This month is our bumper National Science Week edition of the AIP Bulletin. Science Week kicks off on Saturday 13 August and runs until the following Sunday 21 August.
Federally, things have settled down following last month’s election, with Government departments no longer in caretaker mode.
We are looking forward to working with Greg Hunt, the new Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. It was great to see him visit Questacon almost immediately after he was appointed and hear him speak on how critical science and innovation are to Australia’s future prosperity. His instruction to the CSIRO to renew its focus on climate science is also very encouraging.
There is a wealth of great physics coming up in this year’s Joint Asia-Pacific Physics Conference and AIP Congress in Brisbane in early December. With the deadline for abstracts having just passed, we have almost 650 abstracts received for presentations and posters. More regarding the Congress below.
Meanwhile this year’s AIP Women in Physics guest lecturer, Catalina Curceanu, continues to enlighten students and the public on dark energy and particle physics at venues across the country. See below for details about Catalina’s talks, as well as the Queensland Branch’s Youth Lecture Tour and the laser-shows being held in Townsville, Cairns and Atherton to celebrate the centenary of Nobel Physics Laureate Aleksandr Prokhorov’s birth.
Regards,
Warrick Couch
President, Australian Institute of Physics
aip_president@aip.org.au
National Science Week
Australia’s annual celebration of all things science and tech runs from 13 to 21 August.
Physics events include:
- Particle physicist Brian Cox in shows across the country
- The AIP’s Women in Physics tour (see below)
- Space historian and retro rocket science enthusiast Amy Shira Teitel
- Harvard physicist and education revolutionary Eric Mazur
See the National Science Week website for more.
The schools theme this year is Drones, Droids and Robots, centring on the real-world application of autonomous technologies in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, medicine and space/ocean exploration.
Science Week ambassadors include Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, and spokespeople include physicist/MarsOne candidate Josh Richard, and biophysicist/Olympic swim team member Cameron McEvoy.
Women in Physics tour underway
Catalina Curceanu’s talks range from dark energy’s role in the evolution of the Universe and the physics that makes the Sun shine, to opportunities and challenges of a career in particle physics.
Events include:
- Tasmania, 8–9 August
- NSW, 10–12 August
- Queensland, 15–16 August
- South Australia, 17–18 August
- Western Australia, 19 August
- ACT, 22 August
- Victoria, 23–25 August.
Full list of talks at Science Week website
Background on the annual AIP Women in Physics lecture tour
Astrobiology and the Queensland Youth Lecture Series
The search for exoplanets and life outside our Solar System continues in Queensland this month, with Jonti Horner – an astronomer and astrobiologist from the University of Southern Queensland.
The Mount Isa lecture will be delivered by Helen Maynard-Casely, a planetary scientist at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).
For more details, contact Scott Adamson.
2016 Physics Congress in Brisbane
We have received almost 650 abstracts for presentations and posters for this year’s joint Asia-Pacific and Australian Physics Congress in Brisbane, with over 200 coming from overseas. The Congress will unite the brightest physicists from Australia and the Asia Pacific region for a week-long program of science and networking.
- Brisbane, 4–8 December 2016
- Registration at aip-appc2016.org.au
- Meeting Honorary Chair: Brian Schmidt
- Meeting co-Chairs: Warrick Couch and Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
- Joint 13th Asian-Pacific Physics Conference and 22nd AIP Congress
Applications for travel grant close 15 August. Grants are also available to assist parents with childcare costs, such as additional childcare required at home or childcare required in Brisbane. Applications must be received by September.
Laser shows recognise FNQ-born Nobel physicist
A series of spectacular laser shows next week will celebrate the one-hundredth birthday of Alexander Prokhorov, the Queensland-born Soviet physicist who won the 1964 Nobel Physics Prize for pioneering work in the development of lasers and masers.
With the Australian Optical Society, the AIP has been working over the last month to celebrate Prokhorov’s achievements.
