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REGENERATIVE MEDICINE + NUCLEAR SCIENCE + NANOTECHNOLOGY + ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE + ASTRONOMY + CHEMISTRY + PHYSICS

2012

ultimate

Weve been studying the universe since time began.

Helping lead the way in astronomy and astrophysics.

At Curtin, the sky has never been the limit. Through our Physics, Astronomy and Radio Astronomy Engineering programs were discovering whats really out there amongst time and space. With excellent links to both the local and international astronomy communities, our students benet from near and far. The Curtin Institute for Radio Astronomy (CIRA) has a fully equipped radio astronomy engineering laboratory for engineering research. Undergraduate and postgraduate research projects are available in a wide variety of areas. Apply today to nd your place in the universe and make tomorrow better. For more information visit astronomy.curtin.edu.au
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contents
WHY SCIENCE? 4 ForEWord 5 FroNTIEr SCIENCE The cuTTing edge 6 in focus Regenerative medicine at Monash university 7 in focus nuclear science at AnsTo 8 BIoLoGY, HEaLTH & LIFE SCIENCES Biology & The science of life 10 12 BehAViouRAl & BioMedicAl science in focus Melanoma research at edith cowan university 15 PHYSICS, MaTHS & CHEMISTrY Physics & MAThs The hard stuff 18 in focus synchrotron science at the university of Melbourne 20 23 cheMisTRy get your hands dirty EarTH & ENVIroNMENTaL SCIENCE BooM-TiMe science in focus sustainable agriculture at uQ WHErE SCIENCE CaN LEad The TRAVel Bug BReAk iT down aSTroNoMY, ICT & ENGINEErING A sTellAR cAReeR in focus exoplanet research at unsw in focus Radio astronomy at curtin university in focus smart building at griffith university CoSTS & FUNdING cAn i AffoRd uni? WHErE To STUdY degRee findeR uni couRses AT A glAnce 26 28 30 32 36 38 39 40 42 46 48

What really drew me to science is that you are able to work on some of the biggest global issues in todays society, such as cancer research and climate change. Jeremy Baldwin, QUT science graduate and PhD student

Real-world science and engineering

Discover answers to some of the big issues that are shaping the world today. You will experience real-world learning and relevant, up-to-date courses that have been developed alongside leaders in your field. QUTs winning balance of theory and practice will equip you with skills and knowledge you can use straight away in your chosen career.

Science and Mathematics

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SCI-12-122 CRICOS no. 00213J

SCienCe? why Study

sTRAP HERE
WITH SO MANY career and study options, figuring out what you want to study can be overwhelming. Tara Francis has prepared this checklist to see if science or engineering is your best career path.
you alwayS learn random factS watching documentarieS, and the Same goeS for Studying Science and engineering. Some of the thingS you will learn about the world are faScinating and you can chooSe your courSeS to focuS on exactly what you find intereSting a little like finally getting the remote control.

doCuMentarieS

love watChing

letS face it, liStening to Someone talk for hourS on end can be boring. youll love handS-on labS at univerSity, allowing you to team up with friendS to run experimentS and learn thingS for yourSelf.

your ClaSSeS

talk during

do you...
if you are alwayS wondering why?, then Science and engineering can give you the anSwerS (or maybe juSt more queStionS) about everything from tiny atomS to the infinite univerSe.

like lying in the Sun

CuriouS Mind

have a

thereS minimal reading preparation for Science and engineering claSSeS, So you can chill out in the SunShine for hourS before your claSS while otherS are cramming in the library.

it may Sound like a clich but ScientiStS are working to underStand the world, tranSform Society and Save liveS while engineerS keep our economy booming and our technology cutting edge. why would you want to be anywhere elSe?

Change the world

want to

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you can travel while you Study, or attend conferenceS and collaborate with colleagueS overSeaS. better yet, Science and engineering careerS arent limited to particular countrieS you can find Science and engineering jobS pretty much anywhere in the world.

the world

want to travel

Science and engineering are So flexible that youre not committed to one job for the reSt of your life. you can work in a range of fieldS (and Swap between them) whether itS developing new foodS, agriculture, health, law, buSineSS or education. Science and engineering can open doorwayS to them all.

what youre doing

have no idea

you can go into reSearch, of courSe, but another benefit of Studying Science and engineering iS that it can lead to a diverSe range of careerS, not juSt in Science but acroSS the board. you develop great SkillS that are viewed highly by employerS, even in the buSineSS world. having a double degree or minor in Science will give you that extra edge and SpecialiSt knowledge when you Start your career.

dreaM of being a SCientiSt? or not

progreSS and diScoverieS often come when ScientiStS agree that the ruleS they thought explained the nature of thingS have been broken. writing your own ruleS and diScovering which lawS of the univerSe bend and which dont are fundamental foundationS of Scientific diScovery.

the ruleS

break all

CoSMoS ultiMate SCienCe guide 2012

www.cosmosmagazine.com

Cosmos 38

foreword
travel
to todays challenges and those that will arise in the future, we need the best and the brightest minds to take up the baton as scientists or engineers. We need people who push the boundaries, challenge the norm and have a thirst for knowledge. There are those who will participate and those who will watch from the sidelines. I encourage you to leave your mark on the future and consider a career in science or engineering. Dr Adi Paterson
CEO, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
ansto

Our lifestyle and the technologies around us are enabled by todays scientists, says adi Paterson. In the future, you could be the one transforming how we live and what we do.
to chemistry, environmental science, engineering, computer science and physics the opportunities are endless. In nuclear science and technology we offer an array of exciting career choices utilising novel technologies from nanotechnology to neutron scattering. Nuclear science is an especially exciting area, a science that will hold the solutions to many of the challenges of the next generation allowing scientists to actually see inside materials and build a deeper understanding of the very fabric of our lives. As a scientist or engineer, your office could be Antarctica or the Great Barrier Reef and you could travel around the world collaborating with the brightest minds and working with the most sophisticated research instruments on the planet. In order to find the solutions

magIne nano-robots delivering a knock-out punch to cancer using carefully targeted radioisotopes; computers based on quantum states of matter that solve impossible problems with new techniques; energy technologies based on new molecular cages that get us out of the carbon economy of the 20th century and into the sustainable 21st century; and learning from frogs, using the slime from their skin to develop new antibiotics. Todays scientists have delivered us a lifestyle that previous generations could only dream about, but the innovations that will shape our future will come from those of you who choose to pursue a career in science or engineering. Science and engineering offer remarkable career opportunities. From biology

DISCOveR yOUR OPTIONS

at Australias most influential university
Courtney Landers is a 3rd year student from Brisbane studying the Bachelor of Philosophy (PhB) at ANU. The program, which provides students with research opportunities throughout their undergraduate career, has given Courtney access to some of Australias top scientists. I will be doing my honours in epigenetics, studying bees. The simplest description of epigenetics is a system they found describing how our cells use DNA. They didnt even believe something like it would exist ten years ago. Its a very new field. Its pretty exciting. I can get my teeth stuck into something complex. Courtney says that one of the great things about studying at ANU is the extra opportunities students get from being in Canberra. ... being on campus makes it so much easier to do things like debating or to go to Parliament House for political activities. Living on campus as well is a big thing because I feel like if I was still living at home then I wouldnt have had the chance to get out and socialise.

Theres so much I wouldPhB out miss on if I wasnt doing the

science.anu.edu.au
CRICOS #00120C | 060212COSMOS

Frontier science the cUttinG edGe

IF YOU LIKED playing with Lego when you were younger, this is big kids Lego, says Benjamin Norton, a PhD student in atomic physics at the Centre for Quantum Dynamics, at Queenslands Griffith University. Norton is talking about atom physics where you study fundamental interactions and processes

cosMos UltiMate science GUide 2012

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY/BENJAMIN NORTON

NAME Benjamin Norton POSITION PhD Student in atomic physics LOCATION Griffith University, Brisbane QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor of photonics and nanoscience (Honours), now undertaking PhD in atomic physics at Griffith Universitys Centre for Quantum Dynamics

at super-small scales. As part of his PhD, Norton helped build a trap for charged atoms. This device has been able to isolate individual atoms of ytterbium a rare earth element and has produced the highest resolution images ever made of an atom. The images earned Norton runner-up in an extreme imaging science competition, in February. His research team is now hoping to use the images to gain a better understanding of how atoms might behave in quantum computers novel technology that will potentially change the world. Quantum optics could lead to superfast computing and encrypt information such as bank details so securely that it would be impossible to decode.

An interest in science and a curious mind are the building blocks of a great scientific career, Norton says. As an experimental scientist, youve got to have the skills to build things up and the drive to actually do something new. Renae Soppe
The highest resolution image yet made of an atom shadow, produced by a device that Benjamin Norton helped make.

SHARON RICARDO

>>

From the genes in our bodies to the atoms around us, breakthrough scientific research is opening up new and exciting careers.
ERE BARELY INTO the second decade of the 21st century and scientists have already made many revolutionary discoveries that have transformed their fields and created novel career opportunities and research areas. In 2003, scientists completed the mapping of the human genome, allowing researchers to read the complex code that uniquely identifies each one of us. Astronomers have peered further into the distant universe than ever before. Physicists have unearthed a wealth of weird and wonderful behaviour at sub-microscopic levels, and chemists and engineers have created microscopic devices and novel materials that will revolutionise our health and the technology around us.

A kidney cell generated from stem cells blue shows the cell nucleus and red indicates kidneyspecific proteins.

On the way, theyve produced spin-off technology from faster Internet and smaller batteries to better medicines and pollution-free fuels. Major frontier science opportunities exist in medicine, particularly in genetics, immunology and regenerative medicine, as well as biotechnology and molecular biology, nanotechnology and astronomy. Want to be

part of the mix? Then there are burgeoning new fields out there to consider and many new centres in which some serious investment is being made. Examples of these include the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisations nuclear science facility and the planned Australian Institute of Nanoscience, both in Sydney. Then in Melbourne, there are facilities such as the Australian Synchrotron and Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute. Sharon Ricardo knows what its like to be at the front line of science. Shes involved in regenerative medicine research at Monash University, investigating how stem cells which are able to differentiate into other cell types can repair kidney tissue. Its a fast-moving field, agrees Ricardo. For science students I think its very exciting. There are so many questions to address. Research on stem cells was transformed just five years ago by the discovery that adult stem cells can be used to repair organs, from the brain to the liver. Its a huge, growing area, Ricardo says. You really are redefining textbooks. Heather Catchpole

in fOCUS MOnaSh Univ erSity frOntier SCienCe

der MediCine Made-tO-Or

C
Regenerative medicine is using exciting new advances in cell science to develop new therapeutics, says Tara Francis.
HOP A LEG OFF an axolotl and it wont costs $1.5 million, but its definitely worth it. mind that much; it will just regrow In the microscope we take an image of the another. Chop an arm off a starfish nucleus deep inside the cell of the embryo. We and not only will it regrow, but the lost arm take many images at different focal lengths its could also grow an entirely new body! Some like slicing the embryo with lasers so we are creatures show a remarkable ability to heal scanning the entire thing without damaging the themselves and scientists are trying to emulate embryo, says Plachta. These images form a this in humans using regenerative map, so that the protein fluorescence medicine. This new field aims can be compared in different parts to repair damaged tissues of the nucleus over time. through transplants or by Introducing proteins inducing cells to begin that activate genes regrowing tissue. involved in embryonic It may seem development into like science human adult cells fiction, but this could stimulate is what Nicolas tissue regeneration Plachta from in humans for the Australian example, to grow Regenerative Medicine Institute at Monash University, in Melbourne, is working towards. Plachta is A 3-D image of cell division studying how single cell embryos differentiate and turn into the human body. Developmental biology is perfect for regenerative medicine because its basically trying to understand how things were built up during embryonic development. We need to understand that before we try to repair [tissue], Plachta says. Working with mouse embryos, Plachta is trying to observe proteins as they direct embryo growth. We want to see how these proteins move because these are the proteins that activate genes, they decide which genes get turned on or turned off, he says. And these genes define what type of tissue the cell will eventually become. Plachta extracts and manipulates mice embryos to label specific proteins with a Like starfish, axolotls can fluorescent marker that glows when hit with regenerate tissue to grow new body laser light of a certain wavelength. parts. Scientists in regenerative Seeing inside embryos doesnt come cheap: medicine are trying to emulate this the laser scanning microscope Plachta uses ability to regrow tissue in humans.
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new spinal tissue. This would do away with the need for embryonic stem cells (and the ethical issues surrounding them), that were previously used for research into regenerative medicine. These practical applications excite Gurpreet Kaur, who just finished her PhD and is now working in Plachtas lab. It is a really exciting field. I can see an embryo, in real time, dividing into the different cells of the different tissues. It really makes you think that you can take that technology and start applying it to therapeutics. There are many health problems, such as heart and neurodegenerative diseases, that would undoubtedly benefit from the ability to regenerate damaged tissues, Kaur adds. In essence, we are trying to find therapeutic approaches using regenerative medicine to cure these diseases.

