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25.01.2022 We can all name at least five current athletes, particularly during the Olympic games. We can all name at least five actors. These days, we can probably even name at least five celebrity chefs, Dr Finkel said. But most of us would struggle to name five Australian scientists or perhaps, five scientists at all! During National Science Week 2016, Dr Finkel launched his Five Scientist Pledge encouraging people to name five living Australian scientists and learn more about ho...w Australia is making a difference in the world. So have you been taking notice? This #ThrowbackThursday, why not name your own five scientists in the comments below? No search engine cheating allowed (but you might get some hints from the image)!

25.01.2022 Dont forget to register for Mondays expert webinar on #hydrogen, where Dr Finkel will discuss its role in the global energy transition, and how Australia, Germany and the EU could collaborate to shape a global hydrogen market. The Q&A session will be hosted by Australian Embassy, Germany and Australian Embassy, Brussels, and moderated by Frederic Simon from EURACTIV. The event starts at 5:30pm on Monday, you can still register here: bit.ly/34weGzW

25.01.2022 Dr Finkel welcomed the signing of the hydrogen supply chain study agreement with Germany announced last week. Having confidence in supply is key to attracting customers. This agreement with Germany is one more step on the path to developing an Australian hydrogen industry shipping sunshine to the rest of the world. The agreement initiates a joint feasibility study into the future development of a #hydrogen supply chain between Australia and Germany. You can read more here: bit.ly/3kavQr9

24.01.2022 Can you imagine not being able to read? 773 million adults, of which 2/3 are women, cant*. Poor literacy is linked to higher unemployment, lower income, isolation and poorer health. Today is International Literacy Day and this years focus is Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. The issue of literacy is a key component of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and marking today reminds us all of the importance of literacy for individuals..., communities and societies. Dr Finkel is working to support literacy with his #StorytimePledge, you can find out more here: bit.ly/2FRRotZ Read more about International Literacy Day, and literacy in general, here: bit.ly/3hbFl8G #ILD20 #literacycantwait #GlobalGoals World Literacy Foundation *source: UNESCO bit.ly/3ht07AG

24.01.2022 Congratulations to all the winners of last night’s Australian Museum Eureka Prizes! The awards recognise excellence in research, innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science. This year’s winners span the full spectrum of science, from solving global environmental challenges to finding unique solutions to deliver life-saving medication. You can read more here: bit.ly/3fxBylP #EurekaPrizes

23.01.2022 How many people do you know who have an asteroid named after them? Todays Storytime Pledger does welcome Prof Fred Watson, Australias first Astronomer-at-Large and connoisseur of the night sky! He's reading Mr Tompkins in Wonderland, a delightfully child-friendly exploration of general relativity written by physicist George Gamow in 1939. Exceptionally popular at the time, the book has been turned into both a movie and a comic book series. Want to know more about Freds d...ay job? Theres a fantastic array of astronomy podcasts well worth a listen you can check out some of his latest here. www.fredwatson.com.au Join in the fun take the #StorytimePledge! www.chiefscientist.gov.au/storytimepledge

23.01.2022 Has anyone used the extra time at home recently to learn a musical instrument? Is there anything nicer than the sound of strings being plucked to a well-known tune? The #science behind how a guitar makes sound is pretty interesting who knew you could learn so much about STEM while having fun playing an instrument, or listening to your favourite music? Our #STEMeverywhere campaign is about highlighting everyday people doing everyday activities, and showing you how they rel...ate to #STEM. Guitar playing, for example, is all about #physics and #biology. Feel free to join the campaign by using the hashtag #STEMeverywhere or commenting below with an image or activity you think relates to STEM.