Resulting coverage includes a great article on the ABC (you can catch up here) and TV coverage with ANU laser physicist Hans Bachor.
The Prokhorov laser show will tour Queensland during National Science Week:
- Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville, 17 August 5.30 pm
- James Cook University, Cairns, 18 August 5.30 pm
- Atherton State High School, Atherton, 20 August 10 am
Physicists up for Eureka prizes
Good luck to the all the physicists and physics projects named as finalists for the Australian Museum’s Eureka Prizes.
- Eureka Prize for Environmental Science QUT Environmental Robotics team, nominated for work on the robotic crown-of-thorns starfish hunting device.
- Eureka Prize for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research The Infection Analytics Program Group and CSIRO’s National Outlook initiative.
- Eureka Prize for International Scientific Collaboration The Murchison Widefield Array radio-telescope built and operated by an international team of research institutions, and Chunnong Zhao and Li Ju (University of Western Australia) for work on the LIGO gravitational wave detectors.
- Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology Jamie Flynn, Antony Martin and Will Palmer, University of Newcastle, nominated for their fast, new 3D laser microscope; Ewa Goldys (Macquarie University) and Martin Gosnell (Quantitative Pty Ltd) for imaging technology that allows the colour of cells and tissues to be used as a non-invasive medical diagnostic tool; Bernhard Mitchell, Daniel Chung and Thorsten Trupke (UNSW) for accurate contamination measurement methods in solar cell silicon.
- Eureka Prize for Early Career Researcher Michael Milford (QUT), for his work in robotics, computing and neuroscience.
- Eureka Prize for Science in Safeguarding Australia Xiaoke Yi and Dr Linh Nguyen (University of Sydney) for their miniaturised photonic integrated circuits.
- Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science Dane McCamey (UNSW), electron spin resonance researcher; and Sharath Sriram (RMIT) nanomaterial researcher.
- Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science Gordon Wallace (University of Wollongong) nanomaterials and intelligent polymer research leader.
- Eureka Prize for Mentor of Young Researchers Tom Davis (Monash University) polymer scientist and nanotechnologist.
- Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science The Fireballs in the Sky (Curtin University) team, for recruiting community help to understand the workings of the Solar System.
- Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research Astronomers and communicators Alan Duffy (Swinburne University of Technology) and Lisa Harvey-Smith (CSIRO).
- Eureka Prize for Science Journalism Physicist and communicator Derek Muller for the TV series Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail.
The winners will be announced at Sydney Town Hall on 31 August. If you are familiar with any of the finalists, send them a note to wish them luck.
EVENTS
Reach a bigger audience. The Australian physics events calendar is the definitive source for physics events around the country. If your physics event isn’t listed here, ask us about adding it, having it included in these regular bulletins, and tweeted from the AusPhysics account.
Australian Capital Territory
An evening with space history nerd Amy Shira Teitel
Tues, 15 Aug, 2016, 5.30pm
CSIRO Discovery Centre, Acton
Physics in the pub variety night
Wed, 17 Aug 2016, 7pm
Smiths Alternative Bookshop, Civic,
Mt Stromlo Observatory public night
Fri 19 Aug 2016, 7pm
Mt Stromlo Observatory, Weston Creek ACT
Water exploration in the solar system: the restless hunt for life
Sun, 21 Aug 2016, 2pm
The Shine Dome
New South Wales
Collider
From 6 Aug to 30 Sep 2016
Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, Sydney
Catalina Curceanu Women in Physics at North Sydney Girls High School
Wed, 10 Aug 2016, 2pm
North Sydney Girls High School
Women in Physics Sydney Observatory Special Public Lecture
Wed, 10 Aug 2016, 6pm
Sydney Observatory
Brian Cox – A Journey into Deep Space
Wed, 10 Aug 2016, 7:30pm
State Theatre
Catalina Curceanu Women in Physics Wollongong
Thu, 11 Aug 2016, 2pm
St Marys Star of the Sea
From the Big Bang to Black Holes. Quo Vadis the Universe?
