cooperation

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on February 20, 2013 ]

In December 2010, it was announced by the United Nations (UN) general assembly that 2013 would be the UN’s International Year of Water Cooperation. Mr Hans d’Orville, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Assistant Director for Strategic Planning says that The International Year of Water Cooperation is about helping ... Continue Reading »

The Day I Started ‘Liking’ Statistics

[ By PeterLugg on February 14, 2013 ]

I'm proud to admit that back in high school, I was a bit of a mathaholic. I was one of those kids that saw the beauty in trigonometry and looked forward to solving problems on circle theory. But no matter how many x's I solved or asymptotes I never crossed, ... Continue Reading »

Teaching Only Science

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on February 13, 2013 ]

I’m quietly bemused by the fact that I went to school, not just in the last century but also in a previous millennium! But when I reflect on what I had hoped would have changed over the last three decades and compare that to what’s actually happened, I’m left deeply ... Continue Reading »

Galileo – The start of Space Technology

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on February 7, 2013 ]

It all started with a telescope. Incredibly, in the 350 years that separate Galileo’s first observations of space and the advent of spacecraft exploration, everything that we knew about the solar system was thanks to the telescope. The invention of the telescope Galileo was not the first to invent the telescope. However, upon ... Continue Reading »

Galileo – An Astronomer

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on February 5, 2013 ]

Astronomy, not to be confused with astrology, is the science of the sky. Astronomers observe the movements and magnitudes of all the matter in the sky. Our ancestors have long looked to the sky to make sense of their surrounds. This is why astronomy is considered to be the most ... Continue Reading »

A Look Inside a Crocodile’s Smile

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on January 31, 2013 ]

I’m feeling particularly self-indulgent this week because I want to write about my own area of research and discuss some of the ‘in-house’ knowledge that I share with my fellow dead crocodile aficionados. But I don’t want to be exclusive here. Hopefully there will be something for everyone in this ... Continue Reading »

Other Science Shows at Fringe 2013

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on January 29, 2013 ]

RiAus has a jam-packed program of science acts for Fringe 2013. But if you’re still hungry for more, there are a number of other science-related acts at various locations around Adelaide. Please note that these acts are not produced by RiAus, but by external artists/companies. Comedy ... Continue Reading »

Cycling Season

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on January 25, 2013 ]

It’s that time of year in Adelaide. When our cafes hum with the sound of a million clickety-clackety shoes and we share the roads with swarms of lycra-clad super-athletes. Santos Tour Down Under 2013. Professionals aside, the massive upswing in the number of cyclists on our roads can ... Continue Reading »

Galileo – The Scientist

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on January 23, 2013 ]

The first time I heard of Galileo was in the backseat of my parent’s car, whilst they were blaring “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Galileo (Galileo), Galileo (Galileo), Galileo, Figaro-magnifico I was just a youngster, bobbing away idly in the back seat as my parents were reminiscing about their youth and ... Continue Reading »

Coffee – From Beans to Brewing

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on January 18, 2013 ]

It’s the 9th century, AD. Britain is experiencing an influx of Viking conquerors, for unknown reasons the Mayan Classical Era is coming to an end, the city of Dublin, Ireland is being founded and Buddhism is banned in China. At The Horn of Africa Islam is being introduced to Ethiopia ... Continue Reading »

The 2013 Climate Wake-up Call

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on January 16, 2013 ]

The hot weather that has besieged the nation since the beginning of the year and the associated bushfire threat has, I hope, been something of a cathartic experience for Australia. Finally an event that can be linked to climate change has been of such magnitude and impact that many people ... Continue Reading »

The Science of Sunscreen

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on January 15, 2013 ]

When passing the sunscreen shelves of the supermarket aisle this summer, you will begin to see a new sunscreen product-Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 50 sunscreen. But, before rushing to put this product into your trolley (even if the price is good) here are some facts to consider first. What does SPF50 mean? Any ... Continue Reading »

The Voice of Science: William Henry Bragg

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on December 21, 2012 ]

Both William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg led remarkable lives, aside from the research that resulted in their shared 1915 Nobel Prize for Physics. Here, I’ve shared snippets on both the impressive and the curious in William’s life. For those who’d like to know more, check out ... Continue Reading »

Positive Discrimination- Is it an oxymoron?

[ By bryanharrell on December 19, 2012 ]

I’m writing this article feeling slightly apprehensive. The ethics of positive discrimination (AKA affirmative action) are so complex that I’m finding it hard to decide where to pitch my tent- the ‘for’ camp or ‘against’ camp? Prof Fiona Stanley and Baroness Prof Susan Greenfield had an interesting discussion about positive discrimination ... Continue Reading »

A Life Less Ordinary: William Lawrence Bragg

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on December 18, 2012 ]

While researching my last post that celebrated the centenary of Bragg’s law, I was struck by the remarkable lives the Braggs led. The father and son physicists are best known for their Nobel Prize winning research and the incalculable impact they had on modern science, but the men ... Continue Reading »

2012

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on December 14, 2012 ]

The festive season is almost upon us. Many cultures around the world have major celebrations around the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and a congruent theme of many of these celebrations is the expression of good will and happiness for others. It’s also a time for reflection on the achievements ... Continue Reading »

Uses for X-rays

[ By Petra Dzurovcinova on November 30, 2012 ]

When most people think about X-rays, the first thought that comes to mind are the iconic images of bones – rather than the actual waves that are X-rays. The thought of scanning machines in airports might also cross their mind, but all of the other uses – such as in ... Continue Reading »