Blogs

Arts giants bested by one out of the box (6 May 2012) The Advertiser

[ By freya on May 6, 2012 ]

A quiet and beautiful partnership between science and art has trumped the big guns, winning a major art award. The Fringe show Art, Pattern and Complexity, at RiAus Future Space Gallery, has been awarded the Bank SA best visual arts and design award. It beat the city's arts giants - The ... Continue Reading »

Give chocolates the chop (23 April 2012) The Advertiser

[ By freya on April 23, 2012 ]

Treating a craving for food such as chocolate like an itch that will eventually go away can help overcome bad eating patterns, an Adelaide researcher says. It's one of the techniques suggested by  Dr Robyn Moffitt, whose research has included giving chocolates to groups of volunteer chocoholics who are asked not ... Continue Reading »

Murray Darling river briefing to be streamed live (19 March 2012) InvestigateDaily

[ By freya on March 19, 2012 ]

As Australia moves closer to having a nationwide plan in place for the preservation of the Murray Darling river systems, many have sought to question the validity of the science, and indeed the scientists whose work has been pivotal in shaping it. Director Dr Paul Willis will host a ... Continue Reading »

Your days are numbered review by Clare Peddie (12 March 2012) The Advertiser

[ By freya on March 13, 2012 ]

Confused by conflicting advice on how to live a long and happy life? Worried about wasting time? Cheer up with a dose of good medicine from Standup Maths. Mathematics teacher Matt Parker branched out into comedy, while comedian Timandra Harkness learnt a little about maths. It's a clever combination, worth more ... Continue Reading »

Sepia review by Kat Nicholson (8 March 2012) Glam Adelaide

[ By freya on March 8, 2012 ]

Sepia is the kind of play you grow to appreciate the more you think about it afterwards. The premise - a play about cuttlefish - doesn’t exactly sound enthralling. However, it isn’t really a play about cuttlefish, so much as a family drama that uses the cuttlefish as a device to drive the ... Continue Reading »

Sepia review by Noriko Wynn (8 March 2012) Adelaide ArtBeat

[ By freya ]

Sepia is one of two shows I’ve seen this Fringe that tells a local story (the other is Sons & Mothers). Locally written and produced this play is a fantastic example of what South Australia has to offer the arts.  It starts more or less in the present, with the ... Continue Reading »

Sepia review by Clare Peddie (2 March 2012) The Advertiser

[ By freya on March 5, 2012 ]

Young playwright Emily Steel says she was inspired when she discovered that the sepia tone in old photographs was made from cuttlefish ink. Watching her play about family life in a country town is just like dipping into the pages of a family photo album and turning back time. Questions ... Continue Reading »

Maths man laughing outside the square (29 February 2012) The Advertiser

[ By freya on February 29, 2012 ]

Solving the puzzle of fame using mathematics is so much fun that it's a comedy showing for the first time at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Australian Numeracy Ambassador, "Maths Man" Simon Pampena is back for more adventures with numbers at the RiAus Science Exchange. He will present "The Fame ... Continue Reading »

3D printing offers new perspective (23 February 2012) In Daily

[ By freya on February 23, 2012 ]

3D printing will make purchasing furniture as simple as purchasing music online. Buy the table online, download the “schematic” and the printer builds it – in stone, steel, ceramic or plastic. That’s the future for Gavin Artz, CEO of the Australian Network for ... Continue Reading »

Brilliant patterns transform RiAus (12 February 2012) media release

[ By freya on February 16, 2012 ]

Tim Schork of Melbourne’s innovative MESNE Design Studio and Melbourne-based artists Caroline Durré, Sam Songailo and Kerrie Poliness are all in Adelaide this week to create optically dazzling installations for the RiAus Adelaide Fringe exhibition at the Science Exchange FutureSpace Gallery. Art, Pattern and Complexity opens to the public on Thursday 16 February, ... Continue Reading »

Wartime secrets of a female scientist (14 February 2012) The Advertiser

[ By freya on February 14, 2012 ]

A Flinders University PhD student posed as a famous Nobel-prize winning scientist as a creative way to inspire more young people to choose careers in science. Simona Carbone transformed herself into Rita Levi-Montalcini, a remarkable woman who did her work in secret ... Continue Reading »

Community forum brings experts together to discuss organ donation myths and facts (14 February 2012) Border Watch (Mt Gambier)

[ By freya ]

A public forum will be held in Mount Gambier this month to answer questions about organ donation. As part of DonateLife Week 2012, RiAus, in association with DonateLife SA and the support of the Organ and Tissue Authority, will present the ... Continue Reading »

New artists leap into the future (3 February 2012) The Advertiser

[ By freya on February 3, 2012 ]

