Division of Environmental and Life Sciences

News From the Dean
The weekly update from the Dean of Division, Prof Liz Deane

Exciting News from the Library
EOLSS - The Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems has landed...

Opportunities
- 2008 Fullbright Senior Specialist Program now open
- Water for Life Forum "Leading practice in Water Education"
- 2007 Australian Skeptics Prize now accepting nominations

Events
- MUBRI seminar this Tuesday
- Crossing Antarctica: Dr. Jon Stephenson speaks on recollections from 50 years ago
- ELS Seminar Series

News from the Dean

Dear Colleagues

I hope you all enjoyed the Conception Day celebrations - the music certainly had E7A vibrating! Many of you are off to conferences over the next couple of weeks, but some other opportunities are worth noting.

1. Glaxo Smith Kline is calling for applications for its Award for Research Excellence. Details are available at www.gsk.com.au .

2. The Sydney Bioinformatics Centre for Mathematical Biology is holding a Bioinformatics Symposium, Sept 27 th 8:50 am to 5:10 pm at Eastern Avenue Lecture Theatre, University of Sydney . For details email:- sonia@sydneybioinformatics.org or www.usyd.edu.au/sydneybioinformatics/research/symposium.shtml

3. National Taxonomy Forum at the Australian Museum , 4-5 October. Details:- www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs and follow the links to the Australian Taxonomy Forum or email:- Erin Croot on erin.croot@environment.gov.au or Gail Kenmuir on gail.kenmuir@enironment.gov.au

4. The Institute of Foresters of Australia has called for applications for funding (~$2,500) from the Max Jacobs Fund. Details from Adrian O'Loughlin ifa@forestry.org.au .

Finally the RQF review data is now complete; in forthcoming weeks we will be looking at our research groupings and developing the context statements.

Till next week

Liz

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Exciting News from the Library

EOLSS - The Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems has arrived at Macquarie

The EOLSS database is a searchable integrated compendium of 16 encyclopaedias in the natural and social sciences which claims to be: "the largest online encyclopedia with the equivalent of 235 volumes". EOLSS has a thematic organization from broad overview to great detail. As reflected in the subjects covered, articles by Macquarie authors come from the diverse fields listed below:

EOLSS states that: "Knowledge of the Earth's life support systems encompasses diverse fields such as: the natural sciences (like chemistry and biology); social sciences (such as history, economics, law, psychology, archeology, etc.); humanities (literature, civilizations, etc); engineering, and technology. It also deals with interdisciplinary subjects, like earth and atmospheric sciences and environmental economics as well as the most effective approaches for managing natural resources like renewable and non-renewable energy, biodiversity, ecology, hydrology, health and agriculture."

The encyclopedias of most interest to ELS are:

Searches can be run across all 16 encyclopedias for best results (default) or within individual titles. Created over a decade under the auspices of UNESCO, currency varies with new articles and updates being published on a fortnightly basis by a truly international group of authors, editors and subject experts. EOLSS can be accessed via the Catalogue and Database options using the acronym or full title.

Please ask Carol & Lorraine ext 6519 or Andrew ext 7535 for more information.

Who are Carol, Lorraine and Andrew? Your friendly ELS Outreach Librarians of course!

Left to right: ELS Liaison Librarians Andrew Spencer, Carol Walker and Lorraine Musgrave

Andrew Spencer, andrew.spencer@library.mq.edu.au, x7535

Carol Walker, carol.walker@library.mq.edu.au, x6519 (Tue, Wed, Thur)

Lorraine Musgrave, lorraine.musgrave@library.mq.edu.au, x6519 (Mon, Tue, Fri)

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ELS FC - MUSR is asking... can Scientists play Soccer?

Lauren Hargraves from MUSR is running the Staff Health Program. Apparently a couple of people indicated at Open Day that they'd be ineterested in putting a staff soccer team together to play against other faculties on Monday lunchtimes.

If you are interested, please let Lauren know by phoning her on 9850 7636 or alternatively, if soccer's not your thing, you can check out other opportunities arising from the Staff Health Program at http://www.musr.mq.edu.au.

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Opportunities

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2008 Fulbright Senior Specialist Program

Australian universities host two to six week visits by leading United States faculty and professionals. The program aims to encourage collaboration on curriculum, faculty and research development, while building long term institutional linkages. The grant provides an international airfare and $US 200 per day honourarium. The host is expected to provide local transport, accommodation and meals in Australia. Applications are now open and close 15 October 2007.

For more information and application forms visit www.fulbright.com.au

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Water for Life Forum
"Leading practice in Water Education"
Wednesday 19 September 2007
Sydney Masonic Centre

Water is considered to be the most important issue facing Sydney. The Water for Life Forum is an opportunity for those involved in watermanagement and education on water issues to:
- share and discuss leading practice projects engaging the community on water
- participate in the development of the Action plan for allmetropolitan water education 2007-2011
- set the directions and understand opportunities for future support and professional learning provided by Water for Life and across the network
- explore the changing landscape of water education and its implications for state government, local government and non-government organisations.

The Forum has been developed by the NSW Government's Water for Life Education Program in conjunction with leading local government and non government organisations.

For more information visit http://www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au/education/events/water_for_life_forum_2007

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The 2007 Australian Skeptics Prize for Critical Thinking

The 2007 Australian Skeptics Prize for Critical Thinking will be awarded for work that investigates popular conventional wisdom and beliefs which lack reliable evidence or scientific method, and that promotes rational thinking about such matters by the public, educators and the media. The Australian Skeptics Prize is aimed to attract entries from educators across the broad spectrum, journalists or others in the media, and academic or private researchers.

