One of the perks of my role as Chief Scientist is that I’m always discovering new and exciting things about the world. Marine biology is certainly not my field of expertise. I grew up in Nebraska, in mid-west America, about two thousand kilometres from the nearest ocean and spent my research career looking up studying the stars, not looking down into the depths of the oceans.

Ready to take the plunge in my stinger suit

Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef for the first time

Amelia of the Office of the Chief Scientist, reports for duty

The Sharks International Conference was the first meeting of the world’s top shark and ray experts in 20 years and it is a great tribute to Australian marine scientists that they played such a large role in organising it.  In my tours in the Cairns area, including of the Low Isles Research Facility off the coast of Port Douglas, I found sharks fascinating, not only for their prowess in the water, but for their contributions to science. 

Feeding a pair of leopard sharks that will be involved in a breeding program co-ordinated by Public Aquariums overseas.

A silvertip reef shark bound for display in one of the largest Public Aquaria in the world situated in Dubai.

Humans have been exploiting sharks from our very early history, not only as food, but using their livers for folk remedies for the ill, their skins as sand paper and most famously in the grips of samurai swords.  We continue to learn from sharks, as nature’s evolutionary pathways have equipped them with some of the solutions to the problems we face as humans today.

For example, the tight ‘chain mail’ of overlapping ridged teeth on the surface of sharks has been found to not only reduce water vortex formation, but also reduce the ability of organisms to set up residence, such as algae and barnacles.

Shark denticles up close.

Human innovation has used this aerodynamic information from sharks to develop fighter jets in the US and develop swimsuits for our athletes.  Speedo’s Fastskin® racing swimsuit developed from studies into the aerodynamics of sharks, which reduces drag while swimming, was worn by 83% of swimming medallists at the 2000 Olympics.

The shark-inspired Olympic swimsuit

Evidence of shark research can also be found in our hospitals where ‘sharklet’ surfaces are used on door handles and bed rails.  The Sharklet™ surface was developed by a materials science professor at the University of Florida with diamond-shaped ridge patterns modelled after the size and depth of shark denticle ridges. These ridges reduce the ability of bacteria to survive making them perfect for sterile environments.

The same concept of shark dentricles reducing bacteria growth is currently being marketed to the shipping industry for its potential as an anti-fouling agent to prevent barnacles growing on hulls of ships.

In energy production, the almost symmetrical, lunar crescent-like fin tails of great white sharks were the inspiration for a prototype tidal energy generator developed by Australian company BioPower Systems.

BioPower's tidal energy generator

In medicine, researchers studying elephant sharks, (though not technically sharks), found that the genes governing their immune system are very similar to those of humans.  Shark genetics could reveal new important information about the human body, particularly as shark immune systems far surpass human ability to ward off infection and disease.

Just as I was coming to terms with the science of some of our biggest ocean creatures, I was whisked away to study some of the smallest airborne creatures.  At the University of Queensland’s Mosquito Research Facility, scientists are developing a way to eliminate Dengue Fever worldwide.  Injecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacteria shortens the lifespan of mosquitoes, which must live at least 12 days in order to pass Dengue on to humans.  The researchers hope that by breeding mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacteria already in them, they will pass it onto their offspring, rendering mosquitoes incapable of passing the disease on to humans. They also found that when mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacteria were exposed to Dengue fever, the virus couldn’t grow, potentially rendering them immune to Dengue.    

Despite some mild drama when a bite appeared on the ankle of my trusty colleague from the Office of the Chief Scientist as we were invited to “feed” laboratory subjects, we managed to escape with our wits and most of our blood intact.

Please don't give me Dengue! A mosquito feeds on Amelia

To cap off a whirlwind month of travel that included working to improve climate change science communication, championing our national maths and science Olympiad teams, and a delivering a speech on ethics, scientists and society, I visited Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand.  There I met with delegates from the Ministries of Research, Science and Technology; and of Foreign Affairs and Trade, where I was able to discuss potential areas of collaboration between Australia and New Zealand, particularly through the Global Research Alliance and our work to be host countries for the Square Kilometre Array.

