How Digital Records Change Lives
15 December, 2015: National Library of Australia
Ivan Owen's design, Questacon printed 3D prosthetic hand
A chance finding in Trove has helped change the life of a young boy born without fingers – and thousands more people with similar special needs around the world.
Trove, the award-winning free discovery service driven by the National Library of Australia, was used by American designer Ivan Owen, during his research into the construction of the world’s first 3D printed, body-powered partial hand prosthesis for a young boy called Liam.
While searching the Internet, Mr Owen uncovered, via Trove, the Health Museum of South Australia’s records about the Coles Hand – a prosthetic hand made for one Corporal Coles in 1845 out of whalebone and metal pulleys. (http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/191400551)
‘Mr Owen told us his research via Trove led him to find crucial details about the pulley mechanism needed for Liam’s prosthetic hand,’ Assistant Director-General , National Collections Access Division at the National Library of Australia, Dr Marie-Louise Ayres said. ‘He has generously made his designs freely available as open source, so they can be used, and adapted, by anyone.
‘Whilst talking to him we discovered that a large community had built up around his initial work for Liam, and now his design has spread internationally.’
The University of Washington heard about Mr Owen’s work and has since offered him a job – and now he has a team of students designing such practical 3D projects.
‘This is such a wonderful example of the power that can be unleashed through the digitisation of cultural collections found in Trove – and of the remarkable social, health and economic benefits that result,’ Dr Ayres said. ‘It also shows the importance of being innovative – of using the latest technology for the best of reasons.’
Today, as a result of this collaboration across the world, more than 1,600 people have received a 3D printed hand, at low cost.
The National Library of Australia has embarked on further collaboration closer to home with experts from Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre, who helped assemble a copy of the hand via 3D printer.
Wildlife corridor severed if Mt Owen mine approved
15 December, 2015: Nature Conservation Council NSW
Koalas, quolls, and squirrel gliders in the Hunter Valley will lose another piece of critical habitat if mining giant Glencore is permitted to expand its Mt Owen coal mine and sever a vital wildlife corridor between bushland remnants.
The NSW Government’s Planning Assessment Commission will conduct a public hearing into the company’s plans at Singleton Diggers Club from 12.30pm today, at which the NSW Nature Conservation Council will make a presentation. [1]
“Half of Ravensworth State Forest, a wildlife hotspot in the Hunter Valley, has already been destroyed by Glencore when it cut it down and dug it up for the original Mount Owen open-cut coal mine,” Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said.
“Now Glencore has come back to take more of the little that is left. This project would destroy a large part of one of the few remaining areas of significant remnant native vegetation in the central Hunter Valley so mining giant Glencore can mine polluting coal that the world doesn’t need.
“The Mount Owen mine expansion will destroy endangered woodlands and grasslands that provide vital habitat for 29 threatened species, including spotted-tailed quoll, koala, squirrel glider, several species of micro-bat, the swift parrot, and the masked owl.
“Quolls will be particularly hard hit. Glencore’s new proposal will divide the local population of spotted-tail quolls into two smaller groups, which will result in inbreeding that will risk dooming these populations to extinction.”
The 92 million tonnes of coal that Glencore wants to extract over 15 years will, when burnt, produce emissions equivalent to 7 million Australian households.
“It is absolutely shameful how Premier Baird’s government is allowing coal companies to trash our natural heritage – our unique Australian bush animals and pure water supplies – while the rest of the world is moving away quickly from fossil fuels,” Ms Smolski said.
“At today’s hearing, we’ll call on the Baird government to preserve the natural heritage of the Hunter and develop a just transition plan that gives the Hunter community a more sustainable and less destructive path to prosperity.”
[1] PAC Decision
Innovative wave energy device lands at Port Fairy
16 December 2015: ARENA Media Release
Ocean energy company BioPower Systems (BPS) completed the deployment of its 250kW bioWAVE pilot demonstration unit off the coast near Port Fairy, Victoria.
The $21 million project has been in development by BPS for three years, with $11 million funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and $5 million funding from the Victorian Government.
BPS CEO Dr Timothy Finnigan said the usually powerful swell at this site abated enough for the installation to be completed smoothly and successfully.
“Installation of the bioWAVE in the Southern Ocean marks the culmination of an intensive development phase, and the beginning of a testing and demonstration phase for bioWAVE. We will now turn our attention to commissioning the plant for operation, and we aim to be delivering electricity into the grid very soon,” Dr Finnigan said.
The bioWAVE was deployed by a crane-equipped ship, which transported the device to the site and lowered it into the water. The structure was angled slightly, piercing the surface like a diver to avoid any impacts from the waves, before being levelled out and landed on the seabed. Divers monitored the process from below to ensure accurate placement.
Acting ARENA CEO Ian Kay congratulated the team at BPS on successfully deploying the device.
“This is a major achievement for Australia’s emerging wave power industry and represents another ARENA-supported breakthrough in renewable energy innovation,” Mr Kay said.