23.01.2022 I am thrilled to hear that Professor Hugh Possingham has been appointed as the Queensland Chief Scientist. In his recently completed term as Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy one of the worlds largest and most trusted environmental nonprofit organisations Hugh has developed expertise in nuancing policies, managing hundreds of scientists, and juggling dozens of balls at once. Queensland is very fortunate! I look forward to Hugh participating in the regular meetings of the Forum of Australian Chief Scientists. Congratulations to Queenslands new Chief Scientist Professor Hugh Possingham. His expertise in applying mathematical modelling to conservation and his commitment to inspiring young Queenslanders will be valuable in this role. bit.ly/2ZwdGIv Queensland Science

23.01.2022 If you were asked what is the #science of skiing? would you know the answer? Most peoples reply would probably involve mentioning gravity (especially downhill skiing) or perhaps something to do with friction, as snow is pretty slippery. Did you also know its to do with energy transfer and melting snow? Fascinating! Our #STEMeverywhere campaign is about highlighting everyday people doing everyday activities, and showing you how they relate to #STEM. ... Skiing, for example, is all about #physics. Feel free to join the campaign by using the hashtag #STEMeverywhere or commenting below with an image or activity you think relates to STEM.

22.01.2022 What better way to see what is going on around Australia? Watch this great video on how digital solutions can help to engage the community from afar, thanks to Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary bit.ly/2ETuFx6

22.01.2022 Do you remember doing wheelbarrows at primary school? They were lots of fun. Do you also remember how they made the muscles of your upper body burn and got your heart racing? Doing wheelbarrows is great for building every muscle in your upper body and increasing your endurance to elite levels. These benefits make them one of the few body weight exercises that will give you a cardio-strength workout.... It is also an activity that provides proprioceptive input. The proprioceptive system is located in our muscles and joints, and gives us a sense of body awareness and balance. This kind of activity can have the effect of calming someone who is overwhelmed by sensory stimulation, and improve their coordination and motor planning skills. So maybe in these times of coronavirus if youre looking for a fun and easy activity to do at home, why not try a wheelbarrow? Our #STEMeverywhere campaign is highlighting everyday people doing everyday activities, and showing how those activities relate to #STEM. Feel free to join the campaign by using the hashtag #STEMeverywhere or commenting below with an image or activity you think relates to STEM.

22.01.2022 To really put a smile on your face, make sure you watch until the end of today’s #STEMEverywhere video showing Neil and Ryan enjoying #science, whether they actually know it or not! Our #STEMEverywhere campaign is highlighting everyday people doing everyday activities, and showing how those activities relate to #STEM. In today’s video, playing with marbles is actually a really fantastic example of the #physics concept of #gravity! Feel free to join the campaign by using the hashtag #STEMEverywhere or commenting below with an image or activity you think relates to STEM. Find out more about the campaign, and see previous #STEMEverywhere posts by visiting our website: www.chiefscientist.gov.au/STEMeverywhere

21.01.2022 Does your school love to #code? For the Texas Instruments Education Coding Contest, year 7-10 students must design a product that automates or optimises a food-related process or product, then use coding and TI technology to build a model of the solution. With great prizes to win, make sure you dont miss out! Applications close 25 September 2020. More here: bit.ly/2Y7EVso

21.01.2022 The Storytime Pledge is back! With the school holidays getting underway, Dr Finkel is again challenging all Australians to take the #StorytimePledge and make the promise to read to a child in your life. We know that reading to a child is one of the very best ways to support their learning. And this year, thats more important than ever.... Australias science community will lead the way, with regular book recommendations from scientists and science leaders across Australia available here and on our website. Want to join in? Sign up on our website to make the pledge and receive an online certificate. You can also find our pledge library, and dont forget to join in the conversation here and on Twitter! www.chiefscientist.gov.au/storytimepledge

20.01.2022 If you like the content on the STARportal youll love CSIROs new Taste and Learn program. Trying to get kids to eat enough veggies can be a struggle, but this new program has resources, and easy tips and tricks, for parents and schools. Based on CSIRO research, you can read more here: bit.ly/3hJXnPE bit.ly/31MEaHu

20.01.2022 As Australias Chief Scientist, I have long advocated the need for a common set of advice to school students about the importance of studying core subjects. This would help students sort through the maze of subject offerings and choose subjects that give them the right grounding for university, the workforce or vocational education. Dr Alan Finkel today in The Australian. In collaboration with the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, the Office of the Chief Scientist released a paper earlier this week called Mapping University Prerequisites in Australia which explores issues around mathematics and science undergraduate university prerequisites, student subject choice, and participation in fundamental subjects. Read the full papers here: bit.ly/2G110Cx and a news article on the Chief Scientist website: bit.ly/3hTgPbZ.

