The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of Australia has been busy developing a new technology that allows ‘solar ink’ to be printed on plastic sheets to create thin, light, semi-transparent and flexible solar panels. Think solar panels integrated on tents for emergency or recreational purposes, panels laminated on home or office windows, panels lining the outside of greenhouses or tunnels, panels printed on clothing or even packaging – the possibilities are endless!
40 years ago, scientists plopped two gophers into fenced areas at Mt St Helens to see if they could help the environment recover after a devastating volcanic explosion. The effects of the experiment decades later were far beyond the scientists’ expectations.
Imagine a world without animals—no butterflies fluttering through the air, no cicadas singing in the summer, no birds soaring overhead. While this is far from our reality today, we are at risk of losing some of our beloved species, such as freshwater sea turtles. A recent joint study by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) has revealed alarming signs of population decline and the toxic impact of PFAS chemicals on Queensland’s freshwater turtles, potentially pushing their populations toward collapse.
Climate change is the biggest threat for the Great Barrier Reef, and reefs worldwide. Other key threats include poor water quality, fishing impacts on protected and threatened species, marine debris and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, says the Australian Government. Another threat is ocean litter, which hurts and even kills marine wildlife. But there are ways we can prevent these problems, like recycling, and using renewable energy. Renewable energy includes wind power, solar power, bioenergy (organic matter burned as a fuel) and hydroelectric, including tidal energy.
A deep-sea mineral spire, known as Bikpela, (Big Bug in Tok Pisin, a creole language spoken throughout PNG) and first discovered in 2000 by both Australian and Papua New Guinea researchers, is going on display for the first time. Taking pride of place at the Australian National Maritime Museum’s exhibition Ultimate Depth: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea, the spire has given valuable information about the undersea world.
Winners
Read top pieces written by previous winners of the Letterly Writing Competition, and be amazed!
Current Events
"Christmas tree burning sparks Christian protests” The protests in Syria over Christmas tree burning were mainly caused by the burning...
Burning of Christmas Tree Shows Concerning Trend in Syria By Irene Footage of the burning of an artificial Christmas tree...
Changes to Christmas in the Middle East Airstrikes instead of snow, and funerals instead of celebration, Christmas is looking unusually...
Severe Weather Wreaks Havoc on Holiday Travel Major travel problems across the US on December 28th caused by extreme weather...
Fires Break Out At Bryant Park Herald Square Holiday Markets Nina He On Friday, December 27th, a fire erupted at...
Science & Technology
In March 2025, South Korea is set to introduce textbooks powered by AI. This upgrade in public school systems will cost up to $276 million dollars. South Korea believes in becoming the world leaders in electronic education and AI learning.
So, what does this mean for everyday school students in Australia? Will your next teacher be a robot?
Recent data and coral surveys from CSIRO have recorded that a natural phenomenon is occurring in continental drop-off zones where the East Australian Current raises cold water closer to the surface causing the “localised” parts of the reef to be temporarily cooler than other parts. This is important because recent coral bleaching events have impacted over 90% of coral species, and any chance for the coral to adapt to the rising temperature could be vital for the survival of the Great Barrier Reef and its inhabitants.
Recent trials at RMIT University investigated the usage of textiles in concrete. Surprisingly, over 70% of textiles can be used in concrete. This means that even some of the most un- recyclable materials like fire-fighter gear can be used. This is significant because recycling these materials causes a reduction in landfill and pollution. By using fibrous materials and textiles, the concrete is essentially ‘bound’ together, avoiding cracking and breakages.
The push for schools to incorporate AI into the education system has surged in recent years, especially with AI models like ChatGPT becoming increasingly popular. Students have started to heavily utilise AI models for many aspects of their learning, but the question remainds: does AI belong in schools?
The dream of swinging from buildings like a superhero is one shared by many. While the ability to support human weight with a web isn’t possible yet, some US scientists have developed artificial silk that can lift objects up to 80 times its own weight. This material is not only stronger than natural spider silk but also provides possible applications in various industries such as medicine and construction.
You are in a restaurant and the server comes up to take your order. You think about getting grilled steak, but you decide to go with some seafood-- or more specifically, fish. Most likely, your meal comes from a “farm” for farming fish (in the water, of course). We are going to talk about a few new fish that were discovered in the past few years.
Imagine: you are in a dark, black, space. You see stars in the distance, and you can’t hear anything. You can’t see any light other than the shiny surfaces of planets and the stars that might have planets that support life, just like your beautiful planet Earth does. What you are imagining is space, where we can also find meteors.
The 8-meter killer whale, otherwise known as Orcinus orca prey on animals like turtles, fish and other marine mammals. Scientists have found that killer whales have the abilities to hunt the biggest known fish on Earth: the whale shark!
Luke Durant found the largest prime number in October of 2024. It contains 41,024,320 digits. The number was 2136279841-1 on GIMPS.
Luke Durant, a 36-year-old NVIDIA employee, used GPUs to conclude that 2136279841-1 is prime. Durant is a member of the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS). GIMPS has named this number M136279841 instead of the actual number (because the actual amount would be too large to write). Durant’s number beats the previous number (discovered in 2016) in digits, by 16,000,000 digits. He was in a line at the airport when he found that one of his supercomputers had come out with a number that was probably prime. He says he “wasn’t as excited as I could be about finding the number."
Researcher Kylie Maguire from CSIRO sits in front of a large computer screen. Her eyes dart around the page as she looks at the newly taken pictures from an expedition off Southern Tasmania, and her eyes stop at one of them. Kylie recognises what it is: an underwater nursery for the Antarctic skate! Her colleagues all stare at their own computer screens, peering at the images taken by the underwater picture takers Marimba, UMI and IMOS. This scene shows use of the IMOS (Integrated Marine Observing System) and the UMI (Understanding of Marine Imagery project) which are showing the underwater world to scientists and the general public and building on to different projects.
