Lumen Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 31
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.
Duckweed launch
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 students
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.
LUMEN
“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.