If you want to find out more about sharks and marine biology visit:
Cairns Marine: http://www.cairnsmarine.com/
Australian Institute of Marine Science: http://www.aims.gov.au/
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/
Reef Education: http://www.reefed.edu.au/

More Cairns photos:

Admiring a school of Blue Tang collected from the remote reefs of the Willis Island Group, with Lyle Squire Junior of Cairns Marnie

Well hello there! A meeting with a Maori wrasse

Photo credits
Shark denticles: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH
Fastskins suits: BBC news UK

My trip started in Annapolis Maryland,where I attended a board meeting of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). At the meeting, we discussed several international astronomy ventures including the Gemini telescopes of which Australia is a partner, alongside the USA, UK, Canada, Argentina and Brazil.

A 'shooting star' over the Manua Kea Gemini observatory in Hawaii

 The twin Gemini telescopes are among the most powerful optical/infra-red telescopes in the world, and from their high altitude mountain locations in Hawaii and Chile, can collectively access the entire sky. I also promoted a competition on facebook that gave school students the chance to win time on the Chilean telescope, so I hope the lucky winner takes full advantage of the impressive equipment that Gemini has to offer, some of which was designed and built in Australia.

 April also saw the 20th birthday of the Hubble Space Telescope, which continues to be an important scientific tool.  As part of the AURA meeting, I was treated to a viewing of a 3D IMAX film about Hubble including incredible footage of astronauts servicing the telescope in space. ‘Hubble 3D’ will be showing in Australia from August 13. 

The hubble telescope against the Earth's horizon

The AURA meeting was my last as a board member and though I was sad to resign my post, I am certain the challenges and opportunities I face as Chief Scientist for Australia will keep me busy enough. Astronomy has been an international field for centuries and I hope that tradition continues with the work of the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, which Australia hopes to host.

After Maryland, I headed north to Washington DC to celebrate ANZAC Day in a ceremony held at the National Cathedral of the United States, which was attended by both Australian and New Zealand ambassadors. It was a moving and meaningful ceremony that included music from a variety of cultures – hearing the rhythmic didgeridoo echo hauntingly throughout the cathedral was not something I will soon forget.

The National Cathedral of the United States

Later, I was invited to a dinner hosted by the Ambassador for Australia to the US, the Hon Kim Beazley AO which included other esteemed guests such as Dr John Holdren, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr Arden Bement Jr, Director of the National Science Foundation and Dr Jeremy Berg, Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences amongst others. The dinner led to a rousing round table discussion on the importance of science in tackling the next great challenges for humanity .  It was a very intellectually stimulating evening – giving food for thought a new meaning! While I was in Washington DC, I also had the opportunity to brief embassy staff about the role and priorities of the Office of the Chief Scientist.

Dinner at the Ambassador's residence (l-r): Mrs Cheryl Holdren, Ms Joan Diamond, Dr Cora marrett, Mr David Stuart, Ambassador Kim Beazley AC, Professor penny Sackett, Dr John Holdren, Dr Jeremy Berg, Dr Arden Bement Jr, Ms Rachel Stephen-Smith, the Hon. Daniel Poneman

From there, I flew across the country to San Francisco where I was met by Professor Daniel Kammen who has recently been announced as Senior Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) Fellow to advise Western hemisphere governments on clean energy issues by Secretary of the State, Hillary Clinton. Professor Kammen is also the Director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (REAL) at the University of California, Berkeley.

Professor Daniel Kammen and myself

The laboratory has done a great deal of excellent work to assist communities of various sizes around the world to reduce their carbon footprint.  I was particularly impressed by methods to inform and empower individuals to assess and reduce their carbon emissions. Check out CoolCalifornia.org, which is a sort of facebook online community where you can track your emissions and compare and compete with friends and colleagues.

