Translating science into action

Science is a discipline that can make a major difference to society, but scientific results often need some help to be translated into actions. This joint event considers the different disciplines that help convert science content into actions in the community:

– Extension officers are educating farmers about scientific research that can improve their crop yields and farming practices

– Interpretation experts are informing the community about scientific research that helps study and protect natural resources

– Science communicators are promoting scientific research that is making a difference to our health, society and economy.

Join representatives of these three disciplines to discuss the different challenges and techniques involved, and the similarities and differences between them. A panel of experts representing the Australian Science Communicators (Jesse Shore), the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (Emalyn Louden) and Interpretation Australia (Rosemary Hollow) will provide an overview of their disciplines, and will discuss how they would tackle a hypothetical situation in the community.

Date: Tomorrow! Thursday 1 July from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm Venue: CSIRO Discovery, Black Mountain site, Clunies Ross St, Acton Price: $5 for APEN/IA/ASC members, $10 for non-members, including refreshments RSVP (for catering): ASCcanberra@gmail.com

For more information, including speaker details, see http://www.asc.asn.au/2010/06/science-into-action

>From Brian James, President of the Australian Institute of Physics

Dear ASCers,

Welcome to my monthly email to people around the country with an interest in Physics. It has news and events for July 2010 and beyond.

This month the AIP is discussing black hole appetites in Canberra, discovering the real CERN in Wollongong, delving into the history of the Nobel Prize in Physics at UQ and adventuring in wide field astronomy in Hobart. These and many more events listed below.

And we’re opening a new service. All of the events listed in this bulletin are also listed at our new online calendar of physics events. It’s at http://www.scienceinpublic.com/blog/aip-events

You can search by various criteria, copy an event into your own calendar and much more. You can also add your own events to the calendar. They’ll appear after moderation. I welcome your feedback on the service.

Last month we gave a link for instructions on how to forward your PhysMail service. The link may not have worked for those who are not IoP members. If you wish to forward your PhysMail service, you can find instructions at http://mail.aip.org.au.

You can still have input into the national curriculum in physics for senior secondary students, with the release of the draft curriculum for years 11 and 12. Consultation forums will be held around Victoria in the week beginning Monday 19 July. Teachers are encouraged to participate in the consultation to ensure their voice is heard. More details below.

The Monash University School of Physics is advertising two vacancies in condensed matter physics. More details below.

You are welcome to contact me regarding AIP or other physics matters, just email aip_president@aip.org.au.

If you have trouble reading the bulletin in this format, it’s also online at www.aip.org.au. You can also read it and rss it on my blog here and on LinkedIn.

If you have news or other information for the bulletin, email Niall by the 23rd of each month.

Kind regards,

Brian James,

AIP President

In this bulletin:

1. AIP events across the country

2. Other activities: for the general public, students and teachers

3. AIP 2010 Congress – call for papers closing 9 July

4. Optical measurement wins Ken Baldwin recognition on World Metrology Day

5. Monash University Physics positions vacant

6. Dates for Physics Consultation Forums on the Draft Curriculum

7. Science Prizes

8. Seminars

9. Conferences

10. Submission deadlines for the bulletin and journal

1. AIP events across the country Australian Capital Territory 28 Jul 2010, 6:00 PM, refreshments available from 5:30 PM

AIP ACT branch meeting TITLE: Black holes at the LHC SPEAKER: Elizabeth Winstanley, University of Sheffield, UK VENUE: Dunbar Lecture Theatre (PHYS T), Building 39a, The Australian National University

Upcoming branch meetings:

Date

Speaker/s

Title

27 Aug

Ben Eggleton, University of Sydney

TBA

For more info click here.

New South Wales 29 Jun 2010, 6:00 PM

AIP NSW Branch meeting TITLE: Angels and demons: The real CERN SPEAKER: Susanna Guatelli, University of Wollongong VENUE: Slade Lecture Theatre, School of Physics, University of Sydney * 6:00-6.30 pm refreshments, Slade Lecture Theatre. * 6.35-7.30 pm lecture by Susanna Guatelli. * 8.00 pm dinner with the speaker at Buon Gusto (Italian), 368 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale. E-mail Dr Fred Osman (fred_osman@exemail.com.au) for more info, and if you will be able to join us for dinner.

For more info go to the AIP NSW branch website.

Upcoming branch meetings:

Date

Speaker/s

Title

27 Jul

Chris Garvey, ANSTO

Beyond the gingerbread house – engineering with sugar

03 Aug

Elizabeth Winstanley, University of Sheffield, UK

Mini black holes at the Large Hadron Collider

17 Aug

Brian James, University of Sydney

Declassification of fusion research in 1958: the politics, the physics and the Australian

23 Aug

Phil Dooley, University of Sydney

Einstein’s unruly child: Quantum Physics

21 Sep

5:30pm: Felix Lawrence, University of Sydney

Photonic crystals: light’s playground

7pm: David Coutts, Macquarie University

Exploiting the colour variable in scientific imaging

26 Oct

Richard Newbury, University of New South Wales

Every thing you wanted to know about quantum transport but were afraid to ask

23 Nov

Annual General Meeting, Postgraduate Day & Annual Dinner

Queensland 17 Aug 2010, 6:00 PM- 7:00 PM Tools of Science Series, Qld AIP and the School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland TITLE: The 1910 Nobel Prize in Physics SPEAKER: Ross McKenzie, University of Queensland VENUE: Rm 222, Parnell Building, University of Queensland (St Lucia campus)

The lecture, illustrated where possible with items from the Physics Museum collection, will be followed by a discussion period where participants will be encouraged to show items they have brought along. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of the School of Mathematics and Physics. The Physics Museum will be open from 5.30pm.

You can subscribe to receive email reminders about Tools of Science. Simply send an email message to majordomo@physics.uq.edu.au containing “subscribe tools-of-science” in the body of the email.

