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Listed under:  Science  >  Scientific inquiry
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Stateline: Saving the northern hairy-nosed wombat

Just what is going on with the northern hairy-nosed wombat? Find out why scientists are working hard to understand more about this elusive Australian mammal. Watch this clip to find out about the ecology of this wombat species and to view some field and laboratory research aimed at saving it. You will also see some footage ...

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Catalyst: Sending seeds into space

Why might we need to keep a collection of seeds from all over the world? Where would we keep a collection like that? Should we send some of them into space? Watch this clip to reveal answers to all these questions and more.

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What is a meteor?

Brianna and Professor Jonti Horner look up into the night sky to find out more about shooting stars. What is a shooting star made of and why do they fall from the sky?

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For the Juniors: Using and storing water on a farm

Can you imagine a farm with no water? What might happen to the animals and crops? This clip explains how important a water supply is for farmers. You will see some ways that farmers store water, which is especially important when there is limited or no rain.

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Temperature changes the properties of a substance

Substances that are very cold have different properties to substances that are hot. Watch as the Surfing Scientist uses hot and cold water, food colouring and a fish tank to demonstrate what happens when water at different temperatures is mixed together.

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ABC News: Dr Karl discusses mining asteroids

Imagine an asteroid, half the size of a football field, hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour! Watch this clip to find out about Asteroid 2012 DA14 and whether it poses any threat to Earth. You will also discover why mining prospectors are keen to capture asteroids such as this one. Could the next ...

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For the Juniors: How do apiarists farm their bees?

Have you ever wondered what a bee farm looks like? This clip shows how bee farmers (apiarists) look after their bees. Watch the bee hives being opened and see the honey being collected. View the machinery used to collect and bottle the honey.

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Four Corners: Increasing threat of megafires

Many scientists believe we are already experiencing megafires and that they will continue to increase in the future. In this clip you will hear from Australian scientists at the forefront of fire research. Discover what they have to say about the causes, projections, and consequences of an increased megafire threat.

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Robot biomimicry

This 9 minute video segment from Catalyst shows how inspiration from the world of animals has helped in the mechanical design of robots and adhesive materials.

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For the Juniors: Wet weather in cold and warm climates

Have you ever thought about how rainy weather feels in different places? This short clip talks about wet weather in a cold place and in a warm place. You will hear some children talking about how they feel when it's raining where they live.

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Cloud seeding

This nine and a half minute video segment from Catalyst describes how researchers from Monash University have hard evidence that cloud seeding can produce good amounts of extra rainfall. Data collected over a long period of time has give hope to scientists and environmentalists who are trying to reduce the impacts of droughts ...

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What is an ecologist?

This is a colour video clip in which marine ecologist Associate Professor Stephen Wing of the University of Otago talks about the work of ecologists. He gives an overview of the types of questions that are investigated by ecologists and explains why he enjoys his work. Photographs of marine organisms and ecologists at work ...

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For the Juniors: Growing apples

Do you like eating apples? This clip shows where apples are grown. Learn how the apple farmer (orchardist) looks after the apple trees so they can grow lots of healthy fruit.

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Working towards a renewable energy future

Listen to electrical engineering student Kulsoom Hussain describe her dream career. What are some of the challenges she says she'll face in trying to achieve her goals? What can you find out about the energy sources used in Australia? How much renewable energy is used to power our country?

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Our world: communications in space

This is a NASA 'Our World' video clip focusing on the different ways that astronauts on the International Space Station use technology to communicate with ground staff and others on Earth. The narrators include the puppet Lily and actual astronauts on the space station. Different modes of communication include radio contact, ...

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For the Juniors: Ramping up the fun

Join Winston as he tests which materials slide down a ramp. Which ones will slip and which ones will grip? He's testing a wooden block, a stone, a glass bottle and an eraser. Predict what will happen. Watch to see if your prediction was right.

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Collaborating in science

This is a colour video clip in which Professor Keith Hunter, a marine chemist from the University of Otago in New Zealand, relates how he became aware of the need to collaborate with scientists from other fields and to work on interdisciplinary problems in multidisciplinary teams. Sequences showing Professor Hunter discussing ...

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Precision Sheep Management: video

This is a video (4:09 min) about the University of New England’s Kirby Research Station and how its work with sheep has been transformed by technology, particularly the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The video is presented by members of the Enhanced sheep wellbeing and productivity research program and includes ...

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BTN: Aboriginal astronomy

Many ancient cultures studied the night sky, and we know this because it is reflected in some of the earliest stories we have on record. Learn about one of these stories in this video. Other than the Dreamtime stories, what other evidence might there be that the Aboriginal people studied the stars?

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Catalyst: What is a megafire?

Join Catalyst reporter Anja Taylor as she visits the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico and discovers the impacts of recent megafires on the landscape there. What is a megafire? And how is a megafire different from a regular wildfire? How have recent fires permanently transformed the landscapes that Anja and Professor Craig ...