Travis Hale - Science & Photography https://www.travishale.com Science, Photography & the Occasional Bad Pun Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:29:56 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/www.travishale.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/cropped-C0_TH-Initials-Side-High-Res-Black.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Travis Hale https://www.travishale.com 32 32 97947215 Sourdough starter: wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria https://www.travishale.com/47-sourdough-and-bread-the-yeast-the-bacteria-and-the-chemistry-of-a-starter/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=34194 A sourdough starter is a complex ecosystem of wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. Unlike commercial yeast, these microbes work together over long fermentation periods to create the characteristic flavor and acidity of traditional sourdough bread.]]> A sourdough starter is more than a yeast culture. It is a balanced ecosystem of wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, some of which have been maintained for decades. Most store-bought breads use commercial yeast, usually a single strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This yeast is bred for speed and consistency, producing carbon dioxide rapidly so bread can rise in a few hours.

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]]> 34194 What Is a Mould Investigation Actually Trying to Establish? https://www.travishale.com/what-is-a-mould-investigation-trying-to-establish/ Sun, 01 Nov 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=36096 Cutaway wall cross-section with cyan and amber moisture contours behind a small discoloured patch.Mould investigations are fundamentally about moisture, not just spore counts. Learn what the evidence can establish and where the scientific limits sit.]]> A tenant reports a musty smell and a discoloured patch near a window. Someone arranges air sampling. The laboratory report arrives with a table of fungal genera, counts from multiple indoor locations, an outdoor reference for context, and a note that indoor levels exceed outdoor levels for one or two groups. The building owner reads it and asks the obvious question: does this building have a mould…

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]]> 36096 What is fermentation and why do humans rely on it https://www.travishale.com/46-fermentation-what-it-actually-is-and-why-humans-have-relied-on-it-for-millennia/ Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=34193 Fermentation is more than a culinary trend; it is an anaerobic metabolic process used by microbes to produce energy. From the lactic acid of Lactobacillus to the ethanol produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, these biological pathways have allowed humans to preserve food and develop complex flavors since at least 7000 BCE.]]> Fermentation is more than a modern culinary trend. It is one of humanity’s oldest food technologies, powered by microbes for millennia. While many associate fermentation with adding a starter culture to a jar, it is biologically defined as a form of anaerobic metabolism. Essentially, microbes break down organic compounds—such as sugars—in the absence of oxygen. For the microbe…

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]]> 34193 Where IEQ regulation in Australia is heading https://www.travishale.com/50-where-ieq-regulation-in-australia-is-heading/ Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=33486 Australia has solid building codes. IEQ-specific regulation is still catching up.]]> Australia has solid building codes, but IEQ-specific regulation is still catching up. The National Construction Code (NCC) is the primary framework. It addresses the indoor environment in several areas. Section H1 covers energy efficiency, while Section F deals with health and amenity, including ventilation, natural lighting and sanitary facilities. The 2022 update introduced some meaningful…

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]]> 33486 Luminar Fall Upgrade 2026 and Black Friday Offers https://www.travishale.com/luminar-fall-upgrade-2026-black-friday-offers/ Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:29:54 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=39513 Luminar's Fall Upgrade is released on 28 October 2026. Here is what's new, what existing owners should check, and the Black Friday prices for new buyers.]]> Skylum releases the Luminar Fall Upgrade on 28 October 2026, and its Black Friday sale has been running since 19 October. If you have been waiting to try Luminar or upgrade, the new features and sale pricing now overlap. Luminar Neo is now called Luminar, so this covers the same software. Luminar on Web also launched on 15 October and sits alongside the desktop and mobile…

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]]> 39513 45: Biofilms — when microbes build communities https://www.travishale.com/45-biofilms-when-microbes-build-communities/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 03:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=34192 Biofilms are complex microbial communities anchored to surfaces by a sugary slime called EPS. From dental plaque to medical device infections, these structures protect bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system. Learn about the stages of biofilm formation and the science behind their extreme resilience.]]> Nearly every surface exposed to water hosts a biofilm. Common examples include the slippery coating on river stones and plaque on teeth. Bacteria are often imagined as solitary cells drifting in liquid, but microbes prefer living in organised communities. A biofilm is a collective of one or more species of microorganisms that adhere to a surface and to each other.

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]]> 34192 Residential IEQ: Why homes are not assessed https://www.travishale.com/49-residential-ieq-the-gap-in-awareness/ Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=33485 Workplaces get assessed. Homes rarely do. That's a problem.]]> Workplaces get assessed. Homes rarely do. There’s a big gap there. Commercial IEQ setup has improved over the last twenty years. Building owners now have reasons to manage indoor environments due to NABERS IEQ, WELL, Green Star, WHS obligations and tenant expectations. Residential IEQ is different. It mostly exists in regulatory silence. In Australia, there is no requirement to…

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]]> 33485 Bacterial pangenome: why one genome is not enough https://www.travishale.com/44-the-pangenome-why-understanding-a-bacterial-species-requires-more-than-one-genome/ Sun, 25 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=34191 Two strains of E. coli can share as little as 20% of their genes. This variation is the basis of the pangenome, a concept that separates the core genes shared by all members of a species from the accessory genes that drive adaptation, virulence, and drug resistance.]]> Two strains of E. coli may share as little as 20% of their genes. For years, researchers treated bacterial species as if they had a single, static reference genome, which was a significant oversimplification. To understand a species, you must analyze two distinct sets of genes. The core genome consists of genes present in every strain of a species…

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]]> 34191 43: Thiomargarita namibiensis — the bacterium visible to the naked eye https://www.travishale.com/43-thiomargarita-namibiensis-the-bacterium-visible-to-the-naked-eye/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 03:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=34190 Thiomargarita namibiensis is a bacterium visible to the naked eye, reaching 0.75 mm. Discovered by Heide Schulz in 1999, it uses a large vacuole to overcome diffusion limits. Its relative, Thiomargarita magnifica, is even larger at 2 cm and possesses a rare nucleus-like organelle.]]> Most bacteria require a microscope to be seen, but Thiomargarita namibiensis is an exception. It appears as a white sphere up to 0.75 mm in diameter, which challenges fundamental assumptions about the maximum size of a single bacterial cell. Bacteria are typically microscopic for a practical reason. They rely on simple diffusion to transport nutrients and expel waste across their…

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]]> 34190 IEQ in aged care facilities https://www.travishale.com/48-ieq-in-aged-care-facilities/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.travishale.com/?p=33484 The people most sensitive to poor indoor environments often live in the buildings least monitored for it.]]> The people most sensitive to poor indoor environments usually live in the buildings least likely to be assessed for them. Aged care facilities are a good example. Residents often have respiratory issues, heart conditions, or weakened immune systems and spend nearly all their time indoors. The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of these spaces directly impacts their health and daily life.

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