​The earth is currently experiencing  a number of conflicts and it is obvious that the practice of warfare has  changed somewhat in recent times. Drones and anti drone warfare are now common. In some quarters Australia is considered to be a leader in the development of Drones. This is surprising considering the length and breadth of Australia but it is true. Australia has developed one of the best new drones. Look it up on YouTube.

We watched a critical assessment of Bill Gates' support for developing nuclear power using Thorium. Thorium is a non radioactive element that can be converted to U233 which is then used to create heat that can be stored in liquid sodium which can then be used at the manufacturers convenience to produce electricity. In other words a nuclear reactor that can be ramped up and down to a certain extent. There is also less nuclear waste and it is hoped that the nuclear waste produced might be recycled at a later date.

We finished with a music segment purely to indulge myself. When horsehair is pulled over a taut wire a wave is produced. This wave is transmitted to us as a sound. Music has to comply with the laws of physics and it does. Beautifully. We listened to a piece of music that Mozart wrote called Tu Virginum Corona. This was written when Mozart was still in his teens for a Castrati that Mozart admired.  We listened to a recent recording sung by a counter tenor. I dare anyone to resist this beautiful music when they hear it..

​Neville Gibb

​In Tech Talks we cover a fair range of issues. Some surprisingly contentious. This week wasn't one of them. We concentrated on relevant topics.

This week we covered the subjects:-Top 10 Megaprojects in Australia: Melbourne Sewerage System of the 1920"s: Steve Jobs insult response: The genius design of Antarctic Bases: and Why AI experts say humans have 2 years left.

Surprisingly the driest continent on earth is the Antarctic.  It requires buildings to be built that can cope with the conditions. These buildings do not resemble the buildings Mawson left behind. Because of climate change and the ice sheet melting and moving faster than it used to, the buildings have to be moveable -virtually portable.

There are 10 megaprojects under construction in Australia. Unfortunately the majority of them have problems and are behind schedule. We will keep in touch.

We do not know if they experienced similar problems with the sewerage system of the 1920's. Most of which was done by hand.
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Neville Gibb

At our recent session, we diverted from our usual format and had a lively discussion about why a murder trial in a small Victorian town should be the centre of attention for what seems to be the world's media. This is a most unusual situation. The mainstream media is no longer as well-funded as it once was, yet it is clear that global media outlets have chosen to invest significantly in covering this trial. The question is—why? We speculated whether there might be an underlying reason driving such intense interest, but we reached no firm conclusion.

As part of our ongoing effort to understand China, we also revisited some of its current engineering projects. China has an impressive number of developments underway. In particular, it has rebuilt its train system and now boasts the largest high-speed rail network in the world.

Perhaps we could take a leaf out of their book—or even consider subcontracting them to build a high-speed rail system for us.
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Fearing we might be suffering from "China fatigue," we ended the session by learning about electricity. To a certain extent, electricity remains a mysterious force that is not fully understood. The BBC History of Electricity is an extremely enjoyable and informative video on the subject.

​Neville Gibb

​If we are to achieve zero net emissions by 2050 we will have to double our solar and wind turbine projects. If we object to the proliferation of solar panels and wind turbines we will have to sooner or later accept that there will be many more of them or else we will have to accept some alternative method of energy production. Benalla is a very conservative place and there is some opposition to Solar Farms.  Benalla already has a number of Solar Farms surrounding it and will shortly have more.  We watched a video of an interview with the Manager of the Glenrowan Solar Farm. She indicated that the Solar Farm was proceeding satisfactorily and that they already had sheep on the Farm. She explained that when sheep graze amongst the panels they actually do better than sheep in an open paddock.