Eight young artists have been matched with professionals as part of the JUMP National Mentoring Program. Funded by the Australia Council, the JUMP program is managed in SA by Carclew Youth Arts. "The program reflects what we stand for - investing in the next generation of artists to develop their professional practice ... Continue Reading »

Bicycle couriers like to keep it surreal (22 December 2011) Adelaide Now

[ By freya on December 22, 2011 ]

City drivers, cyclists and pedestrians took a double-take when mannequins moved across town by "cargo bike" yesterday. Cycling fanatics hope sights like this will become commonplace in the future, when sustainable, livable cities are made for cycling. Australian Cycling Conference convenor Fay Patterson borrowed the mannequins from TAFE SA for a new ... Continue Reading »

Scientists look to sail into the past (6 November 2011) Adelaide Now

[ By freya on December 6, 2011 ]

Seafaring scientists are swept up in a global effort to rebuild and sail the HMS Beagle, the ship that ... Continue Reading »

Good news from the universe of science (November 2011) The Adelaide Review

[ By freya on November 22, 2011 ]

The science stories are coming thick and fast. Paul Willis offers this assembly of science wisdom. At the outer limits of my understanding of physics comes the news from Italy that someone has broken the speed of light barrier. Or, rather than someone, something. A subatomic particle called a neutrino. Among the ... Continue Reading »

Engaging our kids in science – their future depends on it (13 October 2011)

[ By freya ]

As tens of thousands of Year 12 students across Australia are preparing for their final examinations, it's timely to ask the question - how many of them see a future in the areas of science, technology and innovation? While many will doubtless apply for tertiary entrance into the sciences, a declining ... Continue Reading »

Experts to deliver science of road safety (22 November 2011) Adelaide Now

[ By freya ]

Common myths about speed will be exploded when the Motor Accident Commission and Adelaide's Science Exchange join forces to drive home the road safety message. A panel of road safety experts will gather at the exchange on Thursday to set the record straight on the risks of speeding. Professor Raphael Grzebieta from ... Continue Reading »

Thinker urges breath of fresh air for students (8 November 2011) Adelaide Now

[ By freya on November 21, 2011 ]

Young people's obsession with technology needs to be addressed because it is preventing them from enjoying the simple pleasures in life, a leading British neuroscientist says. Former Adelaide Thinker in Residence Baroness Susan Greenfield was in Adelaide as a guest speaker at St Peter's College to talk to Year 11 students ... Continue Reading »

Ballarat cements its reputation as premier cycling city (12 October 2011) Ballarat Courier

[ By freya on October 14, 2011 ]

Ballarat will today cement its reputation as Australia’s premier cycling city. Both the Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour and the Jayco Herald Sun Tour will race around picturesque Lake Wendouree in a double coup for Ballarat. The Victorian Schools Cycling Championships will also be held here today, along with masters and amateur events. The ... Continue Reading »

Anderson to talk on cycling science (10 October 2011) Mornington Peninsula Leader

[ By freya on October 10, 2011 ]

Australian cycling legend Phil Anderson will be speaking at Stage 4 of the Jayco Tour at Arthurs Seat Tour Village on Saturday. He will be sharing his experiences on the psychological side of elite sport. Anderson was the first Australian and non-European to win the prestigious yellow jersey in the Tour de ... Continue Reading »

Energy Landscapes: The new frontier (October 2011) The Adelaide Review

[ By freya on October 7, 2011 ]

On entering the latest exhibition in the RiAus FutureSpace Gallery, the viewer is greeted by a video installation of a man dressed in a newsreader’s suit, speaking in impassioned tones of politics, renewable energy and fossil fuels. Energy Landscapes: The new frontier is a collaboration between painter Robert Habel and filmmaker ... Continue Reading »

If evolution is real why are there still monkeys? (4 October 2011) ABC Science

[ By freya on October 4, 2011 ]

Ask an expert - Dr Paul Willis  Q:If evolution is real why are there still monkeys? How can we be descended from monkeys if they are around today? A: With all the 'monkeying around' that can go on in the playground or even in the office it seems we could easily be directly ... Continue Reading »

Scientists wage war on old age by tweaking DNA (24 September 2011) The Advertiser

[ By freya on September 28, 2011 ]

Marathon man Doug Smart, 68, is a picture of health. The father of three from St Georges has every chance of living to 100, maybe even 150. Sound far-fetched? Not so, says British geneticist Aubrey de Grey. He believes the first human to live to 150 has already been born and ... Continue Reading »

Film on man who changed world (22 September 2011) Adelaide Now

[ By freya on September 22, 2011 ]

