On 8 July 2026, the Chief Scientist addressed the national conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association.

Thank you for the warm welcome and the balmy weather. It’s great to be with you, and to escape the Canberra winter.

I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet, the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples. And I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

When I was appointed Australia’s Chief Scientist last year, one of my first thoughts was of the teachers who shaped my journey.

Even now, I can still name them – and the impact they had.

That’s why it’s a privilege to be here with you. Because the work you do creates turning points in people’s lives. 

You see something in a student, you encourage it, you spark it! 

And from there, everything else can follow.

I’m not just talking about your foundational role in shaping the scientific workforce of tomorrow.

I’m talking about something broader and bigger: the scientific literacy and curiosity you build in every student, regardless of where they end up.

And the habits of mind that you instil.

You equip people to ask thoughtful questions, test ideas, weigh evidence, and revise their views when the evidence changes.

That work has an immediate impact in the classroom. But its real value unfolds over time, shaping the scientific understanding – and the civic capability – our nation depends on.

That’s why the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science recognise excellence in your field. Because the impact of great teachers of science is hard to overstate – those individuals who spark curiosity in their students and nurture it year after year. 

The winners of last year’s prizes reached thousands of students, supported diverse communities, and lifted participation in STEM subjects.

So, I encourage you to consider nominating when the Prizes open later this year.

Things have certainly changed since those early sparks of curiosity for me at Lane Cove Primary School. 

In my memory, lessons were largely about plants, animals, and how everyday things worked.

But students today are coming of age in a different world – one shaped by climate change, the energy transition, and powerful new technologies like AI.

And all while they face a steady stream of contested information about the evidence behind it all. 

So, perhaps the question isn’t which STEM jobs we are preparing students for. It’s how we equip them for a future that will probably surprise us.

What we do know is that interdisciplinary work will be the norm. Much of it will sit at the intersections between fields, whether in areas like bioinformatics, climate engineering or 
neuro-technology, all increasingly shaped by AI.

And students will need to tackle complex, messy problems using core scientific skills – while also applying creativity and thinking carefully about the ethical and social dimensions involved.

I also want to warmly acknowledge the work many of you are doing to broaden that range of students who study STEM.

Diversity in STEM goes directly to how capable we are as a country. If we are not drawing on the full range of talent, we narrow the ideas and approaches we bring to our hardest problems.

But finding and nurturing that talent is not straightforward. The students you’re trying to reach are not always easy to spot.

They’re often not the ones putting their hands up to answer a question. 

They’re quieter, less certain, still working out whether STEM is somewhere they belong.

We are making progress regarding greater diversity in STEM, but not as quickly or as consistently as we should.

I am told that it was Ernest Hemingway who said every good writer needs a built-in BS detector. And I’m sure you’ll find a better way of saying that in discussions with your students. 

These days, it seems we all need one of those detectors. 

Falsehoods that once travelled slowly, and stayed relatively local, can now move across the world in minutes. 

And the consequences can be serious – whether the claim is about vaccines, clean energy, climate, health, or new technologies.

This is something the National Science and Technology Council has looked at closely. As the Executive Officer of that Council, I’ve been involved in work examining how Australia can build information resilience.

What we found is that misinformation is not just a technology problem. It’s also a social problem. 

We are more likely to believe information when it is simple, familiar, repeated and emotionally charged. Or, if it comes from someone we trust or aligns with our pre-existing views.

And our ability to assess information is shaped by many things – including health, social connection, trust and the way our brains process uncertainty.

The reports also point to some good news. Resilience can be built – through education, media literacy, and through the work you do every day.

You help students ask the questions that matter. What is the claim? What is the evidence? How reliable is the source? What assumptions are being made? Would this stand up to scrutiny?

That is not just science education. It is civic education, and it is one of the most important defences we have against a world of confident, repeated, and sometimes dangerous falsehoods.

Some areas of STEM can sit near the centre of public debates about issues regarding resources, defence, energy or major industrial projects. 

So, it’s no surprise that students and teachers might bring strong questions – and personal values – to those discussions. In many ways, that’s what an informed discussion should involve.

At the same time, these are not abstract issues. They connect directly to Australia’s future, from energy and emissions, to industry, critical minerals and national security.

Progress in these vital areas depends on Australia having people with strong scientific and technical skills.

Students will encounter science in areas that are socially and ethically complex. 

And education is not about removing that complexity. It’s about helping students work through it – to understand the evidence, recognise trade-offs, and make informed choices.

And at the heart of that is something you already do every day: presenting the science clearly and carefully – without closing down the discussion – so students can engage with the evidence and think for themselves, even when the broader debate is contested. 

Because ultimately, the goal is not to tell students what to think, but to equip them to think.

In Australia, there is growing recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems.

And elevating those systems is one of our National Science and Research Priorities.

Through the National Science and Technology Council, I’ve been part of work – led by First Nations experts and knowledge holders – looking at how those systems can be properly recognised and supported.

What’s clear is that these are not simply inputs into western science. They are complete knowledge systems in their own right, grounded in long-term observation of Country and passed on over many generations.

In the classroom, that can mean drawing on place-based examples grounded in observation – whether that’s knowledge of seasons, land management, or relationships between species and systems.

And just as importantly, it means approaching that material with respect – recognising that knowledge sits with communities, and that context and custodianship matter.

Done well, this doesn’t dilute science. It strengthens it – by broadening how students think about evidence, observation, and the natural world.

Allow me to finish where I began.

Since I was a child at Lane Cove Primary – and later, a teenager working part-time in a gasket factory – science has been a lifelong adventure.

It’s been stimulating, challenging, sometimes unpredictable – and deeply rewarding.

The skills my teachers gave me still shape how I think and work today.

And I have no doubt they’ve had the same enduring impact on many others – regardless of where their careers took them.

So, I’m grateful to them – and to you – for the work you do, and the enormous difference it makes to individuals, and our nation.

Thank you.