tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/australia-2025-series-8876/articlesAustralia 2025 series – The Conversation2014-07-29T04:38:29Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/275742014-07-29T04:38:29Z2014-07-29T04:38:29ZChief Scientist’s view: the smart path for an uncertain future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/55103/original/rfsg7dty-1406599480.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We already have a good idea of the challenges ahead – and now we know how science can help.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/7211654388/in/photostream/">Kris Krüg/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153">Ian Chubb</a>, we asked how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future.</em></p>
<p>What will life be like in 2025?</p>
<p>There are probably as many responses to that question as there are people prepared to answer it.</p>
<p>Some look ahead to an exciting world of <a href="https://theconversation.com/boys-and-their-toys-a-crash-course-in-driverless-cars-2319">driverless cars</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-3d-printing-and-whats-it-for-9456">3D printing</a> and trillions of devices connected to a global web. It’s a world of opportunity for all. </p>
<p>Others see only a grim future of <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-another-mass-extinction-event-on-the-way-5397">mass extinctions</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/peak-oil-is-alive-and-well-and-costing-the-earth-17542">ever-dwindling resources</a>, with the benefits of new technologies carved up among the few.</p>
<p>The truth, of course, is that the story is not yet written. </p>
<p>We are the authors, not just the characters, in this our chapter – and we decide how we respond to the challenges the future throws down. </p>
<p>I believe that our capacity as human beings is profound. We know this from the historical record. From the time of the first known technological innovations, dating back some 72,000 years, new knowledge has enabled societies to leapfrog their competitors or live more securely in uncertain times.</p>
<p>We know it also from the record of our own lives. In 2005, who would have foreseen the impact of the iPad or the smartphone? </p>
<p>Approaching 2015, who can doubt that the decade to 2025 will be shaped by the leaders in science? That economic prosperity will be tied to scientific capability? That new ways of living must be found if our planet is to sustain us all in health and comfort? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=702&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=702&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/55090/original/h3gk2trq-1406596241.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=702&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iambrad/220687809">Brad</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It may inspire us, or overwhelm us, but through science we are changing our world. Surely we ought to take responsibility for changing it for the better.</p>
<p>At the start of this series we threw down this gauntlet to some of the brightest lights in Australian science. We framed an aspiration for 2025 that we hoped would speak to all of us, as scientists or citizens:</p>
<p><em>Australia in 2025 will be strong, prosperous, healthy and secure and positioned to benefit all Australians in a rapidly changing world.</em></p>
<p>Then we sought to understand what each of the disciplines could offer towards that goal.</p>
<p>I offer my sincere thanks to all of the scientists who have shared their incredible vision.</p>
<p>Very few of the issues raised are unique to any one article, a reminder that collaboration is essential if we are to see real progress on our goals. We need the new ways of thinking that spark when the disciplines combine.</p>
<p>At the same time, we need to keep sight of the unique contribution that every discipline has to make. In a cross-disciplinary world, we are only as strong as our weakest link. We need to be ready to snatch opportunity wherever it lies. </p>
<p>There are serious questions here for all Australians.</p>
<p>I hope the articles have informed you, challenged you – and perhaps changed your perspective on your own journey to 2025.</p>
<p><div class="callout">A discussion of the role of science in Australia’s future will be held at Parliament House on Tuesday September 2, 2014, from 11.30am-12.30pm.
The symposium will comprise five panellists: Michelle Simmons, Mark Buntine, John Gunn, Peter Langridge and Merlin Crossley. They, and Professor Ian Chubb, will take questions during the session, hosted by Leigh Dayton.
