AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS

Promoting the role of Physics in research, education, industry and the community

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The AIP hosts an annual national public lecture tour, named in honour of pioneering physicist and chemist Marie Curie. In South Australia the lecture also honours the legacy of Claire Corani.

The Marie Curie Lectures form part of the AIP's Women in Physics Lecturer Award, which is given to  recognise a woman who has made a significant contribution in a field of physics. 

In 2025, the AIP is delighted to host Dr Sol H. Jacobsen (NTNU) and Dr Danielle Holmes (UNSW Sydney) as the AIP’s joint 2025 Women in Physics Lecturers. We look forward to joining with this year's lecturers in celebrating the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, and to inform and inspire the next generation.

Do you have a question about the Women in Physics Lecture tour dates and venues? Please email wip@aip.org.au for info. 

Dr Sol Jacobsen (NTNU)

Your Quantum Future

The humble electron is a pillar of modern technology. They power almost every aspect of daily life, from your toaster to your phone. But these devices use only one quantum property of the electrons: their charge. Today, physicists are harnessing other properties – such as their “spin” – to advance a new technological revolution. This talk will show you how our understanding of spin is changing the way we build devices, from basic principles to state of the art. Your quantum future is coming – learn how, why, and what society should do to prepare.

Dr. Sol Jacobsen is Group Leader at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU, where she investigates ways to use the quantum property of spin in future technological devices. She studied Physics with Philosophy at the University of York, U.K., where she was awarded the Goodwin Prize. After receiving her Ph.D. at the University of Tasmania, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Germany and Norway, before establishing her group in 2019. She was selected as Outstanding Academic Fellow at NTNU, and will start her new project – SuperFlex – in 2025. Her three children keep her busy the rest of the time. 

Dr Danielle Holmes (UNSW Sydney)

Quantum Century: Unlocking the Universe’s Secrets and Shaping our Future

100 years ago, quantum physics was born to explain curious behaviour of tiny things. Since then, it has become our most accurate theory in history. It has unlocked secrets of our Universe, such as why stars shine and how migratory birds navigate. In this talk, I will take you on a journey to visit these surprising and consequential wonders of the quantum world. I will then reveal how scientists are now harnessing quantum physics to develop revolutionary computers that will solve problems that are currently out of reach, such as designing new medicines to fight disease and developing new materials to combat climate change. Quantum physics is the most powerful tool that humans possess, not just for increasing our understanding of the world, but for shaping its future.

Dr Danielle Holmes makes ‘qubits’ using individual atoms in silicon chips. These qubits are the building blocks of quantum computers, new technology that will revolutionise humanity’s problem-solving abilities. She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Cambridge, before exploring the technologies used to build quantum computers during her PhD at the University of Melbourne. Now at the University of New South Wales as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer, Danielle is a passionate science outreach communicator. She shares her love for quantum physics well beyond the laboratory - having even performed at the Sydney Comedy Festival!

Upcoming events

Lecture tour news

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  • 1 Sep 2022 12:00 PM | Anonymous

    Free public talks in Sep as part of 2022 Women in Physics Lecture Tour in SA, WA,*** NSW and QLD

    QLD events will also be streamed online

    What’s the difference between a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite? How do you measure quakes on Mars and what do they tell us about the structure of Mars’ interior? How do you go about it if you want to work with NASA?

    Find out from planetary scientist Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic, our 2022 Women in Physics Lecturer.

    She’ll be giving free public talks this month in Adelaide, Perth*** , Newcastle, and Brisbane. Everyone is invited. The events in Brisbane are a reschedule from the cancelled July dates.

    Katarina will be talking about her modelling work on impact processes and cratering mechanics, and how these affect the evolution of planets. She will also provide insights on her involvement in billion-dollar space missions and her unique career path.

    She was a co-author on a recent Nature paper that traced the source of a Mars meteorite that crashed into Africa.

    Register to attend her public talks:

    * The talk at Curtin University will follow an expo featuring science demonstrations and hands-on activities in physics, featuring impact craters, rocks from space, and space exploration.

    ** This is a physics colloquium geared towards those with physics training.

    *** Curtin University talk rescheduled for 1 Dec due to the new 22 Sep public holiday.

    As part of her lecture tour, Katarina will also give private talks to high school students and participate in afternoon teas with university students studying physics and early career researchers.