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COSMOS UltiMate SCienCe GUide 2012

Nuclear scieNce research

Nuclear science techniques are revolutionising the way scientists work, helping them to understand everything from disease to ice-age environments.
A slice of Fraser Island sand collected by a gravity corer can provide a record of climate change over thousands of years.

trackiNG caNcer

SPL

Secondary cancers from a melanoma are revealed by a radioactive tracer injected into the blood stream.

MELANOMA is a type of skin cancer caused by prolonged exposure to UV rays. According to Cancer Australia, it is responsible for 9.5% of all cancer diagnoses made in Australia. A newly discovered radiopharmaceutical will help doctors better detect the spread of melanomas. Oncologists used the radioactive compound FDG (fludeoxyglucose) to locate several types of cancer, including melanoma. FDG is a glucose analogue with a high affinity for cancer cells. And because its a radiopharmaceutical it emits radiation, meaning that doctors can use a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to trace it and any cancer cells associated with it. Recent research undertaken by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is developing a compound that can more effectively pinpoint the region where a melanoma has spread. The compound, called 18F-MEL050 or simply MEL050, can hone in on a melanoma by searching for melanin protein inside cells and binding to it. This also allows for high-contrast imagery, making it easier for doctors to see cancerous cells among normal tissue. Using MEL050, we can track and localise secondary melanoma metastasis [where a melanoma has spread through the skin or lymph nodes], explains Ivan Greguric, an ANSTO nuclear radiopharmaceutical chemist. A lot of [cancer] treatment options, such as chemotherapy, are very expensive, he adds. A more accurate localisation of cancerous cells should lead to a more effective treatment regimen. Oliver Chan

traciNG fraser islaNds past

FRASER ISLAND IS not just a popular southern Queensland tourist spot. Its also a top study site for Pia Atahan, a post-doctoral research fellow, and Henk Heijnis, a principal research scientist, both from ANSTO. Heijnis and Atahan are interested in finding out how the climate and environment of the island has changed over the past 37,000 years. To study this, they took samples of tiny fossils from the sediments of Lake MacKenzie, one of the islands most visited sites. By analysing the samples through a combination of radiocarbon dating and nuclear techniques, the researchers hope to reconstruct the lake systems hydrology the movement, distribution and quality of its water and to understand the changes in vegetation caused by an ice age period. Previous work has shown massive changes [in the Australian environment] when going into and coming out of an ice age. Lake systems are unique they have unique ecosystems so wed like to see how these lakes respond to environmental change, says Heijnis. Becky Crew

cOsMOs ultiMate scieNce Guide 2012

ANSTO

>>

frOntier SCienCe
SPL

neUtrOnS prObe healthy StarCh

NOT ALL STARCHES are the same, so Australian researchers have developed a new device that can ensure food is manufactured using the types of starches that are better for us. Starch makes up 50-70% of our energy intake and its molecular structure determines how it is digested. Starch rich in amylose straight chains of glucose molecules is beneficial for people suffering from diabetes as it is digested slowly and gradually releases sugar into the bloodstream. This type of starch is also a top anti-cancer food: high amylose starch is resistant to digestion, escaping the process entirely until it reaches the large intestine, where it is broken down by gut bacteria. Metabolites of these bacteria protect the intestine from colorectal cancer. If we try to eat higher levels of resistant starch, we can help prevent diet-related disease, says ANSTOs food science Now, antimicrobial secretions from the skin of Australian frogs are being analysed as a source of potential new drugs for fighting these superbugs. It is hoped that by studying the active ingredients in the secretions and observing how they interact with cell membranes, scientists can figure out how to engineer more effective antibiotics. The researchers will be looking at interactions with bacterial cells as well as cells from higher organisms to explore whether the active ingredients work specifically on bacteria. We need to [first] understand how they work, and once we do that, the next step is how [they] can be used as drugs and how we can deliver [them] as medicines, says ANSTO postdoctoral research fellow Anton Le Brun, who has been collaborating with University of Melbourne researchers on the project. Traditionally, the analysis of the active ingredients in frogs secretions molecules group leader, Elliot Gilbert. Current food processing methods destroy some of the resistant starch, which is why manufacturers are looking for ways to better control manufacturing conditions and maintain the beneficial properties of their products. A device called a neutron Rapid Visco Analyser (nRVA), developed by Gilbert and his colleagues in collaboration with Australian company Perten, could help them do that. The nRVA sends a beam of neutrons through a sample of starch as it is cooked. We then measure the number of neutrons that change their direction, says Gilbert. And that tells us how the starch molecules are arranged. Using this procedure, it is now possible to monitor changes in the molecular structure during the cooking process. This will allow manufacturers to optimise production processes while maintaining resistant starch levels. Achim Eberhart called peptides - has been done using X-rays. But this technique has limitations as it can be difficult to distinguish between peptides and cell membranes. So the Melbourne team opted for another technique that uses ANSTOs neutron reflectometer facility, in Sydney. Neutrons scatter hydrogen and its isotope deuterium very differently. If we label the membrane with deuterium, by using neutrons we can pick out the peptide from the membrane to get the whole picture, says Le Brun. The information we can get through this process is when these peptides bind to the membrane, and where are they located. For example, are they lying on the surface, are they penetrating into the membrane or are they breaking the membrane down? Using the neutrons from the OPAL research reactor is a very powerful technique to answer these questions. The team has yet to figure out exactly how these frog skin peptides work, but its hoped that when they do, future collaboration with drug delivery experts will lead to new weapons in the battle against superbugs. Becky Crew

Starch grains (in green) are easy to spot in this false-colour scanning electronmicrograph of a potato slice.

frOG reMedy
ANTIBIOTICS HAVE LONG been used as a defence against bacterial infection. But, worryingly, some bacteria have been evolving their own defences against antimicrobial agents.
The moist skin of the southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) could yield new antibiotics.
wikimedia

COSMOS UltiMate SCienCe GUide 2012

biology & the science of life

New tools and faster progress have opened up a world of information in biology, health and life sciences and theres still much more to discover.
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cosMos UltiMate science gUide 2012

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T WAS THE SHEER diversity of life on our planet that inspired the great naturalists of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Alexander von Humboldt and Charles Darwin. Now, in these days of discovery, the mainly descriptive discipline of natural history has been replaced by a complex field that encompasses biological and ecological interactions across all levels from a global scale down to individual molecules within a cell. Paul Sunnucks, a zoologist who heads Monash Universitys Molecular Ecology Research Group, in Melbourne, points out that a dominant issue now for biology and life sciences is the rapid pace of change. There has been an exponential growth in knowledge and technology that is giving scientists the tools to make much faster progress. Consider, for example, identifying the genetic fingerprint of an organism. A popular way to do this requires researchers to identify species-specific DNA markers called microsatellites. Until very recently, this was a laborious and time-consuming exercise. Now you pop some DNA in a tube, send it away, get it sequenced and select your microsatellites, Sunnucks explains. That means you dont have to spend three months developing microsatellites, you can spend three months doing things that are more intellectually challenging and are actually producing the answers that you want rather than just the tools to produce the answers. With the money and effort that went into studying a single gene of a butterfly in Sunnucks lab only a few years back, it is now possible to study all 30,000 genes expressed in that organism. Despite this rapid progress, biological research will not be exhausted

any time soon. For every answer researchers are able to provide, new questions arise, requiring even more sophisticated tools. Everything we do now is just so incredibly information-rich, Sunnucks says. Statistics and specialised computer software have become more important than ever for working with large complex data sets. Biology is a discipline where, apart from a few isolated areas, people havent [traditionally] tended to apply mathematics very much. But thats becoming increasingly important, says Sunnucks, adding that almost anyone starting in biology now needs to be familiar with statistics software and programming skills. Those things are becoming just basic tools you need as much as a word processor, he says. In addition to the quantities of research data biologists and life scientists create, huge amounts of background information have become available at a keystroke to help interpret results. This includes online libraries containing sequences of tens of thousands of genes and proteins, animal movement datasets and detailed geographical information. What makes biology particularly appealing to Sunnucks is the opportunity it often provides to work outdoors and with wildlife, while also having a very strong theoretical underpinning. He was drawn to the area by a fascination for the complexity and elegance of things that natural selection can produce. His career has since been shaped by personal interactions with many outstanding scientists. It was this environment, where all these people were having cool ideas, he says. And weve certainly got a lot of excellent biologists and life scientists in Australia. Achim Eberhart

BIOLOGy, hEALTh & LIFE SCIENCES

Sam Banks molecular ecology studies take him out into the field, working towards the conservation of native species.

NAME Sam Banks POSITION Research Fellow LOCATION Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Science (Honours) and PhD in molecular ecology, both from Monash University
STUDYING BIOLOGY wasnt a calculated career choice for Sam Banks. He originally enrolled in engineering at RMIT, but quickly realised that while it might be a good career choice, it wasnt what he really wanted to do. So he changed unis, completed a double degree in arts and science at Melbournes Monash University and hasnt looked back. He went on to complete an Honours year and PhD in molecular ecology, a discipline that uses molecular genetic techniques to study the ecology and conservation of species. He still works in this area and enjoys the opportunity to be involved with fantastic animals in lovely parts of Australia. Research fellows are also often expected to take part in teaching at their university. It can be difficult to balance teaching and research, but Banks says it is a privilege to share his work with students who are interested and motivated. Achim Eberhart

ShOw ME ThE MONEy!

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Median starting salary $49,000 (BSc) to $65,000 (PhD) Gender mix 36.1% M 63.9% F (BSc) 36.4% M 63.6% F (PhD) Work outcomes 59% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 46.2% went into further study Common occupations Design, engineering, health, transport and science professionals, and science, engineering and ICT technicians
Source: Graduate Careers Australia Gradfiles, December 2011

NAME Jenna Bowyer POSITION Aquaculture researcher LOCATION South Australian Research and Development Institute and Flinders University QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor of Science with Honours in Marine Biology, Flinders University
BOWYER, A THIRD-YEAR PHD STUDENT, splits her time between the South Australian Research and Development Institute and Flinders University conducting analyses in the lab while writing her thesis on yellowtail kingfish nutrition. She broke into aquaculture research after taking a year off following her marine biology studies. My father is a prawn fisherman in the Spencer Gulf, so I was exposed to the seafood industry from a young age, Bowyer says. She gained a scholarship from the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre and partnered with Clean Seas Tuna for her research, which aims to determine baseline nutritional information on which sustainable ingredients can feed yellowtail kingfish without adversely affecting their growth or health. The global catches of fish used primarily for fishmeal and fish oil from

wild fisheries are limited, Bowyer says. Her research has identified that some fish oil and fishmeal can be replaced with poultry oil and soybean ingredients in the kingfish diet. Bowyer has travelled to an international conference in Brazil to present her PhD work, where she won an award for best abstract. In the future, shed like to focus on researching how sustainable aquaculture can meet the global demands for seafood while reducing its reliance on marine ingredients, either in Australia or overseas. - Mara Flannery
Jenna Bowyer hopes to focus on sustainable aquaculture.

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behavioural & biomedical sciences

Biomedical science has a strong medical focus and is often more research-based than a straight science degree.

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HE QUESTION OF what makes us human has absorbed us since our species first emerged. While we wait on a definitive philosophical answer, we can always look at what humans are how and why we do certain things, what makes us strong or weak, what can kill us and what can save us. The behavioural and biomedical sciences aim to answer such questions. We are all psychologists at heart, says Ben Newell, a psychological scientist at the University of New South Wales. We all want to know how and why we, and other people, think and do things. Studying psychology gives us the tools [both methodological and intellectual] to do just that and really try to answer these big questions.

Behavioural science can lead to careers in a wide array of areas, from clinical psychology and criminal profiling to sports psychology and community welfare. Clues to human behaviour are also within the intricacies of brain physiology. The brain is one of the final frontiers to discover, says Romina Palermo, an experimental psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Western Australia. A lot of what the brain does we take for granted things like facial recognition and language generation but are actually rather challenging tasks. Research in neuroscience ranges from investigating the effects of traumatic brain injuries on specific parts of the brain to searching for different ways to slow progressive brain diseases such as Alzheimers.

Biomedical science covers the biology of the body with a strong medical focus and is often more research-based than a straight science degree. It can seem daunting, but its worth it, says Tony Sadler, a research fellow at the Monash Institute of Medical Research, in Melbourne. Biomedicine is extremely engaging, he says. Biomedical science students are able to gain an understanding in multiple disciplines and learn how they all interact and complement each other. This can lead to careers in pharmaceutical, biomedical and biotechnology industries as well as purely academic research. Research has an addictive quality, which I liken to gold fever, says Sadler. Youve always got the feeling that youre on the brink of unearthing something fantastic. Oliver Chan

cosmos ultimate science Guide 2012

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Understanding how biological processes work is an intriguing puzzle.