For more info go to the Tools of Science website.

Contact: Norman Heckenberg on heckenberg@physics.uq.edu.au or (07) 3365 3369 Tasmania 06 Jul 2010, 8:00 PM TITLE: Harley Wood public lecture ‘Adventures in wide-field astronomy’ SPEAKER: Elaine Sadler, Chair of the National Committee of Astronomy VENUE: Physics lecture Theatre 1, Sandy Bay campus, University of Tasmania

The Canadian astronomer Sydney van den Bergh predicted a decade ago that “The astronomy of the 21st century will be dominated by computer-based manipulation of huge homogeneous surveys of various types of astronomical objects.” In many ways this has come true, and Elaine will share with you some of the excitement of the large, wide-field astronomical surveys in which she and her colleagues have been involved. She will talk about some of the challenges of this kind of work, as well as showing how wide-field astronomy can provide unique insights into the evolution of galaxies and their central black holes over timescales of billions of years. Finally, she will give a glimpse of future developments in wide-field radio astronomy. The annual Harley Wood public lecture (co-sponsored by the AIP Tas Branch) is part of the Astronomical Society of Australia conference being held at the University of Tasmania from 5-8 July. Victoria 13 Jul 2010, 5:00 PM- 7:00 PM TITLE: AIP Education Committee (Victoria) meeting VENUE: Kew High School, Kew

All teachers are welcome to attend this or any other meeting. If you would like to attend, please contact the chair, Sue Grant, at susanmgrant1@bigpond.com

More info here: http://www.vicphysics.org/index.php?id=73

15 Jul 2010, 5:30 PM for a 6:00 PM start AIP Vic Branch meeting TITLE: The Physics and Psycho-physics of Medical Bionics, with particular reference to cochlear and retinal implants SPEAKER: Peter Blamey, Deputy Director, The Bionic Ear Institute VENUE: The Bionic Ear Institute, 384 Albert St, East Melbourne RSVP required

This month the Victorian branch is holding its annual laboratory visit at The Bionic Ear Institute. RSVPs are essential and numbers limited.

Contact Scott Wade on swade@swin.edu.au or (03) 9214 4339 to ensure you get a place.

2. Other activities: for the general public, students and teachers South Australia 05 Jul 2010, 8:00 PM- 9:30 PM TITLE: The Mars Science Laboratory SPEAKER: Dr Adrian Brown, NASA AMES Research Centre and SETI Institute in California VENUE: The Science Exchange, Exchange Place, Adelaide RSVP required

Weighing almost a tonne, costing more than $2bn US and due, in 2013, to be lowered onto the surface of Mars, the Mars Science Laboratory, “Curiosity”, will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. Join Adrian Brown from the NASA AMES Research Centre and SETI Institute in California will share his insights into this fascinating project.

Adrian will also introduce the Australian Space Prize, a new opportunity for Australian science and engineering Honours students to participate in a 10 week Space Academy at NASA Ames Research Center. The 2009 winner, Elizabeth Blaber, is currently participating in the NASA Ames Academy program. You can follow her blog at http://blogs.vssec.vic.edu.au/vnasp/

More info here: www.riaus.org.au

Contact: The Science Exchange on science@riaus.org.au or 08 7120 8600

Victoria 05 August 2010, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Talks for VCE physics students (Melbourne University) TITLE: Light: Waves or particles? SPEAKER: Lloyd Hollenberg, School of Physics, University of Melbourne VENUE: Laby Theatre, School of Physics, University of Melbourne

The topics are relevant to the VCE Study Design, and practising physicists have agreed to deliver them. The lectures, of about 1 hour duration, will be held on Thursdays at 6 pm in the Laby Theatre of the School of Physics. Some light refreshments will be available.

Upcoming talks:

Date

Title

Unit

19 Aug

All about electricity

VCE Unit 1, study 2 , Unit 4, study 1

2 Sep

Hi-Fi and Surround Sound

VCE Unit 4, study 3.3

16 Sep

The Synchrotron: How and Why

VCE Unit 4, study 3.1

7 Oct

The Broadband Network: optics and fibres

VCE Unit 2 study 2, Unit 4 study 3.2

21 Oct

Sustainable Energy…. Really?

VCE Unit 1 study 3.5

For more info click here.

02 Jul 2010, 8:00 PM- 10:00 PM

July Lectures in physics- University of Melbourne TITLE: The invention of laser: from Einstein to holograms SPEAKER: David Jamieson, Head of Physics, The University of Melbourne VENUE: Elizabeth Murdoch – Theatre A, University of Melbourne

For more than thirty years Einstein’s idea that light could stimulate the emission of light waited for the technical breakthrough leading the invention of the laser. Now on the fiftieth anniversary of the breakthrough this lecture looks at physics and applications of the ubiquitous laser beam.

Upcoming talks:

Date

Speaker

Title

9 Jul

Stuart Wyithe, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne

Laser in Astronomy: from guidestars to ripples in spacetime

16 July

Keith Nugent, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne

New light on bio molecules: The free electron laser

23 Jul

Jeff McCallum, School of Physics, University of Melbourne

The solid state laser: spanning continents and computer chips

For more info visit: http://outreach.physics.unimelb.edu.au/July-Lectures-in-Physics/Program

CAS AstroTours (Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University)

CAS runs public AstroTours during the Easter, winter, spring and summer school holidays. Sessions will feature the 3D movies “Bigger Than Big” and “Extreme Places”, made by the highly talented Swinburne Astronomy Productions team. TITLE: AstroTour VENUE: Virtual Reality Theatre, room AR104, ground floor, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University (Hawthorn campus).. RSVP required

Public AstroTours are suitable for adults and children over seven years of age.

Dates and times: 30 June 2-2:50 PM; 7 July 2-2:50 PM; 8 July 7-7:50 PM

For more info go to the Swinburne outreach website.

