ARTICLES
REPORTS
Australian Institute of Physics NSW Annual Chairs Report (continued)
large research group has been dedicated to the fabrication of
atomic-scale devices in silicon and germanium using the atomic
precision of a scanning tunneling microscope.
Dr Ceri Brenner, a plasma physicist, is from the Central Laser
Facility (CLF) at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK. Her talks
were varied and showed the wide applications of using super-
intense lasers in research which transform material into plasma
- the fourth state of matter. This research as she explained in
some detail, includes designing new X-ray technology that
can see through steel; understanding supernova explosions
in space; scanning nuclear waste containers to give 3D maps
of the hazardous material inside; detecting internal defects in
materials; new imaging technology in healthcare as well as using
laser-driven particle beams for cancer therapy.
The clear explanations as well as the ‘state of the art’ animations
and graphics, kept the audience spell-bound. The audience
was very impressed, grateful and intrigued by the depth of
knowledge, and use of technology by this honoured guest. Prof
Michelle Simmons’ enthusiasm and passion for this exciting area
of physics, along with her keen communication skills, ensured
the outstanding success of this lecture as the packed audience,
well over 500, would testify. The NSW branch of the Australian
Institute of Physics sincerely thanks Michelle for her time and
expert knowledge.
This event focused on schools with Ceri visiting a number of
schools in Sydney and Wollongong, as well as Macquarie
University, UTS, UNSW and The Science Centre in Wollongong.
The audience were very impressed, grateful and intrigued by the
depth of knowledge, and use of technology by Ceri. The NSW
branch of the Australian Institute of Physics sincerely thanks Ceri
Brenner for her time and expert knowledge.
The Australian Institute of Physics NSW branch held a new format
of the Physics in the Pub on Friday, 17th August, 2018 at the
Entertainment Level of The Orient Hotel in the Rocks. It will be
remembered as a vibrant showcase of physics, and fun for
everyone: people from the world of physics, their friends, family
members and guests, general public, presenters and organisers.
‘The Physics Free-For-All Variety Night’ was the subtitle that best
describes the format of the event. Some good physics delivered
in a line-up of eight minutes entertaining acts and presentations
of various formats. Our 2018 line-up included:
This event was organised and led so professionally by Dr Graeme
Melville in raising the profile of women in physics, especially at
the high school level.
Each year the Australian Institute of Physics of New South Wales
Branch nominates a distinguished speaker whose work has
covered a wide range of topics with an emphasis on Einstein’s
ideas and their consequences for physics and technology today.
Cyntia Franco; Casey Edwards; Ian Bryce; Ed Simpson;
Heather Catchpole; Jesse Van de Sande; Graeme Melville;
Phil Burns; Petr Lebedev; Phil Dooley.
This year Professor Michelle Simmons of UNSW presented the
13 th Einstein Lecture at the John Niland Scientia Building at
UNSW, on Tuesday 14 th August, 2018. The lecture was titled “The
Quantum Computing Revolution”. The talk was a high-profile
Science Week event attracting over 1000 registrations. This event
was organised and led so professionally by Dr Graeme Melville,
and the Australian Institute of Physics sincerely thanks him for
organising this highly successful event.
The Australian Institute of Physics NSW Branch thanks
all presenters, and particularly Dr Phil Dooley, as well as
universities and organisations behind them, for their support
and the success of the event which included the managers
and staff of ‘The Orient’ Hotel.
This Year the Australian Institute of Physics contributed
to some exciting new prizes with the STANSW Young
Scientist Awards in 2018. The prizes included the AIP’s
Most Outstanding Physics Award to the student who best
represents the theme “Drones, Droids and Robots”.
Prof Simmons is an international expert on Quantum Computing
and the Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of
Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication
Technology, a Laureate Fellow and a Scientia Professor of
Physics at the UNSW in Sydney.
Prof Simmons is also the current ‘Australian of the Year’ and a
highly-acclaimed presenter, having no difficulty tailoring her
presentation to a mixed audience which included high school
students and the general public, as well as other physicists.
The thrilling talk started by Michelle giving an account of
computing through the ages followed by how computing has
changed our lives, and then went on to explain the nature
of quantum computing and current research at UNSW. Her
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 4