BioloGy, heAlth & liFe ScienceS

MEDICINE
Median salary $56,000 (BSc) to $80,000 (Masters) Graduate Gender mix 36.8% M 63.2% F (BSc) 38.8% M 61.2% F (PhD) Work outcomes 85.8% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 9.2% went into further study Common occupations Design, engineering and science and transport, health and education professionals.
Luke Donnan indulges his passion for exercise through podiatry and research into barefoot running.

nAme Luke Donnan poSition Lecturer in podiatry locAtion Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, NSW QUAliFicAtionS Bachelor of human movement from RMIT, Bachelor of podiatry, from Charles Sturt University, NSW
AmATEur fooTy pLAyEr and gym junkie Luke Donnan originally planned a career in physiotherapy, but began studying podiatry, loved it and now he teaches in this area. Podiatry is focussed on the care and treatment of feet and lower limbs, and courses

cover topics ranging from biomechanics and sports science to diseases such as arthritis. The biggest thing I like about lecturing is working with a younger group. [People] often refer to it as cerebral massage youre always having to think, Donnan says. He also supervises clinic students treating patients with sprains and muscular pains. Through his research into barefoot running, Donnan hopes to build on a personal passion for exercise. This research examines the shift away from highly structured shoes to footwear that offers little support. Theres not a lot of research out there saying yes or no, one way or another. Podiatry professionals can also end up working in sports medicine or specialise in pediatrics, assisting children with neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy, to walk. Or they might help diabetics manage ulcers and wounds. You can pick your interest area and theres pretty much no reason you cant pursue that. Its not one of these jobs where you have to work your way up to the good jobs. Its very flexible and there are lots of opportunities for podiatrists. Tara Francis

Show me the money!

PSYCHOLOGY
Median salary $49,000 (BSc) to $70,000 (PhD) Graduate gender mix 18.4% M 81.6% F (BSc) 19.2% M 80.8% F (PhD) Work outcomes 41.1% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 37.5% went into further study Common occupations Legal, social and welfare professionals, business, human resources and marketing and education professionals

nAme Jeremy Baldwin poSition Masters student locAtion Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Qld QUAliFicAtionS Bachelor of applied science/Bachelor of business, from QUT
I LIKED THE challenge, explains Jeremy Baldwin of his motivation to study science. There are still frontiers, new things to discover. But he also values the economic aspect of science just as highly. Baldwin believes that for scientific discoveries to make a difference, its imperative that they result in a viable business application. So he opted for a double degree in science and business and is now pursuing a Master of science at the same time as a Master of research and development management, both at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). As part of his research he builds artificial cell tissue that can be used to test new drugs. Cell biologists usually work with cell cultures grown in thin layers in tissue culture flasks or petri dishes. But theres a huge amount of evidence that shows gene expression in 2-D [cell cultures] versus 3-D is completely different, explains Baldwin. This means the response of cell cultures to pharmaceuticals may not truly reflect the effects of drugs in the body.

Jeremy Baldwin builds artificial living organs that can be used to test new drugs.

Baldwin and his colleagues at the Regenerative Medicine Group use various biomaterials to build scaffold structures that help cells grow into threedimensional structures. These 3-D models mimic the conditions in the body as closely as possible. Some of these scaffolds can also be used for regenerative medicine procedures such as breast reconstruction or bone replacement after cancer surgery. Pharmaceutical companies interest in better models to test new drugs creates a large market for 3-D cell culture, Baldwin says. Having won several business competitions during his undergraduate studies, hes now working with his supervisor to create a business plan to commercialise their research. Achim Eberhart

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BIOLOGY, heaLth & LIFe SCIenCeS

naMe Kayley Zuhorn POSItIOn Undergraduate student LOCatIOn The University of Queensland, Brisbane QUaLIFICatIOnS Bachelor of occupational health and safety science (in progress)
GONE ARE THE DAYS when occupational health and safety (OHS) at work meant checking the fire exits once a month. In 2010, the University of Queensland launched an innovative new degree in OHS science. Kayley Zuhorn is one of 40 undergraduates looking forward to an exciting career as a fully qualified OHS professional. The OHS industry is a rapidly growing industry and theres a huge lack of qualified professionals, Zuhorn says. Across all industries there are a lot of workplace incidents, often deaths and fatal injuries. People think thats just what happens, but realistically deaths in the workplace should not happen; theyre always preventable. The four-year degree aims to produce OHS professionals with a strong background in the physical, behavioural, psychosocial and life sciences. The program addresses psychosocial and mental health issues at work as well as chemical, physical, mechanical and biological hazards. A career in OHS consulting has recently been made simpler by the harmonisation of the Work Health and Safety Act across all Australian states, standardising OHS laws across the country. But degrees in OHS are very portable, says Zuhorn. Everybody works, so there would definitely be opportunities overseas. For Zuhorn, who grew up in Townsville, the most attractive job prospects are closer to home. Im quite interested in working in the mining industry, she says. I always wanted to do something in health, and I was really interested in science. I know [OHS] is a very important and growing industry, so I thought, why not get into it early? Eventually I want to work as a consultant across a lot of different industries, helping people out by making sure their health and safety policy is compliant with standards. Tiffany Hoy
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA

Kayley Zuhorn is excited to focus her degree in occupational health and safety with a bent towards science.

Wahyu Nawang Wulan is working to understand the human immune response to a virus that causes flu-like symptoms.

naMe Wahyu Nawang Wulan POSItIOn Masters student InStItUtIOn University of Canberra QUaLIFICatIOnS Bachelor of science (genetics & molecular biology) from the University of Indonesia, in Jakarta.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST Wahyu Nawang Wulan knew she loved science from an early age. But it was when she was studying biology at university in Jakarta, Indonesia, that she realised just how much we can use science to make our daily lives better, she says.

In keeping with that ideal, Wulans research for her Masters degree involves the development of a vaccine for the highly contagious Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The virus is often mistaken for flu as it has similar symptoms. Its particularly dangerous for the very young and elderly and it can lead to serious complications including bronchitis and pneumonia. Unlike for influenza, no vaccine currently exists. Wulan is currently testing a mutated form of RSV to provoke an immune response from cell cultures. Shes had promising results; she has already demonstrated an increased immune response to the mutated virus. Her next step is to test the mutated virus in an animal model. Wulan was awarded an AusAID scholarship from the Australian government to carry out her research. Whiles shes happy in her work she also relishes the obstacles that come up in her research. You have to be thoughtful and creative to overcome problems in research. Its challenging because you will always find something new, something that youre not expecting. Its very exciting. Jude Dineley

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UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

in fOCUS eCU BiOlOGY, health & lif e SCienCeS

iSTOCK

MOre than Skin deep

Western Australian researchers are developing a blood test to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of Australias most deadly skin cancer, writes Achim Eberhart.
UV radiation is a risk factor for melanoma.
ECU WIKIMEDIA

NLY 4% OF ALL skin cancers are melanomas but they cause 80% of deaths from skin cancer. Melanomas are tumours caused by the mutation and abnormal growth of melanocytes, the cells in our skin responsible for a suntan. What makes melanomas so dangerous is that they tend to spread across the body quite easily, says Mel Ziman, a geneticist at the School of Medical Sciences at Edith Cowan University (ECU), in Perth. This is because some of the genes involved in the development of melanocytes make these cells proliferative and migratory, meaning they divide rapidly and move into the bloodstream. The circulating cells can then settle in other organs of the body and grow to deadly metastases. The melanoma research group at ECU is working to isolate and characterise these circulating melanoma cells. Ziman, who heads the group, wants to find specific markers that can be used to identify the most dangerous of these, the melanoma stem cells. To do this, the researchers isolate melanoma cells from patients blood and analyse it for gene mutations and protein characteristics according to the stage of the patients cancer. Were hoping to develop a blood test that doctors can use to diagnose melanoma and to follow patients during and after treatment, Ziman says. Ziman and her team are also interested in identifying risk factors, such as ultraviolet radiation (UV), heat and chemical exposure,

that cause melanocytes to mutate and form melanoma. At mine sites, for example, workers are exposed to all three risk factors, something Leslie Calapre is studying for her PhD at ECU. In the lab, she exposes melanocytes grown as cell cultures to different levels and combinations of environmental stress agents to find out what factors cause the cells to form tumours. It is fascinating to see how the cells change. Fascinating and scary, Calapre says. UV is by far the worst causative agent of cell death and cell mutation, Ziman says of the research groups preliminary results. It even shocked us! In combination with heat and chemicals, this effect becomes even worse. Ziman and Calapre want to raise awareness of skin cancer and its causative agents at workplaces, collaborating with mining companies to minimise workers exposures, for example. Over the next few years they aim to monitor the circulating melanoma cells in the blood of patients before and after treatment to see if certain characteristics of these cells are associated with different patient outcomes. Weve got all the techniques [for this] now, which is great. Its taken us ages to get there! Ziman says. The researchers also want to study the specific genes responsible for melanoma formation. These genes were the catalyst for Zimans interest in researching melanoma. For Calapre, the main motivating factor was different. It was the thought that our research could one day help so many people.

Geneticist Mel Ziman heads ECUs melanoma research group.

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DIVE IN to a new school of thought.

Aquaculture Fisheries Management Marine Conservation
Your applied science degree could see you protecting the natural wonders of our coasts and oceans, pioneering the cultivation of aquatic plants and animals or ensuring the sustainable management of global fishing industries.

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Physics & maths: the hard stuff

Stephen Mudie uses small and wide angle X-ray scattering for nanoscale research at the Australian Synchrotron.

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Tony Gay

>>

If you love puzzles, asking questions and you have a creative soul with a twist, then studying physics or applied mathematics is for you.

COMMON MISCONCEPTION is that mathematicians and physicists lack creativity. But Andrew Peele, head of science at the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, will quickly set you straight. Physicists plough into the unknown, Peele says. You look at problems that nobody knows how to solve and you have to come up with a way to solve them. Peele is in a good position to comment; he was a practising lawyer before returning to his first love of physics and now heads up the synchrotron, a high-speed particle accelerator. His career is a testament to the fact that both applied mathematicians and physicists have skills that can be used for a multitude of different careers. If you do a physics degree, you can do anything, says Peele. Physics teaches you how to frame problems and gives you an arsenal of tools for solving them, Peele explains. Physicists are great at breaking things down into simple models. It gives you really strong technical training as well. The choice of careers in which a physics or applied maths degree can be applied is diverse from law, banking, healthcare and engineering, to more obvious career paths in industry and academia. As an applied mathematician, you might find yourself using maths in an attempt to predict the behaviour of tropical cyclones or identify individuals who are at risk of high blood pressure. As a physicist, you could end up gazing skywards using high-tech telescopes around

the world, studying the fundamentals of particle behaviour, or working in fields such as medical physics, engineering, computing and much more. Peele thinks its a good time to be a young physicist in Australia and students shouldnt be put off by the intimidating reputation physics and applied mathematics has as the hard stuff. Sometimes theres this perception that physics is hard, and students shy away from it. But these so-called hard subjects can put you into a space where there is an abundance of opportunity, says Peele. The payback is huge. You get this great training that can take you off in every direction. Jude Dineley

PhySICS, mAthS & ChemIStry

MAtHEMAtICS
Median starting salary $55,100 (with BSc) to $72,000 (with PhD degree) Gender mix 66.3% M 33.7% F (BSc) 58.7% M 41.3% F (PhD) Work outcomes 73.2% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 39% went into further study Common occupations Business, human resources and marketing, education, design and engineering, science and transport professionals

Michael Biercuk is pushing the limits of human capability in the realm of the small stuff.

nAme Michael Biercuk JoB Experimental physicist LoCAtIon University of Sydney QUALIFICAtIonS Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania; AM and PhD (physics) from Harvard University.
MICHAEL BIERCUK NEVER heeded advice to avoid sweating the small stuff. In his world of precision metrology, tiny things matter. The

forces that interest Biercuk are about a septillion times smaller than the weight of a feather, on the scale of yoctonewtons (thats 1024 Newtons, the standard unit of force). Because forces this tiny can have huge effects on the behaviour of electrons in a solid material, being able to measure them precisely is critical to solving much larger problems in nanotechnology, Biercuk says. Biercuks postgraduate studies saw him at Harvard in Boston, where he studied tiny carbon nanotubes so thin they behave as though they are one-dimensional to the charges that flow through them. Now, as the director of the Quantum Control Laboratory and a chief investigator in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, both at the University of Sydney, hes advancing precision measurement using trapped atomic ions. Its exciting to push the limits of human capability, he says. In his group, researchers can trap and control individual atoms using electromagnetic fields and those trapped ions can be used for precision force sensing or probing studies of the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. Jennifer DeBerardinis

Show me the money!

PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Median starting salary $49,000 (with BSc) to $73,700 (with PhD degree) Gender mix 45% M 55% F (BSc) 52.9% M 47.1% F (PhD) Work outcomes 73.7% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 38.7% went into further study Common occupations Design, engineering, science and transport professionals, specialist managers and business, human resource and marketing professionals

nAme Kirsty Symons JoB tItLe Medical physicist LoCAtIon Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth QUALIFICAtIonS Bachelor of medical and radiation physics from the University of Wollongong
GROWING UP, I saw myself working in healthcare, but going through high school I found maths and physics to be the subjects I enjoyed most, says Kirsty Symons. With medical physics I get to apply my knowledge of physics to complex medical treatments. Symons is in her third year of a training program that specialises in radiation oncology physics. Her job involves the hands-on application of physics in the treatment of cancer patients, using high-energy X-rays. She says career opportunities are excellent: her profession is in demand as treatment technologies become increasingly sophisticated and patient numbers grow. Clinical medical physicists may also specialise in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. Symons loves the tangible rewards of her work. The best part of my job is researching and introducing new equipment and technologies

Kirsty Symons loves the tangible rewards of radiation oncology physics.