Contact: Elizabeth Thackray on ethackray@swin.edu.au or (03) 9214 5569

CAS public lectures (Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University)

The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing holds regular free public lectures on the Hawthorn campus (usually in room EN313) at 6.30pm.

16 July 2010, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM TITLE: Planet formation: what do observations and theory tell us? SPEAKER: Sarah Maddison, Swinburne VENUE: Room BA201, Swinburne University, Hawthorn campus RSVP required

Contact: Elizabeth Thackray on ethackray@swin.edu.au or (03) 9214 5569

Upcoming public lectures: Date

Speaker

Title

20 Aug

Christopher Fluke, Swinburne

>From games to galaxies (room BA201)

17 Sep

Richard Ellis, Caltech

Gravitational lensing: Einstein’s unfinished symphony

15 Oct

Yuri Levin, Leiden Observatory

Black holes in astronomy

5 Nov

Robert Crain, Swinburne

TBA

19 Nov

Charles Lineweaver, ANU

The search for extra-terrestrials

For more info go to the Swinburne public astronomy lecture website.

Western Australia Gingin Observatory, Gingin

Gingin Observatory runs a variety of public events, many suitable for families, as well as regular stargazing tours. More info is available at the Observatory website or by contacting Carol Redford or Donna Vanzetti on (08) 9575 7740 or stars@ginginobservatory.com. Contact Carol or Donna to book into events. The Gravity Discovery Centre is open every day of the school holidays, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Special events include: Date

Time

Event

26 Jun

7:00 – 9:30 PM

Lunar eclipse special event

3 Jul

7:00 – 9:30 PM

Libra dark night stargazing

8 – 14 Jul

1:00 – 2:00 PM

Mini Daytime Space Adventures

9, 10 Jul

6:30 – 8:30 PM

Planet Parties!

3. AIP 2010 Congress – call for papers closing 9 July

The AIP 2010 Congress (5 – 9 December 2010) will be the biggest and most diverse scientific meeting of the Australian physics calendar. The Congress covers approximately 20 special interest groups and, in 2010, the incorporation of the Australian Conference on Optical Fibre Technology (this is only the second time that these two premier events have been brought together) will attract specialists from areas of telecommunication engineering.

The call for papers will close Friday 9 July and we encourage you to submit via the Congress website: http://www.aip2010.org.au/

4. Optical measurement wins Ken Baldwin recognition on World Metrology Day

Ken Baldwin’s pioneering work in manipulating atoms using precision laser techniques was recognised by the National Measurement Institute, who awarded him the Barry Inglis Medal for excellence in measurement science.

The optical measurement work done by Ken, from ANU, has the potential to enhance Australia’s bid for the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.

5. Monash University Physics positions vacant

The Monash University School of Physics seeks to appoint two Lecturers (Level B), who will lead the development of innovative research programmes in condensed matter physics.

For a position description and application information visit www.physics.monash.edu.au/employment.html#academic or contact Professor Michael Morgan on 03 9905 3645 or Michael.Morgan@sci.monash.edu.au. Applications close on Friday 2 July.

6. Dates for Physics Consultation Forums on the Draft Curriculum

The current VCE Physics course has only a couple of years to run. The draft of the new course is now available for review at http://www.vicphysics.org/nationalcurriculum.html

The new course has significant implications for teachers and students. Teachers are encouraged to participate in the consultation to ensure their voice is heard.

The forum on Friday 9 July is nominally for the presenters of the other forums to go through the presentation and discussion questions however others are welcome to register for this or the other forums.

To register please email the AIP at danok@bigpond.com with subject ‘Registration: Consultation forum’, giving your name, school and your chosen location.

Consultation forums will be held in the week beginning Monday 19 July at the following locations:

Date

Time

Location

9 July

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Kew

19 July

4:30 – 6:30 PM

Kew, Geelong, Sale

20 July

4:30 – 6:30 PM

Sunshine West, Horsham, Bendigo

21 July

4:30 – 6:30 PM

Northcote, Ballarat, Shepparton

21 July

5:00 – 7:00 PM

Mildura

22 July

4:30 – 6:30 PM

Mentone, Mt Eliza, Warrnambool

7. Science Prizes

Please consider if you know people who would be appropriate candidates for the following science prizes.

AIP medals, prizes and awards

Please note that the closing dates of the AIP awards (except the Bragg Gold Medal) have been extended until 16 July. The AIP awards prizes for outstanding work in physics in a number of different fields.

2011 Bragg Gold Medal for excellence in physics

The Bragg Gold Medal is awarded annually to the student who is judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in physics under the auspices of an Australian university.

The thesis must have been approved between 1 June 2009 and 1 July 2010. Each university may submit one candidate. Nominations from the universities must reach the secretary of the local state AIP branch by 1 July 2010. This award will be announced in Jan 2011.

For further information see the AIP website: Bragg Gold Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic, Special Project Officer, at olivia.samardzic@dsto.defence.gov.au or phone 0410 575 855.

2010 Walter Boas Medal

The Walter Boas Medal was established to promote excellence in research in physics and to perpetuate the name of Walter Boas (University of Melbourne 1938-47, CSIRO 1947-69). The award is for physics research carried out in the five years prior to the date of the award, as demonstrated by both published papers and unpublished papers prepared for publication.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Special Project Officer, at olivia.samardzic@dsto.defence.gov.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 16 July 2010.

For further information see the AIP website: Walter Boas Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

2010 Award for Outstanding Service to Physics in Australia

The AIP Award for Outstanding Service to Physics recognises an exceptional contribution on the part of an individual who gives great amounts of time and effort to the furtherance of physics as a discipline.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Special Project Officer, at olivia.samardzic@dsto.defence.gov.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 16 July 2010.

