Monthly Archives: January 2011

New transistors: An alternative to silicon and better than graphene

Smaller and more energy-efficient electronic chips could be made using molybdenite. In an article appearing online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, EPFL\’s Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES) publishes a study showing that this material has distinct advantages over traditional silicon or graphene for use in electronics applications. A discovery made at EPFL could […] … learn more→

U of M computer science researchers provide insight into the future of how we understand social networking

The rise of social media has allowed people to connect and re-connect with friends, colleagues and family from across the world. A new paper by University of Minnesota computer scientists in the College of Science and Engineering provides insights into how the analysis of our social networking interactions could discover things like the emergence or […] … learn more→

Gender and hygiene: Could cleanliness be hurting girls?

Little girls growing up in western society are expected to be neat and tidy – “all ribbon and curls” – and one researcher who studies science and gender differences thinks that emphasis may contribute to higher rates of certain diseases in adult women. The link between increased hygiene and sanitation and higher rates of asthma, […] … learn more→

More frequent drought likely in eastern Africa

The increased frequency of drought observed in Eastern Africa over the last 20 years is likely to continue as long as global temperatures continue to rise, according to UC Santa Barbara scientist Park Williams. The new research, published in Climate Dynamics, indicates that more drought poses increased risk to millions of people in Kenya, Ethiopia, […] … learn more→

Climate change threatens survival of north-east Queensland wet tropics

New research by Macquarie University climate change ecologist, Dr Linda Beaumont, suggests climate change over the coming decades may place substantial strain on the integrity and survival of Global 200 ecoregions worldwide, including the World Heritage-listed north-east Queensland Wet Tropics. In a study funded by the Australian Research Council and published in the online early […] … learn more→

Finding ways to protect fish and fishers

Researchers at Australia’s leading coral reef research centre have developed a way to protect both coral reef fish – and the interests of fishers. In pioneering research carried out in Fiji in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) team has reported a new approach […] … learn more→

Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning

The sustainability of tomorrow\’s communities will depend a great deal on how they are planned today. The professional regional, urban or environmental planner is playing an increasing role in ensuring we live in better, more sustainable environments. … learn more→