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ABC News
a day ago
- Science
- ABC News
The 'enduring' mystery of how birds know when Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is filling with water
The most arid corner of Australia is about to burst with life, as Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre braces to reach capacity for just the fourth time in the past 160 years. While the usually-barren salt flats rapidly fill with floodwater from south western Queensland, migratory waterbirds like seagulls, swans, ducks and pelicans will begin descending to the inland oasis in the hundreds of thousands. So — with the lake expected to become entirely full in the coming months — how do birds know that this once-in-a-generation event is happening? The question is one University of New South Wales Professor Richard Kingsford has been striving to answer for the majority of his career. He's spent the past four decades monitoring water birds through aerial surveys. "Birds can go incredible distances," Professor Kingsford said. "Unlike water birds in other parts of the world, that sort of regularly migrate between spring and winter — we don't see any of that. Professor Kingsford said while the majority of the waterbirds found at Kati Thunda-Lake Eyre are native to Australia, some species will travel from as far as China, Russia and Antarctica. He said the birds will capitalise on the opportunities to breed at varying times based on the availability of vegetation, invertebrates and fish. "There's that huge smorgasbord of food," Professor Kingsford said. "It sort of triggers that cascade of different types of species coming in at different points. "You get these wonderful sort of pulses of productivity depending on which waterbird you're talking about." Professor Kingsford said — while still complex — tracking waterbirds had become somewhat easier in recent years with the arrival of satellite tracking technology. "And it it is one of the great mysteries for Australia is how do these birds know where the water is and head off? "We are starting to get some ideas of how they probably do it though." Ecologist Reece Pedler became fascinated by the movements of waterbirds while living in the remote South Australian town of Roxby Downs for a decade. "I now live up in the Strzelecki Desert … so I see this stuff first-hand in my life in the outback that birds are flying around and doing these amazing things," Mr Pedler said. "Birds can arrive really rapidly and their ecology is geared to these unpredictable events. "But we don't know exactly how they know." Mr Pedler, who is the coordinator of the Wild Deserts Project in Sturt National Park, previously studied the breeding behaviour of the banded stilt using solar-powered trackers as part of his PhD. The threatened bird species is most commonly found in Australia's saline coastal wetlands, such as the Coroong or at St Kilda Beach, north of Adelaide. "Those banded stilts might be there for months and months on end or live there year round, " Mr Pedler said. "Then suddenly they disappear when places like Lake Eyre or other lakes in the Western Australian desert fill. Mr Pedler said the abundance of brine shrimp at Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre creates a rare breeding-ground for the threatened species. "They don't breed anywhere else around the coast … so they have to wait years or decades for those opportunities," he said. "And when they breed, they breed in real style, they have thousands of pairs. Mr Pedler said while it was once thought the birds only flew after significant wet events, minimal rainfall was enough to trigger the stilts to leave the coast and head inland. "There's some really complex triggers too because this water that's flowing into Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre now fell in western Queensland in the last week of March," he said. "So the stilts and other water birds that would be turning up at Lake Eyre now are not responding to rainfall or atmospheric queues that have happened in the days prior. "There's potentially lots of different mechanisms occurring and it may be that some different groups of birds have different ways of sensing these things." Several theories of how birds know when Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is filling exist, including them having the ability to detect infrasound, barometric pressure or smell the flooded salt flats on the breeze. "There's been theories like scouts … if pelicans send up observers to go and recce inland sites and come back and tell their mates that there's food on offer," Mr Pedler said. "I guess there's some rationale for that because pelicans can fairly easily fly long distances, they get up to high altitude on thermals and then they can cruise and go for a look. "It's still an open case and there's a lot more work to understand this really fascinating behaviour." Professor Kingsford said as more technology emerges and becomes cheaper, the more scientists like himself will be able to shed light on how birds are able to do what they do. "What's most important about that is working out when are the critical times that we need to protect particular habitats in their life cycle," he said. "I'd love to try and work out what's going on and others are too.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Science
- Zawya