Thu, 11 Aug 2016, 6:30pm
Science Centre & Planetarium, Wollongong
Professor Brian Cox – A Journey into Deep Space
Thu, 11 Aug 2016, 7:30pm
State Theatre
Alan Duffy: The World’s greatest experiment
Fri, 12 Aug 2016, 6.30pm
Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, Sydney
Curator tours: Collider
Mon, 15 Aug to Fri, 19 Aug 2016
Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, Sydney
Nanotainment: entertainment at the nano-scale
Tues, 16 Aug, 2016, 6.30pm
University of Sydney
Chris Tinney: The Einstein Lecture
Wed, 17 Aug 2016, 6pm
Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, Sydney
Faith and Fusion: an MIT physicist explores science and the sources of truth
Thu, 18 Aug, 2016, 6pm
The Scots Church, Sydney
Amy Shira Teitel talks science
Thu, 18 Aug, 2016, 6pm
Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, Sydney
Build a Lego Atlas Particle Accelerator
Sat, 20 Aug and Sun, 21 Aug, 2016, 10.30am–4.30pm
Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo, Sydney
Northern Territory
Uluru astronomy weekend
Fri 26 Aug to Sun 28 Aug, 2016
Yulara Resort, NT
Queensland
Rocks from Space: Sunshine Coast
Tue, 9 Aug 2016, 9am
Ken Thamm Centre Lecture Theatre
Rocks from Space: Townsville
Thu, 11 Aug 2016, 1pm
Flexible Learning Area St Margaret Mary’s College
Rocks from Space: Cairns
Fri, 12 Aug 2016, 1pm
The Auditorium
Physics of the Sun
Wed, 17 Aug 2016, 10am
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
Laser show highlighting FNQ’s Nobel hero
Wed, 17 Aug 2016, 5.30pm
Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville
Laser show highlighting FNQ’s Nobel hero
Thu, 18 Aug 2016, 5.30pm
James Cook University, Cairns
Laser show highlighting FNQ’s Nobel hero
Sat, 20 Aug 2016, 10am
Atherton State High School, Atherton
AIP Congress – in association with the Asia Pacific Physics Conference
Sun, 4 Dec 2016
Brisbane Convention Centre
South Australia
Quantum Conversations opening night
11 Aug, 2016, 6pm
The Artisan Cafe, Blackwood
Brian Cox – A Journey into Deep Space
Tue, 16 Aug 2016, 7:30pm
Adelaide Entertainment Centre – Theatre
Women in Physics Lecture: University of Adelaide
Wed, 17 Aug 2016, 6:30pm
Kerr Grant Lecture Theatre, Physics Building
Amy Shira Teitel: death of the Dyna-Soar
Wed, 24 Aug, 2016, 7pm
The Governor Hindmarsh, Hindmarsh
Tasmania
Amy Shira-Teitel: space-flight historian
Fri, 12 Aug to Sun, 14 Aug, 2016 from 6pm
Civic Centre, Ulverstone
Quantum mechanics: the brightest idea of all time
Sat, 13 Aug, 2016, 10am
Princess Wharf, Hobart
Amy Shira-Teitel: space historian
Sat, 13 Aug, 2016 11am
Princess Wharf, Hobart
Reflections on a career in astrophysics
Mon, 15 Aug, 6pm
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Battery Point Hobart
What’s Happening Down South and Why Should We Care?
Tue, 16 Aug 2016, 6pm
Stanley Burbury Theatre, University Centre, Sandy Bay campus
What’s Happening Down South and Why Should We Care?
Wed, 17 Aug 2016, 6pm
Sir Raymond Ferrall Centre, University of Tasmania Newnham campus
Victoria
Mount Burnett Observatory members night
Fridays in August, 8pm
420 Paternoster Road, Mount Burnett, VIC
The Science of earthquakes
Mon, 15 Aug 2016, 6pm
The University of Melbourne, Carlton
ANSTO Fact or Fiction
Tue, 16 Aug 2016, 7am
Australian Synchrotron
Eric Mazur in Conversation: PBL and flipped learning
Thu, 18 Aug 2016, 12.30pm
Monash University, Clayton
Eric Mazur: Robots won’t replace teachers, will they?