For further information see the AIP website: Outstanding Service or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

2010 Alan Walsh Medal for Service to Industry for Physics research in Australia

The Alan Walsh Medal is awarded biennially and recognises significant contributions by a practicing physicist to industry in Australia. The Award will be given for physics research and/or development that has led to patents, processes or inventions which, in the opinion of the judging panel, have led to significant industrial and/or commercial outcomes, such as devices that are being manufactured or have influenced a major industrial process.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Special Project Officer, at olivia.samardzic@dsto.defence.gov.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 16 July 2010.

For further information see the AIP website: Alan Walsh Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

2010 AIP Education Medal

This prize is to recognize an outstanding contribution to physics education in Australia. The prize is awarded biennially to any member of the AIP who is judged to have made a significant contribution to physics education in Australia. In determining the recipient of the award, the quality of the work, the significance to physics education, and the creativity displayed will be taken into account.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Special Project Officer, at olivia.samardzic@dsto.defence.gov.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 16 July 2010.

For further information see the AIP website: AIP Education Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

2010 Harrie Massey Medal

This prize is awarded every two years for contributions made by an Australian physicist working anywhere in the world, or to a non-Australian for work they have carried out in Australia.

Nominations should reach Olivia Samardzic, Special Project Officer, at olivia.samardzic@dsto.defence.gov.au or by mail at 205 Labs, EWRD, DSTO, P.O. Box 1500, Edinburgh, SA 5111 by 16 July 2010.

For further information see the AIP website: Harrie Massey Medal or contact Olivia Samardzic as above or phone 0410 575 855.

Other awards 2010 Unsung Hero Awards of South Australian Science

Two awards are on offer: one specifically for research and related science and one specifically for science communication. Nominees must be resident in South Australia and actively engaged in science research, scientific methodology, administration or practice which has been conducted in South Australia.

Nominations should reach Rona Sakko, National Science Week Coordinator – SA at rona.sakko@csiro.au or ronadel@dodo.com.au by 5pm on Friday 2 July 2010.

For further information see the AIP South Australia Branch website or contact Rona Sakko on 0419 827 723.

8. Seminars New South Wales Australian Telescope National Facility

The Australian Telescope National Facility holds regular colloquia on Wednesdays at 3.30pm (coffee at 3.15pm) in the ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre. More info here or contact Bjorn Emonts on Bjorn.Emonts@csiro.au or (02) 9372 4368.

There is nothing currently listed, check the website for updates.

School of Physics, University of Sydney

The School of Physics holds regular colloquia on Mondays at 3.15pm (refreshments from 3pm) in the Slade Lecture Theatre, School of Physics A28, University of Sydney. More info here or contact Bruce Yabsley (02) 9351 5970 or colloquium_chair@physics.usyd.edu.au. Date

Speaker

Title

28 June

Fiorenzo Omenetto, Tufts University

Silk photonics

School of Physics, University of NSW

The School of Physics holds regular colloquia on Tuesdays at 3-4pm in the School of Physics Common Room, Room 64, Old Main Building, University of NSW. More info here or contact Julian Berengut on jcb@phys.unsw.edu.au or (02) 9385 7637.

Date

Speaker

Title

7 July

Oliver Warschkow, University of Sydney

A Computational Chemists Perspective on Molecular Nanotechnology and Atomic Scale Device Fabrication

Queensland Physics Department, University of Queensland

The Physics Department holds regular colloquia on Fridays at 4pm (refreshments from 3.30pm) in Room 222, Parnell Building, University of Queensland. More info here or contact Chao Feng on uqcfeng1@uq.edu.au or (07) 3346 7719 Date

Speaker

Title

2 Jul

TBA

TBA

9 Jul

TBA

TBA

16 Jul

Michelle Wang

TBA

23 Jul

Miles Padgett

TBA

Victoria Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University

The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing holds regular colloquia, usually on Thursdays at 11.30am, in the Swinburne Virtual Reality Theatre (Room 104, AR Building). More info here or Jonathon Kocz on colloquium@astro.swin.edu.au.

Date

Speaker

Title

1 Jul

TBA

TBA

15 Jul

Bram Venemans, European Southern Observatory

TBA

22 Jul

Kim-Vy Tran, ITP, University of Zurich

TBA

29 Jul

Gerhardt Meurer, ICRAR, University of Western Australia

TBA

9. Conferences NEW 2010 IPOS Symposium Biophotonics Sydney, NSW 01 Jul – 03 Jul 2010 Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s National Convention (RACI 2010) and the 12th International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry (IUPAC 2010) Melbourne, Victoria 04 Jul – 08 Jul 2010 Astronomical Society of Australia Annual Science Meeting Hobart, Tasmania 05 Jul – 09 Jul 2010 Final registration 1 June 9th International Conference on Excitonic and Photonic Processes in Condensed and Nano Materials (EXCON’10) Brisbane, Queensland 11 Jul – 17 Jul 2010 NEW 15th International Conference for Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES15) Adelaide, South Australia 19 Jul – 23 Jul 2010 Statphys 24 Cairns, Queensland 19 Jul – 24 Jul 2010 22nd International Conference on Atomic Physics (ICAP2010) Cairns, Queensland 25 Jul – 31 Jul 2010 52nd International Field Emission Symposium (IFES2010) Crowne Plaza, Coogee Beach, Sydney, NSW 05 Aug – 09 Aug 2010 20th International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2010) Sydney, Australia 23 Aug – 28 Aug 2010 11th South Pacific Environmental Radioactvity Conference (SERA 2010) Gold Coast, Qld 31 Aug – 04 Sep 2010 2nd UNTREF International Congress on Acoustics 2010 Buenos Aires, Argentina 08 Sep – 11 Sep 2010 NEW 10th Conference of the Asian Crystallographic Association BEXCO, Busan, Korea 31 Oct – 04 Nov 2010 Early bird registration before August 15. NEW Joint Australian Physiological Society/Australian Society for Biophysics meeting National Wine Centre, Adelaide, SA 28 Nov – 02 Dec 2010 2010 AIP Congress Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Vic 05 Dec – 10 Dec 2010 NEW 4th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP 2011) Western Cape, South Africa 05 Apr – 09 Apr 2011 XXV International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) General Assembly: Earth on the Edge Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Vic 06 Jun – 08 Jul 2011 Register your expression of interest on the website to receive updates NEW XXII General Assembly and Congress of the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) Madrid, Spain 22 Aug – 31 Aug 2011 NEW IQEC/CLEO Pacific Rim 2011 Sydney, NSW 29 Aug – 02 Sep 2011 10. Submission deadlines for the bulletin and journal

