Royal Society of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia | Educational research centre

Royal Society of New South Wales

Locality: Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9431 8691

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24.01.2022 New editions of the Journal and the Bulletin: August 2020 The Society is pleased to advise that the latest issues of the Journal and Proceedings vol. 153-1 and the Bulletin vol. 443 have just been published and are now available on the website. https://royalsoc.org.au//new-editions-of-the-society-s-jou The principal content of this issue of the Journal is the 2019 RSNSW and Four Academies Forum: Making SPACE for Australia (including links to YouTube presentations), with 17... contributions from experts in the field. This is particularly relevant after the recent splash-down (first since 1975) of the private SpaceX vehicle returning NASA astronauts from the International Space Station. This issue also includes the text of Distinguished Fellow Brian Schmidts address at the 2020 Annual Dinner, a timely piece by Graham Bell FRSN on a home test of smell acuity to alert for possible COVID-19 infection, FRSN David Hushs Partita for Solo Violin (with links to YouTube to hear it performed), an invited paper by Steve Pyne, doyen of writers of the history of wildfires around the world, on last summers fires and what they mean for the future, and an obituary by Len Fisher FRSN on the late Lord May of Oxford OM AC Kt FRS DistFRSN CorrFAA FTSE HonFAIB.

23.01.2022 A sobering, scientific and thorough analysis of the spread of Covid-19 https://medium.com//coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-d

23.01.2022 Governor of NSW presents 2019 Society Awards The Society was delighted that its Patron, Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of NSW, was able to present the Societys 2019 Awards at a special ceremony in the Ballroom at Government House, Sydney on Thursday, 13 August. In her remarks The Governor spoke appreciatively of the Societys role in the intellectual life of New South Wales. She said how pleased she was to be able to present the awards at thi...s time as it was the first major presentation event held at Government House since March because of the pandemic. To read more about the ceremony and the award recipients, and to see photographs from day, please see the news item on our website. https://royalsoc.org.au//governor-presents-2019-society-aw

23.01.2022 Towards a Waste-Free Future Australia currently generate 67 million tonnes of waste annually, i.e., 2.7 tonnes per person. Population increase will lead to greater amounts of waste. Technological advances leading new forms of waste such as e-waste, batteries and photovoltaic panels. The traditional "take-make-use-dispose" linear approach to production and consumption being no longer sustainable and so it is critical that a new circular paradigm of waste management, involvi...ng design, make and reuse, be adopted. Such an approach, advocated by a recent study by ATSE, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (released on 18 November 2020), will reduce the consumption of finite resources through design that creates less waste, and enables recovery of valuable resources that can be incorporated into new products. While the environmental benefits are enormous, so too are the economic benefits through the creation of new industries and jobs. The ATSE report, "Towards a waste-free future", makes four key recommendations: (1) A paradigm shift to design for waste avoidance; (2) A systems approach to increase resource productivity and recovery; (3) Big data and analytics to inform decision making by policy-makers, businesses and consumers; and (4) Targeted government investment and regulatory reform and policy certainty. To learn more, please consult the resources on the ATSE website at https://www.atse.org.au//waste-and-resource-recovery-repo/

20.01.2022 Poem about our times from a colleague We fell asleep in one world, and woke up in another. Suddenly Disney is out of magic,... Paris is no longer romantic, New York doesnt stand up anymore, the Chinese wall is no longer a fortress, and Mecca is empty. Hugs & kisses suddenly become weapons, and not visiting parents & friends becomes an act of love. Suddenly you realise that power, beauty & money are worthless, and cant get you the oxygen youre fighting for. The world continues its life and it is beautiful. It only puts humans in cages. I think its sending us a message: "You are not necessary. The air, earth, water and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters.

19.01.2022 National Science Week 2020 Events from the Royal Society of NSW National Science Week 2020 is now upon us (15-23 August 2020) and the Royal Society of NSW is pleased to offer two presentations this year. Please join us live for these two events, presented as a Zoom webinars, by accessing the links below , or enjoy them later on our YouTube channel. https://royalsoc.org.au//science-week-2020-the-covid-curve https://royalsoc.org.au//science-week-2020-the-periodic-ta

19.01.2022 RSNSW events since September 2020 now on YouTube Recordings of events held online since early September 2020 by the Royal Society of NSW are now available on our YouTube channel. Check out the news post below for links to these. These are the lecture presented at the1286th Ordinary General Meeting by Professor John Rasko AO (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Centenary Institute, University of Sydney) on the evening of 2 September, the Southern Highland Branch lecture present...ed by Adjunct Professor Sandra Lynch on the evening of 17 September, and the lecture present by Professor Huw Price FRSN FBA FAHA (Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge) on the evening of 7 October 2020. https://royalsoc.org.au//events-since-september-2020-now-o

