Bianca Nogrady

Transforming waste into fuel with Australian innovations, from tyres to sugar cane and agave

January 9, 2017No Comments

From The Guardian, 16 December 2016: In a world of dwindling resources, waste is one thing in no danger of running out. Each Australian generates more than 2,000kg of waste per year, and around half of that ends up in landfill. But at least some of that waste could be turned into a resource that … Continue reading Transforming waste into fuel with Australian innovations, from tyres to sugar cane and agave

Solar energy and rethinking geothermal: ARENA’s hits and misses

January 9, 2017No Comments

From The Guardian, 27 December 2016: As any punter will know, backing winners isn’t easy. There’s a little bit of science, a little bit of art and a whole lot of luck. Australia’s independent renewable energy agency came into being in 2012 though an act of parliament, with a $2.5bn, 10-year mission to improve the … Continue reading Solar energy and rethinking geothermal: ARENA’s hits and misses

Concrete products reabsorb nearly half CO2 released in cement manufacture

December 7, 2016No Comments

From ABC News in Science, 22 November 2016: The production of cement is a major source of carbon dioxide, but new research suggests the material that makes up our concrete jungles also plays an important role in reabsorbing carbon emissions. But as cement ages and weathers over time, it also absorbs carbon dioxide in … Continue reading Concrete products reabsorb nearly half CO2 released in cement manufacture

The past, present and future of food

November 9, 2016No Comments

From BBC Future, 8 November 2016: You look amazing – are you banting?” In the 1860s there was only one diet, and it was the Banting. Conceived of by a corpulent English undertaker and coffin-maker called William Banting – who was clearly well positioned to observe the consequences of over-indulgence – it became the first … Continue reading The past, present and future of food

Bonobos suffer from failing eyesight as they get older

November 8, 2016No Comments

From ABC Science, 8 November 2016: You may struggle to see your computer screen as you get older, but we are not the only primates to suffer from declining vision as we age. The discovery, published today in the journal Current Biology, challenges the idea that we live longer after the end of our reproductive … Continue reading Bonobos suffer from failing eyesight as they get older

‘The heat is there’: is there a future for geothermal energy in Australia?

November 4, 2016No Comments

From the Guardian, 4 November 2016: In July 2010, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) took a $32m gamble on geothermal energy, investing in Australia’s first demonstration of geothermal electricity generation. Six years later, the wells in South Australia’s Cooper Basin have been filled with concrete and abandoned, and the geothermal exploration company involved – … Continue reading ‘The heat is there’: is there a future for geothermal energy in Australia?

The benefits and downsides of building into the sea

November 3, 2016No Comments

From BBC Future, 1 November 2016: All around the world, cities are edging further into the sea. Plans are afoot to build huge islands and giant constructions in coastal areas, featuring the dredging and dumping of million of tonnes of material. What are the implications for ocean life and ecosystems as we build more and … Continue reading The benefits and downsides of building into the sea

Gene mutation drives compulsion to eat fatty foods

October 25, 2016No Comments

From ABC Science, 5 October 2016: Can’t resist a chicken korma but pass up on a sweet dessert? A study, published today in Nature Communications, looked at the effect on human dietary preferences of a mutation in the gene for the melanocortin-4-receptor (MC4R). The MC4R is found on nerves in the brain, and influences what we … Continue reading Gene mutation drives compulsion to eat fatty foods

Tracing bloodlines for the roots of an age-old friendship

October 25, 2016No Comments

From Nature Index, 17 July 2016: Performing a medical procedure on a live animal isn’t for a faint hearted researcher. So when a village dog in rural India bit Ryan Boyko’s thumb, he figured it was a small price to pay (although he got a tetanus shot to be safe) for the opportunity to explore … Continue reading Tracing bloodlines for the roots of an age-old friendship