News in brief - The time issue
The University of Adelaide receives significant media coverage locally, nationally and internationally for our world-class research.
In 2024 more than 20,000 media items featuring our University were published.
Recent coverage ranges from the origins of Stonehenge to the launch of duckweed into space as a potential future food for astronauts.
More of our amazing stories can be found at our University Newsroom website.
The potential of 6G communications is being unlocked using a new polarisation multiplexer.
Terahertz communications represent the next frontier in wireless technology, promising data transmission rates far exceeding current systems.
By operating at terahertz frequencies, these systems can support unprecedented bandwidth, enabling ultra-fast wireless communication and data transfer.
However, one of the significant challenges in terahertz communications is effectively managing and utilising the available spectrum. A University of Adelaide team has developed the first ultra-wideband integrated terahertz polarisation (de)multiplexer implemented on a substrateless silicon base which they have successfully tested in the sub-terahertz J-band (220-330 GHz) for 6G communications and beyond. “Our proposed polarisation multiplexer will allow multiple data streams to be transmitted simultaneously over the same frequency band, effectively doubling the data capacity,” team leader Professor Withawat Withayachumnankul says.
The cost effectiveness of wind farms could be significantly improved by reducing the speed of wind turbines that are clustered together. This could also improve their longevity and reduce noise pollution.
A team of researchers led by Dr Rey Chin found: “By reducing the rotational speed of the leading turbines, the speed of the ones behind can be increased so that all the turbines in a group spin at the same speed.
“Wear and tear on a turbine can be significantly reduced by slowing down its rotational speed."
Stonehenge Altar Stone origin revealed
New research has revealed the monumental six-tonne Altar Stone at Stonehenge in Southern England, long believed to originate from Wales, actually hails from Scotland.
Researchers studied the age and chemical composition of mineral grains within fragments of the Altar Stone, a 50cm thick sandstone block measuring 5 x 1m that sits at the centre of the iconic stone circle in Wiltshire.
The results showed major differences between the Altar Stone and local Welsh bedrock but great similarity to rocks in northeastern Scotland.
“Understanding the origin of megaliths used in the Neolithic stone circle at Stonehenge gives insight into the culture and connectivity of prehistoric Britain,” Associate Professor Stijn Glorie, who leads the ARC Project that funded the research, says.
“The source of the Altar Stone has been unknown until now, with recent work discounting an Anglo-Welsh Basin origin. The Neolithic people left no written record, so constraining the Altar Stone’s provenance is a major development.”
The altar stone was placed at its current location around 5,000 years ago.
The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space (P4S), headquartered at the University of Adelaide’s Waite campus, has sent its first payload of duckweed into space aboard a sounding rocket launched by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) as part of its MAPHEUS 15 mission.
The University of Adelaide’s MiniWeed experiment, conducted in collaboration with DLR and Melbourne’s La Trobe University, will test how altered gravity affects duckweed – a plant identified as a potential food source for astronauts.
“We are excited to reach this major milestone of launching a sample of Wolffia australiana in a sounding rocket experiment,” says the University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Jenny Mortimer, Chief Investigator at P4S.
“We will look at the effects of the altered gravity on the plant biology, in particular, gene expression. These experiments will also help us understand how well our gravity-simulation systems in the lab mimic these real-world effects, particularly on an aquatic plant like duckweed.”
Ingenious science and engineering students from the University of Adelaide showcased their best ideas at the most recent Ingenuity event in Adelaide.
“At Ingenuity, University of Adelaide final year STEM students showed how they explore real-life applications of architecture, engineering, science, technology, computer and mathematical sciences,” says the University of Adelaide’s Professor David Lewis.
“The projects on display demonstrated a wide range of innovations including sustainable packaging, a system to test technology against vibration and sound, a way to make sustainable lunar building materials, a bio-inspired robot that resembles an ant, and new methods for urban greening.”
More than 1,000 school students attended the day-long showcase to find out about the career opportunities in science and engineering.