Australia's ‘solar godfather': Vietnam leads Southeast Asia's clean energy transition
HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 June 2025 - With the invention of solar cells using Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology, Prof. Martin Andrew Green from the University of New South Wales (Australia) and his team made a groundbreaking contribution to green energy production. Two years after receiving the 2023 VinFuture Grand Prize, he continues to push the boundaries of solar innovation, working to improve efficiency and help pave the way for a future of productive renewable energy harvest. Nurturing the energy revolution Renowned as the "godfather of solar," Prof. Martin Green has spent over five decades advancing solar energy technologies. In 2023, Prof. Green's revolutionary development of Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology, now used in over 90% of solar panels worldwide, earned him the VinFuture Grand Prize. Through the VinFuture Prize, Prof. Green has also had a unique perspective on Vietnam's progress toward global sustainability, as he continues to become a member of the VinFuture Prize Council. " One of the most immediate outcomes was the opportunity to establish new collaborations in Vietnam. I have gained much greater insight into the progress being made in Vietnam's clean energy sector than I knew before," he shared. Prof. Green also expressed deep appreciation for the VinFuture Prize, noting that winning such a significant award had undoubtedly enhanced his research group's ability to attract the necessary resources to develop new ideas. Earlier this year, his pioneering work was honored with a clean-energy ferry named after him in Australia. While he felt " fortunate to be selected," Prof. Green emphasized that this recognition propelled him toward a broader movement for a global solar energy revolution. " We need to move faster," he urged, pointing to the stark evidence already unfolding in Australia, including massive bushfires followed by widespread flooding that falls well outside the norm. " It is a bit of a sign of what lies in the future. We're beginning to feel the initial effects of climate change, which will only intensify unless we take urgent action," Prof. Green warned. The "godfather of solar" also shared that the path forward hinges on international collaboration and government leadership. The global exchange of knowledge and talent has allowed innovations from his lab to influence commercial solar production in China, which in turn benefits countries like Australia that import these cost-effective solar technologies. Much of that progress, Prof. Green added, has been made possible by falling prices driven by technologies like PERC, as well as support from international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). One of the UN's key Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure universal access to energy by 2030 and solar offers the most viable path to get there. Pushing solar frontiers In recent years, Prof. Martin Green and his team have continuously challenged the boundaries of what photovoltaic technology can achieve. One of the most compelling directions in his current research revisits a landmark theoretical paper he wrote about 40 years ago, regarding the limits on the energy conversion efficiency of silicon cells. " At the time, most people believed that the efficiency limits lay just over 20% energy conversion efficiency. However, in my paper, I calculated the theoretical limit to be between 29% and 30%, significantly higher than what was commonly accepted," he said, suggesting that 25% efficiency was a feasible target. This insight became a key motivation for his team to explore greater efficiency gains. They set a practical goal of 25% efficiency, which they ultimately reached around the turn of the century. Today, many commercial solar cells already operate at this level of efficiency, getting closer to the 29-30% limit he proposed years ago. The second area of focus involves stacking cells made from different materials on top of each other to capture more energy from sunlight. Sunlight can be regarded as a stream of particles called photons. Silicon cells respond to photons of all colors in sunlight, from blue to red and even to the lower-energy infrared ones that our eyes can't see. However, blue photons contain much more energy than needed, and in standard silicon cells, that excess energy is wasted. This is the key reasons behind the limits on the energy conversion efficiency of silicon cells. One material showing strong potential in lab settings is a special kind of perovskite, made with heavy elements like lead and iodine. Still, there is no guarantee that perovskites will meet the stability standards required for widespread commercial use, which is why researchers are also investigating alternative materials. Though these alternatives don't currently match perovskites in performance, they may offer better long-term reliability. These approaches, aiming to increase efficiency, have opened a door for the large-scale deployment of the solar revolution. According to Prof. Green, it has been a key driver in the dramatic cost reductions in photovoltaics over the past few decades. " If we can transition to one of these stack ed tandem cells, like perovskite on silicon, it could revolutionize not only performance