For the rest of the session we concentrated on the achievements of Headlie Shipard Taylor. This man is the unknown hero of  grain harvesting technology.  Australia  became a world leader in this field because of him. He developed the Header Harvester. Easier said than done. He built a machine that separated the seeds from the husk and carried them back to where they could be bagged up. (Remember the wheat bag). This was driven by a sprocket mechanism built into the Header's Wheel. Inverted fingers collected a surprisingly high proportion of the wheat seed. This machine made wheat farming a profitable exercise.

Headlie Taylor started in Henty but in 1916 he joined the HV MacKay Company where he continued to invent and develop new farm machinery. Hugh MacKay had a checkered career when dealing with staff but the partnership between him and Headlie Taylor proved to be highly successful and Headlie Taylor continued with the HV MacKay Company until he retired in 1954.

This country is in his debt.

Neville Gibb

We spent most of our May session investigating the production of Silicon Chips.

Producing computer chips is a complex procedure involving a number of countries and requires the cooperation of a number of companies.  There is only one company with enough expertise to build the machine that produces chips and you can understand the pressures it experiences. There is both  a shortage of computer chips and an increased demand for them.

There is constant research and development occurring in this most precise industry. It is exceedingly complex and difficult to produce computer chips. Taiwan is the largest producer at the moment.

It is not known if chips will be exempt from the new tariff charges announced by the United States.

We finished by watching another chapter in the history of electricity. The story of how electricity developed is fascinating.

Neville Gibb
​May 2025

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At our monthly session on Tuesday 8th April we were introduced to Linux by Steve Davies.

Linux is an open source operating system. It is a computer system available for all to use. It is free for anyone to use.

It competes with both Microsoft and Apple. Today, it has a massive user base, and is used in the world’s 500 most powerful supercomputers. Users gravitate toward it for its versatility and security capabilities, among other reasons. The Linux kernel is maintained by a worldwide community of open source enthusiasts and has hundreds of unique users.

​The linux system is extremely important if little well known and we thank Steve for bringing it to our attention. It is obvious that Steve is extremely skilled in its use. He demonstrated how attachments can be added when required. He showed that the desktop can be made identical to both Microsoft and Apple. He emphasised that both Microsoft and Apple use the same "kernal" as Linux and their systems are based on Linus software.

We thank Steve for his input and look forward to further explanation from him.


​Neville Gibb

​In the history of the Motor Car there are many unusual cars but we can say that one standout is -  The Trabant. This was the car of The German Democratic Republic. The GDR did not have many natural resources - well none in 1945 - but they wanted the public to have their own car. After the war the country had lots of problems - lack of resources - lack of labour - bit they persisted in setting up manufacturing facilities to make their own  “peoples” car.  They had no steel making facilities and no petroleum refineries for instance.

The East Germans had to build the Trabant from what they could scrape up from what was available. The chasis was originally built of wood but was later built of low grade steel. The body was made of Duroplast which was a synthetic material made out of Bakelite and recycled cotton and wool  waste. The engine was a two stroke engine similar to what was used in lawn mowers in the West.  It had a cruising speed of 90kph. It was a very simple car. It had no accessories. Limited dials etc. No fuel indicator. It did come to receive acceptance from the public and is still regarded with affection by a number of enthusiasts.

The Trabant was produced from 1957 to 1990 with only minor adjustments along the way. It was still essentially the same car in 1990 as it was in 1957. The manufacturing plant closed down within days of the demise of the GDR. Over 3,000,000 were produced and was sometimes called “a spark plug with a roof”.

We watched a detailed History of the Trabant.

Later on we watched the unveiling of a portrait of Einstein in the Royal Society in London. This portrait was painted before the advent of the Nazi period in Germany and was smuggled out during the Nazi period. If it had remained in Germany it would have been destroyed. The Royal Society is now in the building that was occupied by the German Embassy before the war.

​Neville Gibb

At our February meeting we discussed the potential impact of ChatGPT and how it virtually rewrote a short attempt at combining Quantum Theory with Nano Time and made it comprensible. We started our meeting discussing a new addition to the AI world with the announcement that China has released a new AI  app - DeepSeek. It is said to take less data to use than ChatGPT.  When asked if any of the U3A members present would be using this new app from China, no one put up their hand.

