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POPSFossil Reef found in Aussie outback So now they think Animal life evolved 80 million years earlier than we had calculated. clearly 'Scientific' discoveries are too often base with too little evidence. one of the Basic Principles of "science' is the development of a method and a control where a method can be repeated in an attempt to get similar or 'Identical'- through the imposition of specific qualifications. this can be difficult when most natural situations are unique, or 'one offs' There's generally no harm in 'looking', we just have to be careful the way we describe what we find
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POPSAustralia in biosecurity hotspot Germs don't need a passport. We cannot encase ourselves in a bubble. We cannot stop the evolution of pathogens. Our best defense is in our own immune systems. We need to know more about our immune system, than the germs, because lethal strains can develop at random. Our immune system is something we all have in common.
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POPSNemo's nose helps find way home They discovered some of the scents that attracted the clown fish to to the reefs that provide a suitable habitat. The scent from the leaves of one coastal plant Xanthostemon, a kind of myrtle attracted them. They also found scents, such as the leaves from the Melaleuca Nervosa, a kind of paperbark which is another type of myrtle, that repelled them. They say this could have implications regarding tree planting and reforestation near marine habitats.
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POPSSweet edge on waterproof paper. You can't recycle waxed boxes. The wax interferes with the paper making process. I hadn't thought of that, but it make sense, wax being waterproof because it's 'oily' The number of boxes that are coated for use with foods is unimaginable. They've had success with a spray on version of this recyclable waterproof coating . There were few details as a result of 'Commercial Confidentiality' which means they must be on to something
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POPSSnowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme 
If a man has the faith the size of a mustard seed, he can say to a mountain 'move', and it will move. Started in 1949, the scheme provided employment for returned soldiers, 'New Australians', who came to Australia after WW2 to start a new life, to provide electricity for the states of N.S.W. and Victoria, and to turn the 'Snowy' River from it's flow into the ocean, back inland to the irrigation area in central N.S.W. The Government tried to sell the scheme in 2005, but widespread protests, arguing it was not theirs to sell, from people including 100 Mayors from N.S.W., prominent politicians, and conservationists, prevented the sale. As a result of the drought-in Australia, droughts go hand in with bush fires, Lake Jindabyne reached an all time low of around 10%.in 2005. Today the level is around 60%. 'Old' Jindabyne is beneath Lake Jindabyne. They decided to move the town. when the dam was built. Parts of it can be seen when the dam is low or when fishing. Particularly the steeple.
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POPSChange in the wind for Co-operative Research Centre The program was established in 1990 to enable collaborative research to benefit industry or the community. Professor O'Kane also says It should really be about tax payer's dollars causing major spill overs to the community.
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POPSAerial surveys 'underestimate' ferals Feral animals such as cats ,foxes, pigs, and goats, can cause an incredible amount of damage to natural species and an environment that has not evolved defenses against them. Feral pigs can root up the ground, eat ground-nesting animal and endangered plants, and foul water. They need the numbers so they can find out how many animals are causing a problem, so they can decide how many need to be culled to reduce it.
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POPSResearchers close on chlamidia vaccine For the Australian native koala. When combined with habitat destruction, chlamydial disease continues to be a major threat to koalas. The disease is similar to the strain suffered by humans, and the research could help develop a vaccine in humans.
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POPSAustralians set shining standard They originally described the candela as the amount of light emitted by the average? candle. Since the definition has become more precise, but measurement is still improving. Here's the exact definition (for anyone that cares-don't ask me what a steradian is) from wikki: Since the 16th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in 1979, the candela has been defined as: The luminous intensity, in a given direction, of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540×1012 hertz and that has a radiant intensity in that direction of 1/683 watt per steradian.
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POPSStudy puts urine in the spotlight A light that can show signs of urinary tract infections These infections are easily treated, but first must be detected. This light can be part of an instant or even home analysis kit without the need to wait 24hours (usually in a queue) and two visits to the doctor or hospital. Of course if they are expensive, they can become part of the 'Neighborhood Watch' program, but how much can it cost to switch on a light globe? Every chemical has a unique signature. It is also hoped this technique can be used to detect other diseases , such as cancer, each of which have flags in the urine, due to the kidneys ability, and tendency to eliminate toxins from the system.
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POPSAboriginal tattoos reflect art, culture The study and comparison between different art forms, has helped find clues as to the social nature of particular tribes, such as whether they were hunter-gatherers or horticulturalists, and degrees to which tribes interacted, and traded.
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POPS'Devil-proof' fences to save Tassie icon The cancer affecting Tasmanian devils is infectious. In areas where the disease is present, up to 95% of the population of devils have been killed. According to the Save the Tasmanian Devil program the disease is now present across more than 60% of Tasmania.
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POPSDebate on radioactive dump flares again There's the NIMBY idea. Not in my back yard. Everywhere is someone's backyard. They keep on saying that we need the dump for 'low level waste' centralized so it's not forgotten. it sounds like smoke to me. More toxic waste needs to be put somewhere, and it's easy to say 'since we already have a dump why not just stretch the limits.-and there'll be a fortune earned by the instigators, while they say how 'great things' can be done with the money, then there'll be no flow down. Is it is a good idea to drink poison as a public service to prevent it being drunk by someone else? If humanity is around in 10,000 years, they'll still be cursing their ancestors. What is really criminal is the number of viable alternative energy sources that have been choked for the sake of money. There's energy everywhere. We just couldn't be bothered looking. I'm sure Nuclear energy is championed to justify the use of uranium in Nuclear weapons.and depleted uranium munitions. Why not dump it on your enemy?
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POPSDingo scent scares off marsupials If you get a dingo to water your roses, it also promises to repel relatives, neighbours, encyclopaedia and insurance salesmen, mormons, Jehovah's witnesses, politicians, and news reporters - and people who like the smell of roses..(Not necessarily in that order)
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POPSEvil Mad Scientist Laboratories I linked to this site, after I found out how to make a bristle-bot, using a toothbrush, and the motor that gives you a ring in a cell phone. - Before I throw my cell phones out in future, I'll have to remove the motor. They're making the world a Better Place. One evil mad scientist at a time.
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POPSExtinct thylacine genome brought to life Known as the Tasmanian Tiger, it was one of the few marsupial predators that were in Australia before the arrival of the west. The other is the Tasmanian Devil, which survives, but is threatened by a disease that causes ulcers.
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POPSHerbicide review 'fails' the environment The review recommends changes on labels to reduce the risk of the herbicide contaminating waterways. I'm sure that's physically impossible. Unless we can work out how to grow dry plants. There is also a cop out, saying that it is the responsibility of the States to ensure this happens. The don't mention how, apart from the warning on the label.
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POPSTough grasses may be key to new carbon sink Grasses like this may be part of a solution, where it will be need to be part of a new approach to agriculture, which will involve a combination of measures, that will allow us to be more compatible with the environment. Things like putting back into the soil what is taken out, with fewer chemicals like pesticides, and herbicides, which nature cannot digest, being left behind. If we try and compete with nature, we lose, we need to learn to work with nature, and the resources it has available - how nature and mankind should be on the same team, but we spend too much time banging our heads against the immovable object that is nature. We often seem to be trying to replace what is natural with our own ideas, but the time that we can run a show as well as nature, is a long way off. It's about time we tried to learn.
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