but also system-wide cost dynamics. Not so much in the cost of making the cell, but by leveraging those efficiency gains to reduce the broader costs of solar deployment," he emphasized. Bringing down the cost of cell production will be a key to expanding the interest in using them. According to the International Energy Agency, solar power delivers some of the cheapest electricity in history. " The exciting thing is that the cost of solar is still coming down despite the massive decreases we have seen over the last 15 years. It continues to fall week by week," he said. " We witnessed the agricultural revolution and then the industrial revolution. Now, many believe we are entering an energy revolution, where it becomes so affordable and accessible that new applications open up." However, one of the biggest near-term challenges is finding a cell that can be used in these stacks. Silicon is an ideal material for photovoltaics as it is abundant, non-toxic, and stable. What's missing is a complementary material that matches these qualities while offering additional performance benefits. In this search, artificial intelligence can provide a much wider scanning of possibilities than traditional methods permit. The whole material system will be canvassed, and perhaps some new materials will be identified. The potential of Vietnam As the global race to renewable energy and net-zero emissions accelerates, Vietnam is not standing on the sidelines. In terms of photovoltaics, he cited the data suggesting that over 10% of Vietnam's electricity has been generated from solar in recent years. As the adoption scales up, the uptake needs to match the electricity network's ability to absorb solar power. This requires parallel investment in battery storage systems and other stabilizing technologies, and Prof. Green believed Vietnam is progressing well on this front. " So I think Vietnam would be one of Southeast Asia's leaders in terms of photovoltaics," he remarked, " Vietnam is probably already leading Southeast Asia in the clean energy transition." In Southeast Asia, where two-wheeled vehicles dominate urban transportation, the shift toward electric scooters is also crucial. Drawing parallels with China, where the replacement of fossil-fueled bikes with electric versions has reduced pollution and CO₂ emissions, he believed that Southeast Asian nations could see similar environmental benefits by following this path. On this front, Prof. Green was impressed by VinFast's electric vehicles when visiting Vietnam in 2023. " The quality of the cars seemed like genuinely competitive products. I also like the electric buses that VinBus has developed in Vietnam," he stated. " In this context, Vingroup seems to be leading the way in developing vehicles that can meet this potential demand," he noted. The VinFuture Prize has also enabled Prof. Green to build valuable connections with experts in clean technology and beyond. " I shared the 2023 VinFuture Grand P rize with Prof. Rachid Yazami, Prof. Akira Yoshino and Prof. Stanley Whittingham, whose pioneering work is in lithium-ion batteries. Meeting those people and getting to understand their contributions better has been really important to me as well", he said. Reflecting on the diversity of fields represented, he noted:" The VinFuture Prize is not limited to clean energy; it is designed to honor innovations with global impact across a wide range of disciplines." Hashtag: #VinFuture The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. VinFuture The VinFuture Foundation, established on International Human Solidarity Day on December 20th, 2020, is a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong and his wife, Madam Pham Thu Huong. The Foundation's core activity is awarding the annual VinFuture Prize, which recognizes transformative scientific and technological innovations capable of making significant positive changes in the lives of millions of people worldwide. The VinFuture Prize is now accepting nominations for the 2026 VinFuture Prize. Submit your nominations here: Outstanding nominators will be honored through the VinFuture Nominator Recognition Program. The VinFuture Prize consists of four prestigious awards presented each year. The most esteemed is the VinFuture Grand Prize, valued at US$3 million, making it one of the largest annual prizes globally. Additionally, there are three Special Prizes, each valued at US$500,000, specifically dedicated to honoring Women Innovators, Innovators from Developing Countries, and Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields. VinFuture
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Simple question renters are too afraid to ask their landlord: 'It is unacceptable'
