Questions for discussion

Tsunami

Made in China

EPISODE 31

2ND NOVEMBER 2010

Video rental

Sea cucumber

Robot soldiers

Focus Questions

More about robots

EPISODE 31

2ND NOVEMBER 2010

Learning Area

Design and

Technology

Key learning

Students will

investigate what

robots are, how

they work and the

impact they have

on our lives.

Further investigation

Related Research Links

Focus Questions

Echinoderms

EPISODE 31

2ND NOVEMBER 2010

Learning Area

Science

Key learning

Students will

research a species

of echinoderm and

create a model or

labelled diagram.

Species of

echinoderms

Sea

cucumbers

Star fish

Sea urchins

Brittle

stars

Self assessment

Further investigation

Related Research Links

BtN: Episode 31 Transcript

02/11/10

On this week's Behind the News:

Why China's boom might mean bust for their workers and the

environment.

How the internet could kill your local DVD store.

And Aussie students working with the US army to create

battlefield robots of the future.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to another week of Behind the News.

Also today we catch up with some families in Vietnam that are

farming cucumbers but not the vegetable kind.

Tsunami

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: First up though a sad story. We've yet again been reminded

of the devastating force of a tsunami.

Last week the Indonesian island of Sumatra was hit after a massive

earthquake triggered a wave that killed hundreds of people.

And some are still missing.

So how do tsunamis happen and what systems are in place to help

save lives.

Tash explains.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: This is what a tsunami can look

like.

Huge waves that sweep across the ocean and onto land, destroying

buildings and lives.

The waves are so strong; they can travel faster than a jet plane!

Tsunamis are caused by sudden movement on the ocean floor, either

from earthquakes, volcanoes or underwater landslides.

In this case, the tsunami was triggered by a quake.

About 90 percent of all quakes happen around a place called the 'ring

of fire', a circle around the Pacific Ocean.

It's home to about three-quarters of the world's volcanoes and some

of the biggest eruptions.

You see, the earth's made up of what are called 'tectonic plates'.

They're a bit like this jigsaw puzzle of the world, floating in this pool.

The plates are constantly moving, something like a few centimetres a

year!

Usually we don't feel a thing, but if the plates crash into each other

quickly or rub against each other, they can create an earthquake.

But not just any earthquake can cause a tsunami, first it has to

happen under the ocean.

REPORTER: Imagine these bricks are like two plates on the ocean

floor. If one of them suddenly does this, it'll push water high up into

the air.

And when that happens, the water surges towards the coast, gaining

size and more speed as the water becomes shallow. In this tsunami,

waves got up to three metres high.

A huge tsunami happened near Sumatra back in 2004. It damaged

lots of countries near the `Ring of Fire'.

It killed more than 225,000 people in 14 countries.

Following the tragedy, governments promised early warning systems

would be improved.

Special sensors and equipment are in place to let people know when

and where a tsunami is likely to hit.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre tracks earthquakes, using things

like seismographs, and sends out warnings.

Beaches and nearby areas are evacuated and everyone is moved to

higher ground for their safety.

Even with warning systems in place, it's sometimes impossible for

people to reach safety, because they live too close to where it's

happened.

Unfortunately in this case, there were sensors to detect a tsunami, but

they'd been vandalised or stolen.

Some countries are concerned warnings aren't going out early

enough.

There have been times when warnings have been issued and nothing

serious has happened.

Scientists say they're working to improve the system, but they can't

take any chances.

They say it's better to evacuate everyone, even if it's sometimes a false

alarm, because if a bad tsunami did hit the consequences would be

terrible.

Although experts say Australia's at a very low risk of being hit by a

massive quake or a tsunami, it's still good to know the warning

systems are there to alert us if something happens.

Presenter: And hopefully it doesn't.

OK, let's catch up with what else has been happening in the news with

Alfie.

The Wire

Indonesia's most active volcano has erupted again shooting more gas

and ash across the local communities.

Many locals had just begun returning to check on their homes and

livestock creating panic once again.

Last week Mt Merapi killed 36 people and forced more than 50

thousand people into temporary shelters.

At least three new eruptions have been recorded since the volcano

erupted last week.

Mt Merapi, which means 'mountain of fire' is the most active of the

Indonesia's 69 main volcanoes.

********

A man is being hailed a hero for helping fight off a shark that attacked

a young female diver.

Elyse Frankcom was working on a dive tour off the coast of Western

Australia when a shark attacked biting her hip and leg.