The Australian Skeptics inaugural Prize in 2006 attracted a high standard of entries from a wide variety of fields. The winner of the $10 000 Critical Thinking Prize was Dr Martin Bridgstock from the School of Science, Griffith University, who instituted a course, Skepticism, Science and the Paranormal, as an elective for second year students. His course, which encouraged a skeptical approach to many common beliefs, has consistently attracted an increasing enrolment each year since 2003. We also awarded a runner-up Prize of $2000 to Ms Kylie Sturgess, an English teacher at MLC, Perth, for her initiative in devising a course to encourage students to investigate popular beliefs using skeptical principles. Details of both winning entries can be found on the Skeptics website, www.skeptics.com.au

The Prize of $10,000 is to reward critical investigation of irrational paranormal beliefs or pseudo-scientific claims. Entries are welcomed from any interested Australian, whether involved professionally or by way of private enthusiasm. For example, eligible work includes the contribution of teachers at any level of education, who have devised programs that encourage critical thinking in students, beyond normal curriculum requirements. Similarly we welcome entries from journalists who have promoted critical thinking or exposed threats to it. The work can be in any media and can be one item, a series or an ongoing activity. 

Rules for Entries: 

. Members of Australian Skeptics state committees and their immediate families are ineligible to nominate.

. Work submitted must have been undertaken/published/broadcast in Australia by an Australian citizen or permanent resident within the 5 years prior to the closing date for entries.

. Entries will be judged according to originality, depth of critical thought and public benefit. They may be accompanied by supporting comments from others expert in their field.

. The judging panel may, at their discretion, award up to two extra prizes of $2000 each to runner-up entries of particular merit.

. The 2007 Australian Skeptics Prize for Critical Thinking will be presented at an awards dinner on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at the Australian Skeptics Annual Convention in Hobart.

. Six copies of each entry, complete with all documentation, marked Skeptics Prize, must reach PO Box 268, Roseville NSW 2069 no later than COB October 5, 2007.

Further information can be found at: http://www.skeptics.com.au

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Events

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MUBRI Seminar This Tuesday

When: Tuesday 18 September at 12 noon

Where: F7B 322

Speaker: Dr Michal M. Godlewski

Title: Molecular basis of the intestinal mucosa remodeling: death of the enterocyte

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Crossing Antarctica – Dr. Jon Stephenson speaks on recollections from 50 years ago this Wednesday at the Glebe Library to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Dr. Jon Stephenson is a geologist who was the only Australian member of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which in 1957/58 made the first crossing of Antarctica. During the crossing Jon and a companion became the first men since Amundsen (1911) to drive dog teams to the South Pole. In 1961 Jon climbed to 7000 m on Mount K12 in the Karakoram Himalaya; and in 1963 he narrowly survived, with Warwick Deacock and Grahame Budd, an unsuccessful attempt to make the first ascent of the ice-covered active volcano Big Ben (2745 m), on Heard Island. Between 1961 and 1995 Jon founded and developed the Department of Geology at James Cook University in Townsville, and undertook numerous research expeditions in North Queensland and the South-West Pacific.

Jon will be accompanied by Glebe resident Dr Grahame Budd. In an illustrated talk entitled "Crossing paths with Dr Stephenson", Grahame will recall some highlights of their shared experiences over the past 50 years. Occasionally worrying but always memorable, they range from climbing in Wales and the Karakoram to shivering in an ice cave on Heard Island.

Introduction by Stephen Martin, historian and regular Antarctica visitor.

Light refreshments included.
Exhibition runs until 10 October, 2007.

When:
19 September 2007 7:00 PM (Doors Open 6:30 PM)

Where:
Glebe Library, 186 Glebe Point Road, Glebe 2037
Phone: 02 9298 3060
Nearest Public Transport: bus - Glebe Point Road

Cost:
$10 Adult

Contact Details:
Phone: 9298 3060
askthelibrary@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Further Info:
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Library

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ELS Seminar Series

Departments in ELS host seminars covering a wide range of topics associated with ongoing research projects and other areas of interest. The seminars are delivered by academics, research staff, and students from within the Division, as well as guest speakers from other institutions and industry. Details of times, dates, locations and topics of seminars to be held over the next few weeks are listed here.

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Snippets

Scientists isolate stem cells in womb
Scientists have discovered how to isolate probable stem cells in womb tissue, which could lead to improved treatments for women with prolapsed pelvic floors.

Wine can reveal mineral deposits
The key to finding new mineral deposits in Australia could be to start looking with a glass of wine or a soft drink, according to breakthrough research. 

Net assessment helps remote children
A new online program could help experts treat remote children with speech, language and reading disorders, a study has shown.

Mums scared of starving kids
Fear of judgement is leading Australian mums to be overly concerned about preschoolers being underweight, a new study has found.

Early menopause triggers health risks
Research has shown that early onset of menopause increases a woman's risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia.

Bird flu test helps horses
A test originally developed for bird flu is now successfully being used to detect horse flu, helping to control the outbreak of the virus.

Decontaminated DNA may foil terrorists
World-first counter terrorism research has found a way to safely neutralise radioactive DNA while preserving the sample.

Smoke-proof lifts could save lives
A study has shown that with a simple design addition lifts could be used during fire evacuations in high-rise apartments.

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