Staying on the subject of China we watched a video of Jeremy Clarkson extolling the virtues of China's new road system. Clarkson is usually a cynical character with nothing much good to say about any country except UK, but he appeared virtually gob smacked at the advances made in road transport in China and how it compares with the lack of Road Technology in the UK.

We brought ourselves up to date on the progress of Snowy Mountains Two. The scheme has had many problems and is both behind time and  experiencing  large cost increases - but thankfully is still progressing.  When it is finished it will be worth whatever the cost because it will transform the renewable energy situation for the whole of Australia.

Lithium is an element crucial to the development and manufacture of Electric Batteries. Lithium is not an easy thing to mine. A massive area encompassing Chile, Bolivia and Argentina is where most of the world's supply of Lithiam comes from and it is rumoured that both China and Russia are interested in investing in the industry. Australia also mines Lithium and both South America and Australia share the same environmental problems mining in areas with an indigenous history.

We finished by watching a video predicting how different things will be in 50 years time. This predicted a number of developments. Quantum computers should be able to transform problem solving. AI should be able to assist in diagnosing medical symptoms. AI will speed up genetic exploration. These are just a few. The possibilities are endless.

It is worth noting that the BBC made some 50 year predictions in the early 70’s through their TV show Tomorrows World. These can be seen on YouTube. Unfortunately most of these are well off the mark. We have progressed well in advance of what they predicted and the technologies they thought might eventuate are extremely unsophisticated by today's standards.

​Neville Gibb

At Tech Talks we cover many subjects.  At our session on the 10th December, still on the subject of Canberra. we learned that there were several unforeseen problems when the Science Dome was constructed. This Dome was constructed to be a showpiece of Canberra where lectures etc would be held. It quickly gained the nickname - the Martian Embassy. It was found to have a special property. People got ill after spending time inside the Dome. People felt disorientated and light headed. Seasick even. It was established that the colour scheme in the decoration of the interior walls had an effect on some people. The interior had to be redesigned. The Science Dome remains a tourist attraction and hopefully people no longer get sick.

Les Rogers talked to us about encryption and decryption. In simple terms the operation of transforming a plaintext block into a ciphertext block is called encryption and the operation of transforming a ciphertext into a plaintext block is called decryption. The need to keep messages secret has been in mens minds for centuries and is very much at the forefront of modern computer technology. In 1997 a competition was held for the search for a successor algorithm of DES that would be accepted by all. The winner was proclaimed in Oct 2000 and is now in general use.

ChatGBT-OpenAI has been in the news lately. One of the topics offered in the U3A class 'As Time Goes By' was Right Here - Right Now. Taking this subject literally, I produced an essay attempting to combine nano time into quantum theory. The essay resulting was not entirely comprehensive. However when the essay was put through ChatGBT the result was extremely surprising. It made the essay not only look authentic but made it interesting and easy to read.  It certainly made the writer look good.

It is hard to see how anyone will not now put all their writing through ChatGBT - emails, lectures - anything!

Neville Gibb

Editor's Note - If you would like to read Neville's essay, and the response when ChatGPT was asked to review its propositions, go to 'Right Here, Right Now - Meditation on time' 

We covered a number of subjects that I hope were of interest to Engineers.

We discussed the inland Rail Route from Melbourne to Brisbane. Still under construction. Big Plans in place. We are still in the early stages of this project. Not to be confused with the Fast train from Melbourne to Brisbane.

