Adventure Ausrama Blog

Man like other animals has inherited a fine sense of smell from ancestors who did not have technology to know things that would help them survive. The environment gives out smells when something changes. Because we now mostly live indoors these smells do not come to our attention. However, they still exist. Before it begins to rain the air falls and oil is released from the earth. A special odour is notable. CSIRO has named this smell " petrichor" . It seems no one had given it a named before. The particular smell was made public in 1964 when Isabel Bear wrote a paper which was published in Nature journal. Mineralogists were first aware of it and mentioned the odour in text books but little was made of the smell. Aboriginals would have know of it because oils given off before rain are stronger after drought. The word "mattiak ka attar" is used in Asia to describe the odour trapped in sandalwood oil to enhance the perfume. Scientists at CSIRO i...

The "opening-up" of northern Australia is pie in the sky by both leading political parties. Unless billions of dollars are put into the north development will not take place. The Ord River Irrigation Scheme is an example. However, the scheme is not a real success. Salinity is rising and destroying productive land. Are the political parties planning to build dams? No, not in new northern regions! Neither is putting forward substantial money for investment. Kevin Rudd's promise to extend the Ord River Dam will only drag up more salt. Just telling people to move north is a silly idea. Like the draw to Western Australia there must be financial incentives. The mining boom there means better paid jobs. Those suggesting development of northern Australia don't even study the climatic and geographic realities. Tropical soil is very thin. It barely covers the surface. To grow any plant in large quantities thick fertile soil is needed. Tropical soil may be fertile...

Despite changes in the supply of motor fuel, i.e., the move toward unleaded petrol, high levels of lead in the blood of children is still an issue. In the northern hemisphere there are seasonal fluctuations in levels of lead. Though the general amount of lead present in the environment has fallen, it remains significantly high in the blood of children. Much of the lead released decades ago is still there. The polluted fine particles are swept up into the air in the warmer months of July, August and September. This is the time when children are outside playing their sports. Money would be better spent on "fixing" the suspended lead rather than reducing content in products we use. Finding a way to "lock-in" the lead particles would end the damage to future generations of people. Once lead reaches a high level in the blood it is extremely difficult to reduce. Damage to the brain and nervous system is permanent. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ htt...

NASA scientists are now saying that "soil" on Mars could support vegetable life. Without an atmosphere, though, it seems no life is possible. Scientists are specific enough to say that asparagus and turnips will grow in Mars' soil but strawberries will not. Are they joking? Or are they for real? The Phoenix Mars Lander found soil that is very much like that in many Earth backyards. Scientists are shocked that they have found soil. It is alkaline - thus, the claim that it is not good for strawberries. Apparently, the soil is rich in trace minerals. My, how scientists can be wrong. It was thought that Mars "soil" would be salty - with no atmosphere and the sun would bleach it. But they were wrong. At least we know that there is soil and water in the form of ice just beneath the surface. There is evidence that in the past water flowed on the surface because erosion is evident. Rivers, lakes and oceans existed there once. Water reservoirs such as these indicate ...