You can take part in the event which will be live-streamed on The Conversation website. Details to follow.</div></p>
<hr>
<p><br>
*<em>This article is the final instalment of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/statistics-is-more-than-a-numbers-game-it-underpins-all-sciences-22256">Statistics is more than a numbers game – it underpins all sciences</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a> *</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/27574/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Chubb is Australia's Chief Scientist.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we asked how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now…Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist for Australia, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/228432014-07-15T04:41:45Z2014-07-15T04:41:45ZAgriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53717/original/7cq794yz-1405309645.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">With growing pressures on our land, the aim will be to 'farm smarter, not harder'.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/choctruffle/4118962131">choctruffle/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. In this final instalment, we examine our agricultural legacy.</em></p>
<p>Food and agriculture are fundamental to human survival and it was the birth of agriculture and farming that laid down the basis for human civilisation. </p>
<p>Since the first crops were domesticated around 10,000 years ago, advances in agriculture have been intimately linked with human development and the growing world population. </p>
<p>Technology and innovation have underpinned those advances. Since the Green Revolution in the early 1960s crop production has increased nearly two and a half times, from 1.84 billion tonnes to 4.38 billion tonnes in 2007, achieved on only <a href="http://www.innovation.gov.au/Science/PMSEIC/Documents/AustraliaandFoodSecurityinaChangingWorld.pdf">11% more</a> cropped land.</p>
<p>Agriculture today is a very sophisticated and highly technical industry, and in Australia it has been one of our most innovative and efficient industries. Our farmers have remained competitive in a global food market despite Australia having low levels of subsidies relative to our major competitors. </p>
<p>The ability of this industry to adapt, innovate and form successful collaborations will continue to support a strong and prosperous Australia with sustainable food security.</p>
<h2>Breeding and feeding</h2>
<p>For Australia, food security is inextricably linked to the political stability of our region and has the potential to affect our national security. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48036/original/ns976xzy-1399523787.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48036/original/ns976xzy-1399523787.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48036/original/ns976xzy-1399523787.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48036/original/ns976xzy-1399523787.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48036/original/ns976xzy-1399523787.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=641&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48036/original/ns976xzy-1399523787.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=641&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48036/original/ns976xzy-1399523787.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=641&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/11854392794">mikecogh/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Food security also affects our status as a premier food exporting nation and the health and wellbeing of our population. The likelihood of a food crisis directly affecting Australia is remote given that we have enjoyed cheap, safe and high quality food for many decades and we produce enough food today to feed 60 million people – three times our current population. </p>
<p>Although we account for only about 3% of the global food trade, our food exports are worth more than <a href="http://www.futuredirections.org.au/publications/food-and-water-crises/28-global-food-and-water-crises-swa/1331-exporting-australia-s-agricultural-know-how.html">A$30 billion</a> annually and we are <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/FoodSecurity_web.pdf">one of only 11 countries</a> that are net food exporters. </p>
<p>While these are comforting statistics and our agricultural products are important, when put into a global context, we produce enough to feed only 2% of the Asian population, so we cannot claim, now or even potentially, to be the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-trade-beats-aid-in-boosting-global-food-security-22546">food bowl of Asia</a>”.</p>
<p>Addressing the global food security problem will depend upon the development and delivery of technologies that lead to increased food production. But this must be achieved without increasing the area under production, since arable land is now limited, and under conditions where the frequency and severity of climate “shocks” are likely to increase due to the effects of climate change.</p>
<h2>Being realistic about growth</h2>
<p>Our previous reliance on water and energy to drive up yields is not an option for the next phase of productivity gains.</p>
<p>Agriculture has an excellent record of productivity growth over the past 50 years, allowing global production to meet the large population increase and, for countries such as Australia, these gains have kept food prices low while keeping farmers in business. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48003/original/2v7wvddc-1399506473.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48003/original/2v7wvddc-1399506473.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48003/original/2v7wvddc-1399506473.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48003/original/2v7wvddc-1399506473.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48003/original/2v7wvddc-1399506473.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48003/original/2v7wvddc-1399506473.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48003/original/2v7wvddc-1399506473.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia’s dryland agriculture.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wak1/3218213289/">Wakx/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Agricultural production has remained important to our economy because we have effectively developed and delivered new technologies through a strong research base and a highly skilled and innovative farming community. In particular, we have been able to maintain our position even though we produce food on the driest inhabited continent, on low quality soils and with continual climate variability. </p>