Our next bulletin, to be sent out at the end of June, will cover events in July 2010. We welcome contributions about activities, conferences and announcements. Our next submission deadline is Friday 23 July. Please send your submissions to Niall Byrne or Margie Beilharz from Science in Public on margie@scienceinpublic.com.au or call (03) 9398 1416.

The AIP’s journal, Australian Physics, welcomes your articles. The deadline for the next issue is 16 July. Email your articles and ideas to the editor, Paulo De Souza on Paulo.Desouza@csiro.au. _________________________

For more information on physics events go to the AIP website and visit ‘physics events’ or your state branch.

If you know of anyone who would like to receive these updates, please feel free to forward this to them.

Kind regards,

Brian

posted on behalf of the Australasian Medical Writers Association

Registration is open for the 27th annual Australasian Medical Writers Association conference 27-28 August 2010 State Library of Victoria in Melbourne.

We have an exciting program this year. The highlights include: • Victorian Governor Professor David de Kretser, endocrine researcher and founder of Andrology Australia, will open the conference. • Sessions exploring the environment and our health, taboos and ethical issues in writing and an insider’s view of covering the conjoined twins separation. • Professional Development workshops in social media, writing for the general public and navigating the Cochrane library.

The entire program and online registration is available on the AMWA website http://www.medicalwriters.org/

Dear ASCers,

[cid:image003.jpg@01CB1797.4D747750]Welcome to July’s biodiversity bulletin with news and events throughout Australia-and also to Mr Blobby (see right, more details below).

In the next few weeks you can contribute to a sculpture serpent in Sydney, meet Adelaide’s river dolphins; follow Burke and Wills to Castlemaine; build a bat box in Perth; come face to face with a supercrocodilian in Darwin; and build environmental resilience at the Caloundra Gallery-all as part of the International Year of Biodiversity.

This is just some of what’s happening around the country; for full details of events and activities near you, read more below and visit www.biodiversity2010.org.au.

Many organisations are now using the website to promote their events. We are also keen to see photos, event reports and news posted there. It’s easy to use, so please help us build the buzz for the year. Visit the Your Say page at http://www.biodiversity2010.org.au/your-say/ to contribute your photos, stories and tweets.

We were pleased to receive 30 applications for our third grants round which closed earlier this week. Successful applicants should hear from us within two weeks.

In other biodiversity news:

Oscar Arriagada, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, has just announced that the Australian International Year of Biodiversity project has been accepted as an official partner with the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. Find out more about the Convention on Biological Diversity at http://www.cbd.int/

Eighty countries voted recently in Korea to establish a global body to tackle biodiversity loss. The Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will bridge the gap between scientific research and political action on biodiversity. It will be established at the UN General Assembly in September.

“The essence of this vision is to ensure environmental sustainability while pursuing development,” said the meeting’s chairman Chan-Woo Kim.

Darwin has been named Australia’s most sustainable city by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). The judges looked at key indicators including biodiversity, air quality and water. While Darwin scored highest and excelled in biodiversity, Perth was the least sustainable city. All Australian cities, however, need to work harder to reduce their ecological footprint, the ACF says.

Crack Theatre Festival project coordinators David Finnegan and Gillian Schwab have been liaising with Masters of Space and Time (MOSAT) to produce an original theatre performance on the theme of biodiversity. It will focus on human-triggered biodiversity loss. MOSAT, Crack and the Australian Museum team met in Sydney last week to confirm details for Sydney performances.

The winners of the 2010 United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards were announced on Friday 4 June at the Awards Presentation Dinner. For a full list of winners and finalists for the awards, visit www.unaavictoria.org.au/pages/awards-program/world-environment-day-awards.php

See www.biodiversity2010.org.au for more details, and to register your activities. Our next bulletin will cover August events. We are keen to communicate with anyone with an interest in biodiversity. Please pass this bulletin on to others you think might like to receive it.

Regards,

Niall Byrne, Science in Public on behalf of the Australian steering committee, International Year of Biodiversity.

Contents

Mr Blobby campaigns for biodiversity

Biodiversity conferences

Biodiversity events coming up

Mr Blobby campaigns for biodiversity

Perhaps you have heard about the not-so-cute Mr Blobby who featured on the ABC’s Gruen Transfer last week. Advertising agencies were invited to ‘sell’ him as part of a conservation campaign. They came up with some novel takes on how such a campaign could be fronted by something not so cute and cuddly.

Mr Blobby, a fish from the family Psychrolutidae who was found off the coast of New Zealand in 2003, now boasts more than 500 friends on Facebook (become one here), is on Twitter, and can be seen in all his blobby goodness at the Australian Museum in the ALIVE exhibition.

Biodiversity conferences

Over the coming months, several conferences will celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity. If you are interested in registering or submitting an abstract please visit the conference website. Here is a selection:

Biodiversity and World Food Security The Crawford Fund Parliamentary Conference 30 August – 1 September 2010, Canberra For further details see http://www.crawfordfund.org/conference.html

The Politics of Biodiversity NELA National Conference 20-23 October 2010, Canberra For further details see http://www.nela.org.au/node/174

>From Discovery to Delivery: Science, Policy, Leadership and Action EIANZ Conference 26-29 October 2010, Wellington NZ For further details see http://www.confer.co.nz/eianz2010/index.html

Sustaining biodiversity: the next 50 years Ecological Society of Australia – annual conference 6-10 December 2010 For further details see http://www.esa2010.org.au/

Biodiversity events coming up

Click on the link or visit www.biodiversity2010.org.au for full details of each event, and to see newly added events.

