Science by Email 3 August 2012

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	3 August 2012
This is what CSIRO’s future research vessel Investigator will look like. News: Voyages of discovery By Patrick Mahony About 70% of the world’s surface is covered by ocean. You don’t even need to live near the coast to be affected by the sea. The sea is an important source of food, its currents influence climate systems and a significant amount of the oxygen we breathe comes from phytoplankton in the ocean. The ocean is particularly important to Australia. More than 80% of our population lives within 50 kilometres from the coast. Places like the Great Barrier Reef are important tourist destinations and the beach continues to be a central part of Australian identity and culture. This means that marine research and understanding the ocean are of great significance to both Australia and the world. For example, marine research helps scientists to understand complex phenomena such as climate change and geological processes, and how to manage marine resources sustainably. To do this, scientists need ships. Ships have played an important role in science and discovery for centuries. Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle influenced his theories of evolution, Cook explored the east coast of Australia after observing a transit of Venus and Polynesian peoples used simple wooden boats to colonise Pacific Islands. The Marine National Facility’s new research vessel, Investigator, is currently under construction. Investigator will be operated by CSIRO, and will be available to Australian marine scientists to conduct research and observations. The ship will be almost 94 metres long, and will replace Southern Surveyor, which is 40 years old. Investigator will have a specially designed hull to minimise interference with the ship’s underwater sensors and instruments. It will also be fitted with an underwater camera and the latest marine scientific equipment that can map the sea floor, find out how many fish there are in certain places and collect seafloor samples down to 6000 metres. One of the new areas of research that will be possible on the Investigator is advanced atmospheric science. This is important for us to understand things like the weather, air pollution and climate change. Like its predecessor, Investigator will enable the collection of data on marine ecology, geology and climatology, and continue a long tradition of ships 'sailing' for science. More information CSIRO: Investigator looking ship shape CSIRO: Investigator@CSIRO blog Careers link Marine careers
You will need these materials.   Place some grains of cooked rice into a glass of fizzy drink.   Try this: Fizzy rice You will need Cooked rice Glass Clear fizzy drink – lemonade and soda water work well What to do Fill the glass with fizzy drink. Drop a few grains of rice into the glass. Make sure they don’t clump together. Watch for a few minutes. What do you see? What’s happening? The fizzy drink contains a dissolved gas, carbon dioxide. Bubbles of carbon dioxide form better on rougher surfaces than they do on smoother surfaces. It might not look it, but the surface of rice is much rougher than the surface of glass, so bubbles form readily on the rice. This process is called nucleation. The bubbles stick to the rice. The gas is less dense than the liquid and tries to rise to the surface. Initially, the rice stays at the bottom of the glass as it is denser than the liquid. Eventually enough bubbles form to lift the rice grain to the surface. At the surface, the gas bubbles burst and the grain of rice sinks back to the bottom. This cycle continues until there is no more gas dissolved in the liquid. Applications This phenomenon is important for water safety. Life jackets, floaties and flotation rings all use a material that is less dense than water to help heavy humans stay afloat when they are in the water. Boats float in a similar way. Even though large ships are made of dense steel, the large volumes of air they keep trapped in their hulls allow them to float on the water. By Patrick Mahony Try another floating Science by Email activity More information Buoyancy brainteasers View the online version The Lloyd’s Register Education Trust We look forward to welcoming our new sponsor, The Lloyd’s Register Education Trust, later in August. The Lloyd's Register Educational Trust (The LRET) funds education, training and research programs in transportation, science, engineering, technology and the safety of life, worldwide for the benefit of all. Quiz questions 1. When did the Cretaceous period end? a) 122 thousand years ago, b) 65 million years ago, c) 2 billion years ago. 2. Whey and casein are typically found in what kind of foods? 3. What is the acceleration due to gravity at the Earth’s surface? 4. What is the oldest form of air transport that can carry humans? 5. Chelonians a type of animal. What are chelonians more commonly known as? Did you know? Air pollution is causing the tropical zone in the northern hemisphere to expand, according to climate science research. Websites Do it! How well do you know your marine animals? Take this quiz to find out! Hear it! The ocean is home to many different plants and animals. See some of them in this gallery. Win your own LEGO® Investigator Want to win your own LEGO® model of CSIRO’s future research vessel Investigator? To enter, tell us in 50 words or less what scientific research you would investigate with Investigator. Send your entries to sciencemail@csiro.au by 5 pm AEST, 17 August 2012. Full terms and conditions can be found here. Quiz answers 1. b) The Cretaceous period ended approximately 65 million years ago. 2. Whey and casein are found in milk and dairy products. 3. The acceleration due to gravity at Earth’s surface is 9.8 m/s2. 4. The hot air balloon is the oldest form of air transport that can carry humans. 5. Tortoises and turtles are chelonians. There is concern that many chelonian species may become extinct. Science by Email is a CSIRO publication. bankmecu is a proud partner of Science by Email. Editor: Jasmine Leong | Manage your subscription | FAQ

 

 

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