Best science and nature photos awarded
FROM A FLY EATING its prey to the irridescence of usually invisible smoke, the nation’s best science and nature photography has been revealed at the 2010 Australian Eureka Science Prizes.
In the 21st year of the annual awards – the most prestigious science accolades in Australia – $190,000 in prize money was handed out to 19 winners. Along with science photography, winners included research on clever chickens, nano-sunscreen, malaria parasites and meat grading systems.
“Once again, Australia’s scientific community is showing that it can punch well above its weight when you consider the scope and influence of the work of the 2010 Eureka Prize winners,” says Frank Howarth, Director of the Australian Museum.
The awards were attended by more than 800 scientists, journalists and politicians on Tuesday evening. Federal Minister for Environmental Protection, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, smiled through an awkward moment when announcing one of the finalists of the award for environment reporting – the journalists who broke the bungled insulation scheme, for which the minister was responsible.
The awards are judged by respected scientists and journalists in the scientific field. Australian Geographic’s deputy editor John Pickrell was a finalist in the award for science journalism, but narrowly missed out to ABC radio’s Ian Townsend.
WINNERS
SCIENCE
Early Career Research
Dr Rowena Martin, Research School of Biology at the Australian National University
Research: Mechanisms of drug resistance in the malaria parasite
Leadership in Science
Martin Green, Executive Research Director of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at the UNSW
Research: global leader in solar cell technology
Environmental Research
Professor David Lindenmayer, Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University
Research: science for forest biodiversity conservation
Ethics Research
Dr John Forge, Unit for History and Philosophy of Science at The University of Sydney
Research: The Responsible Scientist: A Philosophical Inquiry
Innovation in Computer Science
Professor Peter Stuckey, NICTA and the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Melbourne
Research: lazy clause generation – a new approach to combinatorial optimisation
Innovative Solutions To Climate Change
The Low Carbon Growth Plan for Australia
Research: provides the first economy-wide picture of how we can substantially reduce our carbon emissions using existing technology
Medical Research Translation
Professor Philip Hogg, Director of the Lowy Cancer Research Centre at the University of NSW
Research: better cancer therapeutics, leading to development of this novel class of anti-cancer drugs
Research by an Interdisciplinary Team
Meat Standards Australia
Research: designing the world’s first comprehensive paddock-to-plate meat grading system that considers what people really want to eat
Research that Contributes to Animal Protection
Chris Evans and K-lynn Smith, Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour at Macquarie University
Research: chickens are social, intelligent creatures complete with Machiavellian tendencies to adjust what they say according to who is listening
Science in Support of Defence or National Security
Brothers Professor Ba-Ngu Vo and Ba-Tuong Vo, School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering at the University of Western Australia
Research: determined how to measure the margin of error inherent in systems tracking multiple targets, radically simplifying the required computation
Scientific Research
Dr Amanda Barnard, leader of the Virtual Nanoscience Laboratory at the CSIRO in Victoria
Research: predicting properties of nanoparticles in sunscreens
Water Research and Innovation
Associate Professor Leslie, UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology at the University of NSW; Visiting Professor Sutton, University of NSW and the University of Sydney
Research: developed a salt-free farming irrigation system
JOURNALISM
Advancement of Climate Change Knowledge
Environment Victoria
Environmental Journalism
Sarah Clarke, ABC
Promoting Understanding of Science
Professor Tony Peacock, CEO of the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre
Blog: Feral Thoughts www.feral.typepad.com
Science Journalism
Ian Townsend, ABC
Self Inflicted Sickness – examining smoking, drinking and eating habits in society
Science Photography
Roz Batten
Breakfast on the fly
LAUNCH THE GALLERY
SCHOOL SCIENCE
Science Teaching
Jane Hall-Dadson, Tasmania
Sleek Geeks Science Prize – Primary School
Lily Colmer, Albany Hills State School, Queensland
Can You Hear the Music?
Sleek Geeks Science Prize – Secondary School
Year 11 students, St Helena Secondary College in Bundoora, Victoria
Rontgen: A Bright Spark
LINKS
Australian Museum Eureka Prizes