One of the tour's passengers Trevor, reached out and grabbed the

shark’s tail as it grabbed Elyse before pulling her back on board the

boat.

Elyse is recovering in hospital.

The attack didn't stop hundreds of people hitting beaches as

helicopters searched the waters for the shark.

********

And finally it's a dream come true for most kids a room packed full of

toys.

They were collected by sisters Julie and Sissy but they're not keeping

them.

They're being shipped to hospitals around Australia for sick kids to

play with.

The toy drive was started by these two to honour their sister who

spent a lot of time in hospital unwell.

Now other sick kids will have a special soft friend to help them

through.

China Made

Reporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: Whether it's phones, cameras or computers, China is known

as the place to make gadgets.

Production has boomed but there're a few bad sides to all this

growth.

Some factory workers ended up in hospital after being exposed to a

toxic chemical.

And in some places the environment has suffered too.

So how is China handling it all?

Kirsty checked it out.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: It's all happening in China right

now. The country's grown into the second largest economy in the

world after the US and international companies want a piece of what

they're making. Many companies get their products like cameras and

clothing made in China because they're much cheaper. That's because

wages there are low and there are stacks of people looking for jobs. In

countries like Australia we see the end result but not the many hands

that put these products together.

Millions of people work in factories across China and working

conditions are sometimes bad. Often, employees are expected to work

long hours and in some places, even young kids have been put to

work.

KIRSTY: When you go to work in Australia, there are laws to make

sure the workplace is safe and that you're paid the right amount of

money for your age and the job you're doing. In China there are also

laws but not all factories follow them.

Employees from this small factory know what it’s like to work in poor

conditions. They say there were putting stickers on Apple laptops and

iPhones when they became ill. It's believed a dangerous chemical used

to put the sticker on is to blame and it's left some of them unable to

walk. This woman says after breathing in the chemical her hands

became numb and she couldn't run. It's not known if the products

were real Apple ones or fakes. Employees aren't the only ones getting

hurt factory pollution is destroying once beautiful waterways and

views.

This river runs near a business where old computers from countries

like Australia, the US and Japan are pulled apart and recycled. The

toxic stuff in the keyboards and screens is leeching into the

groundwater. Other rivers are dirty too but locals still have to use the

water. In the sky, the pollution is just as obvious. At this village an

incinerator that burns medical waste is about 200 metres away. In the

past two years eleven people from here have died from different types

of cancer. There are laws to protect the environment but some

businesses aren't being monitored or punished if they do the wrong

thing.

It all sounds pretty gloomy but not all companies are ignoring the

health of their workers and the environment. There are some factories

that are trying to give their employees a safer place to work. The

government says it's also making a system to help producers get rid of

their waste in more environmentally friendly ways. There's still a long

way to go in a country that doesn't like to be watched or told what to

do by outsiders. But it’s all to make sure that China's boom doesn't

mean bust for the country's natural wonders and its people.

Quiz 1

OK time to test you out with a quick quiz.

The question is: When did video rental shops become popular in

Australia?

1970s

1980s

1990s

Answer: 1980s

And they rented movies on VHS tapes. Anyone remember those?

Video Rental

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Last week we told you about the National Broadband Plan

which aims to give Australian's much faster internet.

Well this week we're bringing you the story of what could be one of

its first casualties.

For ages families have headed down to the local video store to rent a

movie.

But with the internet now becoming an easy and reliable place to get

a flick where does that leave the good old overnight DVD?

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: It's the recipe for a good night in.

Take popcorn, lollies and some of the latest DVD releases and mix

well.

But one part of this picture might soon become a thing of the past.

It's not the popcorn, or the lollies, or even the latest movies.

It's the local video shop.

Scenes like this might become pretty common over the next ten years.

Experts are predicting that the future of DVD rentals is looking bleak.

DR JOHN SILVER, QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF

TECHNOLOGY: I think the days of the DVD local store are

numbered. It’s is just a question of timing.

The predictions have all come about because of the internet which, if

you have a good connection, means the world is truly at your

fingertips.

News, songs or even the latest blockbuster films can be yours within

minutes.

NATHAN: Up until now, a lot of the movies downloaded over the

internet were illegal copies. But now, legal movie rental businesses

are popping up everywhere on the net. And their target is to take the

place of your local video store, without you ever having to leave your

home.

There are a few different types of movie rentals available online.

The first is online mail rental stores.

Basically, you look up the website, choose what movies you want to

watch and the DVDs are posted out to you.

