Author: Bianca Nogrady

Bianca Nogrady is an Australian freelance science journalist, broadcaster and author - www.biancanogrady.com - @biancanogrady

Smart city: using technology to tackle traffic and social isolation in Melbourne

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From The Guardian, 19 June 2017: Traffic congestion and social isolation are two concepts that don’t immediately appear to be connected. But in 2012, the Grattan Institute’s Social Cities report drew a direct line between inefficient urban transport and less time spent with friends and family. One estimate suggested every 10 minutes of commuting equates … Continue reading Smart city: using technology to tackle traffic and social isolation in Melbourne

Battery storage and rooftop solar could mean new life post-grid for consumers

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From The Guardian, 13 June 2017: To illustrate the impact of battery storage on the electricity network in Australia, Prof Guoxiu Wang likes to compare it to the invention of refrigeration. “Before people invented the fridge, we produced food, we consumed food immediately,” says Wang, director of the Centre for Clean Energy Technology at the … Continue reading Battery storage and rooftop solar could mean new life post-grid for consumers

How Australia can use hydrogen to export its solar power around the world

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From The Guardian, 19 May 2017: Nearly a century ago, British scientist JB Haldane saw an energy future in which wind power would be used to generate hydrogen; a fuel he described as, weight-for-weight, the most efficient known method of storing energy. He thought this future was four hundred years away, but the so-called “hydrogen … Continue reading How Australia can use hydrogen to export its solar power around the world

Australian funding agency announces new chief

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From Nature Index, 28 April 2017: The appointment of Sue Thomas as head of the Australian Research Council adds to a growing number of women at the helms of Australia’s key scientific agencies and funding bodies. Thomas, currently the provost and deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of New England, will take over from Aidan Byrne … Continue reading Australian funding agency announces new chief

Age discrimination: older Australian workers viewed as slow to learn

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From The Guardian, 20 April 2017: The trope of the older worker thrust back into the hurly-burly of working life made for great comedy in the 2015 film The Intern. But in reality this scenario isn’t always such a laughing matter. Older workers face unique hardships. Hampered by unfair stereotypes about their abilities, their role … Continue reading Age discrimination: older Australian workers viewed as slow to learn

Food security: the gene banks future-proofing Australian agriculture

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From The Guardian, 27 April 2017: n February 2018 the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the remote Norwegian Arctic will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Among the gifts it will receive are two collections of precious seeds and grains from the Australian Pastures Genebank and the Australian Grains Genebank, to be deposited into the vault as … Continue reading Food security: the gene banks future-proofing Australian agriculture

Seaweed on shortlist in co-culture trial

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From Fish magazine, December 2016: Native seaweeds could be the next big thing in Australian aquaculture, as businesses look to diversify their income streams and improve water quality at the same time. Researchers at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) have been investigating integrated multitrophic aquaculture. This describes the co-culture of organisms where … Continue reading Seaweed on shortlist in co-culture trial

Alien solar system of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby dwarf star could be rich with water and life

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From ABC Science, 23 February 2017: Seven Earth-sized planets, many of which could harbour life, have been discovered orbiting a dwarf star in our own galactic neighbourhood. The complex alien solar system hosts the largest number yet of detected worlds capable of having liquid water on their surface, a team of astronomers reported on Thursday … Continue reading Alien solar system of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby dwarf star could be rich with water and life

Australian consortium launches world-first digital energy marketplace for rooftop solar

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From The Guardian, 23 February 2017: Australian homeowners with solar panels and batteries could soon trade their electricity in a digital marketplace developed by a consortium of electricity providers, energy tech startups, energy retailers and energy agencies. The Decentralised Energy Exchange – or deX – was launched on Thursday with the promise to “change the … Continue reading Australian consortium launches world-first digital energy marketplace for rooftop solar