For those who might be interested in seeing Professor Marcelo Gleiser speak this Sunday at the Brisbane Writers Festival Café Scientific, here’s a taste of his ideas, published today at ABC Science Online.

String theory ties us in knots

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/08/31/2997489.htm

Abbie Thomas

Program maker

abc.net.au/science

02 8333 5116

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

The information contained in this email and any attachment is confidential and may contain legally privileged or copyright material. It is intended only for the use of the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are not permitted to disseminate, distribute or copy this email or any attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system. The ABC does not represent or warrant that this transmission is secure or virus free. Before opening any attachment you should check for viruses. The ABC’s liability is limited to resupplying any email and attachments.

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Café Scientific at the Brisbane Writers Festival Imperfect Creation- the Gloriously Messy Universe

Sunday Sept 5, 3pm – FREE

[X]

Could it be possible that after decades of searching, it may turn out that there is no cosmic blueprint, no ultimate theory of everything? Marcelo Gleiser believes so, arguing that the universe is not elegant but is instead, gloriously messy. On the other hand, Queensland astronomer Dr Tamara Davis counters that the universe is messily elegant: it’s very elegance emerges from its intrinsic chaos. Meanwhile Queensland physicist Andrew White believes there is a way through to a cosmic blueprint: via superstring theory. This fascinating discussion hosted by Dr Paul Willis (ABC Catalyst) will grapple with some amazingly contradictory theories about how we happen to exist.

Venue: The Breezeway Stage, Maiwar Green, Southbank, Brisbane. (this venue is located between the State Library of Queensland and Gallery of Modern Art)

Marcelo Gleiser is Professor of Natural Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College. His lectures are as popular with literature students as they are with science students. He is the multi-award winning author of The Dancing Universe: From Creation Myths to the Big Bang; The Prophet and the Astronomer: A Scientific Journey to the End of Time and Imperfect Creation: Cosmos, Life and Nature’s Hidden Code. Tamara Davis is a member of the University of Queensland Astrophysics Group, where her research involves using supernovae to find dark energy. “The stuff we can see in the night sky makes up just four per cent of the Universe. The rest consists of dark matter and dark energy”.” During European summers she switches hemispheres to search for darkness during 18 hours per day of daylight at the Dark Cosmology Centre in Copenhagen. Andrew White is Professor at the School of Mathematics & Physics, University of Queensland. His research interests include quantum information, quantum optics-all aspects of quantum weirdness -and biophysics. He is a prolific science communicator on the weirdness of quantum mechanics.

Presented by ABC Science and the Brisbane Writers Festival

Abbie Thomas Program maker abc.net.au/science 02 8333 5116

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

The information contained in this email and any attachment is confidential and may contain legally privileged or copyright material. It is intended only for the use of the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are not permitted to disseminate, distribute or copy this email or any attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system. The ABC does not represent or warrant that this transmission is secure or virus free. Before opening any attachment you should check for viruses. The ABC’s liability is limited to resupplying any email and attachments.

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THE CRAWFORD FUND

MEDIA ALERT

30 August 2010

2010 International Development Conference

Biodiversity and World Food Security:

Nourishing the Planet and Its People

Parliament House, Canberra

Contact: Cathy Reade 0413 575 934 cathy.reade@crawfordfund.org

30, 31 August and 1 September 2010

.

CAN WE HAVE OUR BIODIVERSITY AND EAT IT TOO?

Professor Stephen D. Hopper, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Dr Christian Samper, Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

Dr Emile Frison, Director General, Bioversity International

Professor Hugh Possingham, the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists

A recent panel discussion at Kew Gardens televised by CNN identified loss of biodiversity as a bigger challenge than climate change to the environment and business.

Australian director of Kew Gardens, Professor Steve Hopper is one of a range of the international and Australian advocates and specialists in Parliament House this week to address biodiversity and world food security issues at the Crawford Fund’s 2010 conference.

Speakers include:

30 August in Mural Hall:

8pm The Sir John Crawford Memorial Address:

Professor Stephen D. Hopper, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew will argue that plant diversity is at a turning point.

Prof Hopper is only available for interviews Monday.

31 August in Theatrette:

9-10.20am KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS AND OPENING

Dr Christian Samper, Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution who will give a global perspective on nature and food security.

Prof Hugh Possingham, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists who will argue agriculture should not be seen as the problem, but rather as the solution to biodiversity loss.

The Hon Bob McMullan, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance who will open the event.

12-12.30pm GM AND BIODIVERSITY

Dr TJ Higgins, CSIRO Plant Industry will argue that by maintaining or even increasing yields on existing land, biotechnology crops can aid biodiversity conservation.