“BPS has overcome a range of logistical and technical challenges over the better part of a decade, taking BioWAVE through extensive research, design and testing phases. Developing new technologies takes considerable time and resources and government support is crucial for enabling this process.
“The device will be tested and monitored throughout its operation to produce an independent performance assessment that will be shared with the energy industry in line with ARENA’s knowledge sharing agenda.”
The unique bioWAVE device is a 26-metre tall oscillating structure designed to sway back-and-forth beneath the ocean swell, capturing energy from the waves and converting it into electricity that is fed into the grid via an undersea cable. The design was inspired by undersea plants and the entire device can lie flat on the seabed out of harm’s way during bad weather.
About BioPower Systems
Ocean energy company, BioPower Systems, is commercialising wave and tidal energy products that incorporate revolutionary designs based on the concept of biomimicry. BioPower Systems is designing its ocean energy products to naturally avoid extreme forces, using light-weight construction, resulting in significant cost savings. The proprietary bioWAVE, bioSTREAM and O-Drive products are intended for use in scale-able multi-device arrays, and are well-suited for supply to remote or isolated grid locations.www.biopowersystems.com
About bioWAVE
The bioWAVE is a bottom-mounted wave energy system that sways back and forth beneath the swell waves. Energy absorbed by the pivoting structure is transformed into grid-quality electricity inside a serviceable onboard module, called O-Drive. When large wave events or storms occur, the bioWAVE is automatically triggered to cease operating, and the pivoting structure assumes a horizontal position against the seabed to avoid damage. This improves structure economics, leading to lower generation costs.
About O-Drive
The O-Drive is a standardised self-contained subsea module that converts irregular or reciprocating motion into smooth grid-quality electricity. The current version has an output capacity of 250kW. It was developed in Australia by BPS, and is intended for use in any wave or tidal energy application. The O-Drive is designed to be retrievable and replaceable, allowing for convenient onshore servicing.
O-DriveTM, bioWAVETM and bioSTREAMTM are registered trademarks of BioPower Systems Pty Ltd
About the Victorian Government – Energy Technology Innovation (ETI)
ETI is working with industry to support the development of a variety of pre-commercial energy technologies through the research and development, pilot and pre-commercial demonstration stages, so that they are ready for market-uptake.
Saving our Species 2016 wall calendar
New South Wales is home to some of the world's most beautiful plants and animals, but we are at risk of losing some of our species from the wild forever. Don't miss this opportunity to help support NSW threatened species recovery by purchasing your 2016 calendar.
The calendar includes interesting stories about how community groups, individuals and expert scientists efforts' are contributing to saving species in NSW.
In New South Wales:
• critically endangered species are at extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future
• endangered species are facing a very high risk of extinction in the near future
• vulnerable species are facing a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future.
Saving our Species is a conservation program that aims to maximise the number of threatened species that are being secured in the wild in New South Wales for 100 years. To find out how you can support our threatened wildlife and help preserve it for future generations, visitSaving our Species.
All profits from the sale of the calendar will be invested in Saving our Species through the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife.
If you wish to make a donation directly to the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife to support the efforts of Saving Our Species, you can make a donation at The Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife .
You can purchase your calendar online at Shop NSW
First 1,000 homes on FTTN connected in just 51 days
16 December 2015: Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, Minister for Communications, Minister for the Arts, Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Government, Manager of Government Business in the Senate
The nbn rollout achieved yet another milestone this week, with the first 1,000 homes connected to the Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) network in just 51 days since its launch.
The nbn network—in which FTTN plays a vital role—is essential for Australia's digital evolution. Everyone will benefit from faster, more reliable internet connections, no matter how many people within the household are using it—using the broadband network to be more productive, more creative, more efficient and more connected for years to come.
nbn's faster and more reliable broadband also means businesses such as Hunter Water Sports, a kayak and water sport accessories retailer in Newcastle, enjoys a seamless switch-over to the nbn network.
See James Kilpatrick of Hunter Water Sports talking about his nbn broadband service gere
From February 2016, nbn is aiming to offer faster broadband to between 60,000 and 100,000 premises each month on the FTTN network. The only additional equipment required is a modem suitable for the super-speed vectored VDSL which internet providers can send to their customers on request for free.
'Freak' ocean waves hit without warning, new research shows
December 16, 2015
Graphic showing linear vs non-linear wave groups. Credit: Thomas Adcock
Mariners have long spoken of 'walls of water' appearing from nowhere in the open seas. But oceanographers have generally disregarded such stories and suggested that rogue waves -- enormous surface waves that have attained a near-mythical status over the centuries -- build up gradually and have relatively narrow crests.
New research from the University of Oxford in collaboration with the University of Western Australia, however, shows that the anecdotal evidence may not be so far from the truth. Rather than coming at the end of a series of increasingly large waves, rogue (or freak) waves emerge suddenly, being preceded by much smaller waves.
The mathematical modelling also demonstrates that the crests of these rogue waves are longer than the smaller waves that surround them.