On the upside, you can keep them as long as you want before you post

them back, and you don't need a fast internet connection to take

advantage of it.

But on the downside, most charge a monthly subscription fee, rather

than just a once off rental charge.

The second type is movies on demand.

For this you need a really quick connection, because it basically

means you download the whole movie to watch for a limited time

only.

Once your time is up, the movie will disappear from your hard drive.

It all sounds really convenient, but on the downside, it costs a lot for

the equipment and the internet connection to be able to do it.

And if that's all not enough, there is a bit more competition for the

traditional DVD store too called DVD kiosks.

Essentially they are little DVD vending machines - without the store

or the attendant.

That makes them cheaper to run and available in more places.

NATHAN: All this new competition sounds like pretty bad news for

the local DVD store, but are they really in as much trouble as it

sounds?

Well maybe not.

Many are trying to adapt to new technology and are making their

stores available on the net.

And a lot of movie fans will never want to give up on being able to

browse the aisle, or talk to their local movie expert.

But their other secret advantage is one that hasn't really taken off yet.

The latest hot movie technology is undoubtedly 3D, which looks like

it'll be a big hit in the future.

But downloading one will also take a big hit to your limit, because at

40 to 60 gig, they're just too big to download quickly or easily.

That makes a quick trip to the movie store not sound so bad!

So maybe there will be enough room for both of these businesses on

our entertainment lists in the future.

Now we'd like to know what you guys prefer so let's make that our poll

this week.

Online Poll

The question is: Would you prefer to rent movies from a DVD shop or

an online service?

To vote, just head to our website.

And let's look at what you thought in last week's poll.

We asked you if Australia should continue fighting the war in

Afghanistan?

And we got a big response.

40% voted yes and 60% said no.

Sea Cucumber

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: You won't find them at your average fish and chip shop but

some people reckon it doesn't get better than stir-fried sea cucumber.

They're a seafood delicacy in some parts and they cost heaps.

We heard about some families in Vietnam that are farming sea

cucumbers and we wanted to find out a bit more about these

amazing creatures.

Tash was surprised to find they also offer a free cleaning service.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Your bedroom is like an ecosystem.

You need to keep it clean like vacuuming it up!

The ocean pretty much needs the same treatment and that's where

these guys come in.

They're called sea cucumbers and believe it or not, they're a type of

marine animal!

They're like underwater vacuum cleaners, eating other animals waste

and organic material like dead plants.

They're closely related to starfish and sea urchins and can live up to

ten years.

They have a leathery skin and they can grow up to a metre long.

In the animal world they're fairly simple creatures, but no less

amazing.

REPORTER: Well I didn't want to cut up a real sea cucumber, so

here's my plasticine version of one. So if I cut it open, this is what it

looks like. It's pretty basic. It's got a mouth at one end, a ring of

nerves and a digestive tract. So things go in through one end and out

the other. And the weird thing is, it doesn't have a brain!

Sea cucumbers come from the sea. They normally live on the ocean

bed in really deep water.

But now, more people are farming them in massive ponds because

there aren't as many left in the ocean.

And it can be one big family affair!

Mums, dads and the kids get together to help farm these curious-

looking creatures.

Getting them ready for your dinner plate is quite a process.

You don't fillet them like you do with fish.

They're caught, they're gutted, then soaked in salt for a while and

finally left to dry.

Then they can be sliced up and put into soups and stir-fries, but for a

kilo you're looking at up to 200-dollars.

Sea cucumbers are a traditional Chinese delicacy because they're rich

in protein, so they're meant to be good for you.

KERRY STAIGHT, LANDLINE REPORTER: I kind of thought I'd

hate it. So, it's okay. It's, you can taste the mushroom really strongly.

So I don't know if I can really taste the sea cucumber.

Some farmers in Vietnam not only farm sea cucumbers, they also

farm prawns.

But they're really struggling with disease in prawns, so that's where

the underwater vacuum cleaners come in.

The cucumbers could help save their farms.

When prawns are grown in a pond, you get a build-up of organic

material as sediment.

That's their poo and other waste that falls to the bottom, which

eventually becomes poisonous and kills the prawns.

But having sea cucumbers there means they suck up all that yucky

stuff, and keep things nice and clean and the prawns healthy.

It's like if you don't clean out your fish tank regularly, your fish could

die.

Scientists are now looking into whether prawns and sea cucumbers

can grow together in the same pond.

