Australian Academy of Science news

Academy Fellow to head international physics union

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:51:43 GMT

Academy Fellow, Professor Bruce McKellar has been elected as the next President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). When he takes office in 2014, he will become the Union’s first Australian President,and its first President from the southern hemisphere.

Lecture on plate tectonics by corresponding member

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:50:20 GMT

Professor John Dewey, corresponding member of the Academy and leading tectonic geologist will be visiting Australia this month, and will be presenting a special lecture at the Shine Dome on 21 November at 6 pm giving an overview of continental drift via plate tectonics.

December public lecture: Myxomatosis and rabbits

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:42:11 GMT

The final lecture in the Fenner series will be delivered by Dr Peter Kerr, CSIRO Research Scientist, on Tuesday 6 December 2011 at 6 pm. He will discuss biological control and evolution, looking at Myxomatosis and rabbits.

Geoengineering for climate remediation

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 02:38:00 GMT

The first major meeting in Australia to provide a forum for cross-disciplinary discussion on geoengineering the climate was held in late September. A summary of the findings and conclusions reached has been prepared by the chairs of the symposium.

Fellow wins Nobel Prize

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 05:50:50 GMT

The Academy warmly congratulates Professor Brian Schmidt FAA for his Nobel Prize for physics, along with two American researchers, Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess. The three won the Prize for their discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Professor Schmidt became a Fellow of the Academy in 2008.

Young scientists at Think Tank propose solutions

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 00:49:25 GMT

Sixty of the country's brightest early career research scientists from a range of disciplines gathered in Brisbane on 29 to 30 September to find new ways to manage the nation's most vulnerable ecosystems: The Ningaloo Marine Park, the Bowen & Surat Basins, the Melbourne grasslands and the Murray-Darling Basin.

Academy Fellow to head international science

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 03:48:36 GMT

Academy President Professor Suzanne Cory, welcomes the election of Professor David Black FAA as Secretary General of the International Council for Science (ICSU) for a three year term. ICSU aims to strengthen science globally for the benefit of all humankind. It plans and coordinates interdisciplinary research to address major issues of relevance to both science and society.

Suzanne Cory at the National Press Club

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:47:31 GMT

Australian Academy of Science President Professor Suzanne Cory today spoke at the National Press Club. In a nationally televised address, Professor Cory spoke of how Australia's potential to build on its international science success stories is under threat. She examined the state of school science education in Australia, explored challenges to the workforce and proposed opportunities to improve Australia's prosperity beyond the mining boom.

2011 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:33:32 GMT

Congratulations to the Fellows of the Academy that have won the following 2011 Australian Museum Eureka prizes: Medical Research Translation Professor Murray Esler (jointly with Associate Professor Markus Schlaich) Infectious Diseases Research Professor Alan Cowman (jointly with his team at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research Professor Rick Shine

The miracle of immunity public lecture

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:33:18 GMT

Professor Christopher Goodnow FAA Head of Department of Immunology, Australian National University presented a lecture in the Fenner Series on Tuesday 6 September 2011 at the Shine Dome in Canberra. Professor Goodnow discussed the enduring legacy of one paper and one book, that Frank Fenner co-authored with Macfarlane Burnet in 1948-1949, on the production of antibodies and its control by genes. A recording of this presentation is now available.

Ahead of the Game: Biomedical Science Education into the 21st Century

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:33:02 GMT

The National Committee for Biomedical Sciences is holding a Forum to identify key issues and challenges facing us as biomedical science educators in the 21st century and to form a national collaborative leadership network for the biomedical sciences. This is an important opportunity for you to play an active role and have a voice in shaping strategies for future projects, funding and government policy.