Top: Chris NorThCoTT, boTTom: ChrisNorThCoTT

to improve cancer treatments for our patients. Its also very rewarding to see a new piece of equipment that you have helped commission being used to treat patients. Jude Dineley

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MelbOUrne US the UniverSity Of in fOC MiStry PhySiCS, MathS & Che

n the detail i
The Australian Synchrotron is a source of highly intense light revolutionising the way we understand and analyse substances, says Tiffany Hoy.
cxs
el a an g r tor an c e

ENERATING THE brightest light in the Southern Hemisphere, the synchrotron reveals the innermost, sub-microscopic secrets of any material its used to study. Its applications are diverse, providing new insights into all areas of scientific endeavour from mining to medical science and even the origins of life itself. On the outside, the facility looks pretty much like a football stadium. On the inside, theres a vast, circular network of interconnecting tunnels and high-tech apparatus, where electrons are used to produce beams of light a million times brighter than the Sun. Students from the University of Melbourne are using the synchrotron to develop powerful new imaging techniques, getting a fresh look into the structure of materials and diving smaller and smaller into the level of atoms. The current buzz term in imaging techniques is coherent diffractive imaging, or CDI, which, with the aid of supervisor Keith Nugent, PhD student Angela Torrance is using to analyse the structures of amorphous materials. Unlike crystals, which have an ordered structure of repeating units that go on to infinity, amorphous materials such as silicon or window glass are structured randomly. Torrance studies these materials using X-rays beamed from the synchrotron. Its another way of finding out how materials are put together, and to understand their properties, she says. If youre a sufficiently clever physicist you can predict almost anything from the basic motions of atoms, she says. It can also help scientists design materials for applications if they are trying to make materials from scratch, she adds. Torrances work contributed to the development of a new imaging method which saves researchers a lot of time at the synchrotron.

Low energy X-ray experiments take a long time because you have to put your sample into a vacuum, which means you have to pump out all the air, she explains. So any time you want to change your experiment you have to let all the air back in, open up the chamber, make your changes and then continue. The solution Torrance and her colleagues developed was to capture an image of the sample, which can be taken back to the lab and analysed using computer simulations of the X-ray experiment. This method is another way of finding out how materials are put together, how theyre structured, she says. As a physicist, Torrance is primarily interested in the data she can get from images taken by the synchrotron. Corey Putkunz, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne and, like Torrance, part of the ARC Centre of Excellence

for Coherent X-ray Science, is also interested in capturing high-resolution images at the nano-scale level. Ever since we first conceived the microscope weve been fascinated with seeing things that we cant see with our eye alone, he says. Were developing techniques that are all about getting smaller and smaller and more detailed, uncovering a microcosm thats there, but you just cant see, he says. Putkunz has been working with CDI to improve microscopes. Normal microscopes are limited by how well you can focus the light, he explains. CDI removes the need to use any lenses at all. You collect the raw data from the interaction with the light and the object, then use computer algorithms to reconstruct your images. We made it a mission to turn CDI images into nice images that a biologist would understand.

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COSMOS UltiMate SCienCe GUide 2012

wikimed

The Australian Synchroton houses stateof-the-art physics technology such as this linear accelerator (right). Since opening in 2007 the synchroton, in Melbourne, has been used by thousands of researchers, including Angela Torrance (above). Her image here (inset) is of average X-ray diffraction patterns captured as part of her studies into disordered materials.

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>>

Know sustainability inside out.

What better place to learn about sustainability than from inside Australias first zero-emission and self-powering teaching and research building?
Griffith University is breaking new ground in sustainability with the new 6 star green rated Sir Samuel Griffith building due for completion in June 2013. The building will be powered principally by solar energy and backed up by hydrogen technology, allowing engineering, environmental science and physical science students to experience cutting edge sustainability first-hand. The unique teaching and research facility will use never-before-seen technology developed by the University itself a demonstration of Griffiths commitment to sustainable practices. Find out more about the degrees that make this technology happen.

Visit griffith.edu.au/science-environment-engineering-technology

emistry: get ch hands dirty your

iSTOCK

Physics, maths & chemistry

Driven by experiment, chemistry is a game changer in science and the source of new and exciting materials.

HATS PARTICULARLY interesting about chemistry is that its all around you, says Mick Moylan, a chemistry outreach fellow and teacher at the University of Melbourne, who works with students showing them chemistrys wonders. Atoms and molecules are everywhere; they are involved in everything. If you are studying chemistry, you potentially have an enormous amount of subject matter and that subject matter is connected to all other sciences, he says. Chemistry is the middle science: its topics and applications stretch across the other core sciences of physics, biology and geology. Unlike other sciences, you can actually make new things, explains John Stride, the director of research at

the University of New South Wales school of chemistry. A chemist can think of a molecule and go into the lab and make something that is totally new and that no one else has ever made. Students often find dabbling in the lab the most enjoyable aspect of their chemistry degree. While chemists regularly dress up in the scientists uniform of lab coat and safety glasses and work with solids, liquids and gases, its not all about lab work. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled chemists to manipulate materials at the atomic level, leading to a whole new field of science. Chemistry also leads into a wide range of jobs. While nanotechnology has been a hot field for the past few years, chemistry is seen to be at a crossroads due to its move away from the petrochemical industry.

For the last 100 years, chemistry has been closely tied to the petrochemical industry. That cant keep on going forever, and I see a very exciting future for chemistry in the whole new economy for renewable futures and renewable energy sources, explains Stride. Chemistry has a key role to play in all of this. Chemists are, for example, now trying to produce and harness hydrogen as a fuel source to be used in cars and other machines. With a chemistry degree you might end up designing new drug delivery methods, creating new compounds, studying how complex reactions occur, finding alternative energy sources or constructing nanodevices, just to name a few. There is no limit to where this fundamental and exciting science can take you. Renae Soppe

cosmos ultimate science guide 2012

iSTOCK

Advances in nanotechnology have enabled chemists to manipulate materials at the atomic level. Here, translucent medical nanobots are being used to work on blood cells. Above left: Chemistry degree students often enjoy dabbling in the lab.

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PhySiCS, mathS & ChemiStry

Show me the money!

Matthew Hill; working on something that is really going to make a difference in peoples lives.

name Matthew Hill JoB title Research scientist loCation CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Melbourne QUaliFiCationS Bachelor of science (chemistry major), (Honours) and PhD in materials chemistry from University of New South Wales
THE BEST THING about my job is that every day you get to work on something that is really going to make a difference in peoples lives, says Matthew Hill. A senior research scientist at the national science organisation CSIRO, Hill works on ultraporous Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs): honeycombed materials that soak up,

store and filter gases. MOFs have walls just one atom thick and reactive pores less than one nanometre wide and contain the surface area of a football field in a single gram. When taken to a commercial level, Hills research into these materials could transform renewable energy. They might be used, for example, to soak up and store hydrogen for use as a fuel, or they could soak up excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Hills chemistry background helped him gain the understanding and skills he needed for this sort of research. If you are trying to make something that does something, chemistry is right at the start of that, he says. Within our team, which consists of very broad disciplines, the chemists are the most crucial people.

name Georgina Such JoB Materials scientist loCation University of Melbourne QUaliFiCationS Bachelor of science (Honours in chemistry) from the University of Melbourne, PhD from the University of New South Wales
FACED WITH AN IMMUNE system that hunts and destroys what it doesnt recognise, drug molecules must find smart ways to access the right cells and deliver their cargo, says Georgina Such. Outmanoeuvering biological defences is an ideal challenge for a materials scientist, says Such, who is part of a University of Melbourne team constructing intelligent drug capsules.

Made from layers of polymers, each with a different role, capsules are being engineered to travel undetected through the bloodstream and deliver their contents directly to cancer cells. In the process, they avoid creating the common side effects of current chemotherapies that occur when drugs indiscriminately affect healthy and diseased cells. Working on drug delivery is perfectly aligned with Suchs interest in constructing unique materials to solve real-world problems. For her PhD work, she collaborated with colleagues at CSIRO, the Melbourne Cooperative Research Centre for Polymers and the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, to help develop a new sunglass lens material that transitions quickly

from dark to light. Polymers in the material act like tiny cushions around colour-changing photochromic components, allowing them to more easily change structure and speeding up the colour change. In choosing her next research topic, Such again wanted to pursue an area with practical applications. I was interested in something I could see made a real difference to a lot of people, she says. Her drug delivery work earned her a $20,000 LOreal Australia For Women in Science Fellowship that will allow her to travel to present her research findings. It will also help fund more work by students at the University of Melbournes Nanostructured Interfaces and Materials Group. Such says she foresees a smart capsule, like the one she is designing, being commercially available within a few decades. Jennifer DeBerardinis

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Peter Glenane

>>

CHEMISTRY
Median starting salary $51,000 (with BSc) to $65,000 (with PhD degree) Gender mix 55.6% M 44.4% F (BSc) 48.1% M 51.9% F (PhD) Work outcomes 63% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 78.9% went into further study Common occupations Engineering, science and transport professionals, ICT and science technicians, and education professionals

Monash can take you to some amazing places

The jungles of Borneo are just one of our classrooms. Thats where Annie Aulsebrook, Monash Science undergraduate, found herself when she enrolled in Tropical terrestrial biology, a unique field trip unit. For Annie, one of the activities during this trip was to measure the biomass within an old primary forest. Other field trip opportunities allow students to walk into active volcanoes, conduct geological surveys in remote locations or go on archaeological digs in Europe. If you want to go somewhere amazing, start your journey at Monash. We believe the experience is as important as the lesson itself. For more information: www.monash.edu/science Find us here too:
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boom-time science

Geology is perfect for people who like travelling and being in the field.

With an ongoing expansion of the resources sector and a critical need to better understand our planet, theres never been a better time to study the Earth sciences.
and the Australian representative of the Young Earth Scientist Network. Australia is doing so well in mining especially they are recruiting as many people as they can. Geology is perfect for people who like travelling and enjoy being in the field, says Perlingeiro. In Australia there are not enough people to do the jobs [employers] are looking for, so they are offering really high salaries. The past decade has also seen a marked growth in environmental science degrees and an expansion in environment-related jobs, according to Graduate Careers Australia. In 2009, there were 21,500 environmental scientists, a growth of 40% from 2008. Environmental science could see you involved in everything from urban planning to surveying native wildlife. And its not just about feeling good! Environmental scientists can earn an average of $125,473, according to the My Career website. Heather Catchpole

In Australia, there are golden career opportunities for geology graduates such as Helen Wood.

USTRALIAS MINING BOOM shows no sign of slowing down, providing geology graduates with lucrative and exciting career prospects. Studying geology or environmental science can provide opportunities to contribute to some of the biggest issues facing society today from developing clean-energy technologies that support climate change abatement to assessing the impacts of natural disasters on ecosystems. About 38,000 new jobs in mining and construction are expected to emerge in the next few years, according to Queenslands Employment, Skills and Mining Minister, Stirling Hinchliffe. Eight out of every 10 science graduates in geology find a career in the months after they graduate with median salaries starting at $80,000. Opportunities for geologists in Australia are amazing, says Gabriela Perlingeiro, a researcher at the University of Queensland

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cosmos Ultimate science GUide 2012

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EARTh & ENvIRONMENTAL SCIEN CES

NAME Monika Markowska JOB TITLE Graduate environmental scientist LOCATION Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Sydney QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor of Business (property evaluation), University of South Australia; Bachelor of Science (environmental science), Murdoch University.
FROM INSTALLING a radon detector in the Northern Territory to caving in the Snowy Mountains, Monika Markowskas two-year graduate program in environmental science, at ANSTO, has given her a taste of where her career can take her. Ive been working with a palaeoclimatologist studying speleothems... a weird word for stalactites and stalagmites. You can use them as a record of past climate if you look at the different isotopic signatures inside, she says. I got to do a lot of caving while learning about the geology of caves and how we can use them to help understand what the climate was like 30,000 years ago. I found that really, really interesting. Markowska also travelled to the Northern Territory to help install Australias first atmospheric radon detector in a tropical region. We use radon detectors to learn about atmospheric processes, she says. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas, which is ubiquitous in the Earths crust. If radons being released from the Earth at a constant rate, you can track where it is flowing in the atmosphere. This can give you an idea about different climatic patterns. These are just two of Markowskas field placements as part of her graduate program at ANSTO. Weve got to do so many different things. Thats been one of the best parts of the program, she says. I like the fact that youre learning about the world around you. Markowska began university doing a business course but after completing that she decided to change direction. I wanted to do something that I really loved and enjoyed. So I took some time off and tried to figure out what that was, and it turned out to be environmental science. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Science at Murdoch University, in Perth, Western Australia. Environmental science provides varied opportunities from lab to office to field, she says. You never get bored. Its also pretty challenging ...it keeps you on your toes. Tiffany Hoy
From the lab to the field: Monika Markowska enjoys the varied opportunities provided by environmental science.