Frank Fenner's scientific achievements changed the world forever. Born in Ballarat and raised in Adelaide, the pioneer of human and animal virology was responsible for the eradication of smallpox. Frank's life has been captured in a documentary, most of which was shot locally. The film is set to make its world premiere at ... Continue Reading »

RiAus Welcomes State Library Ambassadors (14 September 2011) State Library of South Australia

[ By freya on September 19, 2011 ]

What do you get when you cross 21st century science with a beautifully restored Adelaide heritage building, red neon haiku, and a crocheted coral reef? The answer is RiAus, the Royal Institution of Australia, sister organization to the Royal Institution of Great Britain (RiGB). Situated in the old Adelaide Stock ... Continue Reading »

Animal instincts: How human brains respond to critters (30 August 2011) Ars Technica

[ By freya on September 12, 2011 ]

Animals have been important sources of both food and fear throughout human history. As both predators and prey, they have helped to shape our evolutionary path. Now, new evidence shows that our brains are hardwired to respond quickly to images of animals. According to this week’s ... Continue Reading »

Human instincts blamed for risky technology binge (27 August 2011) The Advertiser

[ By freya on August 29, 2011 ]

Natural instincts important for survival can be harmful in modern societies, driving poor choices that are bad for our health and happiness, a visiting psychologist and author says In her book, Supernormal Stimuli: How Primal Urges Overran Their Evolutionary Purpose, Harvard University psychologist Dr Deirdre Barrett links basic instincts to obesity, ... Continue Reading »

Bookworms turning their attention to science (23 August 2011) – The Advertiser

[ By freya on August 24, 2011 ]

Bookworms are being encouraged to get stuck into science this month with the Great Big Science Read. Now in its second year, the read is an initiative of the Royal Institution Australia and is running throughout August to coincide with National Science Week. The science-related titles also count towards the Premier's Reading ... Continue Reading »

Food for thought for nine billion (23 August 2011) – Our World Today

[ By freya ]

This Thursday two teams of Australian experts will debate for and against the argument that increasing agricultural production is the only sure way to feed nine billion people by 2050. The debate will be held by the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) an institution that Director Paul Willis said ... Continue Reading »

Chemistry as science and poetry collide (20 August 2011) – The Advertiser

[ By freya on August 22, 2011 ]

Science is poetry in motion for Westminster School student Matthew Podgorski, 15. The Year 10 student from Eden Hills won first prize in the secondary schools category of a national competition. He captivated the judges with a tale of chemistry gone wrong. "I enjoy chemistry topics, such as learning how the Periodic ... Continue Reading »

Magical world of science (16 August 2011) – The Advertiser

[ By freya on August 16, 2011 ]

This year's National Science Week is a platform for all in the field to inspire the community with how much their work can change the world. Scientists pride themselves on being logical, accurate and precise, so it's ironic that National Science Week should stretch for more than seven days. Award-winning science communicator ... Continue Reading »

Marine theme at Murray Bridge South (9 August 2011) – The Murray Bridge Standard

[ By freya on August 9, 2011 ]

Murray Bridge students were treated to a colourful, interactive two-hour presentation with a focus on marine conservation last week. Facilitated by the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) the event, held at the Murray Bridge South Primary School, featured special guest artist and author Kim Michelle Toft, and South Australian Research and ... Continue Reading »

Professor Laura J. Snyder’s Book Voted Most Popular Science Book (8 August 2011) – St John’s University

[ By freya ]

St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences professor Laura J. Snyder’s book The Philosophical Breakfast Club was just voted the most popular science book in a poll taken by the Royal Institution of Australia.  The original list of 100 included not just classic science books like Darwin's Origin of ... Continue Reading »

Cartoon canines clear up climate chaos (9 August 2011) – The Advertiser

[ By freya ]

Understanding what brings rain to south-eastern Australia can be a headache for farmers, but help is at hand. The "climate dogs" are trusty cartoon characters with catchy names—Enso, Ridgy, Sam and Indy. They were designed with Victorian farmers in mind to help explain complex weather systems but are equally relevant to South ... Continue Reading »

The philosopy of popular science (8 August 2011) – The Advertiser

[ By freya on August 8, 2011 ]

A tale of friendship set in Victorian Cambridge has been voted Australia's most popular science book. The RiAus poll gives top billing to The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World by Laura J. Snyder. At No. 2 is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by ... Continue Reading »

Zen and the art of crochet (5 August 2011) – Interactivate

[ By freya on August 5, 2011 ]

If I had to rate my artistic ability on a scale of 1 to 10 (and I’ll extend this rating to my craft skills), I’d give myself a 4. On a day I was feeling particularly generous. I never advanced much past stick men in the drawing stakes, and I’ve always ... Continue Reading »

Australian filmmakers win big at 2011 SCINEMA awards (5 August 2011) – COSMOS

[ By freya ]