A screen shot of the community tool on CoolCalifornia.org

While I was in California I also enjoyed speaking to Dian Grueneich, Public Utilities Commissioner for California. Despite the challenges of enacting national climate change legislation in the US, California has its own strategic plan for greenhouse gas emission reductions. I suspect given their similarities in climate and a keen interest in science, Australia and California may have much to learn from one another in energy efficiency, water and resource management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

As soon as I landed back home in Canberra, my office and I began working flat out on other programs. That week, I presented at a ‘Green Sport Dinner’ as part of the Sir Mark Oliphant Conference on Clean Technology Solutions in Melbourne sponsored by CSIRO and DIISR. There, I discussed the environmental impact of sport entertainment and how it could become more ecologically sustainable. Other speakers included Dr David Martin of the Australian Institute of Sport and Peter Bowtell of Arup group who designed the Beijing Olympic ‘cube’. You can download my speech and the accompanying slides here.

Greensport dinner presenters (l-r): Peter Bowtell, Professor Penny Sackett and Dr David Martin at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The same week, I issued a media statement urging action on climate change at a time when national governments the world over face challenges in enacting legislation. The release garnered media interest and I gave a number of interviews around the release and the urgency that all sectors of community take action to combat and adapt to climate change. Those interviews were used in AM and FM Radio news bulletins across Australia, on ABC TV news and in articles in many newspapers across the nation including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the West Australian, The Australian, Brisbane Times, Courier Mail, Daily Telegraph and the Advertiser. The feedback I have received has been mostly positive, and I appreciate the support. It is  important that we use any opportunity we can to remind people of the dangers of climate change and the urgency with which we need to act.  The ability to act lies in the hands of individuals, communities, and business sectors, as well as with governments.

The month ahead looks just as busy so I’m sure there’ll be more exciting adventures to report soon.

 -Penny

Special thanks to NASA at hubblesite.org and Gemini Observatory/AURA at www.gemini.edu for the use of images.

The Prizes recognise the life-long commitment and achievements of recipients in their role using science to advance human welfare or to benefit society at large and I look forward to learning more about this year’s diverse range of nominees.

Past recipients of the major prize, the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, include Dr. John O’Sullivan who was responsible for work which provided the foundations for the invention of WiFi internet and Australia’s first female Nobel Laureate, Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, who co-discovered telomerase, a finding that may prove to be crucial in the fight against cancer and other diseases.

Winners of the 2009 Prime Minister's Prizes for Science: (L-R) Mr Allan Wittome, Mr Len Altman, Professor Michael Cowley, Dr Amanda Barnard, The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia, Dr John O’Sullivan, The Hon Senator Kim Carr, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research

The Prizes are awarded in five categories:

• Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, worth $300,000 and awarded to an individual or up to four individuals jointly
• Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year, worth $50,000
• Science Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year, worth $50,000
• Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools, worth $50,000
• Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools, worth $50,000

Each year, I look forward to meeting not only the outstanding Australian scientists whose research impacts our lives, but also the science teachers who continually inspire their students to pursue and value science. Excellent science teaching cannot only be focused on creating a class of professors and researchers, but must also transit an enthusiasm for science by stimulating curiosity about the world and teaching ways to inquire and learn about the world through that curiosity. In our current education climate, in which science and math enrolments are falling in schools and universities Australia-wide, great teaching deserves to be rewarded.

For the fourth year now, L’Oreal Australia has sponsored three ‘For Women in Science’ fellowships, intended to help early-career female scientists consolidate their careers and rise to positions of scientific leadership. The fellowships are awarded to women who have completed their PhD in the last five years and play a valuable role in inspiring females to achieve excellence in science. I have no doubt that the three women chosen from the 2010 applications will be outstanding examples of the achievements women can make in science.

Meanwhile, as the nominations flow in thick and fast, I will be jetting off on my own scientific mission to the USA. While in America, I will be attending my last annual meeting of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Maryland. Having been a member representative and a Board member for 7 years, I decided to resign from the Association as the demands as the Chief Scientist grow ever more exciting and consuming.

From Maryland, I will visit the Hon Kim Beazley AC, Ambassador to the USA with the Australian Embassy. There I will be able to talk to Mr Beazley about my position as Chief Scientist, the role of my team, as well as having the opportunity to discuss current issues in science such as climate change, security and the science of learning.

