Australian Institute of Physics
Tasmanian Branch
(ACN 004 566 509)
Annual Report 2006-2007
The
Branch has had another active and successful year, holding five public
lectures, co-sponsoring a program of Science visits to Primary schools,
submitting a detailed response to the Tasmanian curriculum document and
resuming the Physics Quiz for Year 12 students.
Early
in the year the Branch received a request from Mr Luke Yates to support an
innovative project to demonstrate science to Primary School students using
coloured lab coats to represent atomic transitions. Funds were successfully sought from the National Executive to run
this as a special project.
In
September we were asked to submit a response to proposals for a new Tasmanian
Science Curriculum. As so often happens
the response was required rather quickly.
I am grateful to several members for their contributions. Our response was well received by the
Department of Education.
Public Lectures, 2007
- Prof Bill Erickson, 19/04/07, Hobart: “The
Early Years of Radio Astronomy: A Personal Perspective”
- Dr John Greenhill. 10/05/07, Hobart: “Searching
for extra-solar planets” (McAulay Winter Lecture Series)
- Dr Ian Allison, 16/08/07, Hobart: “Science
Plans for the International Polar Year” (McAulay Winter Lecture
Series)
- Prof John Dickey, 27/09/07, Hobart: “Why do we
need Cosmology?” (McAulay Winter Lecture Series)
- Prof Tanya Munro, 09/10/07, Hobart: “New
optical fibres for applications beyond data transmission” (AIP Women in Physics Lecturer)
-
Schools Talks, 2007
- Prof Tanya Munro, 09/10/07 (Hobart), 10/10/07
(Launceston)
Prizes and Sponsorship
- For about 20 years the Branch has contributed $80
annually to the Sir Phillip Fysh prize for excellence in 2nd
year Physics at the university.
The original sponsor of the award has now raised its contribution
to $100. In consequence the branch
has ceased its contribution to the award.
- For many years the Branch has provided a prize
for the best performance in 3rd year Physics at the University
of Tasmania. The prize has been
valued at $150 for in recent times.
It was raised this year to $250.
- The branch has continued its annual support the
Tasmanian Science Talent Search.
The
Physics Quiz
The
Physics Quiz for year 12 (and some year 11) students was held on 6 October,
after being dropped in 2006. Student
travel has been an Achilles heel of the quiz for a long time so this year it
was held simultaneously in Launceston and Hobart, with the two venues being
linked by Internet. Participants at
each site could see progress scores, while the Launceston participants could
hear the Introductory Speaker in Hobart.
The arrangement was well received and is clearly the way to go in future
years, in spite of the extra labour required.
Some teachers reported that holding the quiz in October discouraged, or
perhaps prevented, some schools from participating and suggested that we should
revert to holding the event in August in 2008.
Congratulations
Congratulations
go to branch member Dr John Church, of CSIRO, for the award of the 2007
University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Scientific Research.
Acknowledgements
A
small branch cannot function adequately without great support from its
committee, all of whom contributed in major ways to the success of the
year. My particular thanks go to
Vice-chair Marc Duldig for his support, back up and advice, to Andrew Klekociuk
as Treasurer and to Elizabeth Chelkowska for her continued tireless efforts as
Secretary. Claire Hotan, assisted by
Andrew Klekociuk, Stephen Newbery and others, worked very hard to ensure the
success of the quiz.
Dr
John Humble
Chair,
AIP Tasmanian Branch
1
November 2007