Catalyst Home

Tuesday, 17 March

What is memory? In this episode of Catalyst, Anja Taylor investigates how our memories change from childhood to adulthood and how we can build up greater brain reserves to power our mind into old age.

Tuesday, 10 March

Dr Graham Phillips investigates new technology that is able to convert more than 40 per cent of the sun's light into electricity. This is more than double the efficiency of today's domestic rooftop solar panels, and could eventually lead to cheaper sources of renewable energy.

Tuesday, 10 March

Are our birds home-grown Aussies, or have we inherited a second-hand fauna from somewhere else? Mark Horstman explores genetic and fossil evidence that reveals the majority of the world�s birds have Australian ancestors.

Tuesday, 3 March

In a family reunion like no other, astronomers reunite our sun with her long lost sibling. Dr Graham Phillips meets the new relative and explores its similarities with our sun.

News in Science >

Friday, 20 March 2015

A quick look at other science news from across the ABC this week.

read more

Archive >

Thursday, 17 June 2004

We use over a million tonnes of plastic each year in Australia, and almost 90% of that goes into landfill as unusable waste. But a researcher from UNSW may have found a way of putting that waste plastic to good use, and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that�s produced by the steel industry. The answer? Using the waste plastic as a source of fuel. This is a story about a woman with a passion for hot, fiery things. Who�s using her expertise in the iron and steel industry to help provide a solution to the million-plus tonnes of plastic we consume in Australia each year.

NB: Currently Professor Veena Sahajwalla is testing polyethylene (PE) as a source of plastic mixed with coke in her labs and they hope to test other plastics in the future. Professor Sahajwalla is not testing PVC because the chlorine would upset the process of steel making and create pollution.