ShOw ME ThE MONEy!

NAME Helen Wood JOB Exploration geologist ORGANISATION AngloGold Ashanti QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor of science, Master of mineral resources (exploration geology), University of Queensland
EIGHT YEARS OF travelling and working hadnt nailed Helen Wood her dream career, so she entered uni as a mature age student. Driven by her fascination for volcanoes, she majored in geology. It wasnt long before she found what she was looking for in mineral exploration. Getting through uni while working was tough, so a $10,000 scholarship from AngloGold Ashanti during her Masters was amazingly helpful. I started as a graduate geologist for a year and was promoted to exploration geologist, says Wood. She now flies in and out of the Goldfields of Western Australia, four hours north of Kalgoorlie, working an 8-day on, 6-day off rotation. Its fantastic for me. It gives me a chance to go kayaking, mountain biking and I can go on short trips overseas, Wood says of her time off. She also loves the lifestyle at the mine site, where she maps the extent of the gold-bearing deposit and identifies where best to drill. Ive learnt so much since Ive been here, she says.

MINING ENGINEERING
Median starting salary $80,000 (BSc) to $132,000 (MSc) Gender mix 81.8% M 18.2% F (BSc) 85.7% M 14.3% F (PhD) Work outcomes 89.2% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 2% went into further study Common occupations Design, engineering, science and transport professionals, specialist managers, chief executives, general managers and legislators

GEoloGy
Median starting salary $72,000 (BSc) to $85,000 (MSc) Gender mix 54.7% M 45.3% F (BSc) 70.6% M 29.4% F (PhD) Work outcomes 84.3% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 32.6% went into further study Common occupations Design, engineering, science and transport professionals, specialist managers and engineering, ICT and science technicians

ANSTO

COSMOS ULTIMATE SCIENCE GUIdE 2012

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in focus uQ e agricultural scienc

sustainable grains
P
LANT AND FOOD sciences have become essential research fields for a country often stricken by damaging droughts and flooding rains and facing the future challenges of climate change. The development of drought-resistant crops is particularly important. The biggest impact of climate change for Australia is the unreliability of rain, says plant molecular geneticist Ian Godwin, of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland. Godwin researches sorghum one of the most drought-tolerant cereal grains using a range of techniques, from traditional breeding to genetic engineering. Sorghum is a food for pigs, chickens and cattle and an ingredient in gluten-free products for humans. Godwins team is investigating how to increase the efficiency of the sorghum plants use of water and nitrogen, an essential nutrient. If a sorghum plant could use the same amount of water and nitrogen, but produce 10% more grain per square metre, then that would mean 10% more food. The research team is also looking at ways to improve the plants digestibility and disease resistance. Increasing grain digestibility means livestock can gain 10% more energy compared to sorghum without this improvement, Godwin says. Julia Cremer, whos pursuing a PhD in this area, says sustainable food production research can have a lot of applications. For my particular area it can apply to nutritional science, biochemistry, plant breeding and biofuels, so it makes you a little bit more excited with your results, she says. The most challenging aspect of agricultural science is trying to predict the future. With climate change looming, scientists must also consider the effects on crops of an increase in tropical crop diseases and pests. A quick turnaround of much of the applied research in

Julia Cremer with sorghum grown at the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland. Sustainable food production research also has applications for biochemistry, plant breeding and biofuels.

Agricultural science is providing solutions to one of societys biggest issues - how to feed the world in the era of climate change, writes Renae Soppe.
agriculture now means farmers can benefit from this research within five years. Godwin says there will always be opportunities in the agricultural industry as it faces each new challenge. Agricultural science currently offers excellent prospects with an average of three jobs available for every graduate, more than half of which are city based. Its an exciting time because of all the advances in genomics and biotechnology. We are able to address problems more quickly and in more highly technical ways than we have been able to do before, says Godwin. Lee Hickeys PhD at the school looks at another grain barley. Using traditional breeding techniques, Hickey hopes to provide barley with better disease resistance. This research allows him to contribute to something good and worthwhile, he says. Its very rewarding to see something that you have developed [in the lab and glasshouse] in the field [and] resistant to disease.

28

cosMos ultiMate science guide 2012

At RMIT, your interest in science can lead to an exponential number of exciting careers. From meteorology to nanotechnology, from environmental biology to forensic chemistry, RMIT opens your enquiring mind to a world of possibilities. RMITs staff actively use their teaching and research to build relationships with industry. So youll learn skills that are most relevant and in demand for a constantly changing world. Throughout the program you will have many opportunities to meet industry guest speakers who will open your eyes to the exciting possibilities of a career in science.

RMITs group projects will challenge you to develop solutions for real-life problems. This could mean developing a new sunscreen or investigating sustainability and urban development projects in Vietnam. RMIT offers programs in: Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Environmental Science Nanotechnology Physics

Where will RMIT Science take you?

SCIENCE FACTS NOT SCIENCE FICTION

>
For more information phone 03 9925 2260 or email study@rmit.edu.au

www.rmit.edu.au/appliedsciences

Launch a career in science or technology

At ECU we offer a diverse range of courses in the areas of computing, health and science including: Biomedical Science, Counter Terrorism Security & Intelligence, Conservation & Wildlife Biology, Engineering, Exercise & Sports Science, Nursing and Psychology. Our courses are developed in consultation with business and industry so we know what todays employers are really looking for. Thats why youll find every ECU course offers the perfect balance of academic theory and hands-on practice. Youll learn in a friendly, supportive environment with state-of-the-art facilities, meaning youll graduate with the knowledge and skills to be competitive from the very start. For more information, call 134 ECU (134 328), email futurestudy@ecu.edu.au or visit our website.

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S4187

the travel bug

Travelling the world as a student doesnt have to be just about taking a gap year, writes Tara Francis.
REAMING ABOUT tomorrows adventure? From studying on exchange or interning overseas to just ditching town for a trek during the summer break, the opportunities for travelling while youre at university are endless. Heres why you should go. Boost your CV Nothing says go-getter quite like someone who had enough guts to move overseas. It shows youre motivated and flexible. It really does boost your standing. [Employers] really value it highly in terms of how it will have developed you socially and intellectually, says Elizabeth Kirthi Subramaniam, who worked in Germany under the RMIT University International Industry Experience and Research Program (RIIERP) in 2010. youll Be a more awesome person Experience new cultures, try unusual food and make life-long friends very handy when you need a couch to crash on in the future. It all broadens your horizons. Being forced to organise travelling around, living on my own and buying my own groceries that was a really valuable experience for me, says Benjamin Pope, who studied at the University of Sydney and went on exchange to the University of California, Berkeley in the United States, in 2010. see a different side of your degree The research performed by academic staff defines the content you are taught, which means that you can widen your perspective by going somewhere different. [UC Berkeley] was amazing. It has one of the biggest physics departments in the United States not just the biggest, one of the best, says Pope. We had lectures from people who are Nobel laureates and I got to do a year of supervised work in the lab of the guy who invented the laser. BeCome an expert Living in a country helps you understand the culture and people. Travelling confirms more stereotypes than it dismisses, but it gives you an appreciation of why [people] act [a certain] way, says Alice Lang, who studied at the University of New South Wales and went on exchange at the National Institute of Applied Science in Lyon, France, in 2008. learn a language Were not all great at learning in a classroom and sometimes immersion in a language is the only way to go. I did one month of summer school [of French] and it only gets you to a getting-around standard, Lang says. But all my engineering classes were in French, so I learnt a lot. If youre not geared for learning another language, some universities provide special English classes for international students. inCrease your exposure Gain experience at some of the worlds best companies. I worked for a contractor of Audi they made parts for companies like Lamborghini and Porsche, says Mark Viney, who went to Germany on an RIIERP in 2009. We were helping to convert parts from prototype to mass production. If youre travelling around you may find companies and organisations you could work for one day, so its a great chance to make contacts.

Germany

30

>>

Germany

Elizabeth Kirthi Subramaniam says your kudos with employers flies high when they see how your overseas experience has developed you.

Mark Viney works on an Audi R8 carbon fibre engine bonnet in Germany in 2009.

COSMOS ultiMate SCienCe guide 2012

Japan

WHeRe SCienCe Can lead

Candice Raeburn fell in love with Japan when she attended a workshop at the University of Tokyo as part of a team competition.

Its cheap If you go on exchange you only have to pay your normal HECS fees regardless of where you study. (Hello Ivy League schools!) You can continue to receive Youth Allowance and your Student Start-up Scholarship, plus you can apply for scholarships from the Australian Government (OS-HELP, for example) and your university to help cover costs. Too good! Its not too serIous Some universities offer pass or fail systems for students who are on exchange. That means theres not such a large focus on grades, so you can spend more time out and about, experiencing the culture and making friends. Make an IMpact You can have a positive impact while youre travelling, too. Tarin Dempers, who studied at Curtin University, ran therapy sessions for kids in India as part of the Go Global program in 2011. We also helped build a sustainable dairy program to hopefully secure a source of funding for them for the future, says Dempers. uMM... Its fun! Its a great opportunity to get away, experience a new culture and meet incredible people. So, why wouldnt you?

Raeburns now investigating the use of bacteria to clean contaminated soil in the area around Fukishima.

Make your way Candice Raeburns career has been connected with Japan ever since she visited the country during her undergraduate degree in applied science (specialising in biotechnology) at Melbournes RMIT University. She was part of a team entered in the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, in synthetic biology. It challenges teams from the best universities around the world to make a biological machine from a series of standard biological parts called biobricks like biological Lego or Meccano, says Raeburn. As part of the competition, she attended a workshop at the University of Tokyo and fell in love with Japan. Raeburn moved to Japan after completing her undergraduate degree and was there when the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck in March 2011. At the time, she was teaching English in Iwaki City, about 40km from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Luckily, she escaped unscathed, but in a

twist of fate her honours research at RMIT has taken her back to Japan. Raeburn is investigating the use of bacteria for the bioremediation biological cleaning of soil contaminated with radioactive isotopes in the area surrounding the Fukushima plant. Although based in Melbourne, her research has included a trip to Japan to discuss her work with her Japanese co-supervisors. There is so much to be done in Japan in the way of cleaning up, rebuilding towns and healing communities after such a large disaster. I feel very grateful to have an opportunity to contribute in some small way, she says. Her studies have also taken her to Queenslands Great Barrier Reef to conduct an ecological survey and William Paterson University, in New Jersey, as part of an exchange program and she has no plans to stop moving. After her Honours, she plans to continue her travels with a stint of study and work in Germany. Jude Dineley

COSMOS UltiMate SCienCe GUide 2012

31

break it down
If youre deliberating between majors for your degree and are a by-the-numbers kind of guy or gal, our stats and facts can give you the edge you need to decide. Your question: the money or the fame?

SOURCE: GRadUatE OppORtUnitiES 2012, GRaphiC by hina Khan

Graduate outcomes for bachelor graduates aged under 25 in 2010 reveal a mixed bag of opportunities across different disciplines. Boxes show per cent of graduates in full-time employment (pink) and per cent in an area where their field of education was important to their main job (green) so, nearer to 100% may be where you want to head if youre after work in the area of your study. Or, if youre more interested in the lucrative option, look for yellow boxes (which show the median starting salary, in thousands of dollars) near the outer edge of the circle (with higher annual salaries).

32

CoSMoS UltiMate SCienCe GUide 2012

number unch cr
$300,000
The cash prize of The prime minisTers prize for science, awarded for excepTional achievemenT in any area of science advancing human welfare or benefiTing ausTralian socieTy. deparTmenT of

where science can lead

21,500 The number of environmenTal scienTisTs in

2009 a growTh of 40% from 2008. see p26 for deTails.

The ToTal value of granTs offered by The ausTralian governmenT in order To work Towards a scienTifically- bachelor degree graduaTes engaged ausTralia. deparTmenT of expressed indusTry, innovaTion, science, research and TerTiary educaTion broad saTisfacTion wiTh The sTandard of official lengTh of celebraTions by The Teaching They ausTralian science communiTy in naTional science received and week each year. There is evidence ThaT science more Than nine presenTaTions and evenTs, parTicularly Those in 10 felT Their involving hands-on acTiviTies, have a lasTing impacT sTudy had on percepTions of science and iTs applicaTions. deparTmenT of indusTry, innovaTion, science, research and TerTiary educaTion improved Their generic skills.