19.01.2022 The 2020-21 Australian Science Policy Fellowship year is underway, with 13 scientists beginning their fellowships across nine Commonwealth Government agencies. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing this year’s fellows. Next up is Sarah Atkinson. Sarah, a biochemist, is currently working in the Environment, Industry and Agriculture branch at the Department of Finance. During her PhD and postdoctoral work, Sarah studied host-pathogen interactions useful in the develo...pment of antimicrobials in both human medicine and agriculture, and will now be bringing her scientific skills to the APS! "I’m really excited to have joined the Department of Finance and be learning how policies are developed. I can already see how important the public service is in the team effort involved in creating policies and legislation that can have real impact and make a difference across Australia," says Sarah. To find out more about the program, visit our website here: bit.ly/3eO1CJp, or see this Latest News story: bit.ly/3o8a4au.

19.01.2022 Why does Siri need more Star Trek? This is the question Dr Finkel seeks to answer in his latest article for Cosmos Magazine. In this article, AI on my device, not in the cloud, Dr Finkel looks at the implications of artificial intelligence on our privacy. This article revisits an address that Dr Finkel gave at the University of Melbournes Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics in March (video available here: youtu.be/j7117MeMOjM). You can read the article here: bit.ly/3h6ddD9

18.01.2022 Australias Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, has welcomed the release of the National STEM School Education Resources Toolkit by Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (full release here: bit.ly/3lWO55m). The toolkit is an online resource to support Australian businesses, teachers, school leaders, industry partners, and other providers to deliver high quality #STEM initiatives in schools. The Toolkit was a key recommendation of the STEM Partnersh...ips Forum, chaired by Dr Finkel. Australian businesses have a long history of working with schools to provide current and engaging material to illustrate the kind of real world problems that students would love to solve, Dr Finkel said. At the same time, businesses are showing students and their families where studying science can lead, and the kinds of jobs they may consider. This toolkit will support all partners in this process students, teachers, industry and other providers to ensure industry-supported STEM programs are delivering the best experience possible. The Toolkit is available here: bit.ly/34JmKgN. Dr Finkels work on the STEM Partnerships Forum is available here: bit.ly/3lAWnzt.

18.01.2022 Australia has re-entered the space race with the launch of a commercial payload to the edge of space on Saturday. Southern Launch successfully completed two launches last week, and engagement with the local Indigenous community was critical to their success. Read more in this article from Cosmos Magazine: bit.ly/3mFMCR1 Australian Space Agency

17.01.2022 Synthetic skin that reacts to pain? Thanks to RMIT University electronics #engineer Professor Madhu Bhaskaran, its one step closer. Madhu leads a research group that specialises in wearable, stretchable, and super-thin smart materials. This could hopefully contribute to the development of smart prosthetics that react to pain just like a real body part. Madhu and her son will be reading The BFG for the #StorytimePledge, where wild adventures abound and good always triumphs over evil. Tell us your favourite characters triumph and take the Storytime Pledge yourself: www.chiefscientist.gov.au/storytimepledge Want to know more about the synthetic skin we mentioned? You can read Madhus latest article in The Conversation here: https://bit.ly/2ReM06z

16.01.2022 On Monday 14 Sept, Dr Finkel will be a panellist for an expert discussion on the role of #hydrogen in the global energy transition, and the hydrogen opportunities for Australia, Germany and the European Union. The online webinar will be hosted by Australian Embassy, Germany and Australian Embassy, Brussels, and moderated by Frederic Simon from EURACTIV. Beginning at 5:30pm, you can register here: bit.ly/34weGzW