18.01.2022 RSNSW Fellow named as NSW Woman of the Year 2020. The Royal Society of NSW is delighted that one of its Fellows and leading childhood cancer researcher, Professor Maria Kavallaris AM FRSN, has been named NSW Woman of the Year for 2020 by the NSW Premier, Ms Gladys Berejiklian. Marias pathway to cancer research, and the development of less toxic treatments for childhood cancers, had a very personal beginning, with her diagnosis of cancer at the age of 21. Speaking with the Sy...dney Morning Herald, she referred to getting high doses of chemotherapy, which had many-side-effects and decided that if she got through the aggressive treatment, she would do something to improve therapies. Professor Kavallaris is Head of the Tumour Biology and Targeting Program at the Childrens Cancer Institute and is Director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine at UNSW. The Society warmly congratulates Maria Kavallaris on this recognition of her outstanding, internationally-recognised, 35-year research career. https://www.smh.com.au//leading-childhood-cancer-researche

16.01.2022 National Reconciliation Week This week (27 May - 3 June) marks National Reconciliation Week -- a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. Reconciliation must live in the hearts, mind...s and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021, "More than a word. Reconciliation takes action", urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action. https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au/

16.01.2022 Society Fellow, Cathy Foley, appointed as Australia's next Chief Scientist The Royal Society of NSW was delighted to learn that one of its Fellows, Dr Cathy Foley AM FRSN FAA FTSE, has just been appointed as the incoming Chief Scientist of Australia from 2021. Dr Foley, a 36-year veteran of CSIRO, comes to the position of Australia's Chief Scientist from the role of Chief Scientist at CSIRO. She has a distinguished record of research in field of solid-state physics and its ap...plications, combining quantum physics, material science and research translation. Earlier this year, she was recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution towards the advancement of women in science, and particularly physics. The Council of the Society warmly congratulates Dr Foley on her appointment and looks forward to her guidance of Australian science and technology in the years to come. To read further, please consult the news post on the Royal Society of NSW website. https://royalsoc.org.au/events-news/news-2020/society-fellow

16.01.2022 Release of videos from the RSNSW SPACE Forum: Launch of the Royal Society YouTube Channel In the spirit of advancing knowledge, the Royal Society of NSW is making available the videos from the 7th November 2019 Forum Making SPACE for Australia, held in conjunction with the four Learned Academies. The videos and related slide presentations for each individual speaker have been uploaded to the Societys YouTube channel, launched today, 19 March 2020. Further information is available from the Royal Society website: https://royalsoc.org.au//rsnsw-youtube-channel-release-of-

16.01.2022 Release of YouTube videos from the 2020 Forum: After COVID-19-Creating the Best of Times from the Worst of Times In the spirit of advancing knowledge and enriching lives, The Royal Society of NSW is pleased to announce the availability of the video recordings from its most recent annual Forum, conducted jointly with the Four Learned Academies. The theme of the 2020 Forum was After COVID-19: Creating the Best of Times from the Worst of Times. This year, the Forum was conduct...ed in front of a somewhat reduced face-to-face audience at Government House, Sydney on 5 November 2020, but was joined by a larger online audience which participated in the day’s activities via YouTube live streaming. The recordings are now available on our YouTube channel and are collected in an associated playlist for convenient access. You may also access these via the our website article which is accessible on the Forums page of the website Publishing menu. This article includes a report of the Forum, together with links to the YouTube videos, the printed program (which includes biographies of the speakers), and an album of photographs taken on the day. Please click on the link below to our website news post to access the content, particularly if you were not able to access the live streaming on the day. https://royalsoc.org.au//release-of-youtube-videos-from-th The YouTube playlist is also accessible directly: https://www.youtube.com/playlist

16.01.2022 In the News From time to time, the Society and its Fellows and Members are mentioned, or are published, in the media, or in other sources or outlets. The Society is pleased to inform readers that summaries of such mentions, together with links either to the original sources, or to news items that include links to original sources, are now published on the "In the News" page. https://royalsoc.org.au/events-news/in-the-news We hope that you find this compilation to be informative and of interest.