From Washington DC, I’ll then be travelling coast to coast to meet with Professor Daniel Kammen, Professor in the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Kammen has done fantastic work on renewable energy technologies and environmental resource management and I am excited to meet with him to discuss our global future in the face of climate change.

I hope to provide updates on facebook throughout my trip, if you haven’t signed up yet, have a look at www.facebook.com/chiefscientist

Otherwise, I will be sure to include information on the outcomes of my visits in my next blog, so stay tuned.

Penny

The main report that was presented was titled, ‘Transforming Learning and the Transmission of Knowledge: Preparing a learning society for the Future’ which uses science to challenge a number of commonly held beliefs about how the brain functions, learns and ages.  These include: 

• ‘No new nerve cells can be made in the brain after birth, especially not in a mature or older adult’ - This is incorrect. The number of nerve cells is largely complete by the first few years of life.  However, the brains of the majority of older people contain virtually the same number of neurons as that found in a young adult.  Furthermore, it is now clear that new nerve cells are made throughout life in regions of the brain associated with learning and memory.
• ‘Men and women learn differently because they have different types of brains’ - This is incorrect.  Sex hormones do affect certain brain characteristics like the size and number of certain types of nerve cells.  However, there are no studies that show any basic differences in the mechanisms underlying learning and memory.
• ‘You can learn in your sleep’ - This may be half-true.  Learning of new material probably doesn’t occur during sleep.  However, periods of sleep or restfulness may allow memories to be replayed.  Such replay can help to strengthen the memories.
• ‘There are critical periods when certain types of learning must occur’ - This is half-true.  There are periods when learning skills like language are ‘easier’. However, the brain maintains its ability to make new connections and memories throughout life. This means that learning any sort of skill is possible at any age.  For instance, language acquisition is possible even in old age, although it may be slower and more difficult. 
• ‘Use it or lose it’ - This old adage appears to be largely correct.  The connections between nerve cells in the brain (synapses) that store memory are dependent on constant reinforcement.  Continually providing stimulus through exploration or gaining new knowledge appears to be vital for maintaining maximum mental functioning.

As a separate agenda item, ideas were also discussed in the broad sphere of the National Health, Wellbeing and Security of Australia, with the goal of identifying some of the most transformational futures in this domain as candidates for future PMSEIC reports.

I encourage you to take a look at a copy of the ‘Transforming Learning and the Transmission of Knowledge’ report that was very well received at this meeting, which can be accessed via the PMSEIC website. 

You can also view my appearance on last night’s episode of Lateline, where I discussed this report in addition to other topical issues of science.

Penny

Professor Blackburn engages young students in an activity at Questacon

Each event in honour of Professor Blackburn was aimed at giving a different target audience the opportunity to interact with the Nobel Laureate in a personal way.

Starting at Questacon in the morning, we were quite fortunate to have the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd not only address the audience, but also participate in an activity conducted by the Questacon Excited Particles.  This hands on experience illustrated Professor Blackburn’s team discovery of the role of Telomerase, the enzyme responsible for maintaining the end of chromosomes to prevent them from being damaged during replication.  The ability of the Excited Particles to convey this complex science to a group of year 5 and 6 students was truly magical.

In the afternoon, we moved on to the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the ANU, where Professor Blackburn and I conducted a question and answer session with approximately 150 year 12 students.  Questions came not only from Canberra students, but from National Youth Science Forum students across Australia.  The students made the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience; every question was thought provoking and many quite technical.  Professor Blackburn and I enjoyed ourselves so much we continued to take questions from the audience well into overtime. The response and enthusiasm was a delight to see face to face.

Footage from the question and answer session will be available on both the Chief Scientist website and facebook shortly.

Professor Elizabeth Blackburn entertains Professor Sackett and guests at the Parliament House cocktail party

Finally in the evening, my Office and I arranged for an, ‘Inspirational Women in Leadership’ cocktail party at Parliament House.  As no visit to Canberra is complete without a trip to the Hill, Parliament House provided a spectacular backdrop of views for our event.  At the party we were joined by some of Australia’s most inspirational women who represented areas as diverse as politics, defence, healthcare, scientific research, technology and NGOs.

