Scientist Action Figures - for real this time! Kickstarter from Brainiaction Toys →
A long time ago, I made a picture of some scientists as action figures. Over a decade later, someone is making them real!
Special thanks to Clay at Brainiaction Toys for helping out with this video, and all the best with the Kickstarter and future endeavours!
Nobbies & Seam: Opal Forms | OpalWords @ Lightning Ridge
Lightning Ridge opal comes in two common formations: nobbies and seam opal. What's the difference, and how are they formed?
This video was made with the assistance of Vicki at Down to Earth Opals at Lightning Ridge!
The Pokataroo Station Master's House - I Lived in NSW Railway History →
I grew up in what seemed like a normal house, but it actually has history dating back to the early 1900s, and a railway line that had the potential to change the history of outback New South Wales.
Victorian Era Fake Opal - Foil Opal (Example from 1934!) →
Synthetic opal isn't the newfangled thing you think it is. The first fake opal is much older, dating back to the Industrial Revolution.
Edible, Nasty and Stinky - Three Introduced Plants - Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge
Three plants with red fruits or flowers, all with strikingly different properties and purposes. Introduced species aren't always invasive, but they still have an impact on the environment around them.
This video was made with Warwick Schofield, with support from Margaret Schofield and Kay Wotherspoon.
What are Parcels, King Stones, Grading and Runners? OPALWords @ Lightning Ridge →
Some behind-the-scenes terminology from the Australian opal industry. In this video, we discuss sorting opal for selling and a story about a very lucky salesman!
This video was made with the assistance of Vicki at Down to Earth Opals at Lightning Ridge!
Curiosity Mine Q&A with fraxyl and Artificial Intelligence →
I met up with Mike (aka fraxyl), musician and composer who has provided music for Curiosity Mine videos. We asked ChatGPT to interrogate us!
Leopardwood and Convergent Evolution - Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge →
Leopardwood is a common tree on the opal fields at Lightning Ridge, but it has a few tricks up its sleeve including some clever survival mechanisms and a spectacular seeding process!
This video was made with Warwick Schofield, with support from Margaret Schofield and Kay Wotherspoon.
White Horse, Gypsum & Beards - Strange(r) Things in an Opal Mine @ Lightning Ridge →
Everyone talks about equipment, geology and opal formation -- let's talk about weird things in an opal mine, instead.
In this video we meet up with Lightning Ridge opal miner Shaun Galman to take a look at a few of the more unusual things you might find under the ground in an opal mine at Lightning Ridge.
A Literal Oasis - Syntropic Agroforestry @ Lightning Ridge, NSW, Australia →
In the middle of a semi-arid dustpan is a one-hectare patch of tropical rainforest, built by sensible and sustainable practises and clever use of available resources.
In this video, Rebel Black from The Hungry Spirit at Lightning Ridge shows us the syntropic agroforestry test bed, and we dig deep into the methodology, theory, science and success of syntropic agroforestry in semi-arid regions.
Special thanks to Rebel Black and The Hungry Spirit.
You can find The Hungry Spirit on Facebook and the web, and Syntropic Solutions on Facebook, Instagram and the web.
Ruby Saltbush - Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge →
Saltbush is common in semi-arid and arid Australia, and some of it is quite tasty.
In this episode of Bush Botany, Warwick Schofield shows us the ruby saltbush, one of the species of saltbush that has adapted to live in the semi-arid desert-like environment around Lightning Ridge.
This video was made with the help and support of Warwick Schofield with support from Margaret Schofield and Kay Wotherspoon.
New Opalised Fossils from 2022 - Australian Opal Centre @ Lightning Ridge →
Belemnites, coprolites, plesiosaurs and peculiarities -- check out some of the amazing donations added to the Australian Opal Centre's incredible collection this year!
Special thanks to Jenni Brammall and Dr. Elizabeth Smith for their enthusiasm and patience!
World First? - We LiDAR Scanned an Opal Mine @ Lightning Ridge! →
We 3D scanned a 25+ year old Lightning Ridge opal mine and created a visualisation of the entire mine. Special thanks to Shaun Galman for allowing access to the mine, providing safety briefings and supporting this creation of this video.
I cannot stress this enough - mine safety is important. Opal mines, opal mining claims and opal fields are dangerous places with hazards you may not be familiar with and cannot predict. Entering a mineral claim without the express permission of the claim owner is considered criminal trespass and can be prosecuted. Entering mine diggings without the presence of a trained and experienced miner is an extreme risk and is never, ever recommended.
Stinking Gidgee & Resilient Wattles in the Outback, Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge →
There are many species of Acacia in Australia, and here are four of them native to the semi-arid region surrounding the opal fields at Lightning Ridge -- including one that's famous for smelling awful!
In the fourth episode of Bush Botany, Warwick Schofield takes us to the Gidgee Forest via several other species of wattle.
Clarification: In this video I mention that some species of Acacia have modified leaf stems or cladodes in place of normal leaves. The correct term is “phyllodes” from the Ancient Greek "phullodes", meaning “leaf-like”. A phyllode is a modified leaf stem, whereas a cladode is a modified stem. Ultimately their function is very similar, but the terminology differs.
What are Jelly Opal, Inclusions and Kernels? OPALwords @ Lightning Ridge →
What exactly is jelly opal, and what are inclusions -- and even more specifically, what are kernels? Opal and opal mining terminology is pretty strange, let's explore it.
Bimble Box - The Tree that Glistens in the Moonlight - Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge →
Strange flowers, shiny leaves and a snack for koalas - the Bimble Box tree at Lightning Ridge.
In this third episode of Bush Botany, Warwick Schofield shows us the Bible Box, a commonplace eucalyptus with some strange characteristics and a great relationship with native fauna.
Neil Sedaka's song about Lightning Ridge (1974) →
In 1974, pop star Neil Sedaka released a song about Lightning Ridge, the opal mining town in NSW, Australia. But...why?
In this video I chat with Stephen Terrey, the Lightning Ridge resident who inspired Mr. Sedaka's odd b-side, described by the artist himself as "the strangest song I ever wrote".
Pea Nobbies, Point Stones & Opal Chips - OPALWORDS @ Lightning Ridge →
Opal comes in all shapes and sizes, and so do the words that are used to describe it. What are pea nobbies, point stones and opal chips?
This video was made with the assistance of Vicki at Down to Earth Opals at Lightning Ridge!
Moss, Algae, Fungus & The Enigma Code - Bush Botany @ Lightning Ridge →
There's a secret group of weird organisms that make life possible -- and you've probably never noticed them.
In the second episode of Bush Botany, we meet up with Warwick Schofield to investigate cryptogams, a group of plant-like organisms with some strange properties and an important role to play. (Plus something weird that happened during World War II.)
This video was made with the assistance of Warwick Schofield, with acknowledgements to Margaret Schofield, Kay Wotherspoon and Susan Keckes.