15.01.2022 Murray-Darling Basin turmoil: past, present, and future At the recent 1294th Ordinary General Meeting of the Royal Society of NSW, Professor Richard Kingsford FRSN, Director of the UNSW (Sydney) Centre for Ecosystem Science delivered a most through-provoking lecture titled "Murray-Darling Basin turmoil: past, present, and future". In it, Professor Kingsford discussed the declining ecological state of the Murray-Darling Basin, and the effects on the wetlands and water birds within the context of major changes, past and present, and canvassed some of the challenges for the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msd8oBdkcn8

15.01.2022 Death of Lord Robert May of Oxford-Distinguished Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW The Society is saddened to learn of the death of one of its Distinguished Fellows, Lord May of Oxford, OM AC Kt FRS DistFRSN FAA FTSE HonFAIB, on 28 April 2020, aged 84. Lord May was a pioneering Australian scientist whose work in biology led to the development of chaos theory. He was one of Australias most accomplished scientists, being appointed a Lord in 2001, and rising to serve as the Chief Scientific Advisor to the United Kingdom Government (19952000), and as President of the Royal Society (200005). https://royalsoc.org.au//death-of-lord-robert-may-of-oxfor

15.01.2022 For those of you who play golf in these troubled times. People had it worse in 1940 it seems. Rule 7 is rather harsh.

13.01.2022 Recordings of recent Society events are now available on YouTube. Check out the news post below for links to these. They are the 2020 Annual Dinner and Distinguished Fellows Lecture, presented by Professor Brian Schmidt AC FRS DistFRSN FAA (Vice-Chancellor of ANU) on 27 July 2020, and the Open Lecture presented at the 1284th Ordinary General Meeting by Ms Elizabeth Ann McGregor OBE FRSN (Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art) on 8 July 2020. Professor Schmidt spoke on Evidence and Education in a Post-Truth, Post-COVID World while Ms Macgregor addressed the question Why Art Matters in Times of Crisis. https://royalsoc.org.au//recent-society-events-now-on-yout

13.01.2022 Professor Mikhail Prokopenko FRSN and his team of researchers from the University of Sydneys Complex Systems research centre is doing cutting edge modelling of the spread of Covid-19 in Australia. Among other things he shows how the extent of conformity to social distancing REALLY MATTERS. 70% or less is not enough. Here is an article from the ABC summarising his research teams work. https://www.abc.net.au//coronavirus-data-modellin/12114978

13.01.2022 RSNSW Society Fellow awarded a prestigious international fellowship The Royal Society of NSW is delighted that one of its Fellows, Professor John Shine AC FRS FRSN FAA, has just been elected, in 2020, as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. Professor Shine is well known for his role in discovering the Shine-Dalgarno gene sequence, and was responsible for the initiation and termination of protein-synthesis. Further, he was a central figure in the cloning of the insulin and growth hormone genes, was the first to clone a human gene, and the first to demonstrate that hormone genes cloned in bacteria could be expressed in a biologically active form. The Council of the Society warmly congratulates Professor Shine on this recognition of his outstanding career achievements. https://royalsoc.org.au//society-fellow-awarded-a-prestigi

12.01.2022 Recordings of recent events held by the Society during July 2020 are now available on YouTube. Check out the news post below for links to these. They are the lecture presented at the1284th Ordinary General Meeting by Ms Elizabeth Ann McGregor OBE FRSN (Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art) on the evening of 8 July 2020, and the lecture presented at the meeting of the Hunter Branch on 29 July by Professor Pia Ednie-Brown. Ms Macgregor spoke on Why Art Matters in Times of Crisis, while Professor Ednie-Brown addressed "Architecture and the Cultivation of Vitality". https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/july-2020-events-now-on-youtube

12.01.2022 The "Ozzie" smell detection threshold test -- an olfactory acuity test while pre-symptomatic for COVID-19 A high proportion of COVID-19 patients experience a total or partial loss of smell. This, in turn, has led to a call for anosmia (smell loss) to be treated as a symptom of the disease.A current paper in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of NSW by Dr Graham Bell FRSN describes a novel, simple home test (requiring only regular household items) for detecting any loss in the sense of smell, as soon it it happens, alerting individuals to the potential onset of COVID-19. https://royalsoc.org.au//the-ozzie-smell-detection-thresho

