Issue 227

Argonauts, ahoy!

Throwing expensive scientific equipment overboard is all part of the job for CSIRO technicians working on the Argo float program, and it’s not often that these kinds of jobs are up for grabs.

Measuring Antarctica’s pristine atmosphere for answers on aerosols

Before the RV Investigator came along, the atmosphere of the Southern Ocean had been measured only a handful of times. With regular monitoring, this pristine and critical environment may now reveal the real role of atmospheric aerosols in global warming.

The 20th century saw a 23-fold increase in natural resources used for building

There will be huge environmental impact if we keep using raw materials as we did in the 20th Century. There is a way to build more sustainably.

Solar smarts offer households control without complexity

Solar-powered homes with battery storage can save money with a new system that decides when to store or draw energy from the solar panels, the battery and the grid.

Spotting the danger of long-distance firebrands

New understanding about the behaviour of 'firebrands’ from ribbon bark eucalypts suggests a change in thinking may be needed to fight fires in extreme conditions.

Urban living under the microscope

Our newest laboratory will help develop and test innovative ways to plan and build Australia’s future cities.

Can billions of litres of coal seam gas water be safely reinjected into the ground?

The interesting science behind safely reinjecting the water produced when coal seam gas (CSG) is extracted, hundreds of metres underground.