$5 million

9 out of 10

9 days

indusTry, innovaTion, science, research and TerTiary educaTion

graduaTe course experience survey reporT 2010

per year The average annual operaTing budgeT of each cooperaTive research cenTre (crc), a naTionwide neTwork generaTing imporTanT naTional economic and social ouTcomes Through scienTific research. careers
for science graduaTes, graduaTe careers ausTralia 2010

$30 million

graduaTe developmenT program, which runs for 10 monThs and includes Three differenT work placemenTs for each parTicipanT.
deparTmenT of indusTry, innovaTion, science, research and TerTiary educaTion

$52,327 sTarTing salary of The deparTmenT of innovaTions 38,000 jobs The number of new jobs

The number of paTenTs granTed in ausTralia beTween 2006 and 2009. deparTmenT of indusTry,
innovaTion, science, research and TerTiary educaTion

14.4% The rise in

amounT invesTed in ausTralian space and asTronomy research in 20092010 by The federal governmenT. see p36
for deTails.

$160 million The

in mining and consTrucTion expecTed To emerge in The nexT few years. see p26 for deTails.

sTarTing salary across The board for ausTralian bachelor degree graduaTes aged under 25 and in Their firsT full-Time employmenT in 2010. graduaTe salaries reporT 2010

$49,000 The median graduaTe

organisaTion, csiro, locaTed aT 57 siTes ThroughouT ausTralia and overseas. in 2010-2011 This billion-dollar enTerprise generaTed $500.2 million in ToTal exTernal revenue. csiro annual reporT 2010-11

6,514 The number of employees of ausTralias naTional science

QuesTacon science circus, ausTralias largesT Travelling science program, covering 25,000 km To reach regional, remoTe and rural areas. shell QuesTacon science circus, 2012

100,000 people The size of The ToTal audience reached each year by The shell

cosmos ultimate science Guide 2012

33

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MUSEUM AUSTRALIANANTHONY THE SOUTH DESIGN BY ND; FROM ADDITIONALTHE WITWATERSRA 2011. JIM GEHLING OF MEDIA ANGELES, BY LUCY GLOVER. RSITY OF LOS FOR COSMOS DESIGNED LEE BERGER/UNIVE AHERN MUSEUM BY KYLIE HISTORY ARNEMAN. UNIVERSITY; PUBLISHED BY KATE LAND THE NATURAL SUB-EDITED ELOFF/QUEENS JIM GEHLING. LONG FROM CHOO; BRETT TO JOHN CATCHPOLE. BRIAN THANKS BY HEATHER ALICE CLEMENT; WACEY; ENGLISH. YI; DAVID EDITED UNIVERSITY; AND LIU AND PHILLIP UNIVERSITY. CREW XING LIDA YALE VINTHER/YALE BECKY FROM JAKOB WIKIMEDIA; TEXT BY VINTHER IMAGES: ENGLAND; AND JAKOB TDESIGN. OF NEW IVERSITY VOWELS/FRON JOHN PATERSON/UN

Evolution PaCK iNCludeS: EvolvE dVd, THree POSTerS, eVOluTiON STudy guide.

542 635 to n millioago years

: X LIFE COMPLE TA FIRST ACARA BIO THE EDI

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to the -eyes proto From the earliest birds fossil beginning of life itself, finds are the pages from which we read the past. They have the capacity to change everything we know we think about the evolution of lion 1.98 mil ago prehistoric life. Heres years n an overview of highkeen visio impact fossils that have recently been unearthed. PREY

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TEXT BY BECKY CREW AND PHILLIP ENGLISH. THANKS TO JOHN LONG FROM THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES, JIM GEHLING FROM THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM AND JAKOB VINTHER FROM YALE UNIVERSITY. EDITED BY HEATHER CATCHPOLE. SUB-EDITED BY KATE ARNEMAN. DESIGNED BY LUCY GLOVER. ADDITIONAL DESIGN BY ANTHONY VOWELS/FRONTDESIGN. IMAGES: JAKOB VINTHER/YALE UNIVERSITY; ALICE CLEMENT; BRETT ELOFF/QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY; LEE BERGER/UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND; JOHN PATERSON/UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND; WIKIMEDIA; XING LIDA AND LIU YI; DAVID WACEY; BRIAN CHOO; JIM GEHLING. PUBLISHED BY KYLIE AHERN FOR COSMOS MEDIA 2011.

IME S IN T NE EYSTO K IGHT FIRST S AT KEYSTONES IN TIME

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DARK BANDS OF THIS Arthropods of the group of crustaceanssign that microscopic and fossil, comparing it to similar out To parts like bones and the world, Ediacaran . those muscles with hardercompensate FOSSILISED FEATHER. directions. Archaeopteryx was yanked insects, spiders analysis can reveal , the le named included the head includes bird-like dinosaurs. have of the dinosaur family tree. of period examp , to look in different to rotate its sms and shrimp), the new fossil in the groupas crabsof Ohio University this kind of colour ago) being the ability AILED EAGLE dinosaur-like birds to join years weird organi oldest known uction (such see predators of eye with this, it has says Lawrence Witmer for WEDGE-T type subtle, detail in fossils. so it can reprod , the a These The reclassification seems evolutionspecial 180 degrees, developed of birds. are packed like Funisia le of sexual forms. ARTISTS IMPRESSION more than changes how we view the The lenses in Athens, Ohio, but it al life worml capab any direction. OF XIAOTINGIA ZHENGI. many lenses. anima other unusu bulbous eyes coming from as an of an form large, fish, are whats known host of together to but a very Osteichthyes, or bony THE FOSSIL OF RHINODIPTERIS, classes and a MARINE (a class from which other image resolution, OWL BUTTERFLY WHICH LIVED IN A SHALLOW with poor evolutionary superclass the most highly and high sensitivity ENVIRONMENT AND GULPED AIR. make up 98% of all living are some of in a block of sandstone field of view the arose) of fish whose descendents evidence that describes predators eyesight of Found among sand grains to a juvenile wide TARSIER But The eyes of THEIR kingdom. The Of all arthropods, the Pilbara region of Western USEthe oldest fossilised skull belongs TARSIERS vertebrates, including humans. fish rose in dominance from the Strelley Pool in are in the animal lens on an This 1.98-million-year-old to earliest ancestor.movement. microbesEYES TO MAKE to the extreme, GIANT specialised over which these bony a primate that may be our taken this like a telephoto 3.4 billion-year-old fossilised LIGHT the period hot Australia, these MOST OF 2011 in Australopithecus sediba, in AugustAT d eagle is (fish with jaws) is scarce. along with another 1 dragonfly has the sky on found, a team reportedTHE in a South African cave a wedge-taile eye ments_final.indd soaring in over other primitive gnathostomesin 2009 by a team led CONDITIONS well-preserved fossils ever numerous The team, The skull was unearthed than The scientists who 21_poster_keymo find camera. While with a compound than There boys from more journal, Nature Geoscience. NIGHT, WHEN THEY to be from the are mother. ANCIENT expensive Which is why the remarkable 24/10/11 5:07 PM ACTIVE. spot prey of Western the prestigious science more A. sediba skeleton believedsurvival. making ARE MOST of Vertebrate Palaeontology FOSSILISED air, they can sight to ensureQueenslands James Cook University, that contains DRAGONFLY David Wacey from the University was so it even while by, for example, by Min Zhu from the Institute other than of columns of may discovered them, led by Earth including Paul Dirks from The keep tracking MICROBES FOUND lenses. at the Chinese Academy old moths have spots find used in ways fossils hint at a time when 13 years and when he died. away and to thwart predators and Palaeoanthropology IN SANDSTONE predators, the 29,000 Australia in Perth, say the Eyes can be The primitive thinks eyes was around a kilometre WEDGE-TAILED Butterflies using fake the boy The team found an exceptionally of ancient to pick out four-eye of unlock our understanding IN WESTERN to metabolise sulphur instead. while FOUND of animals actually are. In studies Sciences is so important. It uses this EAGLES ARE poor in oxygen, life had Wacey says Similarly, the genus Homo, which r lineage shows metres away examples osteichthyes species, than they AUSTRALIA. the swooping. origin real the mineral pyrite, which THROUGHOUT for this purpose. than its of eye, whichsapiens tiny movements from appear bigger well-preserved 418 million-year-old near-complete fossil of the tyrannosau microbes were found alongside to be used set and snouts themselves includes Homo of sulphur compounds. MAINLAND oneiros. Its the evolution up to 55 km/h. much larger AND more widely which they named Guiyu that are thought can also be humans). darting around at is a by-product of their consumption vision. for a split in AUSTRALIA on its tail, THE SEAFLOOR wings a rare earliest marker marking LIVED ANCHORED TO on their eye markings (modern FUNISIASOUTHERN PAPUA that eyes became allow better binocular PROBABLY means it can be used as end. Fake a large eye story MILLION YEARS AGO AND In a September it possessed 540NEW GUINEA. AS MODERN CORALS. fish has order to the wrong an important stage in the feathers. butterfly thinner in WAY evolution, which represents us rex arrived, SPAWNED IN THE SAME fish into attacking peacocks impressive 2011 paper in the us) evolved. prey Tyrannosaur as the to pursue confuses bigger of how vertebrate life (including By the time A HALF-BILLION-YEAR-OLD journal Science, displays, such THE depth perception situations. FOSSIL COMPOUND EYE. used in mating much greater BE the researchers dangerous INDIVIDUAL LENSES CAN potentially 515-million-yearSEEN AS DARKER SPOTS. narrowed down and assess Fossilised eyes found in off South the age of the but this 375 million-yearold rocks on Kangaroo Island Its not much to look at, date of complex specimens and genus Rhinodipterus) Australia push back the old fossil lungfish (of the The fossil record is fragmentary, belong to an to 1.98 of the most important to find out when eye development. The eyes could be evidence of one sometimes it can be difficult that today of early life: million years, unknown arthropod, a group happened. Which developments in the evolution and where big changes insects, says a Australian strengthening when geologists includes crustaceans and the first air-breathing vertebrates. the Natural is why it was so exciting d 1 from the South now at the case team led by Michael Lee earliest evidence 21_poster_eyes_final.ind palaeontologists John Long, found some of the very University of that this is Angeles, and Alice biota, in the Australian Museum and History Museum of Los of complex life, the Ediacara announced in June the earliest Victoria and the Flinders Ranges Adelaide of the discovery Clement from Museum Ediacara Hills, part of the with arrays of in Canberra, ancestor of similar 2011. Seven eyes were found Australian National University point km north of Adelaide. Later, 400 These eyes the genus They noted that around more than 3,000 lenses. described the fossil in 2010. types of fossils were discovered predator capable Homo. ribs that helped anchor to an active, highly mobile a new geological THE SKULL OF Rhinodipterus had large suggesting the world, which led to letting it lift its head up to 542 million AUSTRALOPITHECUS of seeing in low light conditions, the fishs shoulder girdle, period, the Ediacaran (635 relationships SEDIBA HAS REWRITTEN air. This adaptation was that complex predatorprey out of the water to gulp THEORIES OF years ago) being named. says co-author John atmospheric oxygen included the were already in place, HUMAN ORIGIN. crucial as, during this time, of These weird organisms Paterson from the University lower than the 21% we known example levels had dipped much Australia. worm-like Funisia, the oldest our tetrapod (fourNew England in eastern sexual reproduction, enjoy today. Both fish and of an animal capable of AN ARTISTS IMPRESSION have been forced to rise life forms. OF WHAT GUIYU ONEIROS limbed) ancestors would and a host of other unusual LIKE. in order to survive. MIGHT HAVE LOOKED to the surface and gulp oxygen

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CONDITIONS AND DATA PROTECTION offer ends 31 december 2012. For full terms and conditions go to www.cosmosmagazine.com/terms. this form is a tax invoice once payment is made. abN: 65 137 559 187 coSmoS is published six times a year.

FIRST COMPLEX LIFE: THE EDIACARA BIOTA

GASPING FOR AIR

375 million years ago

EYEING OFF PREDATORS

418 million years ago

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1.98 million years ago

515 million years ago

21_poster_keymoments_final.indd 1

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a stellar career

A depiction of the SKA dense aperture arrays, part of a planned 3,000-dish radio telescope array. The apertures will observe mediumwavelength frequencies.