The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A.
Professor Thomas Adcock, of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science, said: 'The waves we're dealing with here occur in deep water in the open ocean -- very different from the waves you'll see if you go to the beach, which is what most people are familiar with.
'In deep water, where waves are much less regular, you expect a larger wave from time to time. Our paper shows that, in contrast to what was previously thought, if you're the observer on a ship, rather than seeing a gradual build-up of waves, the rogue wave will come seemingly out of nowhere.
'This happens because large waves tend to move to the front of the wave group.'
The research made use of mathematical modelling based on non-linear physics. The investigators used hundreds of simulations of random waves to analyze the differences between linear and non-linear wave dynamics.
Professor Adcock said: 'These findings fit the anecdotal evidence you hear from mariners. They often describe "walls of water" coming at them in the open ocean that are impossible to steer around -- an observation supported by our modelling, which shows that rogue waves tend to have a much broader crest than traditionally predicted by linear theory.
'All of this means that in a very rough storm, you can't simply assume you'll get a warning before a freak wave hits. Seafarers need to be aware that a large wave may appear out of nowhere.'
Thomas A. A. Adcock, Paul H. Taylor, Scott Draper. Nonlinear dynamics of wave-groups in random seas: unexpected walls of water in the open ocean. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Science, 2015; 471 (2184): 20150660 DOI:10.1098/rspa.2015.0660
Lindt Café tribute unites human and civic dimensions of tragedy
16 December, 2015 Fran Strachan: UNSW
On the first anniversary of Sydney’s Lindt café siege, renowned architect and UNSW Professor of Practice Richard Johnson has unveiled his “quietly reflective” memorial design for Martin Place.
New South Wales Premier Mike Baird announced the chosen design, saying the memorial would pay tribute to the survivors of the siege as well as those who were killed.
The design features 400 flower symbols encased in glass cubes that will be laid into the granite pavement at Martin Place. Scattered across the plaza in a starburst pattern, the flower cubes will light up at night.
UNSW Built Environment's Professor Johnson said he wasn’t in Sydney at the time of the siege but was was impressed by the public and personal response of the floral tribute.
“The aim of the design is to express personal and public sentiments. To be both human in scale and have a civic dimension,” Professor Johnson said.
The award-winning architect is renowned for his understated work, and has previously designed the Museum of Sydney, National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, the refurbishment of the Sydney Opera House in collaboration with Jorn Utzon, and most recently, the award-winning refurbishment of an historic bank at 50 Martin Place.
Professor Johnson said he hopes the work will be “quietly reflective”.
NSW Premier Mike Baird told The Sydney Morning Herald, “It is appropriate that the memory of community spirit lives on in Martin Place. Professor Johnson has created a symbolic commemoration of our shared grief which recalls the courage of those involved in the siege”.
Professor Johnson studied Architecture at UNSW, graduating with First Class Honours in 1969. He was admitted to the degree of Master of Philosophy following study in town planning and urban design at University College London. A recipient of more than 50 awards, including the Royal Australian Institute of Architecture’s Gold Medal, he is now a Professor of Practice in Architectural Studies at UNSW.
Antarctic Division appoints first female Chief Scientist
11th December 2015
Dr Gwen Fenton is the Australian Antarctic Division’s new Chief Scientist.
Dr Fenton has been acting in the role since August and said she was honoured to be offered the position and to be the first woman in the role.
“This is an exciting time for the Australian Antarctic Science Programme and I am looking forward to ensuring that we maximise our opportunities to deliver world class research,” she said.
Dr Fenton succeeds Dr Nick Gales as Chief Scientist, after his recent appointment to Director of the Australian Antarctic Division.
Dr Gales said Dr Fenton brings to the role a depth of experience from marine research, environmental policy and managing Antarctic science.
“I have no doubt that Gwen will be an outstanding Chief Scientist; her depth of knowledge of Antarctic science, excellent judgement, positive people-skills and passion for the role will ensure that,” he said.
Dr Fenton has been employed at the Australian Antarctic Division since 2003, managing science planning and coordination for all projects within the Australian Antarctic Science Programme.
Prior to this she spent seven years with the Tasmanian Government, managing the state’s marine environmental policy issues within the Marine Resources Division of the Department of Primary Industries Water and the Environment.
In her early career Dr Fenton gained her PhD in marine zoology from the University of Tasmania and subsequently spent 11 years conducting post-doctoral marine research.
“My previous research used innovative technologies to study issues of practical importance, such as stable isotope analysis of marine coastal food webs, and radiometric ageing of deep-sea fish such as orange roughy, blue grenadier, oreo dories and deep-sea sharks,” she said.
“I also conducted ecological research on krill and mysid shrimps."
Dr Fenton is perhaps best known for the research she led to determine the age of orange roughy. This work revealed that the fish live to over 100 years old.
Top: Dr Gwen Fenton is the Australian Antarctic Division's new Chief Scientist. (Photo: Glenn Jacobson)