We then moved to Canberra. The Government held a competition to decide the development of Canberra and thankfully the Griffins submitted their entry. We were able to see some of the plans submitted that were not chosen. One advocated a chocolate box European style city of 15000 built in one enclosed space. Very ornate. Very unlike modern Canberra. It is interesting to note that several of the competition entries were dead against the grid system claiming that cities are more civilised when streets meander. As it was Canberra took a long time to develop and sometimes deviated from the Griffin Plans.. The population was only 10000 between the wars and at times there was talk of abandoning it and moving to Sydney. However by and large the Griffin Plans were followed and this resulted in sections of Canberra being seemingly in isolation from other parts.  Civic was distant to Parliament House. Belconnen was even more distant. We saw some of the early inner Canberra buildings and this was extremely interesting. Of course they are still there but the centre of Civic has moved.
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We then moved to something completely different. The UK is reintroducing Beavers after a period of 400 years. There are now Beavers in Hampstead Heath. The Beavers were once spread all over Europe including the UK but were hunted to extinction. For their Pelts and Vanilla flavour. Beavers follow the laws of physics and are natural engineers. They have a knowledge of water storage. They are good for the ecology and attract other species to their waterways. They can also alleviate flooding downstream. It is hoped that Humans can accept their presence in the landscape this time around. Farmers are the main objectors.

We finished up with an indulgence. I played an aria from The Marriage of Figaro. But of course Music is also subject to the laws of physics.

Neville Gibb

We spent most of September's session watching a TED Talk video featuring educator Sir Ken Robinson. This was most enlightening. It is always good to listen to an inspirational speaker and I would recommend people look him up. Tech Talks is always interested in Education. Sir Ken made the point that educational systems are the same all over the world. At the top of the hierarchy are University Professors and at the bottom of the pyramid are craft and dance teachers. If we find a way to change attitudes in Education then the world might change also. Much discussion followed from this talk.

In the second part of the session we reverted to watching the History of Electricity. We learned of what have been called the Current Wars between Nicholas Tesla and Thomas Edison. Tesla won the battle but lost the war. Or was it the other way around?

​Neville Gibb

​We began our session on Tuesday 13 August with Les showing us how our computers can be modified to accept Windows 11. Windows 11 has certain requirements of our computers before Microsoft lets us install it, and we must get this tick of approval first, unlike any previous incarnation of Windows.  An intricate process requiring concentration.

We then listened to Aldous Huxley warn us about Fake News and the manipulation of Television. He advised that we should always be in control of Technology rather than letting Technology control us. This was all very interesting and relevant to current events, except that Aldous Huxley was speaking in 1963.

​We then looked at current work on the connection between the Eastern Freeway and the Ring Road. This is quite an undertaking consisting of both above and below ground construction.

Finally, a reminder that we will be moving back to Classroom 2 in September.
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Neville Gibb

At Tech Talks on Tuesday 9th July we watched a replay of 4 Corners entitled Inside China's Tech Boom. This 4 Corners was from Public Broadcasting USA. It detailed the Huawei Company's problems with introducing 5G to the West. It pointed out that China has not been able to keep up with Taiwan, Korea and the US in producing Silicon Chips and this has led to a severe reduction in manufacturing in China. It also pointed out that as the west encourages intermingling of research workers from all over the world this has helped innovation and exploration in Silicon Chip Manufacturers. This has meant the west is well ahead in innovation design and manufacture. China has not followed this policy up to now.

It also revealed that China has shut down its involvement with Crypto Currency. It points out that massive amounts of energy are required to service this industry which it considers both risky and frivolous.


Neville Gibb

At our last Tech Talks we started by discussing the last Four Corners which concentrated on two things. Coal Mining and Wind Turbines.  It is obvious that, if we are to make an impact on the CO2 levels in the atmosphere, we will have to cut back on coal mining and increase the number of wind turbines. The programme spoke to prominent people who think climate change is a hoax and also noted the number of people who think wind turbines are ugly.

The remainder of the session concentrated on new developments in internal combustion engines which are still in the research stage.

