Hi citizens of the world,

This month we celebrated National Science Week, which basically gives our team an excuse to ‘nerd out’ every August.

We love sharing cutting-edge stories of science. And it’s not just because these breakthroughs are cool (which they are), but because they showcase how science drives innovation. Science provides businesses with a deeper understanding of the world and this information is what inspires companies to develop new technologies and products, ultimately giving them a competitive edge in the market.

And it’s not just the output of scientists that is valuable to businesses, it’s the mindset they use to get there. Scientific thinking allows for correction; it constantly evolves. Given a new or contrary piece of evidence, science insists that we rethink what we thought we once knew. That’s why it’s awesome – it changes, and those changes accrue, altering the world irrevocably.

Strong opinions, lightly held

If we’re honest with ourselves, no one likes to change their mind. We all struggle to let go of our ideas, or to have them challenged - it feels personal and uncomfortable. The reality is, we all get things wrong at times and that’s ok. The problem is when we’re not aware of it - because being wrong without realising it, feels exactly like being right.

Adaptable people get around this by admitting that there’s always a chance – even if it’s a small one – that they might be wrong. This means, that when new evidence or a better idea comes along, it’s easier for them to gracefully change their mind.

At the organisational level, what’s so powerful about this kind of mindset, is that when you show your team that your opinion has room to evolve, it gives others permission to share their ideas and change their minds too. Here’s our cofounder, cancer researcher and data scientist, Tane Hunter to tell you more.

Good news you probably didn’t hear about

Let’s start with the BIG news. Researchers have filled in the final gap in our knowledge of the human genome: the elusive Y chromosome. (Turns out males were getting in the way, which often turns out to be the case). Using state-of-the-art techniques, we have the first complete, 62-million base pair map of the male sex chromosome, and a second map that compares 42 different Y chromosomes spanning 183,000 years of human evolution.

Scientists have trained a computer to analyse the brain activity of someone listening to Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall,' and based only on the observed neuronal patterns, recreate the song (albeit a muffled, underwater version). The findings offer a first step towards creating more expressive devices to assist people who can’t speak.

Meanwhile scientists at Stanford have invented a new kind of paint that keeps buildings cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. In experiments, the new paints reduced the energy used for heating by about 36% and for cooling by almost 21%. In simulations of a typical mid-rise apartment building in the United States, total heating, ventilation, and air conditioning energy use declined by 7.4%.

Engineers in Belgium have invented ultra-thin, flexible, lightweight solar panels made from copper-indium-gallium and selenium that are only one millimetre thick. Although thin, the solar panels are robust and can be integrated into various surfaces, and the developers' company is already in talks to produce them commercially for truck roofs.

The James Webb Space Telescope is starting to throw up some chunky mysteries. Astronomers have noticed that a surprising number of young galaxies have cyclones churning in their centres. The best explanation for these 'tornado-hearted' galaxies is that large black holes are whipping the gas clouds into a frenzy—but justifying their presence may force a rewrite of theories around star and galaxy formation.

Something cool in under 30 seconds

They promised us jetpacks, instead we got... oh hold on, Red Bull and Gravity Industries would like a word.

Still searching for ways to look busy?

1. LISTEN to our conversations with two incredible scientists: Aussie science communicator Zoe Kean about the role of science in business, and UK physicist Jessica Wade, who shares how Wikipedia is helping create more diversity in STEM.

2. READ these incredible books about science: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor, The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner, How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics by Michael Pollan

3. QUOTE this time the next time you need to convince someone that science is cool.

SXSW Announcement

As we mentioned last edition, our team will be speaking at SXSW Sydney in October and we’d love to see you there. The lineup will be announced this Friday 1st September and tickets are already on sale!

Also, tune into Tane’s conversation with one of Australia’s favourite scientists, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki on Tuesday 12th September 11am-1pm, live-streaming on Disrupt Radio.

That’s it for this edition!

Until next time … take care and stay classy,

Tane, Sarah and the FC team