If they survive, it could keep prawn farms cleaner and perhaps help

farmers make more money.

So maybe this isn't the last we've heard about the sea cucumber!

Presenter: And there's more info about sea cucumbers and the other

stories on today's show on our website.

The Score

OK let's catch up with what's been happening in sport.

The Wallabies have beaten the New Zealand All Blacks for the first

time in ten tests with a kick after the siren by 20-year old James

O'Connor.

JAMES: There are things you dream about, ever since I've been a kid

I've always done those world cup final kicks or Bledisloe final kicks,

yeah it's a dream come true.

The Wallabies started the match flying to a 12 point lead and flying

over to celebrate it.

But the All Blacks clawed it back with three unanswered tries.

The Wallabies came at them again and James O'Conner led the

charge crossing the line on the siren then following it up with the

pressure kick to take victory.

The reserve kicker says he'd love to take on the job fulltime.

And it's been a big journey from the sands of central Australia to the

sands of Bondi beach for these young indigenous runners but the

finish line is even further New York City.

Their aim is to run the gruelling New York marathon after being

personally selected by champion Australian runner Rob De Castella.

But for today, they're just taking some time out to learn to surf.

GRAB: It's not going to be easy, there's going to be some ups and

downs, so we have to get through it together if we can.

The boys still haven't run a full marathon yet but training like this is

getting them closer to their goal.

Running a marathon is a huge achievement so let's have a quiz about

that.

Quiz 2

The question is: What distance is a full marathon?

24 km

42 km

48 km

Answer: 42 km

Robot Soldiers

Reporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: Imagine inventing ways to suss out threats or bombs in a

war zone to save lives.

Well there's a bunch of school kids working on building the next

generation of battlefield robots.

They're doing it with uni students as part of an international

competition.

So we sent Professor Kirsty to meet the brains behind these remote-

controlled soldiers.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: They've got eyesight, some skills

and a mission just like a real soldier. These are battlefield robots out

on patrol. Their mission is to locate threats like a bomb or baddies

and give everyone the heads up back at base.

AIDAN, STUDENT: OK it looks as if we've found a terrorist.

KIRSTY: OK, so these robots aren't really in a war zone - they're in a

university lab. This is where students from the uni and year 11's from

the Australian Science and Maths School have been building them.

PROF. DAVID POWERS, FLINDERS UNIVERSITY: You've got just

the wheels to go on at this point.

KIRSTY: They started out by testing the technology on computer and

then built three different types over the past year.

MATTHEW, STUDENT: Well you've got your motor in down here so

that basically you know it tells it where to go and stuff, you've got the

computers which allow it to communicate wirelessly to the computers

how we control them and you've got the cameras which basically you

can see what they see.

KIRSTY: The robots can also suss out what's around them using

infrared sensors. The sensors send out beams of light to help see what

lies ahead. It's all sounds high tech but they borrowed a few ideas

from the toy box.

The way the robots move and turn is the same as a remote controlled

car. The only difference is there's software in the robot to give it's a

mind of its own.

PROF. DAVID POWERS, FLINDERS UNIVERSITY: In terms of the

remote controlled cars what's different is that the intelligence is on

board rather than having an intelligent person driving them over a

remote link.

KIRSTY: All this so called "intelligence" is what the students have

been working on. Their job is to program the robot to take commands

and instructions like what to target. In this test, the robot has to pick

out the students in red 'cause they're the bad guys. But sometimes the

robots head towards the wrong target!

EDEE, STUDENT: And just start going forward and we couldn't stop

it that was the main that we had so running into things mainly or if

we programmed it badly it would run into a tree or whatever.

KIRSTY: This team is the only one in Australia which has made it into

the final round of a competition run by US and Aussie departments.

And the winner can score 750 grand! If the technology catches the

judges attention it could end up helping out in the military or with

other situations at home.

JORDAN, STUDENT: Well in the battlefield it could be used instead

of a soldier so you don't have the human aspect of someone getting

killed.

GANDALF, STUDENT: In mines if there's an area that's dangerous

could be caving in could send a robot in much safer and you could still

get all the information you needed.

KIRSTY: At the moment, the robots still need humans to control them

but the aim is to get them working alone.

KIRSTY: Is there ever a point where they could take over the world

and humans?

STEPH: Maybe you never know!

KIRSTY: Well let's just hope they get the technology right!

Presenter: Little bit scary to think about.

Closer

Well that's all we have for you today.

We'll see you next time!