Ms Noon graduated from the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia with a joint degree in maths and physics, and has since set about documenting the scientific knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Yolngu people, she notes, knew that the tides varied depending on the phases of the moon. Her own people, the Kamilaroi, have a rich astronomical heritage, which Karlie did not encounter until her early 20s.
The knowledge she has now collected shows a keen understanding of meteorology. A moon halo - a bright ring visible around the moon when there are ice crystals in the air - was used by indigenous peoples all over Australia as a weather predictor. Oral tradition tells of counting the number of stars between the moon and the halo, to indicate how much rain there would be. Fewer visible stars meant greater precipitation, which, Karlie agrees, would tally with the presence of more water vapour in the air. Variable stars, whose brightness fluctuates over periods that can range from 100 - 200 years, are also described in stories.
Karlie notes that being able to pick up these changes through generations, and without the aid of visual magnification, means that these peoples were "amazing observers and astronomers".
...
In Chad's nomadic Mbororo community, women have not traditionally held positions of power or influence. However Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim has been in the habit of defying convention since she was a child. Her mother faced a fierce backlash for educating her children, sending "even the girl" to school.
She initiated a 3D mapping project, combining modern technology and the traditional scientific knowledge of her people. Using indigenous understanding of the local landscape, water resources and plant life, a physical model of Baibokoum, a region in the south of Chad, has been created.
She has become a leader in her own community, and hopes to inspire more women to do so. "When they hear... what a little indigenous girl coming from the communities has done… maybe it can give them more courage to fight for women's rights." Ms Noon and Dr Mercier are both passionate about encouraging indigenous people, and specifically women, to participate in the world of mainstream science.
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41887971
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