1.30-3pm INTERNATIONAL AND AUSTRLIAN SPEAKERS ADDRESSING LIVESTOCK, AQUATIC, FOREST AND MICROBIAL BIODIVERSITY

3.45 Q&A Panel with all speakers, moderated by Dr James Moody, CSIRO/ABCTV Inventors

1 September in Mural Hall (over breakfast):

7.45-8.30am

Dr Emile Frison, Director General, Bioversity International will discuss how agricultural biodiversity, rather than pills and supplements, offers an alternative approach to obesity and malnutrition.

Dr Megan Clark, Chief Executive, CSIRO talking on the importance of biological collections.

Further info/press releases are available at www.crawfordfund.org http://www.crawfordfund.org/ and pre-event interviews can be arranged. Contact Cathy Reade 0413575934.

The Crawford Fund wishes to thank the supporters of this event including ACIAR; AusAID; Austraining International; Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; AIAST; Bioversity International; CAB International; CropLife Australia; CSIRO; Doyle Foundation; Fisheries Research and Development Corporation; Grains Research and Development Corporation; Industrial Research Limited; Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; World Vegetable Centre

Cathy Reade Coordinator – Public Awareness Crawford Fund Ph/Fax: 07 54483095 Mobile: 0413 575 934 www.crawfordfund.org

The Crawford Fund’s mission is to increase Australia’s engagement in international agricultural research, development and education for the benefit of developing countries and Australia.

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Science communication students …

A ten-week summer internship in the field of astronomy outreach is available at CSIRO’s Parkes radio observatory in country NSW.

To be eligible, you must have completed at least three years of a relevant undergraduate degree.

Details are at:

https://recruitment.csiro.au/asp/job_details.asp?RefNo=2010%2F470 [project 10]

Please don’t reply to this email: read the information at the above URL and follow it!

cheers,

Helen

> —— Forwarded Message > From: Judith Dawes > Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:55:59 +1000 > To: Phil Dooley

> Subject: Re: promotion for Hans Bachor Lecture on Wednesday 8 September for > Laser Fest? > > WHEN Wednesday 8th September > TIME 6:30 PM > PLACE Lecture Theatre W5A T2 Macquarie University >   > We all use and rely on lasers when we communicate, watch a video, drive a car > or need medical help. 100 years ago these possibilities were unheard of – just > ideas in the mind of a visionary. 50 years ago > the first laser sent out the first pulse of light and now it is one of the > underlying technologies used today. > > Lecture: 50 years of Lasers and a Brilliant Future > € How does a laser actually work? > € Why is it so powerful? > € What might the future bring? > Speaker: Hans Bachor is a Professor at the Australian National University, > Director of the ARC > Centre of Excellence for Quantum-Atom Optics, and an internationally > recognised scientist and > educator. In 2009, he was awarded the Australian Institute of Physics Award > for outstanding > services to physics in Australia. > Laser Activities: Navigate a Laser Maze and create your own Laser Graffiti > from: > 6 – 6.30 pm and 7.30 – 8 pm > Parking: Free parking is available from 6 pm without a ticket in W4 and X3 car > parks only > (see S13 and S14 on campus map over page), however, you must park in the white > marked > bays or grass car park only. > For more INFO Full details can be found at > http://www.physics.mq.edu.au/laserfestsydney/events/bachor/

For ASC members in Adelaide:

Cutting-edge lecture: The handfish

Tuesday August 31 6:00-7.30pm The Science Exchange

Free but bookings required: http://www.riaus.org.au/events/2010/08/31/cutting_edge_lecture_the_handfish.jsp

The first handfish was recorded during a French expedition in 1802. Found only in Australian waters, these small, unusual, slow-moving fish prefer to ‘walk’ on their pectoral and pelvic fins, which have extremities resembling a human hand. However, researchers warn that a group of the species is at risk of becoming the ‘thylacines of the sea’ – they are facing extinction.

Join Dr Daniel Gledhill as he sheds light on the secrets of this amazing species and Dr Gretta Pecl as she discusses how the REDMAP project helps monitor species biodiversity across a range of Tasmanian marine environments.

Dr Daniel Gledhill is a Hobart-based ichthyologist in the Fish Biogeography and Taxonomy team working with CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship. The group investigates the biogeography of Australasian fishes to better understand the historic and contemporary processes affecting speciation and distribution. Current projects include developing web-based tools to assist in species identification. The group is also investigating the affinities of fish families to localised regions and relating these to historical and evolutionary events and pathways.

