Contact Magazine

Three-metre twister

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Three-metre twister

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  • The story of UQ jacarandas is the story of Ernest Walter Bick, the man who raised and planted more than 130 jacarandas across the St Lucia campus in the 1940s.
  • To celebrate Grandparent's Day (29 October 2023), we asked you – our alumni and community audience – to share your thoughts on the importance of the grandchild-grandparent relationship in your own lives. And boy, did you deliver!
  • Welcome back to UQ Diaries. This edition, 'Contact' wanted to know whether it's more expensive to be single or in a relationship? Here's what the UQ community had to say.
  • Welcome to UQ Diaries, an anonymous 'Contact' magazine series that dives into the burning questions you've always wanted to ask. In September, we asked our UQ alumni if having a work-life balance is possible. Check out their responses!
  • The Bureau of Meteorology has declared that Australia is now in the grip of an El Niño climate pattern. 'Contact' spoke to Bureau of Meteorology CEO Dr Andrew Johnson to help you understand what El Niño means and what Australians should expect for the summer ahead.
  • Have you ever wondered how life might have been had you chosen a different career path? Well, current UQ student and former public relations executive Yasmine Gray won’t be left wondering. At the grand age of 60, she has just enrolled in the Bachelor of Veterinary Technology and aims to become an animal paramedic, specialising in large animals such as horses and cows.
  • In this edition of The Real YouQ, we meet internationally acclaimed archaeologist, heritage consultant and author Dr Andrew Sneddon. His new memoir "charts the often frightening and sometimes farcical journey of his teenage years" while living in the criminal underbelly of Queensland’s Gold Coast.
  • Meet the current UQ Liveris Academy Executive in Residence, Leigh Staines, who reveals her passion for her new role and how she believes she can make a difference.
  • Professor Victor Nurcombe has dedicated his professional life to understanding and improving repair processes within the human body. In a cruel twist, the pioneer stem-cell researcher now finds himself on the other end of the science as he undergoes treatment for terminal bone-marrow cancer. 'Contact' caught up with Professor Nurcombe as he reflects on his esteemed career and the remarkable UQ family legacy that paved the way before him.

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  • It seems like everyone is talking about 'inflammation' right now. And 'inflammaging', an age-related increase in persistent, low-grade inflammation in blood and tissue, which is a strong risk factor for many conditions and diseases. So, can an anti-inflammatory diet help reduce inflammation? Perhaps, yes.
  • The latest UQ Talks panel discuss the fundamentals of why our brains make the decisions they do and offer insights into how to make better choices.
  • 'Contact' delves into the fascinating world of memory with Professor Frederic Meunier from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute to debunk common myths surrounding this complex cognitive process, and find out what the science has to say about memory-boosting trends.
  • How does it feel to have no home? What does it look like from ‘outside the inside’? And how do people cope? Engage with how housing instability impacts health and wellbeing, from the point of view of those actually living it in Brisbane, at Health Home Hope – a photographic exhibition on housing instability and health.
  • From IV treatments to immunity bombs and ice baths, it seems our social media and newsfeeds are flooded with alternative treatments to boost our immune systems – often endorsed by celebrities and other influencers. But should we be placing our trust in these alternative treatments, and what impact are they actually having on our health?
  • Research using venom from a rare tarantula is one of two UQ projects which have received funding to develop treatments for motor neurone disease (MND).
  • Biologist Dr Wilma Hart explains how growing cocoa to make chocolate is having a negative impact on the world's environment and that African farmers are living below the poverty line to produce it.
  • Researchers at UQ have discovered viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 can cause brain cells to fuse, initiating malfunctions that lead to chronic neurological symptoms.
  • UQ researchers have shown for the first time that some of the world’s most painful ant stings target nerves, like snake and scorpion venom.