We also watched a video of a building development in Melbourne that is close to achieving sustainable status. The main drawback is that you are encouraged not to have a car


Neville Gibb

At our May session Les brought us up to date with problems associated with Lithium Batteries. Les gave an explanation of various types and what they can be used for. Unfortunately, Lithium is an element that reacts with water and can lead to fires. Some houses have been damaged and some cars have caught fire.

From that we took up again the video of The History of Electricity. It is interesting to note that even in the early days of electricity it was not explained just what electricity was. We were more interested in what it could do than explaining what it was. This situation is still more or less the same today. The video provided much fuel for thought. Just what is electricity? Was it created in the Big Bang? Can electrons be transferred from Hydrogen atoms to Helium atoms? Is electricity part of the quantum world or is it part of the wider chemical world we inhabit? Could it be the connection between the two worlds?

Neville Gibb

​Gliders and Planes live in a different world to us people attached to the earth.

Neville Gibb.

In our Tech Talks held Tuesday 12th March we were brought up to date on the possibility of Nuclear Energy and the development of Nuclear Power Packs. Portable Nuclear Power is an option, but it will take an immense amount of political will and it will be expensive. But if achieved it will not produce any Carbon Dioxide.

In the second half we saw a video of how computer chips are manufactured and discussed the unintentional consequences that can result from their use. We now live in a digital age and we have to come to terms with its occasional misuse.

​Neville Gibb

At our most recent Tech Talks we stated by looking at a Science Teacher demonstrating how certain liquids can change colour when mixed. This took us all back to our schooldays and it was enjoyable looking at a teacher enjoy himself bringing a sense of wonder to his audience.

We then watched three videos put out by Toyota claiming that internal combustion engines will never be replaced or made redundant by Electric Vehicles. These videos showed examples of research done by Toyota and included claims that might not yet be proven. One was an Ammonia Engine that is still in development and another detailed a new concept in petroleum driven engines. Neither of these concepts has developed beyond the research level. Even so the videos gave much food for thought and time will tell if Toyota will be able to resist the acceptance of Electric Vehicles.


​Neville Gibb

At our last Tech Talks we were fortunate in having Dawn Stephens tell us her experiences with ChatGBT. Artificial Intelligence will become increasingly important in our lives and we thank Dawn for taking us through the recently released application that is both free and available for all to use. ChatGBT is fairly simple to use at the moment but it is anticipated more powerful versions will be released progressively. Dawn showed us how to ask questions - both verbally and alphabetically -  and we witnessed a poem that Dawn had previously commissioned ChatGBT to write. It is anticipated that ChatGBT will take up some of the activities that Google now fulfills as it gives specific answers and can be recognise voice instructions. It is well known that students  are already asking  ChatGBT to write essays. We have already experimented in asking for a story I submitted for 'As Time Goes By' to be rewritten through ChatGPT. It is too early for any conclusions as yet.

We thank Dawn for her generosity.

Neville Gibb

At our September Tech Talks we devoted the whole session to bringing us up to date on new developments in LiFi. Li-Fi utilizes light to transmit data  between devices.This is in effect moving digital communication from the Microwave spectrum to the visible light spectrum. This is extremely interesting and has been made possible by the development of LED light globes. In terms of its end user, the technology is similar to Wi-Fi — the key technical difference being that Wi-Fi uses radio frequency to induce an electric tension in an antenna to transmit data, whereas Li-Fi uses the modulation of light intensity to transmit data. Li-Fi is able to function in areas otherwise susceptible to electromagnetic interference (e.g. aircraft cabins, hospitals, or the military).

Neville Gibb

​The Jet engine is something we all take for granted. We discussed a potential disaster from several years ago when an engine on a Qantas plane blew up and the plane had to land under difficult circumstances in Singapore. This led to Graeme explaining how a jet engine works. Surprisingly a jet engine is a simpler machine than an internal combustion engine. The jet engine was not immediately accepted and indeed the inventor - Frank Whittle - had to let the patent lapse for lack of interest and lack of finance.

