LATEST ARTICLES

‘Safe’ risks reward boys at the Hutchins School

'Safe' risks reward boys at the Hutchins School

When Hutchins School boys climb the steep face of a cliff or spend time entirely alone in a self-built wilderness shelter, or cook their own food over a campfire, they are building essential qualities of maturity: resilience, independence, self-reliance and flexibility. “The boys love anything outdoors and hands-on, and certainly having challenge-based activities, especially when we …read more

Hydro power brings reliability to renewables

Hydro power brings reliability to renewables

Massive problems have beset the Snowy 2.0 pumped storage hydro program, an ambitious renewable energy project intended to become a vast reservoir of stored energy. One of the 2000-tonne tunnel-boring machines, known as Florence or Flo, recently got stuck in very hard rock and high-pressure water jets were deployed to set the machine free. Last year, …read more

Biofuels offer hope for hard-to-decarbonise sectors

Biofuels offer hope for hard-to-decarbonise sectors

Australian biotechnology company Licella invented and developed the world’s leading hydrothermal liquefaction technology: using hot pressurised water to transform waste biomass into biocrude which can then be upgraded to sustainable aviation fuel and renewable biodiesel. “Our technology unlocks the vast potential of the resources we have in Australia,” says Andrea Polson, Licella general manager stakeholder …read more

Net zero unlocks the nation’s critical minerals potential

Net zero unlocks the nation’s critical minerals potential

With government support and an abundance of the mineral resources vital for many renewable energy technologies, Australia has the potential to become a critical minerals powerhouse as the world shifts to net zero. Yet experts warn there are headwinds that require careful navigation. Certain critical minerals are essential for aspects of renewable energy generation, storage …read more

Important lessons on game-changing chatbot

Important lessons on game-changing chatbot

When ChatGPT burst on to computer screens around the world in late November 2022, Michelle Dennis knew the artificial intelligence chatbot was a game-changer. “It very quickly became apparent it would have an impact on classes,” says Dennis, head of digital at Haileybury independent school. “We knew we needed to have a policy before school year started.”

Shared networks explore AI resources

Shared networks explore AI resources

Independent schools across Australia are collaborating and forming networks to share the ways generative AI can be used for teaching and learning, say leaders in the sector. Widely considered the most significant educational technology development since the launch of the internet, the 2022 introduction of OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT sent shockwaves around the world …read more

Demand for ‘more enriched’ education puts pressure on state system

Demand for ‘more enriched’ education puts pressure on state system

Increasing numbers of Australian families are choosing to have their children educated in independent schools, potentially indicating a loss of confidence in the chronically under-resourced state school system. Demand for places at Reddam House independent school in Sydney is the highest since the school was established in 2001, says principal Dave Pitcairn. “We have never seen a …read more

Single-sex schooling debate continues

Single-sex schooling debate continues

The shift to co-education by two of Sydney’s traditional all-boys’ independent schools – Cranbrook in the city’s east and Newington in the inner west – has upset some parents and alumni and again stirred the debate on the benefits and disadvantages of single-sex schooling. Certain research suggests that girls do better in single-sex schools – where …read more

‘Essential to open STEM door to the widest diversity of Australians possible’

‘Essential to open STEM door to the widest diversity of Australians possible’

Defence is working to inspire young minds with the wonders of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and encourage children, adolescents and adults from all backgrounds to pursue STEM careers. The pipeline of STEM professionals is notoriously slippery, with students and young professionals falling away as their circumstances change or the study burden becomes too onerous.

New global frictions drive push to AI world

New global frictions drive push to AI world

Australian defence experts have been hard at work developing responsible artificial intelligence defence systems, galvanised by increasing geopolitical friction during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “The nature of modern conflict, with the overwhelming amount of information for the warfighter and the use of autonomous systems, brings to the fore the need for advanced technologies such as …read more