Jun
19
2024
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
Jun
19
2024
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
Jun
19
2024
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
Jun
19
2024
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.”
Jun
19
2024
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
Jun
19
2024
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
Jun
19
2024
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
Apr
3
2024
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.
Apr
3
2024
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
Apr
3
2024
ADSTAR 2024, the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research summit, will feature the latest developments in next-generation defence science and technology, from hypersonic missiles to artificial intelligence-enabled autonomous uncrewed systems to the limitless possibilities of quantum computing. Focused on emerging science and technology, the biennial Defence symposium hosted by the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) …read more