CSIRO

Your Christmas shopping just became a hoot! 🦉 CSIRO Publishing has dung it again with this koality offering of books for curious kids, nature lovers and science geeks of all ages. The hardest part will be choosing between the full or compact version of the Australian Bird Guide. Swoop into the catalogue here: https://lnkd.in/gbWuPHRt 📆 P.S. We recommend ordering by 17 December for standard shipping within Australia by Christmas.

Sounds of summer. 📣 When cicadas get together, they can produce a noise intensity of up to 120 decibels, the equivalent to the sound of thunder or a jet plane taking off! And this year has been a particularly loud one. Dr Michael Elias from our Australian National Insect Collection spoke to Nine about why there are so many cicadas around. Cicadas feed on sap from tree roots and need wet conditions to ensure the juvenile insects survive and thrive. They can spend many years underground before they develop into adults. This means cycles of rainfall and droughts can lead to booms and busts in the numbers of common Australian cicada species like the Blue Moon Cicada (Cyclochila australasiae). Find out more about this year's bumper cicada population: https://lnkd.in/gSQqEnCC 📷 | Blue Moon Cicada via iNaturalist/Atlas of Living Australia

Under pressure. ⚡ Quartz might be best known as a gemstone or decorative item. But did you know it's actually one of the most versatile minerals we use? Quartz has piezoelectric properties, meaning it can generate an electric charge when under pressure. It's also vital for producing silicon used in the production of photovoltaic cells in solar panels and silicon wafers in semiconductors. However, finding deposits that meet the purity requirements remains a challenge. We're collaborating with Geoscience Australia and ANSTO through the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub, hosted by us. Together we're exploring opportunities to unlock Australia’s potential for producing high-purity quartz. Find out more: http://spr.ly/6046Q5eOk

Oh buoy, this is exciting. 🚢 It's been 10 years since we commissioned #RVInvestigator, Australia's dedicated ocean research vessel. And in that decade it has supported and conducted some incredible science and racked up some truly oar inspiring numbers. Here's a taster of some of its achievements: ✅ Completed 112 voyages 📏 Travelled 516,592 kilometres 🌏 Transported 1427 participants from 215 institutions and 23 countries 🗺️ Mapped 3,244,810 square kilometres of seafloor 🦈 Enabled description of 153 new species ⚓ Discovered 6 shipwrecks Find out more about the ship-load of science this not-so-ancient mariner has done: https://lnkd.in/gzn88-Zm

Important animal scholar-sheep. 🐑 Strap in, this #ThrowbackThursday we're giving you a glimpse into what sheep research looked like back in the 1960s and 1970s in our then Division of Animal Physiology. This first picture from 1960 is of a sheep with a transistorised radio attached to its back which transmitted information about the animal's chewing habits back to the lab. The second picture is from 1970, and is of a telemetry system strapped to a sheep which transmitted data back to the lab about the heat load experienced by the animal. These days, technology to track and monitor the wellbeing of animals is far smaller and more efficient. In 2014, we created and placed tiny 'backpacks' which could perform similar data recording on bees! But these pieces of technology helped us learn about animals in their regular conditions long before ewe'd even thought of a fitness tracker!

Taking our cowpea work international. 🌍 Our science is felt in many parts of the globe, including West Africa, where we’re supporting farmers with crop sustainability. This week some of our key scientists working in the area took showed the visiting President of AGRA Dr Agnes Kalibata around at our Black Mountain site. It was a great opportunity to showcase first-hand the difference we are making in crops such as cowpea. Learn more about our cowpea work: https://lnkd.in/g8cR6KFQ

Sinking our teeth into the future of agriculture and food. 🦷 The recent AgCatalyst conference was a feast for the senses. From sustainability to soil, future foods to new trends in livestock, futuristic farming and fish production, we saw it all. We hosted cutting-edge conversations about the future of food and showcased our latest agrifood innovations. Featuring a living farm, a stand-out theme of this year’s event was how we’re helping shape a brighter, more sustainable future. Find out more about the highlights: https://lnkd.in/gssmP9md

Congratulations to our STEM superstars; Helen, Lynn and Melanie. 🌟 These pioneering researchers have been selected to join Science & Technology Australia's Superstars of STEM program. The program supports 60 superstars employed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to become role models to challenge gender assumptions about who can work in STEM. We spoke to the researchers to find out how they got to where they are, and hear their advice for those starting out in their STEM careers. Meet Dr Helen McFarlane, Dr Lynn Nazareth and Dr Melanie McGrath: https://lnkd.in/gbw7wugw

Taking data 3D. 🕶️ Terria takes spatial data and turns it into visualisations and digital twin simulations. Now this geospatial start up is spinning out of CSIRO, backed by Main Sequence and based at the Canberra Innovation Network. The geospatial data market is predicted to grow by $50 billion in the next three years. Read the story: https://lnkd.in/g4gYwBH9 📷 | Ana Belgun, CEO and Amber Standley, Chief Experience Officer at Terria.

Symphony of science in Southeast Asia! 🎵 As the year draws to a close, we're looking back at the ‘2024 wrapped’ for our engagement in the region. From strengthening bilateral relationships to tackling some of the region’s most pressing challenges. Our collaborations in Southeast Asia this year have been a symphony of science, innovation, and impact. Tune into our top activities for 2024: https://lnkd.in/gHCkGcYY