    Read more about Katarina and the lecture tour here.

    Know a brilliant female physicist who you can nominate for the 2023 Women in Physics Lectureship? Details and how to nominate here.
  • 14 Jul 2022 3:45 PM | Anonymous

    CANCELLED: Due to unforeseen circumstances, all QLD events of the 2022 Women in Physics lecture tour will not be going ahead.

    We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We hope to re-schedule the events, either in-person or online, at a later date.

    Please watch this space for more announcements.

  • 1 Jul 2022 12:00 PM | Anonymous

    Free public talks by Women in Physics Lecturer Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic in Melbourne in July.

    Women invited to participate in Girls in Physics Breakfasts in VIC.

    IMPORTANT UPDATE: QLD EVENTS CANCELLED - more below.

    The 2022 Women in Physics (WiP) Lecture Tour continues with events in QLD from 18-20 July and in VIC from 27-28 July.

    The title of the WiP lecture is ‘Impacts! Rocks from space colliding with planets’ and will give given by planetary scientist A/Prof Katarina Miljkovic (Curtin University). She will describe her work on impact processes, cratering mechanics, and shock physics applied to geological materials.

    She’s already given lectures at high schools, universities and public venues in NSW and ACT, including Science Space (Wollongong) and Questacon.

    This month, A/Prof Miljkovic will give free talks open to the public on:

    Click on the event venues for more details and to register.

    A/Prof Miljkovic will also participate in the Girls in Physics Breakfasts occurring across VIC. These events are an opportunity for students in years 10 – 12 to share a table with women in physics or engineering and ask them about their work and lives.  She will participate in the event on 28 Jul at the William Angliss Institute, Melbourne.

    Women in physics or engineering (including those studying these subjects at university) are invited to attend and participate in the Girls in Physics Breakfasts by registering here.

    A/Prof Milkovic will also give private talks at senior high schools in Brisbane, Cairns, and Melbourne.


    IMPORTANT UPDATE

    CANCELLED: Due to unforeseen circumstances, all QLD events of the 2022 Women in Physics lecture tour will not be going ahead.

    We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We hope to re-schedule the events, either in-person or online, at a later date. Please watch this space for more announcements.


    More information

    To read more about A/ Prof Miljkovic and her work, as well as the lecture tour, visit here.

    Further requests for information about the Girls in Physics Breakfasts can be directed to the organiser, Dan O’Keefe.

    Further requests for information about QLD events can be directed to the AIP QLD branch chair, Joel Alroe
  • 20 May 2022 4:00 PM | Anonymous

    A/Prof Katarina Miljkovic will be giving free talks open to the public at the following NSW and ACT venues:

    Click on the events for more details and to register.

    She will also be giving at talk at the follow event but it is only open for physicists at the Australian National University:

  • 2 May 2022 12:00 PM | Anonymous

    The 2022 Women in Physics Lectureship tour kicks off at the end of May and runs through to September.

    Planetary scientist Associate Professor Katarina Miljkovic from Curtin University will be giving a lecture series entitled ‘Impacts! Rocks from space colliding with planets’.

    The Women in Physics Lectureship is awarded annually to recognise and publicise significant contributions by a woman to advancing a field of physics and to inspire future physicists.

    A/Prof Miljkovic will be giving her lecture to schools, academics, and the general public.

    Catch a speak peek of what she’ll be talking about in Impact: Beyond the Night Sky (2020), a short documentary written and directed by Kath Dooley. This immerse, 360, virtual-reality documentary was a finalist in the best experimental film category at the 2022 Atom Awards

    The currently confirmed dates for the lecture tour are:

    • NSW: 30 May – 1 Jun
    • ACT: 2 – 3 Jun
    • QLD: 18 – 20 Jul
    • VIC: 27 – 28 Jul
    • TAS: 8 – 10 Aug
    • SA: 6 – 8 Sep
    • WA: 22 Sep

    Further tour dates in WA are TBA. Watch out on social media and in next month’s newsletter for venues and times.

    “When imagining the space in our Solar System, many people think of a dark silent void but the space around us is not empty; it is filled with particles, with dust, and with rocks – some very small and some large.  The history of our Universe is a history of impacts when things collide.” – A/Prof Katarina Miljkovic in Impact: Beyond the Night Sky (2020).

    Photo credit: TAKE2STEM.

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