A
36

As technology becomes increasingly prominent in our daily lives, more Australians are moving towards a career to support and stimulate developments in this area.
CCORDING TO CSIRO, more Australians work in the information and communication technology (ICT) services than any other sector. And Australian businesses put more than a quarter of their research and development budget towards ICT-related research. Encompassing all forms of computer and communications equipment and software, ICT could lead you into a career in a truly huge range of areas, from medical imaging and computer engineering to animation or robotics. Among the many opportunities for students within ICT are summer scholarships offered by CSIRO to immerse students in this area. University of Tasmania Arts/Science computing student Jessica Clarke spent her summer with CSIRO helping to create an iPhone and iPad app that uses local weather sensor networks to project a 3-D map. The idea was to make [the data] more portable and put it in the hands of the people, explains Clarke. Technological advances have boosted the research capabilities of many fields. Astronomy research is one area that has particularly benefitted, with faster computer speeds and new technologies revolutionising the way we see the sky. One of the biggest and most ambitious projects is the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a linked radio telescope of 3,000 antennae that, when completed by 2024, will peer further into deep space than ever before. There still remains 96% of the universe that we dont know anything about, like dark matter and dark energy, says CSIRO SKA director Brian Boyle. There are huge opportunities for astronomy graduates from the SKA project, he says. The SKA is, in essence, the future of astronomy. Its the next generation of radio astronomy telescopes. It should also be encouraging for people with career aspirations in this area that the Federal Government has demonstrated a big interest in local astronomy research, investing $160 million into Australian space and astronomy research in 2009-10 alone. The government has also invested $65 million in the Giant Magellan Telescope, currently under construction in Chile, giving Australia a 10% share in this massive project thats due to be up and running towards the end of the decade. - Renae Soppe

cOsMOs UltiMate science GUide 2012

SPDO/SWINBURNE ASTRONOMY PRODUCTIONS

>>

AstroNoMy iCt & ENGiNEEriNG

meaning they can fly themselves and collect detailed data about where they travel. Id always loved building and flying model planes, recalls White. Becoming an aeronautical engineer seemed to be a logical progression. He pursued a five-year double degree in aerospace engineering and business administration followed by a PhD at RMIT. In Australias vast, often remote landscapes, the potential of MAVs for surveillance, information gathering and search-and-rescue is immense. Slightly larger versions of the machines White works on were used to search for survivors after Japans 2011 tsunami. Wind farms are another major area of potential application. Its important to understand what the air around wind farms is doing. Where you put a wind farm will be influenced a lot by the local landscape, explains White. Thats still very difficult to model with a computer, but having a very small aerial vehicle map what the air is doing would provide better information. Small aircraft have power limitations as well as restricted capabilities to be able to respond to changes in the environment. Sudden wind gusts, for example, can be a major problem for MAVs. The search for answers often involves looking at biological analogues, and White has a lot of philosophical discussions with colleagues about the capabilities of birds and flying insects. It could eventually help him build the ultimate flying machine. Karen McGhee
Suryashree Aniyan has her sights on the stars, studying for a Masters in astrophysics.

TiNa sMiGiElsKi

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
Median starting salary $55,000 (BSc) to $75,000 (Masters graduates) Gender mix 89.6% M 10.4% F (BSc) 100% M (PhD) Work outcomes 73.9% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 8.3% went into further study Common occupations Design, engineering, science and transport and ICT professionals, specialist managers

Caleb White used a double degree in aerospace engineering and business administration, followed by a PhD, to transform a hobby into a profession.

NAME Caleb White positioN Aerospace engineer LoCAtioN RMIT, in Melbourne quALifiCAtioNs Bachelor of aerospace/ bachelor of business administration and PhD from RMIT
CALEB WHITEs LIfELOng HOBBY has become a professional obsession. The aerospace engineer began flying radio-controlled gliders from the age of 10 and learned to pilot a glider at 15. These days hes program director for aerospace engineering at Melbournes RMIT University where his key interests include Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) and their use for surveillance. These machines with wingspans of up to a metre look like sophisticated model planes, and come equipped with on-board smart systems,

show ME thE MoNEy!

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Median starting salary $50,000 (BSc) to $79,700 (Masters graduates) Gender mix 84.6% M 15.4% F (BSc) 76.9% M 23.1% F (PhD) Work outcomes 76.6% BSc graduates searching for work found full-time employment 10.8% went into further study Common occupations ICT and human resource and marketing professionals, specialist managers, business

NAME Suryashree Aniyan positioN Masters student and CSIRO vacation scholar LoCAtioN CSIRO Centre for Astronomy and Space Science, Sydney quALifiCAtioNs Bachelor of science, Bangalore University, India; Master of science, University of Adelaide (in progress)
THEY ARE BELIEVED TO be the end stage of the evolution of a very massive star, and every galaxy hosts one in its centre, says Suryashree Aniyan, talking of supermassive black holes, which could be several billion times heavier than our Sun. Aniyan spent her summer analysing data collected by NASAs Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) as part of CSIROs Summer Vacation Scholarship program, at CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, in Sydney. To find these distant, invisible space objects, she combined the infrared signals collected by WISE with another dataset from a radio telescope and repeatedly filtered them using the criteria believed to indicate the presence of black holes. She says the gravity of black holes is so strong that not even

light escapes so they cannot be seen. It makes them very difficult to study. Aniyan came to Australia last year to do her Masters in astrophysics at South Australias University of Adelaide. She loved the opportunity to get to know the day-to-day work at a research institution like CSIRO. I find the whole thing so fascinating, she says. I have learned so much. Achim Eberhart

Chris Taylor/Csiro

CosMos uLtiMAtE sCiENCE GuidE 2012

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in foCus unsW ineering astronomy, iCt & eng

inding alien f planets

FACTS More than 750 exoplanets found so far. The Anglo-Australian Planet Search hunts for giant planets around more than 240 nearby Sun-like stars. The search has detected exoplanets as small as Neptune.

The AngloAustralian Telescope near Coonabarabran is the largest optical telescope in Australia.
fred kamphues/aao

Science and space enthusiasts are in for an exciting future as research into distant worlds takes off in Australia, writes Renae Soppe.

XOPLANETS, or extrasolar planets, are planets orbiting a star outside our Solar System. The search for exoplanets emerged only 15 years ago as technology was developed that equipped astronomers to search for habitable planets. According to The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia, managed by Jean Schneider of the Paris Observatory, over 750 exoplanets have been discovered to date. Almost 40 of those have been found by a dedicated Australian research group. Were the leading extrasolar planetary detection group in the country, says Chris Tinney of the University of New South Wales Exoplanetary Science Group in Sydney. Tinney heads the Anglo-Australian Planet Search team, which has contributed to the exoplanet list through observations from the 3.9-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory, near Coonabarabran in New South Wales. The team finds exoplanets using a technique called the Doppler wobble method. This detects

the presence of a planet orbiting around a star through the stars tiny reflex motions. We look for the velocity shifts in the star going backwards and forwards. Its like using the telescope as a speed gun to calibrate how much the star is moving backwards and forwards, Tinney says. If that wobble has a characteristic signature we expect from a planet, then we know weve found another one. The search for exoplanets is a worldwide effort, with multiple telescopes monitoring the skies 24/7. Astronomers also use the transit technique to spot exoplanets, looking for an incredibly faint, regular dimming of a star as a planet passes between it and Earth. Exoplanet research is the hottest thing in astronomy at the moment, says Tinney. Fifteen years ago we didnt know of any other planets around other stars. Now we know of more than 700 and the interesting thing is

If that wobble has a characteristic signature we expect from a planet, then we know weve found another one.

most of those planetary systems look almost nothing like our Solar System. Tinney says that there is one big question everyone wants to answer: Is our Solar System something that is unique or extremely common? Its a big field and there is a lot of opportunity for young people to come in and essentially set the agenda on what is pretty much a brand new area of astronomy, Tinney says. Every time we find out something new about these exoplanets, its something revolutionary. Exoplanetary science is cool as you are studying something that everybody can get a grasp of, says PhD student Stephen Parker from UNSWs Exoplanetary Science Group. His colleague Brett Addison, also a physics PhD student, agrees. Trying to find planets that could potentially be Earth-like and have life on them is the ultimate goal, he says.

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Cosmos ultimate sCienCe guide 2012

in fOCUS CUrtin Unive rSity aStrOnOMy, iCt & enG ineerinG

revOlUtiOn SpaCe-teCh
B
Radio telescopes that span continents are bringing astronomers closer to the edge of the universe than ever before, says Heather Catchpole.
be discriminated from instrumental effects that can also cause these objects to appear to vary in brightness, he says. The engineer in me also drives me to think about the limitations of current telescopes based on my scientific results; what needs to be improved in the design of future radio telescopes like the SKA, and how they can be utilised to do the best possible science. When built, the SKA will be the biggest telescope ever made, enormously faster and more powerful than existing telescope arrays. Several pathfinder SKA projects are being built, including the Australian SKA Pathfinder project and the Murchison Widefield Array in Western Australia. The SKA will require supercomputing capabilities faster than anything currently available and drive innovation in astronomy and physics, Hall points out. Without a sod yet being turned, the SKA concept has already been revolutionary in its own right, he says. We see the SKA as the grand aspiration, soon to be a reality. What excites me most about radio astronomy, or astronomy in general, is that there is still so much we do not know, so much to explore and so much to discover, adds Koay. To be able to play a part in this great human endeavour, no matter how small it may be, is exhilarating. step of that technology nexus. One of those young ACK IN THE 1950s, it was revolutionary people is PhD student Jun Yi (Kevin) Koay. He to think that listening to radio waves was inspired by space as a kid, but instead studied from space would help us understand electrical engineering for its better job prospects. the universe. But pioneering radio astronomers A couple of years ago, I decided that life was had the foresight to ensure Australia was ahead too short and that I should go ahead and pursue of the game in their area and today were reaping what Ive always been passionate about. Radio the benefits. astronomy was the obvious choice due to it being With radio astronomy, you see parts of closely intertwined with electrical engineering, the universe [that are] invisible with other allowing me to do what I love while taking full wavelengths, says Peter Hall, professor of advantage of my training as an engineer. radio astronomy and engineering at Koay now applies his engineering expertise to Curtin University in Perth. Hall is also the design of new-generation radio telescopes, engineering director of the Curtin Institute such as the 3,000-dish Square Kilometre Array of Radio Astronomy (CIRA) and the (SKA) due to be built by 2024. My engineering International Centre for Radio background allows me to better understand the Astronomy Research. data obtained using radio telescopes The focus at CIRA is the nexus and the various ways in which between astronomy and they can be corrupted by engineering, says Hall. There instrumental errors. This is are great opportunities to FACTS especially crucial in my create new technologies The SKA will survey the own research, where and make new sky 10,000 times faster than I study the twinkling discoveries. Right current radio telescopes. of compact regions now I think the Around 1,500 antennas will be built around supermassive opportunity for a in a 5 sq km array with a further 1,500 black holes in distant young person starting galaxies. This out in astronomy is dishes spaced up to 3,000 km away. twinkling needs to to provide the next The SKA supercomputer will perform

1,018 operations per second equivalent to the number of stars in three million Milky Way galaxies.

Koay visiting the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Koay applies his engineering expertise to the design of new-generation radio telescopes, such as the planned 3,000-dish Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

COSMOS UltiMate SCienCe GUide 2012

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Ersity in foCus griffith univ inEEring astronomy, iCt & Eng

EnginEEring smart buildings

An energy-hungry world will require engineers and energy specialists to work together on smart building solutions. The Sir Samuel Griffith Building, in Brisbane, will generate its own power from the Sun, backed up by stored hydrogen, says Tiffany Hoy.

HE SHIFTING FOCUS on energy use The building is a demonstration in sustainable as society moves towards a sustainable construction excellence. Maximising the use of future is opening up new opportunities recycled materials in its design, it will have solar for students of engineering and environmental panels on its roof and on the window shades. On science. Housing some of these students will be sunny days this will generate more than enough the planned new building at Griffith Universitys electricity to power the whole building. On cloudy Nathan campus, Brisbane. The $39.7 million or rainy days, the hydrogen system provides a building, which will be completed by 2013, will fail-safe energy backup. We divert some of the help to bridge the gap between environmental solar electricity through an electrolyser and split scientists and businesses, says Griffith water to make hydrogen, says Gray. The Universitys Deputy Vice Chancellor hydrogen is stored, not as a gas, but FACTS (Research), Ned Pankhurst. as a solid. Its absorbed into a It will help to increase supply metal and makes whats called a Australias of sustainability graduates in a metal hydride, a very safe way first zero-emission world where sustainability is of storing hydrogen. research building simply not optional, he says. When theres no sunlight, Total cost $39.7 million The building will foster the hydrogen is brought back Stored hydrogen powers cross-disciplinary interaction from storage and piped to a the building when the between science, engineering, fuel cell to generate electricity. Sun isnt shining. environmentalism, law and You can store hydrogen for as business graduates. Some of the long as you like unlike batteries most important areas of sustainability that self-discharge, it will be there in are not just in coming up with new 10 years time. technology, but in aspects such as government Because the hydrogen process starts and regulation, says Evan Gray, a physicist at Griffith finishes with water, the building will draw all University who is leading the hydrogen storage its power from renewable sources and will also design work of the building. Itll be great generate zero carbon emissions. Its the first for people to wander down the corridor and talk smart-energy structure of its kind in Australia to someone from a different area, whose to be built from the ground up. Its a pioneering research still intersects this unifying theme building in the best sense of the word; it really is of sustainability. forging a path through new territory, says Gray.

An artists impression of the building with solar panels on its roof and on the window shades (top). A hydrogen system will keep the building operating at night and in dull weather. The building, at Griffith University, will house students of various disciplines who share an interest in the issue of sustainability.

The building could act as a model for remote communities or as a portable electricity source for humanitarian and disaster relief, he points out. You can have a system like this ready at an airfield, so when a tsunami or an earthquake hits you can drop it onsite, switch it on and it provides energy instantly, he says. This is an exemplar of something much bigger. People have worked for decades towards running the world largely on hydrogen. This building fits into a greater whole.

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can i afford uni?

iSTOCK

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coSMoS ultiMate Science Guide 2012

iSTOCK

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Studying science is an investment with a big return and it may be more affordable than you think, says Myles Gough. Additional reporting by Jude Dineley.