15.01.2022 Perfecting your #handstand like Ginny requires an acute awareness of your centre of mass. Centre of mass is a #physics concept that has been around for a loooooong time thanks to Greek physicist, engineer and all-round big thinker Archimedes who came up with the mathematical properties behind the concept. The theory behind centre of mass is useful in everyday life real life applications include in airplane design, car design (low to the road = less likely to roll over), ...astronomy, rigging/safety, and moving your body! Which brings us to our picture: when was the last time you did a #handstand? Our #STEMeverywhere campaign is about highlighting everyday people doing everyday activities, and showing you how they relate to #STEM. Handstands, for example, are all about #physics. Feel free to join the campaign by using the hashtag #STEMeverywhere or commenting below with an image or activity you think relates to STEM.

13.01.2022 Have you heard the good news? The Prime Ministers Prizes for Science will be all-digital this year, in a public, event on Wed 28 Oct from 6-7pm AEDT. The Prizes are Australias most prestigious awards for outstanding achievements in science and science teaching. More info: bit.ly/35WBEAO #pmprizes #science

13.01.2022 The more that we know, thanks to science, the more we can achieve. For todays #ThrowbackThursday post, we are taking a trip down memory lane to 2016. This is the second video in the Office of the Chief Scientist Highlight Series and it places a spotlight on some of the key aspects of Dr Finkels 2016 National Press Club address. Titled Cresting the Wave, the speech focused on how science can help to deliver innovation and progress.... Watch the extracted video below, or take a look at the full speech here: bit.ly/3gGY8rh.

12.01.2022 Australia takes a huge step towards Dr Finkels vision to develop a hydrogen industry, after the signing of an agreement with Germany yesterday. The agreement initiates a joint feasibility study into the future development of a #hydrogen supply chain between Australia and Germany. Simon Birmingham and Keith Pitt signed for Australia and Anja Karliczek signed for Germany. You can read more here: bit.ly/3kavQr9

11.01.2022 Do you know a budding filmmaker? Entries to the 2021 SCINEMA International Science Film Festival Junior have now opened! In 2020, SCINEMA launched a new award category specifically for junior filmmakers aged 17 years and younger. Ahead of SCINEMA 2021, applications for this category have opened early so more young people can enter their films. Participants use the power of film to explain a #STEM concept, tell a story about how science affects their lives, or show how science... can solve real-world problems! National Science Week bit.ly/3kiXDFY

11.01.2022 Why is #STEM important? How does Australia measure up in STEM performance? What is the best way for business to engage with schools on STEM activities? How can you identify which audience will find STEM activities most useful and interesting? If you want to know the answers to any of these questions, and many more, then the @AusGovEducation National STEM School Education Resources Toolkit is for you. Available now on the Department of Education website (here: bit.ly/34JmKgN)..., the Toolkit is home to reliable STEM education resources that can be used by schools, businesses, not-for-profits and community organisations. The resources aim to improve STEM education outcomes for students in Australian schools. There is a lot of talk about STEM education in the media, schools and government. Everyone agrees its important but its hard to know what works and where to start. The Toolkit was a key recommendation of the STEM Partnerships Forum, chaired by Dr Finkel, and is a great starting point for anyone interested in STEM education.

11.01.2022 The APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics - APCTP call for proposals for Topical Research Programs for 2021 closes on 30 Sept. APCTP, based in Korea, undertakes high quality research in all areas of theoretical physics and promotes cooperation among scientists from the Asia Pacific regions and beyond. An exciting opportunity that any research group from an APEC economy can apply for, with funding up to $20,000USD available for ...researchers in any field related to science, technology and innovation. Find out more here: apctp.org.

