By Mahboobeh Shahbazi, Queensland University of Technology Last week, a group of South Korean physicists made a startling claim. In two papers uploaded to the arXiv preprint server, they say they have created a material that “opens a new era for humankind”. LK-99, a lead-based compound, is purportedly a room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor. Such a material,…
Gas manufacturers have reacted strongly against moves by Victoria to ban new gas connections. Here Jon Seeley, whose company manufactures the Braemar range of gas appliances and Seeley air coolers, attacks the decision for driving up emissions. The Victorian Government’s foolish and short-sighted ban on gas in new homes will only push emissions higher and…
Canberra defence manufacturer Electro Optic Systems is in the box seat to be a major local supplier in the construction of Hanwha Defense Australia Redback infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to be built in Geelong. In a $5 billion plus deal just announced, EOS along with local manufacturers armour steel manufacturer Bisalloy and heavy equipment manufacturer…
US and Australian venture capital climate and sustainability heavyweights have led a $US28 million Series B funding round for deep-tech mining company Plotlogic. In the five years since its inception, Queensland-based Plotlogic has fast become a leader in ore characterisation. Their technology helps customers, including BHP, Vale, South32 and leading lithium company Pilbara Minerals, increase…
Australia’s largest producer of critical minerals Lynas Rare Earths has has today signed a follow on contract with the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DoD) for the construction of the Heavy Rare Earths component of the company’s Texas facility now under construction. The contract is an expenditure-based contract under which all of Lynas’ properly…
State-owned Horizon Power has announced the purchase of a vanadium redox flow battery, which the Western Australian government says is a first for an Australian energy utility. According to a statement from the state government on Monday, Horizon has signed an agreement for purchase, installation, and commissioning of the vanadium battery for a long-duration energy…
Energy Price Relief Plan aids manufacturers – claim The federal government claims it is delivering on cheaper energy for Australian manufacturers, with new figures showing a 1.5 percent decrease instead of the forecast 32.9 percent increase in energy prices. The figure was released by the government the day after the latest Australian Energy Market Operator…
Capral Aluminium has announced the achievement of what it says is a “significant milestone in sustainable sourcing” this month, receiving its first Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Chain of Custody (CoC)-certified shipment from Aluminium Bahrain (Alba.) According to a statement from Capral, the certification assures that the aluminium in its products has been responsibly sourced and…
Australia’s overreliance on exporting largely undifferentiated commodities has been laid bare in data released by the Harvard Kennedy School which shows that the country’s Economic Complexity Index (ECI) rating has plummeted to 93rd, down 12 positions in the past ten years. The Harvard Index systematically ranks 133 countries by their ability to manufacture and export…
Will artificial intelligence replace human beings? Could it turn against its creators? Does it represent a danger for the human race? By Patrice Caine. These are just some of the questions that have been stirring up public debate and the media since the mass deployment of generative AI tools and the sensationalist statements of a…