Over 200,000 tonnes of textiles end up in Australian landfills.
A team at RMIT University in Melbourne Australia have found a way to lower this number. David Law, Chamila Gunasekara, Shadi Houshyar, Sujeeva Setunge and Nayanatara Ruppegoda Gamage are all part of the team that used old textiles as a material in concrete to help reduce cracks and boost the durability of it.
Marco Lo Presti of Silklab at Tufts University in the US was cleaning his glassware with acetone; he has recently been doing a project making extremely strong adhesives and suddenly noticed a web-like thing forming at the bottom of the glass.
Sports
English Football Changes as the Sport Experiences its First Blank Saturday in Two Years New Year’s Day is upon us,...
The Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball Team Have the Potential To Be the Second Best Team in the World The Minnesota Timberwolves...
Saudi Arabia will Host the 2034 World Cup Many groups are criticizing the choice that FIFA made, which is for...
Lake Louise and the Battle of Alberta On July 26, 2024, in Deadpool and Wolverine, a TVA guard told Deadpool...
Saudi Arabia's Hosting World Cup Hosting Starts Debate Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host for the 2034 Men's...
Why No Premier League Games Happened This Saturday This Saturday was unusual for English football. There were no Premier League...
Anthony Edwards Shines on Christmas Day but Highlights Timberwolves’ Growing Pains By: Nathan Anthony Edwards had an awesome performance on...
The Best Location for the Next NHL Game The next NHL Winter Classic game should be at the National Mall....
Saudi Arabia, the Country Hosting the 2034 World Cup, Faces Criticism Fifa announced that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034...
FIFA Announces Saudi Arabia will Host 2034 World Cup By: William Chen On December 11, 2024, FIFA declared that Saudi...
Why is Saudi Arabia hosting FIFA so Controversial? The International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA, has decided to host...
Timberwolves Shock Mavericks in four-point game On Christmas day, the Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards bounces the ball to...
Arts
5 New Laws for New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed nearly 700 laws that impact various people. As we...
Wizard of Oz Slippers Auctioned for $28 Million The iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of...
WestJet’s Yearly Christmas Miracle Surprises Parents Once Again Canada’s airline, WestJet, is famous for its annual “Christmas Miracle.” Every year,...
The Red Slippers from The Wizard of Oz were Sold for $28 Million Judy Garland’s slippers from the movie, The...
Discarded Christmas Trees In New York Have Massive Weight Numbers Now that December is over, and with it Christmas and...
The Person Who Redefined What an Ex-President Can Do After Leaving Office: Jimmy Carter In the election of 1980, President...
Which Borough Tosses the Most Christmas Trees? Christmas is over, and it’s time to say goodbye to your Christmas tree....
What Happens to Christmas Trees After the Holidays? By Irene As holiday season comes to a close, many families need...
Animals Deserve to Live Too Imagine living without any choice about what happens in your life – locked inside a...
Judy Garland’s Shoes were Sold for $28 millionBy Leaya Chen On December 7th, 2024, a pair of red shoes worn...
Stolen Slippers Get Sold at 28 Million Dollars On Saturday, a pair of red shoes worn by Judy Garland in...
Opinion
Why School Uniforms Are a Step in the Right Direction The debate over school uniforms is nothing new. For decades,...
Imagine a secret colony of talking creatures inhabiting Saturn or purple and rose-coloured aliens living on Jupiter. Whether life exists beyond Earth is one of the most intriguing and debated topics in science, and a recent discovery on Mars might answer the debate. A discovery in July of 2024, conducted by NASA scientists, uncovered a vein-filled rock on Mars that featured chemical signatures and structures that could have been formed by microbial life billions of years ago. This discovery suggests that there is a high possibility that life once inhabited Mars.
With new technology and scientific breakthroughs left, right, and centre, Mars could be the second home of humanity. The possibility of living on the red planet sounds exciting, but stop and think: is it a good idea?
As SpaceX’s Starship achieves successful test flights late last year and NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers uncover vital resources like water ice throughout the year, the dream of making Mars habitable is no longer science fiction. However, as debates about Earth’s pressing challenges and the costs of space exploration grow, the question arises: Should we embark on this journey? Mars colonisation is an inspiring step forward, one that has the potential to benefit humanity in countless ways. Here’s why.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not the right way that students should receive their crucial education. Here are the facts to prove it.
Will Mars destroy us, or will we destroy Mars? Mars has not proved habitable for humans, but if scientists were to find a way, it would still be wrong to begin new human life there. Over many years, humans have become unsatisfied with what we have. What the Earth provided for us was apparently, never enough. We destroyed Earth - it is up to us to restore it, not move on just to ruin another planet.
Why Cheese Pizza Is a Good Choice By: Nathan Cheese pizza holds a special place in culture for its simplicity,...
Save Our Planet! Global warming is a problem that needs to be solved. You’ve probably heard that a lot, right?...
Cristiano Ronaldo is the best role model because of his discipline, hard work, and community involvement.First l, Ronaldo is the...
Let me ask you a question. If you could change the rules of a sport, which one would you change?...
Rules in sports serve as the foundation for fair competition and are rarely changed. However, there are times where rules...
Cristiano Ronaldo’s status as one of the greatest athletes in history is well-deserved because of his versatility, discipline, and longevity...
Creative Writing
We Australians might be accustomed to sulphur-crested cockatoos squawking in our backyards, but have you heard of gang-gang cockatoos? Gang-gangs are an endangered type of cockatoo that predominately lives in parts of the eastern coast of Australia, and there are at least two living near a storm-water drain in the inner south of the ACT!