All of the guests were in awe of Professor Blackburn and grateful for an event to explicitly encourage and nourish female leadership.

I trust that Professor Blackburn will take fond memories of Canberra back to San Francisco and that we can entice her to return in the future.  As she continues with her ground breaking work, wherever the research questions take her, I know she will continue to be an inspiration to scientists of all ages in both Australia and across the globe.

Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, Australia's first female Nobel Laureate addresses the guests at the 'Inspirational Women in Leadership' cocktail party held in her honour at Parliament House

Please check out my facebook for more photos and comments:

www.facebook.com/chiefscientist

And for more information on Professor Blackburn and her research, please visit:

http://biochemistry.ucsf.edu/labs/Blackburn

www.facebook.com/pages/ElizabethBlackburn/192511765422?ref=mf

Penny

The recent break gave me the opportunity to begin planning for the sparkling New Year ahead, while reflecting that, remarkably, one-fifth of my current term Chief Scientist for Australia has already sped by.

In the last year, among other things, I’ve worked to institute a new foresight process for the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council to ensure that Australia is better prepared for the future, made connections with overseas counterparts in the North America, Asia, Europe and the Subcontinent, and stressed the importance of immediate, meaningful and sustained action to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that are responsible for climate change.  As I said during my Keynote address ‘Moving the World’  in Melbourne at the end of 2009, because of our large individual carbon footprints, as individuals, we Australians are probably more able on a person-to-person basis to effect change than any other individuals in the world.

What about this coming year?  My 2010 to-do list as Chief Scientist is as long as my arm (longer, actually, we tested this).  But if I could pick only a few to highlight, they might be these:

- Exploring how local communities, including large cities, can be more proactive in limiting the amount of climate change that will take place, while preparing to adapt to that which cannot be avoided.  If we do not alter our present trajectory, then even with the best of intentions, the global average temperature may be 3 to 4 degrees higher than it is today.  What would that mean in your community?  Have you started to adapt?  What do you think are the main contributors to the collective carbon foot print of your local community?  How can they be reduced?

- Mathematics.  Mathematics is the language of the enabling sciences of biology, chemistry and physics, and in this sense is the “Enabler of the Enabling.” It is the basis for the transmission and secure encryption of information, upon which modern commerce depends.  Each of us can make wiser decisions at work, at home and in the supermarket if we understand a bit of statistics and are good with numbers.  And yet, Australia lags far behind other economically developed countries in its production of mathematically trained citizens, and the situation is deteriorating.   I don’t want to see this continue.

- Bringing young people into the mainstream of scientific discourse. I’ve been proud to be part of the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) 2010, which this year is being held in both Canberra and Perth. These hundreds of Australian year 11 leaders, excelling in science and communication, are an inspiration to me, and I’d like to help them connect with me, with one another, and with science.  That’s why I’ve decided to take the advice of the 2009 NYSF scholars  and become part of the social media revolution with the introduction of my facebook page. 

There is plenty more in the works for the upcoming months as 2010 is already shaping up to be a very busy year, so watch this space.   What do you think are the important scientific issues for 2010?

I’d like to become better connected to all of you, regardless of where you are in the world, so I encourage you to look me up on facebook and to send me your feedback on this webpage.  That way, I can continue to respond the scientific issues that are most important to you.

Until next time,

Penny

• provide independent, evidence-based advice on science and innovation to the Prime Minister and other Ministers to inform Government policy across all portfolios and time frames;
• am an advocate for science to government, industry and the public;
• am an ambassador for Australian science internationally;
• play a key role in relevant governance bodies pertaining to science;
• foster collaborative relationships among scientific and research institutions, industry and governments, with the aim of improving the economic and social impact of science in Australia; and
• promote scientific understanding, skills, careers, and informed scientific discussion throughout society.

What do you think of when you hear the word science? To me, science is a creative endeavour that allows us to ask questions of the world around us and build the tools to translate the answers that the world whispers back.