Australian Capital Territory Marine Biodiversity Hub Exhibition at Questacon – Ensuring a future for life in Australia’s oceans

Until 31 July, Questacon, Canberra

The exhibition contains images from Marine Biodiversity Hub partners (and a few more) and is curated by Mark Norman, Head of Science at Museum Victoria. The aim is to reach out to the general public (especially school students) and raise their awareness of the beauty and fragility of Australia’s marine biodiversity.

New South Wales Biodiversity and the Arts

11 September, 2010

The event is a pilot project for the Sydney Consortium, a UWS initiative which brings together key cultural institutions in Sydney. The theme of biodiversity and the arts will be approached in relation to three things that challenge the imagination and are therefore difficult to understand: ‘the world and everything in it’; ‘how things go together’; and ‘that things end’.

The events will involve two main components: works of visual art and poetry will be staged in the main exhibition space of the museum during the day, featuring work by artists and poets.

In the afternoon a panel of invited speakers from a range of disciplines will address the themes set out above, including the Miles Franklin award-winning novelist Alexis Wright, Astronomer and former Young Australian of the Year Brian Gaensler, and the philosopher Nikolas Kompridis.

ALIVE

Until 19 September, Australian Museum, Sydney

For the International Year of Biodiversity the Australian Museum has delved back into its historical stores to discover its own “world-wide” collection. These are objects we don’t normally display, revealed for just a few months in this special year.

Fashion Less Waste 2010: Biodiverse

Until 30 June, Strand Arcade/Australian Museum, Sydney

The Australian Museum’s annual Fashion Less Waste competition. Design winners and runners-up in each category will be on temporary public display at the Strand Arcade through June. Then they will be on temporary public display at the Australian Museum.

Serpent alive

Until 19 September, Australian Museum, Sydney.

You are invited to add to a sculptured serpent by weaving recycled materials to form a species-scape to symbolically portray the relative abundances of various life forms on earth. This sculpture will be a part of our Alive Program. Your help will bring this species scape Alive!

Born again beasties

Until 19 September, Australian Museum, Sydney.

Create a beastie born from recycled materials! Using a variety of recycled objects create your own beastie to represent an animal, plant, insect, spider or whatever your imagination can conjure. These mini sculptures will be displayed as a part of the International Year of Biodiversity and our Alive Program.

Out of the lab

1pm daily (2pm during school holidays), until 17 September, Australian Museum, Sydney.

Australian Museum scientists and researchers come out of their labs/offices to the Alive Program to mingle with the visitors in a variety of ways to highlight their research or collections. Activities include slide shows of field trips and/or specimens, discussing their work and how it relates to biodiversity, interactive activities and more!

Fantastic fungi in the interdependency of species

6:30 – 8:15pm, 1 July, Australian Museum, Sydney

Illustrated with never-before-seen photographs, Ray and Elma Kearney present some fascinating examples of the relationships between fungi and other organisms. It’s an awesome world where mushrooms glow in the dark and communicate using chemicals.

The marvellous mammals of Australasia

6:30pm – 8:15pm, 15 July, Australian Museum, Sydney

Australasia is the only place on the planet where you can find all three groups of living mammals – monotremes, marsupials and placentals. Mark Eldridge talks about his research which focuses on rock-wallabies and tree-kangaroos, and the secrets revealed by DNA technology.

Northern Territory Exhibition: Supercrocodilians: Darwin’s ultimate survival story

Until 20 January 2011, Museum and Art Gallery, Darwin

Come face to face with one of the largest crocodilians known to have ever existed, which may have measured more than 12 metres in length.

Parks Alive in the Top End

Until 30 September, Northern Territory National Parks

If you’d like to hear about wicked wetlands, riparian rambles, seashell stories or the passions of a ranger then head along to some of the Top End’s magnificent parks and reserves as the Territory Parks Alive program for 2010 has now commenced.

Queensland Biodiversity as infrastructure: Bio-diverse-city

Until 4 July, Caloundra Regional Art Gallery

This unique art exhibition concept explores new ideas about building social and environmental resilience through diversity.

Steve Irwin Memorial Lecture

6:15pm, 6 July, Eagle Street Conference Centre 175 Eagle St, Brisbane

Wildlife biologist, filmmaker and author, Dr Chadden Hunter has worked on a range of wildlife conservation films for the BBC, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and National Geographic. His latest project ‘Frozen Planet’ has seen him recently return from four months in Antarctica where he and Sir David Attenborough are documenting the effects of climate change on the polar regions.

South Australia Diversity at sea: port river dolphins

Until 10 December, South Australian Maritime Museum, Port Adelaide

School students in all year levels can explore the rich biodiversity of South Australia’s marine bioregions. The program draws in depth from the local and topical example of the Port River dolphin pod and students will engage in innovative and experiential activities, including role-play and storytelling, using the South Australian Maritime Museum’s resources. It will be available during school terms in 2010.

2010 Kangaroo Island planting festival

2 – 4 July, Lower Cygnet Valley, Kangaroo Island

Looking to volunteer with an environmental project making a big difference? The Kangaroo Island Planting Festival is three days of intensive planting activity to help restore the habitat of Kangaroo Island’s rarest plant life. Over the three days 80,000 plants will be planted and 40 kg of seed spread to reinstate over 40 ha of threatened plant habitat in the highly cleared lower Cygnet Valley on Kangaroo Island.

Murray Bridge Roadshow July 2010

10:30am – 2pm, 29 July

10:30am – 2pm, 30 July

10am – 3pm, 31 July

Murray Bridge Town Hall, 2 Seventh Street, Murray Bridge

The South Australian Museum’s Out of the Glass Case roadshow program is returning to the Murraylands to showcase scientific and cultural collections and stories related to the Murraylands region through school workshops and a community day.