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  • Did you know there are over 20,700 different bee species in the world? UQ’s resident bee expert Dr Tobias Smith shares his top 7 most interesting facts about bees to help inform the public about the role the hard-working pollinators play in our delicate ecosystem.
  • Thanks to a recent gift of several photo albums to the Fryer Library by his widow Nina, Bruce Green's contribution to UQ can be remembered now and into the future.
  • After 27 years at the helm, Professor Matthew Sanders, founder of Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, has retired from his role as the Parenting and Family Support Centre’s Foundation Director.
  • The Queensland University Regiment (QUR) is committed to educating future generations about the importance of Anzac Day. QUR will be providing the catafalque party at dawn service at Toowong Memorial Park again this Anzac Day, as the Regiment celebrates its 75th anniversary.
  • What's the story behind the hundreds of thousands of books donated to UQ Alumni Book Fair each year? Did the previous reader enjoy it the way you did. Did they like the same characters and did they lend it to a loved one? Follow the incredible journey of a donated book.
  • As UQ prepares for the annual Alumni Book Fair and Rare Book Auction, 'Contact' stumbled upon some centuries-old cookbooks and decided to recreate some classic recipes. Do these delicacies still hold up today? We’ve got the scoop.
  • The Queensland Government and The University of Queensland have each committed $44 million funding to establish a world-leading Paralympic Centre of Excellence at UQ’s St Lucia campus.
  • Gloria, a beloved pet green tree python, bit off more than she could chew and ingested a puppy pee pad along with her dinner. Luckily, her owners noticed something was amiss, and took the snake to the UQ VETS clinic at Gatton for treatment.
  • 8 March is International Women's Day and UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Deborah Terry AO explains that innovations linked to digitisation and automation have the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities and reinforce systems of discriminatory practices.

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  • The latest UQ Talks panel discuss the fundamentals of why our brains make the decisions they do and offer insights into how to make better choices.
  • Welcome to The Real YouQ, the latest 'Contact' Q&A series offering a glimpse into the real lives of members of the UQ community. In this edition, we meet celebrated TEDx speaker, author and cult survivor Claire Ashman.
  • Welcome to UQ Diaries, an anonymous 'Contact' series that dives into the burning questions you've always wanted to ask. In July, we asked non-homeowners and homeowners: How realistic is home ownership to you? And, is owning a home everything you imagined it would be? Here's what the UQ community said.
  • Should we thank Barbie for encouraging the belief that girls can do anything, or ask her to please explain the perpetuation of exaggerated white femininity and excessive materialism?
  • The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has kept interest rates on hold this month at 4.1%. But any reprieve could be short lived with the RBA Governor Philip Lowe warning more rate hikes could be coming. Is this in the best interests of the country when many Australians are already feeling the pinch?
  • Many jobs that were prevalent in 2013 have become obsolete, while new and exciting career opportunities have emerged. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering 'what do I actually want to do with my life?', here are 10 unconventional careers that you may not have considered.
  • UQ alum and private wealth adviser Shayne Sommer covers some of the foundational steps to consider when investing for the first time.
  • From IV treatments to immunity bombs and ice baths, it seems our social media and newsfeeds are flooded with alternative treatments to boost our immune systems – often endorsed by celebrities and other influencers. But should we be placing our trust in these alternative treatments, and what impact are they actually having on our health?
  • The Vision Pro is the first new product category Apple has introduced since the Apple Watch in 2014. It marks the company’s foray into spatial computing. Analysts, markets and consumers have been quick to react – and not all positively.

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  • Join 'Contact' each month as we take you on a virtual guided tour, providing a brief overview of UQ's design pieces and where you can find them. This month, we take a look at the marvellous murals on the walls of particular buildings.
  • From living with baboons in Ethiopia to surviving an encounter with polar bears in Canada. Find out how a chance meeting with Sir David Attenborough forever changed the life of UQ science graduate Dr Chadden Hunter.
  • Join 'Contact' each month as we take you on a virtual guided tour, providing a brief overview of UQ's design pieces and where you can find them. This month, we take a look at the sandstone carvings 'hiding in plain sight' around the Great Court at UQ St Lucia.
  • At a time when the world is facing more uncertainty than ever, Contact stepped into the studio with professional artist and UQ PhD student Georgina Hooper to reflect on her mindful art practice and ask how to use art for enlightenment.
  • Join 'Contact' each month as we take you on a virtual guided tour, providing a brief overview of UQ's design pieces and where you can find them. This month, we take a look at the sentinel statues dotted across the campuses to honour significant people in history.
  • VIDEO: 'Contact' speaks to UQ Archivist Bruce Ibsen about his role in finding missing names from UQ Roll of Honour plaques and why it’s important to always remember the sacrifices made by soldiers who had so much to live for.
  • Join 'Contact' each month as we take you on a virtual guided tour, providing a brief overview of UQ's design pieces and where you can find them. This month, we take a look at what a load of bull exists at the University!
  • Representatives of the UQ Senate, staff and students gathered at short notice in March 1954 to catch a glimpse of Prince Philip, as the Duke of Edinburgh made a whirlwind tour of the St Lucia campus.
  • Professor Kim Wilkins has always been happiest when immersed in a good story. Watch the video to find out how she starred in her own story of self-discovery and success.

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Connecting you with news from UQ's Indigenous community

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