Published by

Australian Academy
of Science

Physical science topics

Sounding out the secrets of the sea
The increasing use of sound by humans to explore the seas has raised questions about its potential impact on marine life.

Sponsored by:

The Australian Acoustical Society

Probing past and future materials with neutrons
Over a hundred years after the Kelly gang were captured, researchers have been able to say how the famous armour was made.

Sponsored by:

Thinking ahead – fusion energy for the 21st century?
Fusion is the oldest, and newest, form of energy. What role will it play in our energy-hungry future?

Sponsored by:

The Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the Australian National University, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Newcastle and the School of Physics at the University of Sydney.

Wireless but not clueless
WiFi and other wireless technologies are already part of our lives, and soon they will be almost everywhere. We should try to understand them.

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Fixing the cracks in disaster mitigation
Better planning and construction can greatly reduce the impacts of earthquakes and other disasters.

Sponsored by:

A quiet revolution – the science of complex systems
If you haven't heard of complex systems don't worry, you are not the only one. Scientists have been quietly puzzling over the complex interactions that define so many things in our world.

Sponsored by:

ARC Complex Open Systems Research Network

It's an advanced material world
Advanced materials promise to meet the needs of consumers who demand products that are lighter, cheaper, faster and better than ever before.

Sponsored by:

Nanotechnology – taking it to the people
The business of working with the ultra small promises to become mega big. But what you’ll actually see in the marketplace may not look all that different from what’s around us today.

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Getting into hot water – global warming and rising sea levels
The 20th century saw the greatest increase in temperature of any century during the last thousand years, and the last decade was the warmest since records began. As the temperature rises, so does the sea level – with profound consequences for us all.

Sponsored by:

The Australian Greenhouse Office is the lead Commonwealth agency on greenhouse matters

Sponsored by:

Bogged down in the four-wheel drive debate?
Four-wheel drives are becoming more common on the nation's roads, but there are questions about their impact on road safety and the environment.

Nanoscience – working small, thinking big
Nanoscience has the potential to reshape the world around us. It could lead to revolutionary breakthroughs in fields as diverse as manufacturing and health care. What is involved in working at the nanoscale?

Sponsored by:

Advanced Powder Technology Pty Ltd

Salinity – the awakening monster from the deep
Salinity is making more and more of our land unusable and our water undrinkable.

Sponsored by:

CRC for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration

Synchrotrons – making the light fantastic
The Victorian Government is building a $206 million synchrotron in Melbourne. Why invest so much money in a machine that most people have never heard of?

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development.

GPS and never having to say: 'Where am I?'
The Global Positioning System (GPS) has been operating successfully for over 10 years, allowing anyone with a receiver to work out exactly where they are.
Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Astronomy in the deep freeze
Astronomers are going to the coldest place on Earth to search for the heat radiated by distant objects in the universe.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

The picture becomes clear for magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging is increasing in importance as a tool for diagnosing illness and injury. Regulations in Victoria now require professional boxers to have an MRI brain scan every 3 years.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Which way ahead for hydrogen cars?
Rising petrol prices and diminishing oil supplies may drive motorists to demand alternative forms of fuel – such as hydrogen.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

A fair cop! Accurate breath analysis and speed detection
Breath-testing and speed detection are vital for reducing the road toll, but they will only be effective if they can withstand the scrutiny of the legal system.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Sponsored by:

Death-defying designs for car safety
Car crumple zones and airbags – designed to absorb crash energy – are contributing to a lower road toll.

Putting it together – the science and technology of composite materials
Light, strong and corrosion-resistant, composite materials are being used in an increasing number of products as more manufacturers discover the benefits of these versatile materials.

Sponsored by:

Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures Ltd
the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Sponsored by:

Fatal impact – the physics of speeding cars
Recent studies show that driving even a few kilometres per hour above the speed limit greatly increases the risk of an accident.

Sponsored by:
Carbon currency – the credits and debits of carbon emissions trading
The Kyoto Protocol is the first step towards stabilising global emissions of carbon dioxide. But what is carbon emissions trading and will it limit the enhanced greenhouse effect?

