Adventure Ausrama Blog

Science: Dingo dog came to Australia via Southeast Asian seafarers. Archaeological evidence shows that dingoes arrived in Australia 4,000 years ago.  There is no mystery as to who brought them.  Southeast Asian seafarers did land in Australia to get fresh water and herbs to treat constipation. The dingo is common across the world today, all the way from India to the Pacific islands.  In news videos you see dogs roaming about the street in the background that are absolutely identical to the dingo, same tail, same color coat. People chosen as the distributor of the dingo are the Lapita who moved eastward out into the pacific.  This choice is just for convenience.  It is definitely wrong.  The dog is common everywhere.  Let's face it, Timor is so close to Australia that sailors obviously landed here, often. Genetic evidence places the origin of dingoes in China.  This is only where the breed began.  It rapidly spread to every ...

Technology: people lose inter social skills, flat batter mobile phone, running writing, lost in outback bush. Technology is breaking the bond of people to the natural environment.  Communication involves not just reading and posting snippets on Twitter.  Language skills are still paramount to our survival. Hardly anyone writes in long-hand these days. Ask a twenty year old to write something said to them in a grammatical or mathematical phrase/sentence with a pen and they cannot do it. Take for example "Fifty-eight thousand dollars a year over five years". This is a grammatical phrase. A mathematical sentence is "$58,000 x 1year x 5years" To take it to its logical conclusion it is "$58,000 x 1 x 5 = $290,000".   Many young adults are completely at a loss to do this. She is alone! Not only are we losing communication skills, many would not survive outside of cities if they had to get sustenance that did not come from a supermarket. Though coo...

Genetics: genetic predisposition makes girls or nboys good at maths. The money poured into education to encourage girls and more boys to study maths and science could be a waste.  Research on twins shows that numerical aptitude is 75 per cent genetic.  Either both twin children are good at dealing with numbers or both are not.  There is also a 50 per cent genetic predilection for writing skills. Despite parents helping their children with homework and the like, it had little influence on academic achievement.  Furthermore, teachers and the schools attended whether private or public had no impact.  Children took to maths or English according to their genetic makeup. It is not clear if teachers are evenly well trained so students are benefiting evenly across the nation.  However, this is clutching at straws.  We all remember the lazy, bad teachers who threw a chapter of a book at use to scribble the lesson away while he/she played around at th...

A plane landed on a grazier's property to rescue the owner from a flood.  Onlookers were aghast to see that the pilot was a woman.  This was the 1930s and female pilots were only accepted in the United States.  Nancy Bird Walton was the pilot - she had the right name. The woman who would not take no for an answer had initially taken flying lessons from the famous aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. Because she was short he told her to bring a cushion.  Her pilots' test involved a climbing to 450 meters then landing near a fixed spot on the ground.  She passed gaining an A grade licence.  her career began in 1928 flying a yellow Gypsy Moth at an air pageant in New South Wales. In those days a commercial pilot had to be a mechanic as well.  She was capable.  Securing a log book, knowledge of meteorology and navigation skills she was on her way.  The Gypsy Moth was ideal for Barnstorming around the country.  She saved some money....

Chemistry: Stomata on plant leaves shows the way to predict climate change. It looks like the future is going to be very hot - in Asia at least. Oddly it will not get drier. With more carbon around plants will not need as much water, so grass will grow everywhere. A 5 degree rise in temperature is expected by mid-century. High humidity will make life unbearable.. Plants have a significant effect on the climate in general. This has been ignored in the past. Scientists are now examining it. More efficient use of water means less water in the atmosphere which increases temperature during the day.   Spring will arrive earlier as the climate itself changes. A study of stomata, tiny spores on leaves involved in carbon dioxide absorption and the shedding of water, has provided information on how plants affect the weather. It was initially for understanding how plants work, but it has ultimately been applied to the study of climate change. ◆ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan...

Science: Extroverts and introverts are on a continuum. Do you mix with others easily?  Are you a loner?  Human beings can be categorized as extrovert or introvert.  There appears not to be a continuum to give variety to the species.  You are either one or the other. Don't get me wrong here.  Introverts can rise to the occasion and mix in a group.  Oddly, many introverts become entertainers to bring themselves out and beat their fears.  Clearly though, extroverts love other people and get lonely quickly, whereas introverts thrive doing things on their own. After a noisy party where alcohol has temporarily changed introverts into extroverts.  The basically quieter type starts worrying about what he/she said at the bash.  The mixers just get on with life and don't fear anything. Wait on.  Research has shown the people do fit on a continuum.  We cannot all be divided into either mixer or loner, not totally.  To make...

Technology: It is surprising how people and government bodies live with a problem for decades when the answer is in front of their noses. Quite frequently rescue helicopter crash into the sea. There is usually a "ho-hum" - another helicopter has fallen from the sky. Helicopters that can take off and land in the sea have been around for years. It is old technology. Obviously rescue organizations could have used them. However, they seem to feel that it best to reinvent the wheel. They plan to modify existing helicopters. A self-inflating buoyancy balloon will be attached to standard helicopters. When a sensor detects water, automatic inflation will occur. Australian defence is throwing $4 million at the project. Marise Payne the Defence Minister is lauding it, saying "this is a fabulous innovation, by Australian minds, Australian brains, Australian workers...."  Let us hope it is not just a silly idea! ◆ Technology by Ty Buchanan   ◆ Adventur...