Thu, 18 Aug 2016, 6pm
State Library, Melbourne
Quantum mechanics for the people
Fri, 19 Aug, 2016, 5.30pm
RMIT Design Hub, Carlton
State of the Universe VI: The Olympic Edition
Fri, 19 Aug 2016, 6:30pm
Swinburne University, Hawthorn Campus, ATC building, ATC101 (Enter from Burwood Road)
Eric Mazur: teaching with technology in the 21st century
Fri 19 Aug 2016, 1pm
Monash Business School, CBD Melbourne
Catalina Curceanu: Where are the “others”? A glimpse into the Fermi paradox
Tue, 23 Aug 2016, 1:30pm
Melbourne Girls’ College
Catalina Curceanu: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. Quo Vadis the Universe?
Wed, 24 Aug 2016, 9:30am
Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School
Catalina Curceanu: Where are the “others”? A glimpse into the Fermi paradox
Thu, 25 Aug 2016, 12:30pm
Geoffery Blainey Auditorium, Ballarat
Catalina Curceanu: Girls in Physics breakfast
Thu, 25 Aug 2016, 7am
Hawthorn Arts Centre, Hawthorn
Western Australia
Brian Cox – A Journey into Deep Space
Thu, 18 Aug 2016, 7:30pm
Riverside Theatre
Catalina Curceanu: modern quantum technology – the offspring of Schrodinger’s famous cat
Fri, 19 Aug 2016, 11am
Murdoch University
The Universe’s zoo: from quarks to black holes. How well do we understand the Universe?
Fri, 19 Aug 2016, 6pm
Ross Lecture Theatre
CONFERENCES
OSA Congress: Photonics and Fiber Technology
5 Sep 2016, SMC Conference & Function Centre, Sydney
Topological matter, strings, and K-theory conference
5 September 2016, The University of Adelaide
International Conference on Nuclear Physics (INPC2016)
11–16 September 2016, Adelaide Convention Centre
ARPS2016: Australian Radiation Protection Society Conference
11-14 September 2016, Adelaide Convention Centre, SA
The changing face of galaxies: uncovering transformational physics
18–23 September 2016, Wrest Point Hotel, Hobart
ICEAA — 2016 International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications
19–23 September 2016, Cairns, Queensland
IEEE-APS Topical Conference on Antennas and Propagation in Wireless Communications (APWC)
19–23 September 2016, Cairns, Queensland
Boden Research Conference 2016 Animal, Vegetal, Mineral?
19 September 2016, Yallingup, WA
SPIE Bio-Photonics Australasia 2016
16–16 October 2016, SA
Understanding the origins of the Galaxy and its stellar content
21-25 November 2016, Shine Dome Canberra
NEW Australian Synchrotron User Meeting 2016
24 November 2016, Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, VIC
IAU Symposia: The lives and death-throes of massive stars
28 November to 2 December 2016, Auckland NZ
2016 AIP Congress (in association with the Asia-Pacific Physics Conference)
4–8 December 2016, Brisbane Convention Centre, Brisbane, QLD
Conference on Optoelectronic and Microelectronic Materials and Devices COMMAD 2016 (Colombo Theaters, UNSW)
12–14 December 2016, UNSW Sydney
Wagga 2017 – The 41st Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting
31 January to 3 February, Wagga Wagga Campus Charles Stuart University
International Conference on Advanced Materials & Nanotechnology
12–16 February 2017, Queenstown, NZ
NEW Cosmic stars Astronomy and Space Science Education Workshop
Sat, 4 Mar 2017
Giralang Primary School
International Conference on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions (ICPEAC XXX)
26 July to 1 August 2017, Cairns
Note the AIP student travel scheme for AIP student members will be available for this conference.