Leaky rusty water pipes pose million-dollar problem for water authorities

16 May 2012

Australia’s water mains are getting older, and bursting or leaking water pipes are costing business and local residents millions of dollars, but many of these dollars could be saved thanks to some clever computer modeling by a PhD researcher. The costs come through extended loss of service supply, water contamination, massive losses of water, and  Read More...

Some kids can hear but don’t listen

16 May 2012

A significant number of children aged 6 to 18 can ‘hear’ everything that’s said in a noisy environment, but they have trouble taking it in. It’s a problem which causes great concern to parents and teachers, and may affect up to one child in every classroom. Although these difficulties are commonly referred to as Auditory  Read More...

The CAT scan search for the perfect lamb chop

16 May 2012

Australians love their lamb, but health-conscious meat-eaters are looking to leaner lamb chops for the dining table. Now farmers have a new tool to help them choose sheep most likely to produce the lamb people want – and it all started with a machine that has transformed medical testing, the CAT scanner. PhD student Fiona  Read More...

Nano solution to sick building syndrome

16 May 2012

‘Sick building syndrome’ causes persistent illness in office workers and costs the Australian economy an estimated $12 billion a year, but nanotechnology may have an answer. Sick buildings are created when fumes given off from a range of products: paints, photocopiers, office furnishings and plastics. Known as volatile organic compounds, these fumes are a major  Read More...

New test identifies attention difficulties in kids as one cause of listening problems

16 May 2012

Children with poor listening skills can now be distinguished from those with hearing problems thanks to a new test created by HEARing Cooperative Research Centre Researcher Imran Dhamani. The problem emerged as anxious parents reported their children as having difficulty in listening, especially in noisy classrooms. It may affect as many as one child in  Read More...

Deep collaboration with solar, sheep, sensitive hearing aids, chicken vaccines and green steel reaps $billions

16 May 2012

Deep collaboration with industry and across sciences has won five innovative research projects an Australian Collaborative Innovation Award for 2012. Announced this evening [Wednesday 16 May 2012], the awards recognise the impacts of collaboration on advancing Australian technology and knowhow. Pluto technology, the world’s most commercially successful photovoltaic cell, has increased solar cell efficiency to  Read More...

Australia lagging way behind other OECD countries in innovation

15 May 2012

Australia’s innovation performance compared to other OECD countries is “appalling”, according to Professor Robin Batterham, Kernot Professor at the University of Melbourne and former Australian Chief Scientist. Professor Batterham, a keynote speaker at the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) Association conference in Adelaide today (15 May 2012) said Australia had only one third the average number  Read More...

Risk aversion is the enemy of innovation

14 May 2012

Science agencies need to take more risks in how they communicate with the public, according to US scientist-turned-filmmaker Randy Olson who will be in Adelaide this week. “We have a crisis here in the US,” says Olson. “The scientists are trying to communicate about climate change but the general public are not buying it. The  Read More...

Have taste and soul disappeared from modern food?

14 May 2012

Dr Rosemary Stanton, Sophie Thomson, Philip Bruem, Andre Ursini, Mark Tester and Rob Lewis debate innovation in our food Innovation in agriculture, driven by a growing population and increasing climate variability, has lead to ‘fast’ food. Six opinionated panellists will examine if it’s time to slow down. Almost a third of Australia’s GDP comes from  Read More...

Fund Australia’s needs, not just students’ choices: Chief Scientist

8 May 2012

Professor Ian Chubb to address what Australia needs, along with discussion on what students and industry want On 17 May, Australia’s Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb will provide a glimpse into the health of Australian science. He is the key speaker in a plenary session on ‘Enhancing returns: what Australia wants, what students want and  Read More...