Dr Gretta Pecl is a Fulbright Fellow and a Senior Research Fellow leading several projects within the Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Theme at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. Her current research activity spans a range of topics including range extensions associated with climate change, evaluating adaptation options in socio-ecological systems, assessing population and fishery responses to climate change, and using citizen science approaches for ecological monitoring and engagement (e.g. www.REDMAP.org.au). She was lead author of the recent Australian Federal Department of Climate Change interdisciplinary report into the impacts and adaptation response options for the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishery (www.climatechange.gov.au/en/publications/coastline/east-coast-rock-lobster.aspx).

Ri Australia PO Box 3652 RUNDLE MALL SA 5000 Ph: (08) 7120 8604 | Fax: (08) 8221 6563 | skern@riaus.org.au| www.riaus.org.au The Royal Institution of Australia Inc is a Charitable Institution and is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) ABN: 98638459658

Think B4U Print 1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere 3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water

_______________________________________________ ASC-list mailing list list@asc.asn.au http://www.asc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=115

For ASC members in Adelaide- come along to the third instalment of the Thinking Critically About Sustainable Energy.

For interstate members, videos of the first two events are now available online.

The TCASE#2:Established Renewable

http://www.riaus.org.au/events/2010/08/11/thinking_critically_about_sustainable_energy_established_renewables.jsp

and TCASE#1: Our Fossil Fuel Future

http://www.riaus.org.au/events/2010/07/07/thinking_critically_about_sustainable_energy_fossil_fuel_future.jsp

Thinking critically about sustainable energy: Future renewables

Wednesday 1st September 6.00 – 7.30pm The Science Exchange

Free but booking essential: http://www.riaus.org.au/events/2010/09/01/thinking_critically_about_sustainable_energy_future_renewables.jsp Renewable energy is seen by many as an opportunity to tap into unlimited supplies of energy generated from natural resources, with the benefit of little or no pollution. While solar and wind power generation have been steadily developed over the last 50 years both systems still suffer from efficiency and supply issues. Because of this, there has been much interest in developing a second generation of renewable resources that can cope with base load energy demands.

In the last decade both geothermal and marine energy have been identified as power sources potentially capable of supplying our ever-increasing energy demands. Geothermal energy taps into the vast amount of heat in the earth’s core and marine energy utilises the enormous amount of renewable energy in our oceans, all without carbon emissions. More recently, energy from biomass has also been identified as a viable option due to its high energy output with little or no net CO2 emissions.

These renewable resources show enormous potential in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, but can they really deliver the cost-effective base load power they promise and just how long will it be before we can integrate these new power sources into the existing grid? Join us as panel members Susan Jeanes (Australian Geothermal Energy Association), Alan Major (Tenax Energy) and Steve Schuck (Bioenergy Australia) discuss the future for these three exciting technologies in detail with Barry Brook.

This event is the third of six public forums aimed at providing a comprehensive examination of sustainable energy technologies and critical evaluation of their potential for reducing carbon emissions. Come along, hear what the experts think and ask your own questions about how solar and wind power might fit into a sustainable future.

In association with the Centre for Energy Technology, Environment Institute/Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources.

[cid:image001.jpg@01CAC114.BFE6C880] Steve Kern Senior Programs Co-ordinator

Ri Australia PO Box 3652 RUNDLE MALL SA 5000 Ph: (08) 7120 8604 | Fax: (08) 8221 6563 | skern@riaus.org.au| www.riaus.org.au The Royal Institution of Australia Inc is a Charitable Institution and is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) ABN: 98638459658

Think B4U Print 1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere 3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water

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Science at the Pub

Scitech bravely placed science discussions into the pub environment with their Profs and Pints series during June and July this year. They invited the people in Perth and on twitter to join in. The series started with a discussion on the Gore Delusion before moving on to a very timely conversation on the use of technology and censorship. The third installment of Profs and Pints asked what it mean to be human and what happens when science mixes animals and technology before finishing with why we seek answers.

Each session of Profs and Pints drew an audience that packed The Velvet Lounge in Mt Lawley and a lively banter between the invited speakers and those that attended.

Renae Sayers from Scitech will be giving the behind the scenes view of Profs and Pints and its effectiveness in communicating science.

When: Friday 27 Aug, 4:00 pm

Where: Centre for Learning Technology, basement of Physics building, UWA main campus; entry via ramp between Physics and Geology, down stairs by kitchen area.

Followed by drinks, nibbles and good company

Next Week’s Speaker: Paul Morgan, Manager Exhibition and Design, Construction & Multimedia Department, Western Australian Museum – Logistics of A Day in Pompeii exhibit.

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Hi Folks,

Anybody fit the bill or know somebody who does?

Email Glenn: glenns@grscom.com.au

Cheers,

Kali