T
Science degrees are no longer the most inexpensive courses to study at Australian public universities.

he cosT of a universiTy education in Australia can seem daunting at first. Tuition fees rise annually, textbooks really do seem to be worth their weight in gold and accommodation can also be expensive. On top of this, there are the general costs of keeping your stomach full, body active and inner social-butterfly airborne after all, university is meant to be fun! So, what will it all really cost? And how can you manage to keep your expenses down?

TuiTion Domestic public tuition fees are paid directly to the school you attend and vary between courses. In Australia, general

undergraduate science degrees used to be the most inexpensive courses to study at public universities. This is set to change in 2013, when maths and science degrees will lose their national priority status and are reinstated to student contribution Band 2 (see Hike in Cost p44) . For the 2012 academic year, the annual full-time cost to begin a Band 2 degree (which includes computing, built environment, allied health, engineering, surveying and agriculture degrees) was uniformly capped at $8,050 across all Australian public universities. This is over $2,400 more expensive than pursuing an arts degree (classified as Band 1) but $1,375 cheaper than a specialised degree, such as law or medicine (Band 3).

COStS & fUndinG

Science degrees, however, offer a range of units that can cross into different bands, meaning your exact student contribution will depend on the units of study you select for a given year. Also, tuition costs are subject to change from one year to the next. Full fees for domestic students can rise as much as 7.5% each year, so its worth contacting the admissions department of the university youre interested in for the up-to-date costs. HECS-HELP Fortunately, if you receive a Commonwealth Supported position at a public university, then the Australian government offers a comprehensive student loan program called HECS-HELP to pay your full tuition directly to your university. There are also payment plans where you can make partial contributions in exchange for a discounted rate. But remember, it is still a loan and needs to be paid back, although generous long-term repayment schedules are available, based on what you earn once you begin full-time work. There are some discounts, however. If graduates of natural and physical sciences courses with a HECS-HELP debt become employed in an area relevant to their field of study, they can have their compulsory repayments reduced by more than $1,600 on an annual pro rata basis. For eligible maths and science graduates, compulsory repayments can be reduced by more than $3,200 on an annual pro rata basis if they go down the teaching path. Your HECS-HELP debt will be recorded with the Australian Tax Office against your personal Tax File Number and once your annual income reaches a certain threshold payments are deducted from your pay. In 2011-12, the minimum salary for debt repayments was $47,196. n http://studyassist.gov.au FEE-HELP For full-fee paying students, the Federal Government has designed a similar loan scheme called FEE-HELP that also enables students to defer payments until they are earning a minimum threshold salary. With FEE-HELP, there is a limit to how much you can borrow and this is indexed annually. There is also a 25% loan fee, no matter how long the loan is for. For instance, if you borrow $50,000 to pay fees, you will need to repay $62,500 over the length of the loan. OtHEr gOvErnmEnt aSSiStanCE The Federal Government also offers a range of financial assistance schemes for various groups of low-income students, with an emphasis on assisting people from rural locations and indigenous backgrounds. These schemes include Youth Allowance, Austudy and Abstudy, which are all administered by Centrelink, the Federal statutory agency. Youth allowance is an assistance program offered to 16-24-year-olds doing full-time study or an apprenticeship. If you are deemed independent, the maximum assistance youll be able to receive if you are single and have no children is $402.70 per fortnight. You may also qualify for an additional rent assistance payment. Austudy is another subsidy program designed to help full-time students aged

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The cost of a university degree can mount up, but generous long-term repayment schedules are available for student loans.

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COStS & fUndinG

25 and older. Recipients are automatically considered independent and payment is determined by an income and assets test. Abstudy is a form of financial assistance available to Australian citizens of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, or individuals who identify with these groups and are accepted as such in the communities in which they reside. The minimum age of eligibility is 14. More info Centrelink assistance n www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/ internet.nsf/individuals/st_index.htm short periods to be read on-site or photocopied. It may take some extra planning, but it will save you money. Co-op Bookshops (39 branches): n www.coop-bookshop.com.au Textbook Exchange: n www.textbookexchange.com.au Textbook Rebate: n textbookrebate.com.au Hike in cost First-year undergraduates in maths and science turning up at universities in 2013 have a dubious honour. The excitement of starting their university career will be tempered by the fact that they will be the
You can make some big savings on textbooks with some savvy shopping.

first students in four years to miss out on the national priority status for maths, statistics and science courses. The change means HECS contributions for those studying these areas is nearly double what its been. Based on 2012 rates, national priority status restricted HECS contributions to $4,520 per equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL). This is essentially the estimated HECS contribution incurred based on fulltime study for one year, if you were to enrol in subjects with a national priority status. Under these changes, student contributions for maths and science will based on 2012 figures be up to $8,050 EFTSL. Thats a whopping $3,530 annual increase! Further

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COSMOS UltiMate SCienCe GUide 2012

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textbooks and course supplies Textbooks, lab coats, dissection kits and goggles can all add weight to your expenses. Some universities recommend students budget $400-$1,000 for course supplies over the term of their science degree. Often there is no way around some of these costs and you simply have to dish out the cash, but for others there are always ways to reduce expenses, such as buying second-hand textbooks. For the best deals, try cooperative bookstores near campus or specialised sites that offer textbook exchange and even textbook rebates (see next column). When the latest edition of a textbook is recommended, ask your lecturer if an older edition will suffice; you may have to be more diligent in locating readings (as page numbers can change sometimes), but it could be worth the saving. Finally, dont forget to use the library! Most required textbooks are kept on reference at university libraries and can be borrowed for

costs & funding

salt in the wound for maths and science undergraduates is that they will pay up to $2,400 more than students in humanities, languages and arts (based on 2012 figures). Maths and science lost their special status in favour of a $400 million saving by the Federal Government. The national priority status was allocated in 2009 as a way to boost maths and science undergraduate numbers, but according to the government, the desired rise has not materialised. Executive Dean of Science at Macquarie University, Stephen Thurgate is ambivalent about the funding changes: I certainly dont welcome it and it does send a miserable message about how we value our scientists. But Im yet to see evidence that its going to decrease the numbers of science students. Thurgate sees the continuing and broader issue of low enrolments in science and maths as a complex issue that goes deeper than levels of student contributions. However, the cuts are provoking more polarised views from the student community. This move sends mixed messages from the government about the importance of science to Australias future, says Adam Smallhorn, secretary of the Sydney chapter of the Young Scientists of Australia, a not-for-profit organisation of young scientists whose goal is to promote science to the nations youth. Smallhorn himself is in his second year at the University of New South Wales, studying combined Bachelor degrees in computer engineering and science. I will accrue nearly $24,000 in debt [to complete my degrees]. Its an extra pressure and burden surrounded by an ever-increasing cost of living. At the moment, the students who study science are the ones who want to do so, despite the greater work and time commitments. If we want to encourage more students to do science and maths, at the very least we need to level the playing field to make studying science and maths more appealing, Smallhorn says. Money for study The ultimate helping hand for your degree is to look into scholarships. The good news is theres a lot out there, from industry and defence to the private sector providers, including LIONS and RSL clubs or international companies such as McDonalds or Qantas. Universities generally have meritbased awards but also provide funding to students from disadvantaged backgrounds or who have had to relocate to study. n http://australia.gov.au/topics/educationand-training/scholarships n www.australian-universities.com/ scholarships

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CosMos ultiMate sCienCe guide 2012

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at a glance where to study

Once you have an idea of what you want to study, the next question is: where? Use our table to find out which Australian university is right for you.
iSTock

Undergrads Enrolled (2010)

Computer Science/ Information Technology

Environment Science

Biology/Life Science

Biomedical Science

NATIONAL
AUSTrALIAn CAThoLIC UnIVErSITy www.acu.edu.au UnIVErSITy of noTrE DAME www.nd.edu.au ChArLES STUrT UnIVErSITy www.csu.edu.au oPEn UnIVErSITIES AUSTrALIA www.open.edu.au 1991 1990 1989 1993 14,756 7,199 26,103 25,495

NSW
UnIVErSITy of nEw SoUTh wALES www.unsw.edu.au UnIVErSITy of nEwCASTLE www.newcastle.edu.au UnIVErSITy of TEChnoLogy SyDnEy www.uts.edu.au UnIVErSITy of wESTErn SyDnEy www.uws.edu.au UnIVErSITy of woLLongong www.uow.edu.au MACqUArIE UnIVErSITy www.mq.edu.au SoUThErn CroSS UnIVErSITy www.scu.edu.au UnIVErSITy of nEw EngLAnD www.une.edu.au UnIVErSITy of SyDnEy www.usyd.edu.au 1949 1965 1988 1989 1975 1964 1994 1938 1850 29,887 22,229 21,325 30,240 18,019 24,063 12,361 11,613 31,835

ACT
UnIVErSITy of CAnBErrA www.canberra.edu.au AUSTrALIAn nATIonAL UnIVErSITy www.anu.edu.au 1990 1946 8,462 10,125

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cosMos ultiMate science guide 2012

Veterinary Science

Earth Science

Archaeology

Engineering

Established

Agriculture

Psychology

Chemistry

Physics

Maths

at a glance where to study

Undergrads Enrolled (2010) Computer Science/ Information Technology Environment Science Biology/Life Science

Biomedical Science

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QLD
Bond UnIVErSITy www.bond.edu.au GrIffITh UnIVErSITy www.griffith.edu.au 1989 1971 3,623 31,899 31,334 11,228 15,709 13,488 6,299 31,169

QUEEnSLAnd UnIVErSITy of TEChnoLoGy www.qut.edu.au 1989 CQ UnIVErSITy www.cqu.edu.au UnIVErSITy of SoUThErn QUEEnSLAnd www.usq.edu.au JAMES Cook UnIVErSITy www.jcu.edu.au UnIVErSITy of SUnShInE CoAST www.usc.edu.au UnIVErSITy of QUEEnSLAnd www.uq.edu.au 1992 1992 1970 1996 1909

Veterinary Science

Earth Science

Archaeology

Engineering

Established

Agriculture

Psychology

Chemistry

Physics

Maths

at a glance where to study

Undergrads enrolled (2010) Computer science/ information technology environment science biology/life science

biomedical science

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SA
University of AdelAide www.adelaide.edu.au University of soUth AUstrAliA www.unisa.edu.au flinders University www.flinders.edu.au 1874 1991 1966 16,594 26,677 13,236

WA
CUrtin University www.curtin.edu.au University of Western AUstrAliA www.uwa.edu.au MUrdoCh University www.murdoch.edu.au edith CoWAn University www.ecu.edu.au 1986 1911 1973 1991 46,634 22,590 14,282 19,139

NT
ChArles dArWin University www.cdu.edu.au 1989 5,317

TAS
University of tAsMAniA www.utas.edu.au 1890 17,359

VIC
deAkin University www.deakin.edu.au lA trobe University www.latrobe.edu.au rMit University www.rmit.edu.au MonAsh Univerity www.monash.edu.au sWinbUrne University www.swinburne.edu.au University of bAllArAt www.ballarat.edu.au University of MelboUrne www.unimelb.edu.au viCtoriA University www.vu.edu.au
PubLisher: Karen Taylor editor-in-ChieF: Wilson da Silva editor: Heather Catchpole art direCtor: Lucy Glover designer: Corey Butler sub-editing: Karen McGhee, Dominic Cadden, Carolyn Parfitt Writers: Oliver Chan, Becky Crew, Jude Dineley, Achim Eberhart, Mara Flannery, Tara Francis, Tiffany Hoy, Renae Soppe, Jennifer DeBerardinis Marketing and advertising assistant: Arnold Perez eduCation Marketing oFFiCer: Tara Francis

1974 1967 1992 1958 1992 1994 1853 1990

26,071 23,543 39,648 44,832 15,921 6,675 27,331 19,001

For advertising enquiries Contact: advertising@cosmosmagazine.com or call 02 9310 8515. editoriaL & advertising oFFiCes 49 Shepherd St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Sydney, Australia Phone: 02 9310 8500 Fax: 02 9698 4899 email: info@cosmosmagazine.com PostaL address PO Box 302, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 Sydney, Australia Produced by CosMos, Australias #1 science magazine. to order free print copies, view a digital edition or to download a pdf version, go to www.cosmosmagazine.com/ultimatescienceguide
Cosmos is protected by trademarks in Australia and the USA. COSMOS Media offices operate on 100% GreenPower, and our printers conform to the ISO-14001 environmental management standard. Published by COSMOS Media Pty Ltd ACN 137 559 187 ABN 65 137 559 187 Ultimate Science Guide 2012 is a supplement of Cosmos magazine. Copyright 2012 COSMOS Media Pty Ltd, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner or form without written permission. NOT TO BE SOLD SEPARATELY. This issue went to press on 23 March 2012. Printed in Australia by Webstar. ISSN 1832-522X.

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cosMos ultiMate science guide 2011

veterinary science

earth science

Archaeology

engineering

established

Agriculture

Psychology

Chemistry

Physics

Maths

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