August spells National Science Week and what a feast of activities on offer across the country. The Academy celebrated by exploring the Science of Us in Canberra and the Science of Sport in Sydney, and by presenting Academy Fellow Dr Veena Sahajwalla and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki to record crowds at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.
On 23 August the Academy partnered with the Australian Academy of Law to host a symposium exploring the intersection of science and the law. An august panel of speakers drawn from the science sector and the judiciary was ably chaired by the Hon Justice Stephen Gageler AC. The panel and audience discussed and compared different notions of uncertainty, decision making and the impact of unconscious biases and memory in the courtroom.
This week we welcomed the Hon Karen Andrews MP, Minister for Industry Science and Technology. The Academy is pleased that the science portfolio has returned to the Cabinet and looks forward to working with Minister Andrews to advance science in Australia. There are a number of pressing issues impacting the science sector and the Academy will continue to engage with parliamentarians, particularly as we move into the pre-election period.
You can read about the extraordinary achievements of Australian scientists, many of which are Fellows of the Academy, in this month’s newsletter.
Anna-Maria
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