10.01.2022 Who has ever made a sandcastle on the beach? You can spend all day building and rebuilding, changing the structures, adding a moat, and dribbling mud for artistic effect. Big fun. Its also pretty serious #physics and a great example of #STEMeverywhere! Scientists mostly understand how sandcastles work, but there are still some intriguing mysteries around how wet sand behaves. For example, during an earthquake, wet soil or sand can suddenly (and catastrophically) behave like ...a liquid resulting in buildings sinking into the ground. Next time youre building a sandcastle consider the physics behind your masterpiece! Our #STEMeverywhere campaign is about highlighting everyday people doing everyday activities, and showing you how they relate to #STEM. Sandcastle building for example, is all about #physics. Feel free to join the campaign by using the hashtag #STEMeverywhere or commenting below with an image or activity you think relates to STEM. You may not be out making sandcastles at the moment, but if youre interested in doing some #STEM activities at home, take a look at STARportal for a range of activities that are educational and fun!

08.01.2022 Rocking neuroscientist Dr Lila Landowski has taken the Storytime Pledge! Lila pledges to share the Ultimate Animal Counting Book with her four year old niece, and one month old nephew theyll be focusing on the differences between big animals, small animals, fluffy animals and slippery animals. In addition to being an expert on the brain, Lila is a Director of Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) and Epilepsy Tasmania and communicates science through her page The... Rock-at scientist. Want more about her day job? She recently wrote about how our brains react to the COVID lockdowns for ABC Science here: ab.co/2Glyqfo Whats your favourite book for little people? Come share it at chiefscientist.gov.au/storytimepledge!

08.01.2022 The Chief Scientist and the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute have today released a joint paper titled Mapping University Prerequisites in Australia. The paper has revealed how few prerequisites are currently in place at Australias universities. We hope it provides useful information for the sector to sharpen their policy considerations going forward, says Australias Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel. Also released today, is the Australian Informed Choices posit...ion paper. Informed Choices presents a strategy to improve the continuum between senior secondary schools and universities, through creating a coalition of thought-leading universities, and producing common advice on Year 11 and 12 subject selection principles coupled with individual university-based incentive packages. Universities are facing unprecedented challenges as they re-orient their offerings in the face of the pandemic, says Dr Finkel. What better time to consider how to improve the signals they send to students looking for the best possible advice on their upper secondary subject selections to ensure a smooth path into tertiary studies and successful working careers? Read the full papers here: bit.ly/2G110Cx and a news article on the Chief Scientist website: bit.ly/3hTgPbZ.

08.01.2022 This week two years ago #tbt, Dr Finkel was in Japan, looking at how theyre using #hydrogen as a fuel of the future. Heres a shot of him at the Iwatani Hydrogen refuelling station. Since then Dr Finkel has led the development and delivered the National Hydrogen Strategy. As Dr Finkel says: The strategy is ambitious but I believe that developing clean hydrogen offers a unique opportunity for Australia. Find out more here: bit.ly/35tHiYV

07.01.2022 Each year, a container ship travels the equivalent of 75% of the distance to the moon and back*. Its #WorldMaritimeDay! This years theme is sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet, which provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development and to showcase the work that International Maritime Organization - IMO and its member states are undertaking to achieve the targets. IMO has adopted and will continue to develop m...easures to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the sulphur content of ships' fuel oil, protect the polar regions, reduce marine litter, meet the challenges of the digitalization of shipping and enhance the participation of women in the maritime community. You can find out more here: bit.ly/3gcJjMQ and here: bit.ly/3kUOPHw #GlobalGoals *source: World Shipping Council bit.ly/3ll6Te8

07.01.2022 Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is seeking your views on how teachers and leaders in schools across Australia can be supported to enhance their Indigenous cultural competency. Get involved by sharing your response to the focus questions in the discussion paper. For more information: bit.ly/33uqT5P

07.01.2022 Chief Scientists unite! Please welcome @CSIROnews Chief Scientist and physicist extraordinaire Dr Cathy Foley to the #StorytimePledge. Shes reading the beautifully-illustrated Phasmid to her Joeys scout group the real life story of how the Lord Howe Island stick insect (or phasmid) was rediscovered in 2001 after being considered extinct for nearly 80 years. Today @ZoosVictoria is leading efforts to repopulate the species.... Got a great book about animals or insects youd like to share? Take the Storytime Pledge and let us know! www.chiefscientist.gov.au/storytimepledge

06.01.2022 The Australian Government is working to deliver better, more seamless services to the public. To do this, its important to modernise how the data and information that we supply to various government agencies is managed. Investing in #dataskills is key to developing data maturity and changing from a culture of not sharing to one that asks, how can I share safely? You can have your say now! The Office of the National Data Commissioner is seeking submissions on the exposure d...raft of the the Data Availability and Transparency Bill and explanatory materials, and an Accreditation Framework discussion paper. Submissions are open between 14 September and 6 November 2020: bit.ly/2ZEobJX.