Almost 70 per cent of tenants are too afraid to ask their landlords for repairs over fears their rents will be increased, according to a new survey. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) surveyed 1,019 private renters. It found that 69 per cent feared that asking for repairs on their property would lead to a rent increase. Some 56 per cent were concerned it would lead to an eviction, while 52 per cent thought it would lead them to be blacklisted from further property rentals. Renters who were unemployed, living with a disability or had a low level of education were among the most worried about being evicted. Among the most common complaints about rental properties were problems with pests and structural issues. Thirty-one per cent of tenants faced pests like cockroaches and ants, 24 per cent dealt with leaks or flooding, 21 per cent had hot water problems, and 18 per cent reported bathroom mould. The report highlighted a 47 per cent rent surge over the past five years and urged national limits on price increases. ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie AO said the survey showed the major failures of the Australian housing market. 'It is completely unacceptable that people in the private rental market are nervous about asking for essential repairs because they fear a rent increase or eviction notice,' Dr Goldie said. 'Everyone deserves to be able to live in secure homes without the constant fear of losing their home.' Dr Goldie called on state and federal governments to cap rent increases, abolish no-grounds evictions and boost social housing in order to create more housing security. Mission Australia CEO Sharon Callister said it showed the crisis in Australia's rental market was getting worse, and having major social impacts. 'It makes clear that urgent reform is needed to ensure homes are safe, secure and genuinely affordable, so that people and families can put down roots, have stability and certainty, and thrive in their communities,' she said. On a Reddit thread discussing the report, some Aussies shared their stories of problems they've had with their rentals. 'The goal is to fly so under the radar that your landlord forgets about their property altogether, any hint of movement and before you know it you'll be funding their next P&O cruise,' one said. 'Forget rent increases, I'm always more concerned about not getting a lease renewal. I can wear a rent increase but the costs of having to find a new rental extend beyond just monetary expenditure,' a second added. Last month it was revealed the Albanese government is set to fall short of its own housing target of 1.2million homes by 2029 by around 250,000. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil came under fire earlier this week for a social media post where she and ACT Labor MPs bragged about building just 17 social homes in Canberra in seven months. 'We're here in Canberra visiting some brand spanking new homes, what do you reckon Chris?' O'Neil said in a TikTok on Friday. In an awkward game of catch, she tossed the phone to Chris Steel, ACT Minister for Planning and Sustainable Development, who then turned the camera on himself. 'Pretty good, 17 class C adaptable homes for new residents,' said a grinning Steel. He then threw the phone to Labor MP David Smith, who added: 'A great example of two Labor governments working together and taking pressure off housing right here in Bean'. 'And the good news is we're just getting started,' O'Neil said after Smith had tossed the phone back to her. 'This is 17 out of 55,000 social and affordable homes that our government is going to deliver to Australians over the coming few years.'
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- General
- SBS Australia
'Unacceptable': The question nearly seven in 10 renters fear asking their landlord
Almost seven in 10 private housing tenants worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase. A survey of more than a thousand renters across Australia has also found a third would be unable to afford a 5 per cent increase on what they're currently paying. Half the respondents live in homes that need repairs, and one in 10 need them carried out urgently. Conducted by the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), University of NSW, Sydney-led Poverty and Inequality Partnership, National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations, the study is the 26th published by the advocacy network. — 31 per cent of rental homes have cockroach, ant or other pest problems; — Almost a quarter are leaky; — One in five have issues with hot water, while almost as many feature mouldy bathrooms. Rents have, meanwhile, surged 47 per cent in the past five years amid calls for nationwide rental increase limits. Even so, researchers found 68 per cent of tenants fear asking their landlord to repair their residence would mean increasing the rent, 56 per cent suspect it would result in eviction, and 52 per cent worry they would be placed on a blacklist, preventing them from renting another property. The findings were magnified for tenants in disadvantaged groups, especially the unemployed, poorly educated and disabled persons. "It is completely unacceptable that people in the private rental market are nervous about asking for essential repairs because they fear a rent increase or eviction notice." — Cassandra Goldie, ACOSS CEO "Everyone deserves to be able to live in secure homes without the constant fear of losing their home," Goldie said. "Despite extensive rental laws on paper, it exposes the stark gap between legislation and reality." — Leo Patterson, spokesperson, National Association of Renters' Organisations "Weak oversight of rental costs, property standards and industry practices have denied renters the benefits of a safe, stable and healthy home." The agencies involved in the project are calling for a limit to the amount and frequency of rent increases, improved legal security via the abolition of no-grounds evictions and more funding for tenants' advice services.
