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Video

Catalyst: Underground coal gasification

How are scientists using technology to get energy out of coal without having to dig it up? Find out how underground coal gasification (UCG) burns and converts the coal to gas underground. Visit UCG trial sites in Queensland and hear how UCG avoids some of the environmental effects of traditional coal mining, but may have ...

Video

The physics of invisibility cloaks

Could an invisibility cloak actually work? Prashanth and Maria from MIT explore this idea and demonstrate the cool ways that light bounces, bends and mixes. How do the wings of the Morpho Butterfly give clues about how an invisibility cloak could work? How would light need to be channelled in order for something to seem invisible?

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ABC News: Sound waves measure ocean temperatures

View how scientists use underwater sound waves to measure ocean temperature changes in the Indian Ocean. The animations show how the technology called acoustic thermometry works. Australian scientists are working with a global network of 'listening posts' to monitor the long-term effects of climate change on ocean temperatures.

Video

BTN: The biggest radio telescope in the world

In the past, astronomers explored the universe with their eyes and optical telescopes, but what they could see was limited. Find out how radio telescopes have revolutionised the way astronomers 'see' the universe, allowing us to explore deeper into space than ever before.Watch this clip to learn about Australia's contribution ...

Video

Catalyst: Supercapacitors: new battery technology

Discover how nanotechnology is contributing to the creation of new, improved batteries that may soon be used in all our mobile phones and portable music devices - even in cars and trams. Catalyst's Tanya Ha looks at how traditional batteries produce electricity and how their efficiency may be increased by tiny devices known ...

Interactive

Series circuits

In this resource, students will use a simulation to build a series circuit with batteries, light bulbs, resistors, and switches. From their experimentation, students will understand how different components affect the circuit, and explore the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.

Video

Light takes time to travel through space

Light travels in waves and carries information as it moves from one object to another. In this clip, people are used to represent the Sun, planets and light rays in order to show that light takes time to travel through space bringing information from those objects to us on Earth. Discover that by the time we receive this ...

Video

Colourful Weather, Ep 1: What shape is a rainbow?

All you need is water, the sky and sunlight and you’ve got something that’s colourful – with a pot of gold at each end. What is it? A rainbow! Find out what happens to sunlight inside a raindrop, why rainbow colours are always in the same order and the real shape of a rainbow. Tip: it’s not an arch!

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Catalyst: Coal seam gas production

The latest coal rush is sweeping across Queensland, but this time without having to dig the coal up. Animations show the processes used to extract coal seam gas (CSG) out of the ground, which can then fuel gas turbines in power stations. Discover how CSG avoids some of the environmental effects of traditional coal mining, ...

Video

Quantum: Tidal power

Journey to Bathurst Island where strong tidal currents can be found in the Apsley Strait. Observe how the Nguiu community is investigating the use of tidal power to provide their electricity needs instead of using non-renewable and expensive fossil fuels.

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Can photons and atoms generate laser?

Electrons around atoms can absorb and emit photons of particular colours of light – see three different atomic models explain what's going on.

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How does the retina work?

When electrons in your retina absorb photons of light they don't emit light, they cause a molecule to change shape - and that lets you see colour!

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Sciencey: Five things you should know about renewable energy

Check out how we make electricity, the different renewable energy sources we have developed and how batteries work. Then, find out about hydro-electricity and why Australia could one day be the world’s biggest exporter of renewable energy. Lastly, discover virtual power plants. Why is it important to focus on renewable ...

Interactive

Oresome world

This interactive resource takes students on a journey of discovery in the energy and mining world. Oresome world contains five games or modules: Coal, Energy, Gas, Low emissions and Mining, and within each of these there are several facilities to explore, such as the Underground mining site, Hydroelectric power station, ...

Video

How do prisms create rainbows?

Zoom inside a glass prism and see why glass makes light bend, and how the glass molecules make different colours of light bend different amounts.

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Catalyst: Electromagnetic radiation

Do you know how radios transmit sound, or how ultraviolet light travels through the air? Listen to Bernie Hobbs explain electromagnetic radiation and discover what radios, ultraviolet light, x-rays and nuclear blasts have in common. Find out about their energy levels, how they travel from place to place, and at what speed, ...

Video

Can We Help?: 3D is back!

Andrew Woods from Curtin University answers the question 'How are 3D movies made?' Discover how how 3D glasses work. You might be surprised to find out how long ago people started making 3D movies.

Video

Meet the BFFs: Four fundamental forces

We all know something about gravity, but what about the other fundamental forces of physics? Explore the properties of two familiar forces experienced in daily life, and of two less familiar ones. How do they interact, and what keeps everything from falling apart? This video was Kate Dent's entry into the 2013 Sleek Geeks ...

Video

Colourful Weather, Ep 3: Why sunsets and sunrises will never be blue or green

Can you guess how many sunsets and sunrises an astronaut on the International Space Station sees every 24 hours? Sixteen! Imagine seeing all those spectacular colours so many times a day (even if the view lasts only a few seconds as they zoom by). Find out exactly why sunrises and sunsets are red, orange and golden but ...

Online

Activity: design a school energy saving plan

This is a web resource providing guidelines for designing an energy reduction plan for a school. It describes a student activity that involves collecting and reviewing data, identifying energy reduction solutions and sorting these into categories, describing the role of students, teachers and other staff in reducing energy ...