Sustaining the shrinking footprint

Industry has increased its efficiency from what it was in the past, to the point where its current ecological footprint is a fraction of what it used to be.

Now imagine an industry sector that produces zero waste, is carbon neutral and husbands the earth’s resource endowment for future generations.

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Dairy stem cells a world first

Embryonic stem cells from cattle can now be stored in mass in the laboratory, paving the way for advanced breeding developments in dairy cattle and other livestock.

These new ways of efficiently isolating and maintaining cells provide scientists from Australia’s Dairy Cooperative Research Centre with the raw materials to investigate a range of stem cell applications.

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BHP Billiton leading the way in mine optimisation tools

The strategic planning of open pit mining projects that span several decades is critical to achieving maximum project value.

To address this issue, BHP Billiton Global Technology has developed a mine planning optimisation software tool called Blasor™. By using optimal mine planning software, strategic planners can now determine ultimate pit sizes and pit development plans that deliver maximum value over the life of the mine.

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Every would-be rocker’s fantasy comes true

CSIRO has ‘built’ a shirt that could fulfil the fantasy of anyone who has, in the privacy of their homes, jammed along with one of rock ‘n roll’s great lead guitarists.

A team led by CSIRO engineer Dr. Richard Helmer has created a ‘wearable instrument shirt’ (WIS) which enables users to play an ‘air guitar’ simply by moving one arm to pick chords and the other to strum the imaginary instrument’s strings.

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