Science can explain many of the phenomena we see around us every day. I recently went on a holiday to the Kimberley region in WA, a truly beautiful part of Australia. The scenery was spectacular – even more so when one considers what the landscape is whispering to us in the language of science.

The Bungle Bungles

The Bungle Bungles are a range of orange and black striped beehive-like hills that rise 300 metres above the surrounding plain in Purnululu National Park in the Kimberley. They are made of sandstone, one of the most common rock types in the world, but they look like nothing else on earth.

Geology tells us that the rock that makes up the Bungle Bungles has a long history. About 1.7 billion years ago, when the earth was only about one-third its current age, vast moving pieces of the earth’s crust collided with one another to push up an ancient mountain range. Over a period of time 350 to 500 millions ago, this ancient range eroded, and its sands and silts were deposited over the flat low-lying flood basins to the east. Over time, the debris was laid down in layers and consolidated into sandstone to form the layered rock that would become eventually become the younger Bungle Bungle mountain range.

About 70 million years ago, the whole region was uplifted, pushing the sandstone up as a single block. Tropical weathering removed much of the silica “cement” that binds material in hard rock. This meant that all layers, soft ones and previously hard ones, would now be equally susceptible to any future harsh weathering. That happened about 50 million years later when the region was again thrust up by the moving crust of the earth, cracking the Bungle Bungles to create joints where erosion and weathering occurs more quickly. All weakened layers of sandstone weathered uniformly along these joints to create the unusual smooth clusters of beehive-like formations.

Perhaps one of the other reasons one is reminded of beehives when looking at the Bungle Bungles is their orange and black “bee-like” stripes. What causes the colours? Geochemistry and biology give us the answers here. Without its silica glue, the sandstone is more porous, so rain can soak further into its surface, carrying with it iron oxide (Fe₂O₃ = rust!), giving the surface an orange colour. The dark grey bands are areas of more porous sandstone that has provided the right amount of moisture for lichen and algae to grow. (The same sort of algae that are responsible for much of the oxygen we breathe in the atmosphere, but that’s another story for another day).

The result in the Punululu? Sheer beauty and a wonderful place to spend some time with nature. But don’t clamber up the Bungle Bungles; they are fragile without their silica cement.

Wolfe Creek Crater

Approximately 300,000 years ago, a short time ago on geological time scales, a meteoroid (basically another old rock, but this one from outer space) weighing about 50,000 tonnes and travelling at something like 50,000 km per hour crashed into the Great Sandy Desert.

What remains now is a circular impact crater about 875 metres in diameter with a flat floor that — after some filling in by drifting sand — is now about 60 metres below the crater rim.  Wolfe Creek Crater was only discovered by people of European descent in 1947 during an aerial survey, but Aboriginal people have long known about the crater, which they call Kandimalal.  Aboriginal Dreaming tells of two rainbow snakes who formed the nearby Sturt and Wolfe Creeks as they crossed the desert.  The crater is believed to be the place where one snake emerged from the ground.  The Wolfe Creek National Park now protects the crater and its immediate surrounds, but if you are up for long, bumpy ride to the Park along the Tanami highway, you can visit this special place.

So will another meteoroid or even a larger asteroid hit the earth and what will happen if it does?  Most meteoroids burn up in our atmosphere before reaching the earth’s surface, but some do survive the trip.  For example, it is widely accepted that an object 30 to 50 metres wide exploded over Tunguska in Siberia in 1908, flattening trees for dozens of kilometres all around. The chance of a similar impact is about 1 in 500 years (Nature, vol 453, p 1178).

As the diameter of an object increases, so does its impact if it collides with earth – one less than 100m across would cause an impact similar to that felt by Siberia in 1908, while one several hundred metres wide could cause massive tsunamis if it crashed into an ocean. The crash of an asteroid larger than 1 km in diameter has the potential to perturb the global climate in a way similar to a ‘nuclear winter’.  However, the chance that such large objects will strike the earth is much, much smaller than for relatively small ones like the Tunguska.

For up to date news on meteorites please visit New Scientist and ABC Science.

I’ll be checking in from time to time on this blog, and I hope you will too.