06.01.2022 Without the Montreal Protocol to save the ozone layer, our global climate would be at least 25% hotter today*. Signed today in 1987, the Montreal Protocol was a global commitment to cut out 99 per cent of all ozone-depleting substances (ODSs). Without the ozone layer, the global climate would be hotter. When ODSs, such as chemicals containing chlorine, reach the stratosphere, they absorb UV radiation and decompose, releasing their chlorine atoms. One chlorine atom can break a...part up to 100,000 ozone molecules, causing the ozone layer to rapidly deplete. We celebrate this landmark treaty today on International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. #ozoneday UN Environment Programme You can read more about this historic day here: bit.ly/3iUyXTy *source: on.natgeo.com/3gCektH

04.01.2022 Your answers are only as good as your questions. Determining the questions can be difficultQuestions need to be kept front of mind to ensure our ingenuity is forever rooted in our values. What is Australias Chief Scientist talking about? And why does he refer to the definitive answer to life, the universe and everything as 42? And finally, what will it take for you to trust Artificial Intelligence? For some answers and thoughtful consideration of some of the questions, s...ee Dr Finkels keynote address to an Institute of Public Administration Australia and Australian Council of Learned Academies event on the role of Artificial Intelligence in Australia on Tuesday 18 August 2020. https://youtu.be/9VM3jQQCJvI https://acola.org/ https://www.ipaa.org.au/

02.01.2022 How do you clean oceans sustainably and efficiently? In this video, the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources highlights another great Australian company developing world-leading technology to make change. We specialise in developing clean tech to get the microplastics and floating pollution out of the water, said Pete Ceglins, CEO and Co-Founder of Seabin Project. Were collecting on average 3.6 tonnes a day, filtering over 500 million litres a day as well, and currently were operational in 53 countries.

02.01.2022 Flight has had a significant impact on human civilisation. Can you imagine life today with no flight (well before #COVID19 at least)? This #STEMeverywhere photo shows some great principles of flight, which relate, in particular, to Newtons third law of #physics: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. There are four forces of flight: thrust (forward), drag (rearward), lift (up), and weight (down). ... To get airborne you have to manage all four to break free of gravity. Birds do this without even thinking! Pretty cool hey? Our #STEMeverywhere campaign is about highlighting everyday people doing everyday activities, and showing you how they relate to #STEM. Feel free to join the campaign by using the hashtag #STEMeverywhere or commenting below with an image or activity you think relates to STEM. If youve been enjoying this #STEMEverywhere series and are feeling inspired to take some more STEM activities, visit the STARportal for lots of ideas for home and school STEM fun.

01.01.2022 The Office of the Chief Scientist had a visit from the Astronomer at large @stargazerfred, who told us about the upcoming great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn! Set your alarm for 21 December and direct your eyes sky-ward, as this event is the closest great conjunction in 397 years! For more info: https://bit.ly/3fdnwWp

01.01.2022 Two years ago this week, Dr Finkel received a Doctor of letters honoris causa from Macquarie University, pictured here with Macquarie University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton. #throwbackthursday In his acceptance speech, he acknowledged his gratitude for the lessons learned from his late father, David Finkel, on hard work, creative design and the importance of philanthropy. Dr Finkel’s reflection on those who have taught him about life is timely as we reflect... on the highlights of Dr Finkel’s term as Australia’s Chief Scientist. Read the transcript of this speech here: bit.ly/351tSUq