Dear {Contact_First_Name},

Registration and the call for abstracts is now open for the AIP Congress later this year. Submission of abstracts closes 15 Jul, but you have until 2 Dec to register. I look forward to hearing Nobel Laureates Donna Strickland and Kip Thorne speak, as well as other amazing talks from local and international colleagues.

On the topic of talks, be sure to save the date for when our Women in Physics lecturer Katarina Miljkovic makes her way to your state and gives her public lecture.

We will have a new government mid-year and, whatever side of the aisle they are from, it represents a chance to rebuild relations with the science sector. The four projects announced as part of the current government’s approximately $250-million Trailblazer Universities Program are an encouraging step in the direction of translating research into commercial outcomes.

In other news, the uptake of mathematics in high schools has been dropping over the past decade and a recent report from the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) has shown the decline is accelerating. This is extremely worrying for physics in particular and for Australian society at large. STEM literacy is required if Australia is to be more tech savvy. The AIP supports the AMSI in its campaign to reverse the decline.

Elsewhere in the world, it is a good sign that Ukraine has been fast-tracked for admission as a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).

On a final note, the deadline for nominations of several AIP awards has been extended from 1 May to 15 May. Please consider nominating a colleague.

All the best,

Sven Rogge
President, Australian Institute of Physics
aip_president@aip.org.au

 

Rock on: 2022 Women in Physics Lecture tour dates announced 

"The history of our Universe is a history of impacts when things collide."

Astrophysicist Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic (Curtin University) will be giving her public lecture, entitled 'Impacts! Rocks from space colliding with planets', in schools and universities across the country, starting in May and running through to Sep. 

Dates, locations, and a short documentary here.

 

Two Nobel Prize winners to give plenaries at 2022 AIP Congress

Registrations and Call for Abstracts now open

Register to attend the 24th AIP Congress in Adelaide from 11-16 Dec and you’ll be able to watch two Nobel Prize winners for Physics  Professors Donna Strickland (University of Waterloo) and Kip Thorne (Caltech)  give plenary lectures.

Read more on the Congress here

 

Australia-US space collaboration to deliver benefits on Earth

Government commits $1.2B to Earth Observation 

The Australian Space Agency has signed a joint Statement of Intent with NASA, agreeing to work together on enhancing Earth observation from space, including capturing data about the Earth’s climate. The initiative is expected to drive growth in our local space sector.

Read more here.

 

AIP awards still open for nomination

You can still nominate a physics star for an AIP award.

The closing date has been extended to 15 May for several awards, including the Walter Boas Medal, Harrie Massey Medal, and Ruby Payne-Scott Award. 

Nominations for the Women in Physics Lectureship and Outstanding Service to Physics in Australia Award close 1 Jun.

Read the full list of awards and deadlines here

 

Thank you for supporting physics in Australia

Thank you for being a valued member of the AIP! If you have any questions or would like to discuss any initiatives, please email aip@aip.org.au or phone 0478 260 533. 

 

More news

  • For detecting supernovae and electrical storms, amateur astronomers were recently awarded the two 2022 Page Medals by the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA). The first recognised a group of six friends called The Backyard Observatory Supernova Search (BOSS) team, who have so far found 200 supernovae. The second recognised the contributions of mine worker Trevor Barry, who discovered a massive electrical storm on Saturn in 2008 and continues to provide data on storms on other planets to NASA and other professional bodies.  
  • Is Veritasium right in saying that electrical energy doesn’t flow in wires? Rewatch our electrifying zOOm into Physics discussion in March.
  • Catch up on the latest and future developments in physics, mathematics, biology, and chemistry presented at the 2022 Frontiers of Science Forum 2022. This was a joint event between the AIP, the Teachers' Guild of NSW, The Royal Society of New South Wales, and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.
  • Our 2011 Women in Physics lecturer Professor Tamara Davis AM is featured in the scicomm documentary film, Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography (2022). The documentary tells the story of carbon’s origins and its importance in evolution of life on Earth and our future. It also features astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe. The film is screening in cinemas and festivals worldwide and is coming soon to ABC TV and iView. 
  • Present a physics-related comedy, demonstration, quiz etc. at the AIP NSW’s 2022 Physics in the Pub night. Hosted by Dr Phil Dooley of Phil Up on Science. Nominate using this form. Entries close on 17 Jun.
  • A visiting delegation from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) recently toured the laboratory of Professor Elisabetta Barberio (Director of the Centre for Dark Matter Particle Physics). The visit follows an announcement by the CNRS, Europe's largest public research institution, that it will co-locate its Oceanic Representative Office at the University of Melbourne.  Prof Barberio was our 2018 Walter Boas Medal winner and 2013 Women in Physics lecturer. She is currently collaborating with CNRS on research illuminating the nature of neutrinos and dark matter.
       