Tasmania A Year of Wonder in the Island Arc

Until 21 December, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart

Hands-on real science and the wonder of discovery! Choose one or more of these elegant and achievable programs at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

Victoria Bug Blitz

20 August 2010, Castlemaine

To mark the 150th anniversary of the Burke and Wills expedition, the Royal Society, Bug Blitz and other partners are following in their footsteps. And while doing so they will be engaging students in a series of ‘hands on’ investigations of biodiversity in local habitats, raising awareness about the importance of science in our lives, and sharing knowledge of science via the arts.

Wild: amazing animals in a changing world

Until 30 December, Museum Victoria, Nicholson St, Carlton Gardens.

Be surrounded by the wonderful diversity of mammals, birds and reptiles from around the world. Experience Victorian environments such as alps, grassland, wetlands and discover why biodiversity is under threat and get clues about how we can create a more hopeful future.

Western Australia Amazing nature photography

29 April- 6 July, Western Australian Museum – Maritime, Fremantle

13 July- 28 August, Western Australian Museum- Kalgoorlie-Boulder

ANZANG Nature Photography is an exhibition that celebrates the depth and diversity of nature in Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and the New Guinea region through the eye of the nature photographer.

Great gardens workshops

6 – 9pm, 29 June, Community Room, Recreation Centre, Derby

6 – 9pm, 1 July, Marble Bar Civic Centre, Marble Bar

8:30 – 9:30pm, 2 July, Gallop Hall, Nullagine

6- 9pm, 2 July, Newman Recreation Centre, Newman

6 – 9pm, 3 July, Shire Hall, Meekatharra

Great Gardens has been a huge success with over 44,500 people attending one of 520 workshops held throughout the Perth Metro area and rural Western Australia since September 2003. Our workshops focus on Waterwise, Fertiliserwise, Energywise, Moneywise and Environmentwise ways we can all live in Western Australia.

Wild Antarctica

10am – 2pm, 4 – 18 July (excluding Wednesdays and Saturdays), Western Australia Museum – Maritime, Fremantle

Come and join the wonderful wildlife of Antarctica during the July school holidays. Make your own Penguin Craft sculpture and decorate your ‘Wild Antarctica’ pop-up. You can also guess which animal is the best in ‘Antarctic Deep Diving’ Competition.

Bat box building with nest box specialist Joe Tonga

9am, 8 July, Perth Zoo

Did you know that there are bats flying around after dark in Perth? You may never see them but they’re there! Come to Perth Zoo to learn about microbats from local bat expert Joe Tonga. Then build your own bat box to provide much needed homes for the microbats of Perth.

‘Dingo trail scavenger hunt’ children’s competition

3pm, 9 – 10 July, Kununurra Agricultural Society Show Grounds, Corner of Ivanhoe Rd and Coolibah Drive, Kununurra

As part of the Kununurra Agricultural Society 38th Annual Show a competition is being run for children 6-9yrs and 10-13yrs to follow the dingo tracks and clues from one habitat to another, collecting objects and answering questions. Prizes to be won include a family stay at the Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge, passes to Australia Zoo and more.

Seabirds of Western Australia

6pm, 9 July, NWS Theatre WA Museum – Maritime, Fremantle

Take a journey with Ron Johnstone, Curator of Ornithology on the seabird highway that runs from eastern Indonesia to the sub-Antarctic. From the equator to the poles, seabirds are a health marker for our seas.

Wild about animals

9am – 1pm, 13 -15 July, Education and Conference Centre, Perth Zoo

Join Perth Zoo and RSPCA for a fun-filled day learning about how to care for animals. Children 10-14 Years visit behind the scenes with Zoo animals. They also learn how the RSPCA cares for animals and discover ways to improve the care of some special ones.

Cockatoos in crisis

12pm, 16 July, Glauert Room – Perth Cultural Centre

Ron Johnstone, Curator of Ornithology at the WA Museum will take a look at three endemic, endangered cockatoos, Baudin’s, Carnaby’s and the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, and learn about their unique conservation challenges.

Collecting marine life in the Kimberley

7pm, 22 – 23 July, Western Australian Museum – Albany, Co-operative Building

The WA Museum has been investigating marine fauna in the Kimberley for over 30 years. And all this done in the sometimes hair-raising territory of sharks and crocodiles! This lecture is part of the The Harry Butler lecture series, In the Wild West.

Mini muses – Cathy Coolbardie

10 – 11:30am, 29 July, WA Museum – Albany

In the world of magpies, being the boss is all a matter of black and white! Find out why being boss is not all good news. Mini Muses are a fun series of junior sessions (children 5 years and under) which will introduce your child to the wonderful native creatures of Western Australia. You will have the chance to meet live animals such as possums, turtles, lizards and kangaroos and their wildlife carers.

To get your event mentioned in the next bulletin, please add it to the online biodiversity event calendar.

For ASC members in Adelaide:

Thinking critically about sustainable energy: our fossil fuel future Barry Brook, Susie Smith, Bassam Dally, John Kaldi Wednesday 7 July 6.00 – 7.30pm The Science Exchange

Free but booking essential http://www.riaus.org.au/events/2010/07/07/thinking_critically_about_sustainable_energy_fossil_fuel_future.jsp

Fossil fuels have a high energy density and provide an excellent source of energy when burned. However during the combustion process a number of pollutants are released such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals and carbon dioxide.

Can we continue to burn fossil fuels and hope to cut the emissions of these environmentally damaging by-products? How far advanced are carbon capture technologies and are they a viable means of reducing carbon emissions in the face of climate change?