11.01.2022 Society Fellow, Thomas Maschmeyer, wins the 2020 Prime Minister's Prize for Innovation The Royal Society of NSW is delighted that one of its Fellows, Professor Thomas Maschmeyer FRSN FAA FTSE from the School of Chemistry of the University of Sydney, has been awarded the 2020 Prime Minister's Prize for Innovation. The Council of the Society warmly congratulates Professor Maschmeyer on this achievement, and this recognition of the impact of his outstanding research. The award r...ecognises Thomas Maschmeyer for his work that has commercialised fundamental research in fields that address environmental problems: plastic-waste recycling and safe, scalable storage for renewable energy. Professor Maschmeyer is a catalytic chemist who, over the past two decades, has invented a new, efficient way to convert renewable and plastic-waste inputs into their constituent chemical materials for reuse, and has reimagined zinc-bromide chemistry to develop a completely new solar-energy battery technology. To read further, please consult the news post on the Royal Society of NSW website: https://royalsoc.org.au//society-fellow-thomas-maschmeyer- and the article on his plastic recycling technology on the University of Sydney website. https://www.sydney.edu.au//a-new-plastic-recycling-technol

10.01.2022 Leading universities call for wealthy nations to commit to zero emissions targets A new international network of top climate universities universities including the UNSW Sydney, the University of Melbourne, and Monash University, as well as Oxford, Caltech and the Sorbonne amongst many others is calling for wealthy nations to commit to net zero emissions targets. The International Universities Climate Alliance, announced on 18 November 2020, was initiated by UNSW, principall...y through the efforts of two of the Society's Fellows: Ian Jacobs FRSN (Vice-Chancellor of UNSW) and Matthew England FRSN FAA (a leading climate researcher). Its first action was to send a declaration to the G20 before its coming meeting in Saudi Arabia, urging the world's leading economies to take urgent action to prevent catastrophic climate change by an early commitment to net zero emissions. The declaration has been signed by 48 of the world's leading universities. To read further, please see the news posting at: https://royalsoc.org.au//leading-universities-call-for-wea

10.01.2022 Speaking of the Music the magic of Solo Violin The Royal Society of NSW is pleased to announce the release of the recordings (on YouTube) of this event, presented jointly on 27 February 2020 by RSNSW and the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts as a celebration of the 300th anniversary of Bachs solo violin pieces. The evening featured a lecture by Dr David Hush FRSN on Bachs enduring popularity and influence and featured performances by award winning violinist Anna Da Silva Chen of Bachs Sonata for Solo Violin No. 1 in G minor BWV 1001 and the World Premiere of Partita for Solo Violin (2019), composed by David Hush and commissioned by the Royal Society. The evenings program can be accessed from the Societys website: https://royalsoc.org.au//469-speaking-of-music-the-magic-o

09.01.2022 Drinking for three: Mother, bay and society Australians love alcohol, yet the costs of alcohol consumption are immense. Alcohol has a particularly devastating impact on the most vulnerable members of Society, namely our children. Distinguished Professor Elizabeth Elliott of the University of Sydney and the Sydney Childrens Hospital Network (Westmead) presented a disturbing yet fascinating insight into the subject of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) at the Royal Socie...ty of NSW on Wednesday, 3 June 2020. Professor Elliotts talk, which covers the tragic consequences of alcohol consumption by mothers during pregnancy, surveys what is being done to alleviate this problem in Australia and internationally, and addresses the critical policy challenges associated with preventing FASD, is now available on the Royal Societys YouTube Channel. https://youtu.be/NtWFkf2oYrw See more

07.01.2022 Society Fellows as Finalists in the 2020 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes A number of Society Fellows are amongst the Finalists of the 2020 Australian Museum Eureka Awards the country’s most comprehensive national science awards, honouring excellence across the areas of research and innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science. Presented annually in partnership with some of the nation’s leading scientific institutions, government organisations, universities ...and corporations, the Eureka Prizes raise the profile of science and science engagement in the community by celebrating outstanding achievement. Amongst the finallists in this year’s Prizes are: * Professor Ben Eggleton FRSN FAA FTSE of the University of Sydney nominated 2020 Defence Science and Technology Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia * Professor Maria Kavallaris AM FRSN of UNSW Sydney and the Children’s Cancer Institute and Professor Robert Park FRSN of the University of Sydney each nominated for the 2020 CSIRO Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science *Professor Karu Esselle FRSN nominated for the 2020 University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize For Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers. The Awards will be announced at an online ceremony on the evening of 24 November 2020. https://royalsoc.org.au//society-fellows-as-finalists-in-t

06.01.2022 This is a very informative update on the latest research about COVID 19. A must view if you want a serious update by a leading researcher. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3wnne5pdBdQ