<p>Our agricultural R&D capability ranks among the best in the world, and more recently Australia has developed a strong capability in climate change research including studies on impacts, adaptation and mitigation. We can now implement this capability to enhance agricultural production both in Australia and in our region.</p>
<p>These strengths provide a solid foundation to catalyse transformation of the agricultural industries to address regional food security. Australia can make a significant contribution to the task because we have extensive experience in dealing with difficult and low input productions systems. </p>
<p>Our record in applying this experience may not have been perfect but we are now making serious attempts to address our past omissions. Indeed, we will have little choice given the predicted impact of climate change on our agricultural production regions.</p>
<h2>Off the farm and into the laboratory</h2>
<p>Our future in food production will lie within our current large scale farming systems where we have clear skills and where there is scope for increased efficiency rather than niche foods where high labour costs and low innovation make it hard for us to complete. </p>
<p>Over the next decade we will move to a scene where engineering and biology are intimately linked. <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-satellite-to-save-australia-we-should-have-one-of-those-13770">Satellites</a> will provide data on crop and rangeland health and productivity. This information will be combined with ground data and used as the basis for farm management decisions. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48013/original/bhz62nn5-1399509526.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48013/original/bhz62nn5-1399509526.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=825&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48013/original/bhz62nn5-1399509526.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=825&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48013/original/bhz62nn5-1399509526.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=825&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48013/original/bhz62nn5-1399509526.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1036&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48013/original/bhz62nn5-1399509526.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1036&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48013/original/bhz62nn5-1399509526.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1036&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eawb/44524746/">EAWB/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We will know the detailed genetic makeup of our farm animals and our crops and will use the association between <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-gene-12951">genotype</a> (the genetic makeup) and phenotype (the physical characteristics) to predict performance under a diverse set of environmental conditions. </p>
<p>This information will feed into the decisions made by breeders to develop new crop cultivars or animal breeds to optimise the use of available resources while minimising the environmental impact of farming.</p>
<p>This move towards the utilisation of more specialist skills in agriculture is evident even today. Nowadays research teams look very different to those of the past. </p>
<p>If you were to set up a team today to develop a strategy to breed wheat with enhanced drought tolerance, your team will need to include software programmers, computer scientists, statisticians, crop physiologists, agronomists, cell biologists, pathologists, molecular biologists and geneticists.</p>
<p>Ideally you would also collaborate with climate scientists to understand the future production environments and help predict how your new varieties will perform. </p>
<p>The expectations of these scientists is also changing: a modern agronomist will need the traditional knowledge of cropping systems, fertiliser regimes, field pathology and so on but will also know techniques for assessing crop health based on analysis of the light reflected from crops and captured on images generated from drones or <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-satellite-to-save-australia-we-should-have-one-of-those-13770">satellites</a>.</p>
<p>Farmers are already using computer models to assess the status of their soils, crops and farming systems to support their decision making. </p>
<p>In the future farmers will also be capturing data from even more diverse sources, linking this to genetic information and predictive climate models and using the result to help them decide when to sow their crops, when to apply fertilisers, how to protect crops from disease and when to harvest.</p>
<h2>Investments and pay-offs</h2>
<p>Perhaps our greatest contribution to agricultural innovation will be through developing solutions to global food security challenges and delivering these solutions to partners around the world. Agriculture is so important to human survival that there is huge global investment in research at around <a href="http://www.asti.cgiar.org/pdf/Global_revision.pdf">US$40 billion annually</a>, largely from the private sector. </p>
<p>Although Australia currently accounts for only 1% of this investment, we are frequently sought out as a partner for both the public and private sector overseas. Our agricultural research capability has the potential to become a significant industry in its own right.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48016/original/z6szmqcj-1399510368.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48016/original/z6szmqcj-1399510368.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48016/original/z6szmqcj-1399510368.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48016/original/z6szmqcj-1399510368.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48016/original/z6szmqcj-1399510368.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48016/original/z6szmqcj-1399510368.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48016/original/z6szmqcj-1399510368.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rfsmedia/6473311075">rfsmedia/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the next decade we should build management, regulatory and support structures that allow us to capitalise on this international interest and build strong multinational research programs that can not only support food security in our region but also ensure our farmers have access to the latest technologies.</p>
