By Lachlan Sims: On the 29th of November, Mum and I were going to Canberra, and along the way we stopped at Nimmitabel to see the Boco Rock Wind Farm. We went for the open day - which was held to gain exposure for the farm and also combat negative beliefs about wind turbines - and there was a free guided bus tour around the location. Mum and I went on the tour and headed towards the forty third (there are 67) wind turbine. The wind turbines were designed in America, constructed in China and Thailand and then shipped to Eden where they were taken by truck to the location. One wind turbine stands at 130 meters (from the ground to the tip of the blade) and we were allowed to enter the turbine and look around. It would have been a monumental construction effort, since the 67 turbines required 280 square meters of concrete, which is about 50 truck loads. But, before they laid the cement, they had to establish 45km of internal roads to connect the turbines. A single blade weighs 9 tonnes and they completed the whole project in just two years! It was actually very interesting and I learnt a lot of facts about wind turbines. There were also a lot of free stuff like drink bottles, food, frisbees, bags and more. It was two hours of my life well spent.

By Lachlan: On the 1st of October, Jade and I went to the ANU campus for the first day of the Conoco Phillips Science Experience. After I wandered through ANU, I finally made it to the elusive physics building. Then I received my nametag and joined the circle around the Greg Lane, the ACT director of Conoco Phillips and our guide. He gave a brief introduction and then Patrick Helean from Questacon began his demonstration. He showed us many experiments that used household materials, such as milo tins, aluminium foil, liquid nitrogen… Personally my favourite demonstration was when he half-filled a juice bottle with liquid nitrogen and then put a large uninflated balloon over lid. As the liquid nitrogen changed into gas, it rose and thus filled the balloon. The balloon expanded until it broke and released an explosion equivalent to a sonic boom. After that we went into the Physics building, broke into groups and completed many different experiments, from identifying gamma rays in the lab, to spectroscopy and we used a Bell telephone. The Bell telephone can transmit sounds, such as music and voice like sounds, but clear speech cannot be heard. A few hours later, we left building 38 and went to the Biology Teaching and Learning Centre, where we immediately ushered into lab coats and given our task. A murder had been committed! Was it suspect x, the husband? Suspect y, the next door neighbour? Or was it suspect z, the pizza delivery man? We ... Read More

By Lachlan: The next day, we had to be dropped off at the National Dinosaur Museum, where we received a private tour of the facility. First impressions, for me at least, were bleak, but I was pleasantly surprised when the tour turned out to be a lot more interesting than I expected. For example, a dinosaur in Australia was found that had an extremely long neck, large body and a small head (the size of a horse’s). It was a herbivore and swallowed its food whole. So to actually congest the food, the dinosaur would swallow rocks and when it walked, the rocks would grind and mash the plants to gain the nutrients. Scientists have discovered this from the smooth rocks found in fossilised coprolite. Afterwards, we went downstairs and got to sift through small containers of sand from an archaeological site, searching for fossils. There were quite a few small specimens, such as shards of bones and fossilised twigs, but some people – like me – found whole vertebrae and teeth. We left the National Dinosaur Museum enriched with new knowledge and took a bus back to ANU to visit some palaeontologists. These scientists discovered a missing link from the transition from sea to land. Where did they find it? In the red rocks of Eden, of course! So far they have only extracted the head of the monstrosity, but sadly cannot get the whole fish, because the red rock further down hasn’t been exposed the rain ... Read More