Australian filmmakers have taken out more than half of the awards at the 2011 SCINEMA Festival of Science Film Competition ahead of more than 30 countries. Australian documentary series, Voyage of the Planets, which set out to offer the viewer a ringside seat to the splendors of the Solar System and ... Continue Reading »

Crochet coral reef intertwines art, science and community (2 August 2011) – Glam Adelaide

[ By freya on August 4, 2011 ]

Over the past four months a community of over 250 Adelaide crafters have produced the RiAus Adelaide Reef – a coral reef made entirely of crochet. View full article from Glam Adelaide: Crochet coral reef intertwines art, science and community (2 August 2011)

Hooked on the crochet sea garden (4 August 2011) – The Advertiser

[ By freya ]

A lively sea garden of crocheted delights fills the basement of the Science Exchange for the SALA Festival and National Science Week. More than 250 crafty locals, hooked on the art and science of crochet, created the RiAus Adelaide Reef over four months. Co-curator Julie Walker took "great pleasure" in placing every ... Continue Reading »

Last night, I dreamt of gold latex and silk (3 August 2011) – Bridge8

[ By freya on August 3, 2011 ]

Sarah: Last night I dreamt of gold latex and silk. I dreamt of cuttlefish.  I dreamt of whales. View full article from Bridge8: Last night, I dreamt of gold latex and silk (3 August 2011)

University of Adelaide, RiAus discuss how mining can drive solar energy (12 July 2011) – in-business

[ By freya on July 13, 2011 ]

Solar energy development - and the key role of the mining sector in leading the way - will be the focus of a free public lecture at the University of Adelaide tomorrow. Professor Aldo Steinfeld, one of the world's foremost researchers in solar energy technology, will join experts from the University ... Continue Reading »

Upper crust Pi logic by the numbers (6 July 2011) – Adelaide Now

[ By freya on July 6, 2011 ]

Numeracy may not be the hottest thing around, but a few celebs have made maths their cause celebre. Both Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Adam Spencer are big advocates of numbers and science. They've made their names on Triple J and ABC, and are pretty cool dudes. Which brings us to Pi Day. National ... Continue Reading »

Synthetic engineering: dreams & doubts (June-July 2011) – RealTime Arts

[ By freya on July 4, 2011 ]

In a recent article featuring Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg's Synthetic Kingdom project, Hettie Judah asked, "would people still be scared of nanotechnology if we could make it strawberry flavoured?" In some ways the artworks in LIFE 2.0: artifice to synthesis are so subtle that they don't need sweetening. New technologies slide ... Continue Reading »

Science night on (1 July 2011) – Swan Hill Guardian

[ By freya on July 1, 2011 ]

The University of Melbourne’s Festival of Ideas is heading to Swan Hill next Thursday evening, with scientific experts discussing the latest in genetically modified crops, new medical treatments and cloning. The seminar gives the public the chance to put their questions to the scientists in a Q&A style panel discussion. View full ... Continue Reading »

Moves to replace Pi with Tau (28 June 2011) – The Advertiser

[ By freya on June 28, 2011 ]

Pi, the circle constant in mathematics, is under attack. An underground movement is rounding up support for its successor, Tau. Pi is the "irrational" infinite number you get when you divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter. It starts 3.14159265 ... Continue Reading »

On National Tau Day, Pi Under Attack (28 June 2011) – Fox News

[ By freya ]

Pi, the circle constant in mathematics, is under attack, The Advertiser reported Tuesday, with an underground movement rounding up support for its successor, Tau. Read full article from Fox News: On National Tau Day, Pi Under Attack (28 June 2011)  

Science on show (22 June 2011) – Cobden Times

[ By freya on June 22, 2011 ]

Corangamite Shire residents will be treated to a film festival in the coming weeks. RiAus programs co-ordinator Kiran Shettigara said three science films will be screened for free over two days at the Theatre Royal in Camperdown. View full article from Cobden Times: Science on show (22 June 2011)

Science project: Willis takes a quantum leap (20 June 2011) – The Financial Review

[ By freya on June 20, 2011 ]

A popular television presenter is taking up a new role — with a broader brief, writes Rachel Lebihan. If Paul Willis is not a household name, he certainly has a well-known face and a reputation as the quirky, grey-haired boffin who brought science stories to life on ABC television shows such ... Continue Reading »

Difference between death and life (14 June 2011) – Adelaide Now

[ By freya on June 14, 2011 ]

Looks can be deceiving. Skin is pink and warm to the touch, the chest rises and falls, the heart beats a slow and steady rhythm. For all intents and purposes, the person lying on the hospital bed in intensive care, breathing with the aid of a mechanical ventilator, appears to be ... Continue Reading »