We watched a video of a very large plane used by the American Military. This plane is so large it can carry a battalion size  of both equipment and service personnel. It is approximately the same size as the Spruce Goose but much more efficient. It can be refuelled in the air and can fly all over the world.

We reviewed a book called Precision Engineering Saved the World. This book is recommended reading.

​Neville Gibb

​At our last Tech Talks we discussed a report on the history of computers. Computers were first built using refined light globes that switched on and off. There were not a lot of these computers manufactured because they were extremely large and complex and difficult to run. They had a large component of mechanical parts as well. Computers were developed by applying Boolean Algebra to electronic gates. Boolean Algebra was a new concept to me but indeed was well known by a number of our group.

We also discussed the submersible that perished investigating the Titanic. The submersible was a deceptively simple machine and was built of special materials. These materials were thought to be able to withstand enormous pressure. The video explained the building of the submersible and the hopes it had in exploring the sea floor..

​At our next meeting we intend to discuss the jet engine.

​Neville Gibb

​We started by viewing a video of the only flight of the largest plane ever built. This was Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose. A plane made entirely of wood. Designed during the war to be large enough to transport both tanks and troops at the same time. Towards the end of the war Howard Hughes made a deal with the Government that the plane would be finished despite there being some opposition to it from Official quarters. It cost several million dollars to build. It only flew once. Hughes himself piloted the plane for what was supposed to be a series of taxi-ing exercises. Hughes surprised everyone by asking for the flaps to be positioned so that the plane could lift out of the water and so it did. For a matter of 14-20 seconds. But it did fly. It is now permanently on display in a museum.

We read Rowan Atkinson’s essay on petrol driven cars and electric vehicles. This contained many items for consideration which we went over one by one.

We also read a critique on the essay by a motoring correspondent. The most salient point in the critique was the statement that there are now over 1.4 billion cars in the world.

​Neville Gibb

At our last Tech Talks Ian Maver acquainted us with developments in Vertical Take off and Landing airplanes by the Lilium Company. There has been a lot of development recently and hopefully it will not be long until we can easily transport ourselves short and medium distances through the air. Small vehicles that carry 4-8 people are close to production. These have a new system of propelling themselves. Essentially power comes from using a number of electric jet fans - maybe 32 - to provide the power to take off vertically and then move the vehicle through the air with more efficiency that is provided with either internal combustion or conventional jet engines. Lilium has developed a novel electric ducted jet engine that integrates smartly with the wings of the aircraft. The success of this powerful technology not only will allow Lilium to achieve all the performance objectives of the flight profile, but also could help the aviation industry in the transition to affordable emission-free intercity air travel. All jet fans can be manipulated separately, and this allows maximum efficiency.
 
With the increase in Global Warming, we are all interested when a new battery concept is released. The biggest battery company in the world has released details of a new battery concept that has increased efficiency to the extent it will make electric driven jet engines possible. 500 Watts per Kilo is the magic number. These new batteries should give electric cars a range of 1000k. These are condenser batteries and not solid state.They have a high energy cathode and a new anode and they are apparently a real game changer.

ChatGPT has been developing Artificial Intelligence for some time. Great claims have been made for the future of AI. New chatbots are now becoming available to the public. These chatbots are capable of many things and time will tell if their development will lead to a greater use of digital science. ChatGPT could become the most used tool on the internet. We watched several videos showing their uses but we also watched a video of one of the developers advising that there are dangers involved in allowing artificial intelligence to develop without regulation and he is uneasy about his involvement.

At Tech Talks I like to range over a number of subjects. We finished by looking at a film of Melbourne In the 1920’s. It was more or less the same as it is now but with a few differences. The streets have not changed and the buildings are still recognisable. There were a limited number of cars.  Hardly any.  There were still some horses and carts. Out of the CBD there were no traffic lights. The streets looked empty. Trams ran well out of the city.

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Neville Gibb