      Comms support and physics stand-up comedy: Rachel Rayner #PhysicsGotMeHere

      “As physicists, we can see this extra layer of existence that others don't: photons interacting with electrons, cosmic rays travelling through the air…”

      Science communicator Rachel Rayner delights and educates audiences as she takes them on a journey about quantum physics and the electromagnetic spectrum in her recent comedy show, 'A Flying Photon'. She also works as a Communications Advisor at CSIRO.

      Read her career profile here.

       

      Aboriginal science and art, James Webb telescope & Physical Scientist of the Year

      • Connections between first nations, land and country
      • CSIRO's Dr Keith Banner is Physical Scientist of the Year
      • Australia's contribution to the James Webb telescope
      • Addressing the underrepresentation of women in physics

      The 2022 Jan-Mar edition of Australian Physics magazine is available here. Learn more including about the cover art here.

       

      Upcoming events 

      International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors | Sydney | 26 Jun — 1 Jul

      STEM Education and Industry Forum - AIP NSW & the Teachers' Guild of NSW | Sydney | 28 Sep

      Engineering & Physical Sciences in Medicine Conference | Adelaide | 13 — 16 Nov

      Gordon Godfrey Workshop on Spins, Topology & Strong Electron Correlations | Sydney | 21 25 Nov  

      24th AIP Congress | Adelaide | 11 — 16 Dec

      Are you running an event? Email the details to your branch chair or events@aip.org.au and it can be posted to the AIP website. Some events are profiled in our monthly newsletter and shared through the AIP social media accounts. 

         

        Australian physics in the news

        • Ultra-strong magnetic fields could prevent neutron stars from forming black holes (Physics World)
        • Want to be sustainable and cool? Choose fans more and aircon less (Eurasia Review) 
        • NASA on-board for Aussie mission (The Australian)

        • Photon finish: Teleportation research takes a quantum leap forward (Brisbane Times)

        • Dr Suzie Sheehy: ‘The eureka moment may come once in your career, or never’ (The Guardian)

        • Space missions excite school students for STEM (ABC News Radio)

        • Amateur Broken Hill astronomer wins Astronomical Society of Australia award (ABC News)

          • Backyard stargazers win top prize (The Canberra Times)
          • UNSW Exclusive: unlocking the potential of singlet fission for future PV devices (PV Magazine)
          • The Matter of Everything review: A pacy look at 20th-century physics (New Scientist)
          • ANU launches quantum-powered random number generator on AWS Marketplace (ZDNet)
               

              Jobs corner

              Sydney Quantum Academy PhD scholarships

              Want a career in researching quantum physics and developing quantum technology? Apply for one of Sydney Quantum Academy’s PhD scholarships and get a competitive edge in the future quantum workforce.

              Closes 4 May. Details
              here.

              Research Fellow in Experimental Physics

              Make a global impact in the electronics and energy sectors by conducting research in experimental atomic and optical physics and quantum degenerate gases. Work within the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University as part of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET).  

              Closes 9 May. Details here

              Canada Excellence Research Chair in Physics

              Ryerson University (Canada) is looking to recruit global talent in medical physics to join the Faculty of Science through the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program. Successful program applicants will be appointed as a tenured Professor/Associate Professor.
              Closes 31 May. Details here.  

              Other opportunities

              See here for a list of selected physics-related jobs, including Director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Australian National University), Research Fellow in Lasers (University of South Australia), and Silicon Irradiations Engineer (ANSTO).

              Each year, Physics World publishes Physics World Careers, a guide aimed at helping those with a physics background make informed decisions about their career path. Download a copy of Physics World Careers 2022 here

              We can provide a free link to your physics-related job or PhD opportunity. If you would like to advertise your job, we can feature more details and a picture for a small cost. Email Kirrily Rule for more information.

               

              Contact us

               

              Thank you to our supporters


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              Sent by Science in Public, on behalf of the Australian Institute of Physics, www.aip.org.au. Enquiries and contributions to: Tara Bautista by the 20th of each month physics@scienceinpublic.com.au / (03) 9398 1416

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