Posted: April 28th, 2012 | Author: Michael Courtenay | Filed under: Cankler Science News, Climate Change, Ecology, Science of Green | Tags: ARGO, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO, Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Ocean Cycles, Ocean Salinity Changes | No Comments »
A study published in the journal Science has concluded that climate change is altering oceans and rainfall worldwide. A team of three researchers looked at ocean data over the period 1950 to 2000. The research found salinity levels have changed in all the world’s oceans, wetter areas are experiencing more rain and drier areas have become drier.
Susan Wijffels from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation – CSIRO - says she expects the trend to continue.
“The answer of how much more is going to be in the future depends on how much more warning there is going to be,” she said. ”So if we stay on a high emissions pathway we might see warming up around three degrees, which will give us maybe a 24 per cent change in our water cycle.”
The authors say this could have implications for global food security. In the paper, Australian scientists from the CSIRO and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California, reported changing patterns of salinity in the global ocean during the past 50 years, marking a clear fingerprint of climate change. :: Read the full article »»»»
Posted: August 15th, 2011 | Author: Buster Cookson | Filed under: Applied Science, Ecology, Science | Tags: bendy wires, Buddha's Brother, EES, electronic tattoo, Epidermal electronic system, John A Rogers, medical sensors, Rogers Research Group, sensors | Comments Off
Genius inventor John A Rogers and his research group have produced the first flexible stretchable adhesive electronic device that can be applied to the skin. Epidermal electronic systems - EES. Initially designed as a biological sensor the electric tattoo has potential to be much more than an expression of difference or rebellious body art. Biologic sensors built-into the device can detect brain waves, muscle activity, temperature and monitor for heart arrhythmia. Looking like a crumpled spiderweb the device combines flexible electronics with clever flexible wiring, giving the electronic tattoo staying power. Using Radio Frequency Identification, ESS can be used to non-invasively track patients for progress , and possibly minimizing medication or surgical mistakes. The sensing functions allow basic body function to be measured wirelessly.
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The snake-like connectors link electronic components acting like extension leads, where as wires on a circuit board tend to be straight –
limiting the amount of movement – Rogers clever snake-like wires allow movement and flexibility. Using bendy wires as part of the design is clever engineering, the work done to make the electronic component flexible now that is genius.
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Posted: August 11th, 2011 | Author: Michael Courtenay | Filed under: Applied Science, Ecology, Ecology, Favorite New Thought, Michael Courtenay, Outside the Box, Science, Science of Green | Tags: Black Rat, Bogul Rat, Dr Grainne Cleary, Ecologist, Ecology, Manly, Mosman, Native Rat, Sydnet, Übercute Native Bogul Rat, Vermin | Comments Off
Sydneysiders sometimes feel swept up in the rat race, but there’s a real rat race coming to bushland around Sydney Harbour when University of Sydney ecologists introduce native bush rats, called boguls.
Dr Grainne Cleary holding a native Bogul Rat
There is about to be a new twist on Sydney’s rat-race, this time involving a battle between real-life rodents. A native rat is being re-introduced to Sydney to give the introduced species a run for its money. Scientists from the University of Sydney will tonight release 100 Bogul Rats in the Sydney Harbour National Park, and at a sanctuary at Manly. Ecologist Grainne Cleary says once established it is hoped the bush rats will be able to compete with the black rat, which arrived in Sydney with the first European settlers. ”We’ve been killing black rats around the harbour so there’s big gaps where there’s no black rats, we’re putting the native bush rat in, the bush rat gets time to make it its home, find a place to live, find a place to eat. The black rats will then start invading, start to want to come in, there will be a bit of fight and we’re pretty confident that the true Aussie battler, the Bogul, will win out.” Dr Cleary says the bogul rat is also better news for Sydney’s human residents. She says unlike the black rat, bush rats do not generally get into homes and do not become a plague problem.
The trial starting this week will take place in 16 bushland locations from Mosman to Manly, with the aim of reinstating a native species and potentially reducing pest black rat populations as the boguls compete for territory and resources. The boguls will be microchipped and radio tracked to chart their movements over the next 18 months. Native boguls (Rattus fuscipes) were once common in Sydney but were wiped out after European settlement. Research led by Associate Professor Peter Banks and Dr Grainne Cleary from the University of Sydney’s School of Biological Sciencessuggests boguls may be able to out-compete black rats (Rattus rattus) in the race for territory. Read the full article »»»»