Join Professor Barry Brook as he invites his expert panel to discuss our fossil fuel future. What is the potential for the next generation combustion systems that burn fossil fuels in cleaner and more efficient ways and how they can be integrated into our existing systems? Likewise, what options are available for the geosequestration of CO2 and how will these carbon capture and storage mechanisms work within our existing infrastructure? And how is industry approaching these challenges?

This event is one of six public forums aimed at providing a comprehensive examination of sustainable energy technologies and critical evaluation of their potential for reducing carbon emissions. Come along, hear what the experts think and ask your own questions about our fossil fuel future.

In association with the Centre for Energy Technology, Environment Institute/Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources.

[cid:image001.jpg@01CAC114.BFE6C880] Steve Kern Senior Programs Co-ordinator

Ri Australia PO Box 3652 RUNDLE MALL SA 5000 Ph: (08) 7120 8604 | Fax: (08) 8221 6563 | skern@riaus.org.au| www.riaus.org.au The Royal Institution of Australia Inc is a Charitable Institution and is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) ABN: 98638459658

Think B4U Print 1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere 3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water

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To any ASC members and list subscribers in WA, this event was a huge success last time, generating some lively debate and an enjoyable evening. To guarantee your spot, turn up from 5.30pm onwards.

(Posted on behalf of Renee Sayers, Scitech)

THE CHANGING FACE OF SECURITY

Our concept of security is changing, and so is the terror game. Global, Cyber, Space and Biological… what’s next?

Scitech is pleased to present free evenings of lively banter that will spark curiosity, ignite discussion and leave you questioning the world as you know it.

The next edition of Profs and Pints will be held on Tuesday 29 June at The Flying Scotsman – Velvet Lounge from 6.00 – 8.00pm where we will delve into the world of technology and security.

Speakers include: Profs: Rajat Ganguly (Murdoch), Ba-Tuong Vo (UWA Engineering), Bernadette Bradley (UWA Biosafety) and Chris Mounkley from CyberTechnology

So grab your friends, fetch a drink and pull up a chair as we pose the question – has technology and censorship revolutionised the terror game?

www.scitech.org.au Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scitech/82423139654 or see what’s being said on Twitter http://twitter.com/ScitechWA/ .

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Dear Colleagues,

A number of our department’s overseas students are interested in engaging a proof reader to assist them in preparing their PhD thesis. Please contact Ms Denise Yuille on pgmail@chw.edu.au if you’re interested, or can provide information about proof-readers based in Sydney. Kind regards, Jennifer Byrne

> —–Original Message—– > From: Denise Yuille > Sent: Monday, 28 June 2010 11:59 AM > To: Jennifer Byrne > Subject: Professional Proofreader / editor of PhD thesis > > Dear Jenny > > If you could email the Australian Science Communicators for > professional proofreaders / editors of PhD thesis, it would be > appreciated. I will then circulate the list to students. > > thanks > > regards > Denise > Denise Yuille | Postgraduate Research Student Administrative Officer | > Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health | The Children’s Hospital at > Westmead Clinical School | The University of Sydney > t: (02) 9845 3435 | f: (02) 9845 3389 | e: pgmail@chw.edu.au | w: > http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/chw/ | Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri | Level 3, > Clinical School, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Cnr Hawkesbury > Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead | Locked Bag 4001, Westmead NSW > 2145 > and Sandra Harris | Postgraduate Coursework Student Administrative > Officer | Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health > t: (02) 9845 3370 | f: (02) 9845 3389 | e: pgmail@chw.edu.au | Mon, > Thurs, Fri > > >

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Views expressed in this message and any attachments are those of the individual sender, and are not necessarily the views of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead

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The Australian Science Communicators of South East Queensland would like to invite you to a social evening:

Speed networking – like speed dating with science – a social networking opportunity. Regatta hotel main Bar Thursday July 1 6 pm Come and join us for nibbles and drinks and debate science one on one.

Free for members and non-members

You can RSVP on the ASC QLD face book site or with an email to me. http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=133978093286739&mid=28de324G5a58921eG1cec54eG42&n_m=sophieljbaker%40gmail.com

Hope to see you there Regards Sophie

National Science Week competition is off with a big bang, whoops, blog

The Big Blog Theory competition has just opened to find the best of science communicating in the blogasphere or blogiverse.

ASC is represented in the mix as the three competition judges are all ASC members, Wilson da Silva, Kristin Alford, Daniel Keogh and Jesse Shore. But expect no special treatment from this allegedly impeccably impartial quartet.

Check out the website – http://thebigblogtheory.com.au/, and the judges – http://thebigblogtheory.com.au/?page_id=84 and nominate your fave blogger and microblogger. Nominations close 28 June 2010.

Good luck to all who enter,

Jesse Shore

Unbribable ASC President

Jesse Shore, PhD

Prismatic Sciences

Science communicator

P: (02) 9810 2328 M: 0415 841 276 E: jesse@prismaticsciences.com W: http://www.prismaticsciences.com/ www.prismaticsciences.com

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Translating science into action Science is a discipline that can make a major difference to society, but scientific results often need some help to be translated into actions. This joint event considers the different disciplines that help convert science content into actions in the community:

– Extension officers are educating farmers about scientific research that can improve their crop yields and farming practices

– Interpretation experts are informing the community about scientific research that helps study and protect natural resources

– Science communicators are promoting scientific research that is making a difference to our health, society and economy.

Join representatives of these three disciplines to discuss the different challenges and techniques involved, and the similarities and differences between them. A panel of experts representing the Australian Science Communicators, the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network and Interpretation Australia will provide an overview of their disciplines, and will discuss how they would tackle a hypothetical situation in the community.

Date: Thursday 1 July from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm Venue: CSIRO Discovery, Black Mountain site, Clunies Ross St, Acton Price: $5 for APEN/IA/ASC members, $10 for non-members, including refreshments RSVP (for catering): ASCcanberra@gmail.com

For more information, including speaker details, see http://www.asc.asn.au/2010/06/science-into-action