When freezing cold isn’t cold enough, and lunch with a laureate

  Public talk 30 November All are welcome to a public talk at Swinburne University of Technology (Hawthorn) at 7PM on Thursday 30 November. Prof Ketterle will discuss Bose-Einstein condensates, in which atoms are cooled to temperatures a billion times colder than outer space, and matter behaves as a wave, “marching in quantum lockstep”. These forms of ultra-low temperature matter, …

UNSW presents FLEET

The University of New South Wales has presented FLEET to the public as part of their Open Day. Sydney turned on some beautiful weather, as FLEET staff and students explained topological insulators to prospective students and their families, and demonstrated the isolation of atomically thin materials using graphite and molybdenum disulfide.

National Science Week – FLEET Physics Show

As part of National Science Week, FLEET’s Education & Training Coordinator visited a local kindergarten and primary school to perform a FLEET Geeks Physics Show. Dr. Dianne Ruka wowed the students, demonstrating a variety of physics concepts, including motion, forces, angular momentum and static electricity. Many of these demonstrations were performed as ‘magic tricks’, though Dianne explained that magic is …

Michael Fuhrer talks low-energy electronics on Radio 3RRR

FLEET Director Michael Fuhrer spoke today with science show Einstein a gogo on 3RRR about energy use in information and communications technology (ICT), limits to our ability to squeeze more efficiency out of traditional silicon-based technologies, and the alternatives that FLEET is pursuing, including topological materials and atomically-thin materials. Listen

FLEET Geeks

National Science Week is almost here and the team from FLEET will be visiting some local schools to put on a physics show. Students will be treated to a range of different physics activities and will have the opportunity to participate and learn more about the unseen forces all around them.

Monash Open Day introduces FLEET to students and public

Monash University’s recent open day provided a great opportunity to explain FLEET to a large audience. The FLEET zone in the School of Physics and Astronomy area allowed for hands-on demonstrations, while lab tours provided a closer look at the research and FLEET director Michael Fuhrer presented a talk on the big picture challenges of energy use in global computing. …

Launching home science activities

FLEET aims to make science more accessible to the wider community, and to bring science to kids who will become Australia’s future great scientists and engineers. So today, we’re launching a new program of home science activities for kids. FLEET will provide ideas for fun science activities and experiments that are easy to do in the home. Our first three …

FLEET school visit examines electricity and electrons

FLEET’s Senior Education & Training Coordinator visited a primary school to speak to Grade 2 students about electricity and electrons. Students were challenged to make a light bulb light up using a battery and some wires, and to find materials that could act as conductors. The students have been studying about materials and technology this term, so the topics fit …

FLEET Director on National Science Quiz panel

The National Science Quiz will be held in Melbourne on Sunday 18 June at 3pm. FLEET Director, Professor Michael Fuhrer, will be one of the scientists on the panel for this event. With live demonstrations and curiosity-provoking questions, the National Science Quiz is ninety minutes of science, maths, and laughs that promises fun for the whole family. #NatSciQuiz2017 Secure your …

First FLEET school visit next week

FLEET staff will be visiting a primary school next week to talk to Grade 2 students about energy, electricity and technology. With the use of a van de Graaff generator, it’ll be a hair-raising experience! FLEET has a commitment to bringing science and research to the wider community. FLEET staff are currently developing a range of resources that can be …