ABC News
6 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
ABC announces the TOP 5 recipients for 2025
The ABC has revealed this year's inspiring researchers to take part in the ABC TOP 5 media residencies. The five successful applicants from each of the three fields – Science, Humanities & the Arts, will be in residence at the ABC offices for two-weeks of media training and practical experience. They will be working alongside some of Australia's best journalists and broadcasters, to get a better understanding of how best to communicate their vital research with the world. 'Academia and news reporting are facing extraordinary challenges around the world', says ABC Chair Kim Williams. 'So, the ABC is proud to be partnering with four leading educational and cultural institutions, ensuring that important ideas and new research is discussed and disseminated to broader audiences - ensuring that the ABC delivers information that Australians can rely upon and trust'. Dina Rosendorff is the Manager of ABC Radio National. 'The TOP 5 is a unique Radio National program that teams up early career researchers with some of the ABC's best storytellers. It's a chance for audiences to hear bold new ideas from rising stars in Australian research - and for those researchers to sharpen their skills in bringing their work to life for the public.' THE 2025 ABC TOP 5 ARE: SCIENCE Dr Chantelle Blachut : Postdoctoral Fellow – UNSW, ADFA ACT. Uses mathematics to investigate unexpected behaviour in natural structures like bushfires on mountain-tops or blobs of cold air over Antarctica. : Postdoctoral Fellow – UNSW, ADFA ACT. Uses mathematics to investigate unexpected behaviour in natural structures like bushfires on mountain-tops or blobs of cold air over Antarctica. Dr Amal Osman : Postdoctoral Research Fellow, FHMRI Sleep Health - Flinders University. Specialised physiology techniques to develop new, tailored treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea. : Postdoctoral Research Fellow, FHMRI Sleep Health - Flinders University. Specialised physiology techniques to develop new, tailored treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea. Dr Howe Zhu : Lecturer in Interaction Design – USYD. Explores the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction and Cognitive Neuroscience, leveraging insights from cognitive computing and extended reality to design human-centred technologies that support perception, attention, and immersive interaction. : Lecturer in Interaction Design – USYD. Explores the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction and Cognitive Neuroscience, leveraging insights from cognitive computing and extended reality to design human-centred technologies that support perception, attention, and immersive interaction. Dr Chantelle Doyle : Research Associate – UNSW. Pairing new methods, like genomics, with classic techniques to assess plant sterility, survival and reproduction. : Research Associate – UNSW. Pairing new methods, like genomics, with classic techniques to assess plant sterility, survival and reproduction. Dr Patrick Finnerty: Postdoctoral Research Fellow – USYD. Conservation ecologist helping to bring wildlife back to improve ecosystems through rewilding and species reintroductions. HUMANITIES Dr Shauna Bostock: Indigenous Research Editor, Australian Dictionary of Biography – ANU. Multi-generational narrative history of the lived experience of Aboriginal people from colonisation to the present. Indigenous Research Editor, Australian Dictionary of Biography – ANU. Multi-generational narrative history of the lived experience of Aboriginal people from colonisation to the present. Dr Intifar Chowdhury: Lecturer in Government – Flinders University. A researcher passionate about better the political representation of all young Australians in our democracy. Lecturer in Government – Flinders University. A researcher passionate about better the political representation of all young Australians in our democracy. Dr Declan Humphreys: Lecturer, Cyber Security & Ethics – University of the Sunshine Coast. A philosopher exploring the ethics of emerging technologies such as AI. Lecturer, Cyber Security & Ethics – University of the Sunshine Coast. A philosopher exploring the ethics of emerging technologies such as AI. Dr Tatiana Bur: Lecturer & Cultural Historian – ANU. Focus is Ancient Greece with particular interests in Greek and Roman technology, especially mechanics. Lecturer & Cultural Historian – ANU. Focus is Ancient Greece with particular interests in