Published by

Australian Academy
of Science

Technology topics

Quantum computers – why would you want one?
Do we really need even faster computers?

Sponsored by the Sir Mark Oliphant International Frontiers of Science and Technology Conference Series.

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.

Sponsored by:

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

Making every drop count
Would you drink a glass of treated effluent? That question is part of a heated debate about water recycling, as people try to find solutions to the lack of water supplies brought about by climate change and a growing population.

Sponsored by:

Australian Research Council Linkage Learned Academies Special Project Grant

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.

Sponsored by:

The buzz about insect robots
Insects are a marvel of bioengineering. Scientists are studying how insects walk, fly and navigate their way in the world to overcome some of the obstacles in the development of robots.

Sponsored by the Sir Mark Oliphant International Frontiers of Science and Technology Conference Series, funded by the Australian Government under the International Science Linkages programme.

Biology meets industry – genomics, proteomics, phenomics
The entry of information technology and robotics into the biology laboratory is opening the door to new ways of studying cell biology – the 'omics.

Sponsored by:

Australian Proteome Analysis Facility Australian Phenomics Facility

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

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

Virtual reality bytes – military uses of VR
The Australian Defence Force is blending the real and the virtual to train and equip defence personnel cost-effectively and safely.

Sponsored by:

Defence Science and Technology Organisation the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Making packaging greener – biodegradable plastics
Biodegradable plastics made with plant-based materials have been available for many years. Their high cost, however, has meant they have never replaced traditional non-degradable plastics in the mass market. A new Australian venture is producing affordable biodegradable plastics that might change all that.

Sponsored by:

the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy

Putting a finger on it – the loops and whorls of biometrics
Automated measurement techniques to verify a person’s identity are attracting widespread attention. In Australia, Woolworths and the banking industry are already using fingerprint identification technology.

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

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

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

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

Cochlear implants – wiring for sound
Australian researchers are helping deaf people to hear – the majority of the world's cochlear implant recipients use a device manufactured here.

Sponsored by:

Bionic Ear Institute Cooperative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation.

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

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

More food, cleaner food – gene technology and plants
Gene technology, also known as genetic engineering, involves manipulating or transferring genetic material within or between organisms. It has the potential to improve agricultural yields and reduce the application of pesticides.

Sponsored by:

CSIRO Division of Plant Industry

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

The Australian Foundation for Science is a supporter of Nova.