I went to my favourite local bookshop last week (River Read) looking to be entertained and distracted. I settled on an historical romance. I chose ‘The Burning Island’ by Jock Serong, published just last September. After reading the back cover … [Read more...] about Tarenorerer, Another Warrior
Good Causes
Gardens of Old Porites, Without Sharks
It is often reported that the Great Barrier Reef is half dead, specifically that the corals are bleached, and the water quality is degraded with pesticides and plastics. If I didn’t know better, I might never want to visit a coral reef, lest I be … [Read more...] about Gardens of Old Porites, Without Sharks
Critical Thinking – First Requires an Understanding of the Basics
I once assumed everyone knew how to read graphs (charts), but I was wrong. So wrong. Of course, graphs are a quick way to understand patterns in data. They are a quick way to test whether a claim is supported by the data, or not. But graphs … [Read more...] about Critical Thinking – First Requires an Understanding of the Basics
Roaring in Defiance, with Helen Reddy, Craig Kelly and Zoe Buhler
Originally from Melbourne, musician Helen Reddy wrote such an inspiring song about women ‘in numbers too big to ignore’ back in 1971. That was when my mother was telling me ‘It’s a man’s world', while at the same time providing me with every … [Read more...] about Roaring in Defiance, with Helen Reddy, Craig Kelly and Zoe Buhler
Season’s Greetings, Tuvalu and Thank You Mr Kelly
HALFWAY between Hawaii and Australia lies the tiny nation of Tuvalu, which according to popular mythology is slowly disappearing into the Pacific Ocean because of rising sea levels. Except a recent article at the ABC news website correctly explained … [Read more...] about Season’s Greetings, Tuvalu and Thank You Mr Kelly
Peter Ridd Asks for your Help – Now
PROFESSOR Peter Ridd is a physicist at James Cook University who has dared to question scientific findings that purport to show the Great Barrier Reef is in trouble. Specifically, he has been formally censured by the University and told to remain … [Read more...] about Peter Ridd Asks for your Help – Now
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.