 You could call him the Microscopic Medicine Man. UNSW’s Professor Brett Neilan,  a microbiologist who thinks he’s found the secret behind some of the world’s most successful bush medicines -- and how to save them for the future. 

Science and Engineering

Cloning Bush Medicine

Dr Ben McNeil from the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre on how some businesses are way ahead in planning for a low carbon future.  

The Prosperous Greenhouse Part Two

When you hear the words "Climate Change", what do you think of - last week's, thunderstorm, or something longer-term? Do you think the media gives credence to climate change deniers?In this video Dr Ben Newell from UNSW's School of Psychology talks about the difficulties for climate scientists in cutting through misconception and misinformation to get their messages across.  Dr Newell has written a paper on the Psychology of Global Warming with Professor Andy Pitman of the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre.

Global Warming: Science and the Message

Just how much plastic is there floating around in our oceans? Dr Erik van Sebille from UNSW's Climate Change Research Centre has completed a study of ocean "garbage patches", and has found that in some regions the amount of plastic outweighs that of marine life.MORE INFO:http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044040UNSW Climate Change Research Centre:http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044040Sound effects provided byfreeSFXhttp://www.freesfx.co.uk

Charting the garbage patches of the sea

UNSW Australia Scientia Professor Stuart Wenham on how the revolutionary application of hydrogen based technology in the production of solar cells significantly improves their efficiency while simultaneously driving down production costs. Prof Wenham's research has been awarded the prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology's (IET) A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize of £300,000 ($A560,000).

Low cost solar cells

Produced by animation students from the University of New South Wales for Leadership Networks for Climate Change.

Man vs Wild

UNSW researchers have built an Australian-first bicycle that can take riders up to 125 kilometres on a single battery charge and $2 of hydrogen - proof that hydrogen power is viable right now. Associate Professor Kondo-Francois Aguey-Zinsou and his team have developed a method of compacting 100 litres of hydrogen to just 50 grams, a key achievement in providing portable energy.

Hy-Cycle - Australia's first fuel cell bike

Firefighters still rely on paper-based maps to deal with fire incidents; these maps are distributed at the start of each shift and are usually out of date by the time firefighters get them. PocketFire is a a real-time mapping and data collection solution for mobile devices that allows firefighters to use their own smartphones or tablets to generate and share real time maps and other crucial information of incidents. UNSW's David Morrison maps it out for us.

Young Entrepreneurs - Pocketfire

Online shopping for glasses offers convenience, choice and low prices, but it's hard to know if what you’re buying will actually suit your face. Framefish is virtual try-on software that allows you to upload a photo of your face so you can see exactly what you’ll look like in your new specs. UNSW's Peter Anderson takes us through his app.

Young Entrepreneurs - Framefish

The world has more than enough food to end hunger - the problem is getting the surplus from those who have it to those who need it. Foodbank Local is a smartphone/tablet app that’s like online shopping for food donations, helping supermarkets, bakeries and other food donors to connect with local charities fast. The Foodbank Local team were one of three finalists at the 2013 Microsoft Imagine World Cup, winning a grant of $50,000 to develop the project. UNSW's Brad Lorge takes us into "the wide-area pantry".  

Young Entrepreneurs - Foodbank Local

Everyone needs to eat, and everyone usually eats around the same time, so often there’s a friend close by who also wants to eat, or better still, is planning to cook. Collaboreat is a website that connects you and your hungry friends. Why eat greasy take-away on your own, when you can have a healthy home cooked meal with your mates? UNSW's Chen Wang shares his recipe for better eating.

Young Entrepreneurs - Collaboreat

UNSW researchers are a step closer to proving whether explosives — rather than water — can be used to extinguish an out-of-control bushfire.Dr Graham Doig, of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, is conducting the research, which extends a long-standing technique used to put out oil well fires.The process is not dissimilar to blowing out a candle: it relies on a blast of air to knock a flame off its fuel source.Doig travelled to the Energetic Materials Research Testing Center — a high-explosives and bomb test site in a remote part of New Mexico — in January this year to scale up tests he originally conducted at UNSW's heat transfer and aerodynamics laboratory. The New Mexico tests used a four-metre steel blast tube — which contained a cardboard cylinder wrapped in detonation cord — to produce a concentrated shockwave and rush of air. This was directed at a metre-high flame fuelled by a propane burner.The sudden change in pressure across the shockwave, and then the impulse of the airflow behind it pushed the flame straight off the fuel source. As soon as the flame doesn't have access to fuel anymore, it stops burning.Doig hopes the concept can now be scaled up to fight out-of-control forest and bushfires burning in remote parts of the world.

Blasting bushfires with explosives

UNSW's Professor Emma Johnston on her work in marine ecology, inspiring a new generation of scientists and why diving in Sydney Harbour still gives her a buzz. Professor Johnston is Director of UNSW's Sydney Harbour Research Program at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, and is the inaugural recipient of the Australian Academy of Science's Nancy Mills Medal for Women in Science.Professor Johnston is one of the co-hosts of Coast Australia.

In her element - Professor Emma Johnston

The UNSW Solar Racing Team, Sunswift, have raised the bar for solar powered vehicles with eVe, a sleek and sporty car built on the premise of practicality that could usher in a new era of sustainable driving in Australia.These innovative electric vehicles are raced at the biannual World Solar Challenge, this year's competition features 40 teams from 23 coulntries.The race spans a gruelling 3000km spanning across the harsh Australian desert. Sunswift have maintained an impressive track record at the event, with their previous car setting a Guinness World Record for the fastest solar-powered vehicle in 2011.Sunswift consists of volunteer University students who passionately design, build and race extraordinary solar cars in the endless pursuit of a cleaner future.

eVe - Genesis of the 'normal' solar car

So what do science and rock stars have in common? Quite a lot, if this once one-off science event is anything to go by.For one night only, UNSW Science joins with Science Alert and I F***ing Love Science to present an evening of total geek-out - IFLS Live! at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.Featuring Veratasium's Derek Muller, IFLS founder Elise Andrew, Henry Reich from Minute Physics, Carin Bondar of Wild Sex, UNSW's Andrea Morello, Destin from Smarter Every Day, Adam Spencer, Dr Karl and more…

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