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Catalyst: Impact of coming to school on carbon emissions

How big is your carbon footprint as you travel to and from school? Watch Daniel O'Doherty, 2008 'Action Against Climate Change' Eureka Schools Prize winner, as he determines his hypothesis then designs and conducts a study about carbon emissions. Listen to the recommendations he makes to reduce and offset the emissions ...

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Catalyst: Coorong salinity

Imagine the mighty Murray River as it flows through South Australia and reaches the sea. Explore the consequences of drought and human activity while listening to Graham Phillips describe the effects of the Coorong's increasing salinity and the the associated threat to Adelaide's supply of fresh water.

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Can We Help?: Exploring nanotechnology

Peter Binks, CEO of Nanotechnology Victoria, answers the question 'How does nanotechnology work?' Discover what nanotechnology is and see several examples in action, such as scratch-resistant paint used in the car industry. Consider future applications of nanotechnology in areas such as sports, health care, clothing and cleaning.

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Atoms of Fire: Vitalism disproved through evidence

Discover how the scientific theory of vitalism, championed by the Swedish chemist Jöns Berzelius, was disproved by his former student Friedrich Wöhler. Find out the way chemists study how the different atoms in organic compounds combine in set ratios depending on the 'valence' of those atoms.

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Experimentals: Do different things fall faster?

Want to find out what happens when you drop a watermelon and an apple from the top of a building? In this clip, Bernie Hobbs and Ruben Meerman, investigate whether the mass of an object influences how fast it falls. Bernie and Ruben ride the 'Giant Drop' at Dreamworld, drop a watermelon and apple from an eighth floor balcony, ...

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Dam threatens ancient lungfish

Explore the issues around the construction of the Traveston Dam in Queensland with Professor Jean Joss and former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie. In this 2006 news report they outline arguments for and against the construction of the dam and how it would affect one of the few remaining homes of a 150-million- year-old ...

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Atoms of Fire: Building models of organic molecules

Have you seen the model of long-chain carbon molecules first developed by Friedrich August Kekulé? This model enabled chemists to make a great leap forward in their understanding of the structure of organic molecules. See how to represent the structure of methane, ethane, propane, butane and octane. Find out how to rearrange ...

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To save a sad creek called Merri

Find out about some of the issues and solutions for managing waste and pollution in a local creek. View this clip called 'Is Merri Creek truly merry?', created by young reporters from North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured ...

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Catalyst: Thinning ice sheet

Discover that that the massive ice sheet in East Antarctica has been losing mass since 2006 instead of growing, as was previously thought. Watch animations to see how scientists from NASA and Australia are using satellite technology and aerial monitoring to investigate the thickness of East Antarctica's ice sheet. Find ...

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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.

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Growing an organic edible garden

Find out about the roles that earthworms and other animals play in a sustainable organic garden. View this clip called 'Great pizzas', created by young reporters from Willunga Primary School, South Australia. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured local sustainability ...

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ABC News: Supporting sustainable farming

Consider the vast land that is Australia. How might we, as a community, help to keep our land sustainable? Explore the ideas put forward by Professor Peter Cullen and Dr John Williams in response to the continuing drought conditions of 2003. What role could city dwellers play so that farmers could better care for the land?

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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 ...

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Kids in the Garden, Ep 2: How seeds become plants

Did you know that a coconut and a walnut are actually seeds? Tiny or huge, prickly or smooth, seeds contain everything a plant needs to start a new life. Watch this clip and find out how seeds get around, and what they need to start growing. Presenter Nick Hardcastle will even show you how to grow your own plants from seed.

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Catalyst: Heat transfer: is it hot or cold?

If you picked up a paper book and a metal box do you think one would feel colder to the touch or would they feel the same? Watch this clip to see if people's predictions about the temperature of objects match their observations. You may be as surprised as they are!

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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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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Implode a soft drink can using an invisible force

Can you imagine being able to crush a can without hitting or squashing it? Watch as Ruben the Surfing Scientist shows you how this can be done. Listen to Ruben explain the science behind the imploding can and find out what invisible force is involved.

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Pet Superstars: Alpacas: No hump but spits like a camel

Meet Kai the alpaca, an animal that is a bit like a camel. Listen as Cassandra talks about the alpaca's fleece (body covering), how it lives in herds and what it eats. See the two types of alpaca breed: Huacaya and Suri. How are they different? The clue is in their fleece.

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Atoms Alive: Introduction to cells

Discover that all life is divided into two cell types. Learn about the difference between simpler prokaryotes, such as bacteria, and more complex eukaryotes, the group to which humans and multicellular organisms belong. See the amazing microscopic world teeming within a drop of pond water.

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Feathers, Fur and Fins: Observing an emu

Join Don Spencer as he describes the emu, one of the biggest birds in the world. Watch emus searching for food and taking care of their eggs. Discover what makes the emu different from most other birds.