Greek and Roman technology, especially mechanics. Dr Jac den Houling: Senior Research Fellow Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre - La Trobe University. Creating real-world change that benefits autistic people, in the areas that matter most to the autistic community. ARTS Lolita Emmanuel: Pianist/Doctor of Musical Arts candidate, Conservatorium of Music, USYD. Practice-based research with musicians in global Assyrian community, exploring how we use creative strategies to continue culture amid displacement. Pianist/Doctor of Musical Arts candidate, Conservatorium of Music, USYD. Practice-based research with musicians in global Assyrian community, exploring how we use creative strategies to continue culture amid displacement. Dr Sarah Rhodes: Sessional lecturer, School of Creative Arts - University of Tasmania. Uses photography and video to explore how the natural environment can guide an understanding of one's inner world. Sessional lecturer, School of Creative Arts - University of Tasmania. Uses photography and video to explore how the natural environment can guide an understanding of one's inner world. Shirin Barghnavard : Documentary Filmmaker & PhD Candidate - Edith Cowan University. Investigates the politics of representation in the documentary films of Iranian women, both within Iran and across the diaspora. : Documentary Filmmaker & PhD Candidate - Edith Cowan University. Investigates the politics of representation in the documentary films of Iranian women, both within Iran and across the diaspora. Sabrina Mackenzie: PhD candidate in Music Psychology - University of Melbourne. How music can be tool for cultivating self-compassion and improving emotional well-being. PhD candidate in Music Psychology - University of Melbourne. How music can be tool for cultivating self-compassion and improving emotional well-being. Jordan Alice Fyfe: PhD Candidate, School of Media, Creative Arts & Social Inquiry - Curtin University Working alongside disabled artists in WA to understand current barriers and co-create recommendations for transforming the disability arts sector. The ABC TOP 5 is presented with the crucial support our project partners: Creative Australia, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney and Australian National University. Leisa Bacon is the Executive Director Development & Strategic Partnerships at Creative Australia, which supports Australian Arts and Culture, and the ABC TOP 5 Arts. 'We're thrilled to partner with the ABC to empower research and creative practitioners to increase their impact through media training and skills development. This residency program enables the participants to better communicate their ideas to broad and diverse audiences, setting them up for the future.' Also essential for the ABC TOP 5 Arts is the support of the University of Melbourne. Professor Marie Sierra is the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. 'It's great to see this year's TOP 5 cohort – congratulations to all who have been selected from amongst the most diverse and talented artist-researchers in Australia. Time and again, the Residency has proven to be a focussing lens on the communication skills needed to advance the value and impact of creative arts research. We all look forward to seeing what new audiences, discoveries and innovations your time in the program will bring.' Professor Julie Cairney is the Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at the University of Sydney, which proudly supports the ABC TOP 5 Humanities. 'In an era of rapid change and increasing complexity, it's essential that research and public dialogue go hand in hand. The ABC TOP 5 program empowers early career researchers to step into the media space with confidence, clarity, and purpose. By equipping them to share their insights with broad audiences, we're not only strengthening public understanding, but also ensuring that evidence-based perspectives remain central to national conversations.' The ANU supports the ABC TOP 5 Science, and Professor Kiaran Kirk, is the Dean of the ANU College of Science. 'This program is a fantastic way to celebrate some of our country's best early-career scientists, giving them a unique opportunity to hone their skills in explaining the importance of scientific research in addressing some of our biggest global challenges. Congratulations to this year's cohort.' For more information about the ABC TOP 5 head to: For media inquiries: Jonathan Webb: ABC TOP 5 Science Manager & Editor Science Simon Nicholas: Project Coordinator
