The Australian Institute of Physics marked the Einstein International Year of Physics (Einstein Year for short) with a national program that:
involved tens of thousands of people in physics activities;
brought physics and physicists to the attention of millions of people through the media;
gave an tremendous boost to physicists’ pride in their discipline and vocation;
demonstrated that physics touches every person’s life- every day and every moment;
engaged a diverse range of organisations in talking about physics – from Writers’ Festivals to the ABC, to teachers, even agricultural shows; and,
created a platform for the future promotion of physics in Australia.
Einstein Year was made possible in Australia by a generous grant of $80,000 from the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, Australian Institute of Physics funds of $50,500 and additional in-kind support of at least $200,000 in labour and materials from AIP members for the 160 events staged under the Einstein Year banner. Further support for running Einstein Year activities was provided by external individuals and other organisations.
The Year started at the 16th Biennial Physics Congress in Canberra in January. Public forums included an industry forum, a school outreach program, Humboldt Workshop, National Press Club Lunch, Sutherland lecture, the Time Warp Competition and a Young Physicist forum.
Stanford’s Australian-born Helen Quinn ,one of our international laureate speakers, delivered lectures across the across Australia and captivated the media and the public with her descriptions of the challenges facing physics today. She told us, “Stars, planets, galaxies and all that we can see make up just four per cent of the universe. About 23 per cent is dark matter which we are starting to understand. The balance of 70 per cent is dark energy which we know next to nothing about.” Later in the year South Africa’s Templeton prize winner George Ellis challenged the notion that the powers of science are limitless. He noted the inability of even the most advanced physics to fully explain factors that shape the physical world.
In Science Week, Harvard’s Lisa Randall, the world’s most highly cited physicist, explained how string theory and ‘branes’ “can offer an explanation for what we see in our four dimensional universe.” New Scientist’s physics editor, Valerie Jamieson discussed “100 things to do before you die and a few to do after.” Stephen Squyres from Cornell University gave a moving account of the progress of his ‘babies’ on Mars – the two rovers that are transforming our understanding of the Red Planet.
Our international speakers were complemented by a national tour of Australia physicists explaining Einstein’s big ideas.
One of the Institute’s experiments for Einstein Year was a seed grant program. Across Australia $37,115 was used to fund sixteen original initiatives.
Some recipients were individuals like ANU PhD student Melanie O’Byrne – her flowvis exhibition toured nationally and was seen by over 100,000 people. Some grants helped our major research organisations reach new audiences – CSIRO ran a physics short film competition that was screened in 70 venues and reached 10,000 people.
Through the seed grant scheme, thousands of Australians were exposed to a world so often sealed behind laboratory doors. And many project managers have expressed interest in continuing their initiatives into 2006.
In all, over 160 events reached thousands of people over the year while media coverage of physics reached millions more.
Importantly, the Year has helped transform the public outreach programs of the AIP and has laid the foundations for a more active promotion of physics in the years ahead.
involved tens of thousands of people in physics activities;
brought physics and physicists to the attention of millions of people through the media;
gave an tremendous boost to physicists’ pride in their discipline and vocation;
demonstrated that physics touches every person’s life- every day and every moment;
engaged a diverse range of organisations in talking about physics – from Writers’ Festivals to the ABC, to teachers, even agricultural shows; and,
created a platform for the future promotion of physics in Australia.
Einstein Year was made possible in Australia by a generous grant of $80,000 from the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, Australian Institute of Physics funds of $50,500 and additional in-kind support of at least $200,000 in labour and materials from AIP members for the 160 events staged under the Einstein Year banner. Further support for running Einstein Year activities was provided by external individuals and other organisations.
The Year started at the 16th Biennial Physics Congress in Canberra in January. Public forums included an industry forum, a school outreach program, Humboldt Workshop, National Press Club Lunch, Sutherland lecture, the Time Warp Competition and a Young Physicist forum.
Stanford’s Australian-born Helen Quinn ,one of our international laureate speakers, delivered lectures across the across Australia and captivated the media and the public with her descriptions of the challenges facing physics today. She told us, “Stars, planets, galaxies and all that we can see make up just four per cent of the universe. About 23 per cent is dark matter which we are starting to understand. The balance of 70 per cent is dark energy which we know next to nothing about.” Later in the year South Africa’s Templeton prize winner George Ellis challenged the notion that the powers of science are limitless. He noted the inability of even the most advanced physics to fully explain factors that shape the physical world.
In Science Week, Harvard’s Lisa Randall, the world’s most highly cited physicist, explained how string theory and ‘branes’ “can offer an explanation for what we see in our four dimensional universe.” New Scientist’s physics editor, Valerie Jamieson discussed “100 things to do before you die and a few to do after.” Stephen Squyres from Cornell University gave a moving account of the progress of his ‘babies’ on Mars – the two rovers that are transforming our understanding of the Red Planet.
Our international speakers were complemented by a national tour of Australia physicists explaining Einstein’s big ideas.
One of the Institute’s experiments for Einstein Year was a seed grant program. Across Australia $37,115 was used to fund sixteen original initiatives.
Some recipients were individuals like ANU PhD student Melanie O’Byrne – her flowvis exhibition toured nationally and was seen by over 100,000 people. Some grants helped our major research organisations reach new audiences – CSIRO ran a physics short film competition that was screened in 70 venues and reached 10,000 people.
Through the seed grant scheme, thousands of Australians were exposed to a world so often sealed behind laboratory doors. And many project managers have expressed interest in continuing their initiatives into 2006.
In all, over 160 events reached thousands of people over the year while media coverage of physics reached millions more.
Importantly, the Year has helped transform the public outreach programs of the AIP and has laid the foundations for a more active promotion of physics in the years ahead.