06.01.2022 Quantum computing startup led by Royal Society Fellow joins the IBM Q Network Archer Materials, an Australian start-up led by CEO Dr Mohammad Choucaira Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW and a former member of the Societys Councilhas just joined the IBM Q Network. Archer, which is developing room temperature quantum computing technology, is the first Australian company to join the IBM Q network as an ecosystem partner. Dr Choucair speaking with the industry newsletter ZDNe...t spoke of advancing the commercial readiness of Archers 12CQ qubit technology and his desire that Australian businesses and consumers will be amongst the first beneficiaries of this exciting new technology. Chip prototypes for the 12CQ qubit processor are being built at the Sydney Nanoscience Hub at the University of Sydney. https://www.zdnet.com//archer-to-work-alongside-ibm-in-p/

05.01.2022 Recording of the lecture by Professor John Rasko AO is now available on YouTube. The lecture, The Dawn of Molecular MedicineGene Therapy: past, present and future presented by Professor John Rasko AO (Centenary Institute and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital) at the 1286th Ordinary General Meeting of the Royal Society of NSW on 2 September is now available of the Societys YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIzV9NpHDQ

05.01.2022 Lord Robert May (1936-2020) : ABC Science Show, 13 June 2020 The ABC Science Show, to be broadcast on ABC Radio National at noon on Saturday, 13 June 2020, will be devoted to the life and achievements of Lord Robert May of Oxford, OM AC Kt FRS DistFRSN FAA FTSE HonFAIB, who died at the age of 84 on 28 April 2020. Lord May, a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW, was one of Australias most eminent scientists, and during his career served as Chief Scientific Advisor to the United Kingdom Government and as President of the Royal Society. https://royalsoc.org.au//death-of-lord-robert-may-of-oxfor

04.01.2022 The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2021 exhibition is now open, so take a lightning look at this year's works! Which one is your favourite so far? #ArchibaldPrize #WynnePrize #SulmanPrize

03.01.2022 Release of the YouTube recording of Ideas@theHouse: May 2020 The Royal Society of NSW is delighted to announce the release on its YouTube channel of the recording of the inaugural Ideas@theHouse presentation, conducted by webinar on the evening of Thursday 21 May 2020. https://youtu.be/sYUfcAWMXCM... Ideas@theHouse is an initiative of Her Excellency, The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales, to open Government House to a series of public events based on important and/or influential ideas. In this, the Royal Society of NSW and other organisations were invited to devise a series of lectures to be delivered under the banner of Ideas@theHouse. https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/ideas-thehouse-may-2020

02.01.2022 Recordings of three Society events held during August 2020 are now available on YouTube. Check out the news post below for links to these. They are the lecture presented at the1285th Ordinary General Meeting by Professor Peter Radoll (University of Canberra) on the evening of 5 August, and two presentations for Science Week 2020 by Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy and Emeritus Brynn Hibbert, respectively on the evenings of 18 and 20 August. Professor Radoll spoke about Growing Black Tall Poppies, Professor Clancy discuss the The COVID Curve in Context, and Professor Hibbert discussed The Periodic Table: a medley of haphazard facts falling into line and order. https://royalsoc.org.au/b/august-2020-events-now-on-youtube

01.01.2022 Society Fellows awarded 2020 NSW Premier's Science and Engineering Prizes Four Society Fellows have been recognised at the NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science and Engineering, with Professor Edward Holmes FRSN FAA FRS, of the University of Sydney, being awarded the 2020 NSW Scientist of the Year. In the other awards, Professor Suzanne O’Reilly AM FRSN FAA of Macquarie University received the Prize for Excellence in Mathematics, Earth Sciences, Chemistry or Physics; Professor Mer...lin Crossley FRSN of UNSW Sydney was a joint recipient of the Prize for Excellence in Medical Biological Sciences; while Professor Ewa Goldys FRSN FTSE of UNSW Sydney received the Prize for Leadership in Innovation in NSW. Professor Holmes was recognised for his 30 years of research into the emergence, evolution and spread of viruses, with a focus on how viruses can jump species and manifest as epidemics and pandemics. However, as is reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on 27 October 2020, he came to international prominence in becoming the first to publish the genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on 5 January 2020, following communication with a colleague in China. It was this act that triggered the release of genome sequencing data from China, and the start of research efforts to understand the virus, develop rapid testing, and commence the development of vaccines. To read further, please consult the news post on the Royal Society of NSW website. https://royalsoc.org.au//society-fellows-awarded-2020-nsw-