The Australian Greenhouse Office is the lead Commonwealth agency on greenhouse matters

Buckyballs – a new sphere of science
When buckyballs bounced onto the scene in 1985, they became an overnight sensation. More than a decade later, scientists are still trying to score goals with these extraordinary molecules.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Generating new ideas for meeting future energy needs
Concerns about the greenhouse effect, smog and energy security have led to increasing interest in energy sources such as hot dry rocks, wave power and hydrogen.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Sodicity – a dirty word in Australia
Soil sodicity hasn’t hit the headlines yet, but in terms of area and impact it far outweighs salinity as a problem in Australia.

Sponsored by:

CRC for Soil and Land Management
the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Biomass – the growing energy resource
Energy from biomass is sparking interest amongst scientists, policy makers and growers as they search for clean, renewable energy alternatives.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Calculating the threat of tsunami
On 26 December 2004, an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale created a tsunami that led to the deaths of over 289,000 people living in coastal villages in Asia and Africa. Scientists have made important advances towards predicting tsunami by combining mathematics, geology and physics.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

The bitter-sweet taste of toxic substances
Household items such as bleach, disinfectant and detergent are an integral part of everyday life – and they are all potentially toxic. How can we minimise the risks they present?

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

The ups and downs of Australian air traffic control
The introduction of the Australian Advanced Air Traffic System brings the management of Australian skies into the computer age.

Sponsored by:

Airservices Australia the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Monitoring the white death – soil salinity
New technology is being used to help monitor the extent of dryland salinity threatening large areas of Australia's agricultural zone.

Sponsored by:

Land Monitor Project the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Cleaner production – a solution to pollution?
A draft national strategy for cleaner production, produced by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, was recently available for public comment. What is cleaner production, and how can it help reduce pollution loads?

Sponsored by:

Environment Protection Authority the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Measurement in sport – the long and the short of it
International sporting events require more than well-trained athletes. Behind the scenes, a wide range of scientific and technological wizardry are needed to ensure accurate measurements.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Looking down the track at very fast trains
Australia still awaits a government decision on a very fast train link between our major cities. Worldwide, the debate continues about the merits of different kinds of very fast train.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Wind power gathers speed
Wind power is set to become an important means of generating electricity worldwide.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Mobile phones – communications on the go
Australia's analogue mobile phone system has been replaced by digital technology. But what does this mean, and how do mobile phones work anyway?

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Looking for clues to our mineral wealth
In late 1997, Australian scientists announced the discovery of what they believe to be the richest gold deposit ever found. The gold is contained in 'black smokers' – volcanic chimneys found on the ocean floor.

Sponsored by:

Australian Geodynamics Cooperative Research Centre the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Fuelling the 21st century
Fuel cells are an efficient and low-polluting way to generate power. The Australian Technology Park in Sydney has installed Australia's first commercial fuel cell.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

The Southern Ocean and global climate
Research shows that the Southern Ocean is crucial to the world's climate system.

Sponsored by:

Cooperative Research Centre for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Enhanced greenhouse effect – a hot international issue
The meeting on greenhouse gas emissions held in Kyoto in December 1997 put the enhanced greenhouse effect in the spotlight.

Sponsored by:

Communicating with light – fibre optics
The Australia Prize for 1997 was awarded to two engineers and an applied mathematician for their outstanding work in fibre optic communications and high-speed modem design.

Sponsored by:

Institute of Advanced Studies,
Australian National University University of Melbourne

Harnessing direct solar energy – a progress report
We often hear about solar car challenges and solar heating, but will solar energy ever be a major energy source for industrial societies?

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Local air pollution begins at home
Local air pollution is a major health threat. It ranges in scale from cigarette smoke in a house to the photochemical smog that can cover a city.

Sponsored by:

Earth's sunscreen – the ozone layer
The ozone layer screens out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Can we reverse its destruction?

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Prospect or suspect – uranium mining in Australia
Australia has deposits of many valuable minerals, including nearly one-third of the world's readily recoverable uranium resources. Should there be limitations on the mining of Australia's uranium?

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

The Australian Foundation for Science is a supporter of Nova.