<p>Agriculture is among our most technologically advanced industries, yet most Australians are largely unaware of the revolution that is occurring on our farms. </p>
<p>Many would be both surprised and fascinated to know just how sophisticated agricultural science has become and the role it plays in delivering the strong and prosperous Australia of the future.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-docchio-115746/profile_bio">Michael D'Occhio</a>, Professor at University of Sydney</h2>
<p>The world is rapidly reaching the boundaries of agricultural land and the sustainable intensification of agriculture has emerged as a necessity to meet the increase in global demand for food. Given the limits to natural resources the world simply cannot afford to sustain the loss of food that is caused by diseases of plants and animals. </p>
<p>Currently, diseases (bacterial, viral, fungal) cause general losses of 20-40% of horticultural crops, 10-15% of grains, up to 50% of aquaculture and more than 20% of livestock worldwide. </p>
<p>Intensification of food production tends to exacerbate the occurrence and impact of diseases, and climate variability and change has introduced another layer of complexity in the emergence and spread of diseases. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53690/original/9tq4pc8p-1405302560.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/53690/original/9tq4pc8p-1405302560.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53690/original/9tq4pc8p-1405302560.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53690/original/9tq4pc8p-1405302560.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53690/original/9tq4pc8p-1405302560.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53690/original/9tq4pc8p-1405302560.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/53690/original/9tq4pc8p-1405302560.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disease and land degradation can impact Australia’s agricultural output.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-schilling/355224091/">John Schilling/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The success of agriculture in Australia has been due, in part, to the relative freedom from diseases that impact food production elsewhere. Indeed, the high biosecurity status of Australia ensures safe and healthy domestic food and gives Australia preferred status in global food markets. Diseases involve many of the sciences such as immunology, pathology, genetics, epidemiology, public health and sociology. </p>
<p>While Australia is free of many food diseases there is considerable domestic, world-class expertise in the science of animal and plant diseases. This expertise has a very important role in ensuring that Australians continue to have safe, nutritious and healthy food and are protected from animal to human transmission of diseases (zoonoses). </p>
<p>Other important roles are creating new knowledge on diseases to prepare for future challenges and training the next generation of scientists and teachers. There is a broader role in the global community in food and nutritional security and human health, including through partnerships with developing countries in education, training, research and technology transfer.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dana-cordell-1041/profile_bio">Dana Cordell</a>, Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Technology Sydney</h2>
<p>An imminent <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/report-hoses-down-unreal-food-boom-expectations/story-e6frg926-1226758546832#">food boom</a> to replace the mining boom in Australia is expected to double agricultural outputs to feed growing Asian demand. Much discussion and swift debate about this economic opportunity has ensued in the past 12 months alone at the <a href="http://www.globalaccesspartners.org/think-tanks/growth-summit">GAP Food Summit</a>, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (<a href="http://www.daff.gov.au/abares/Pages/Default.aspx">ABARES</a>) <a href="http://www.daff.gov.au/ABARES/outlook-2014/Pages/HOME.aspx">Outlook 2014</a> and <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/in-depth/global-food-forum">Global Food Forum</a>, demonstrating our responsiveness and entrepreneurship. </p>
<p>But a longer-term strategy based on genuine scientific inquiry is also needed to answer fundamental questions like where would the land, water, nutrients and farmers come from? The expert knowledge of agricultural scientists can help Australia “<a href="http://cpd.org.au/2012/10/farming-smarter-not-harder-2/">farm smarter, not harder</a>”. </p>
<p>Unlocking the “soil bank” to access stored nutrients from past decades of fertiliser application can increase agricultural productivity and reduce farmers’ vulnerability to fluctuations in climate and <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/3/1/86">fertiliser availability</a>. This contributes to a prosperous and healthy Australia, and, meets our moral commitment to <a href="http://thecommonwealth.org/history-of-the-commonwealth/perth-declaration-food-security-principles">food security</a> in the region. </p>
<p>The next generation of scientists may have more complex and wicked challenges to address, but this need not require being born a genius: at a recent <a href="http://www.gyss-one-north.sg/">Global Young Scientist Summit</a> I attended that brought together 16 Nobel Prize Laureates to share their secret to success, it essentially boiled down to one word: curiosity.</p>
<p>In the words of novelist and professor of biochemistry at Boston University Isaac Asimov:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not “Eureka!” [I found it!] but “that’s funny…”.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/statistics-is-more-than-a-numbers-game-it-underpins-all-sciences-22256">Statistics is more than a numbers game – it underpins all sciences</a></strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22843/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Langridge receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, several Australian universities, the US Agency for International Development, Pioneer DuPont and Dow Agrosciences.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dana Cordell receives funding from RIRDC, GRDC, DAFF, CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, Ian Potter Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael D’Occhio does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Peter Langridge, CEO, Australian Centre for Plant Functional GenomicsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/222562014-07-01T05:05:06Z2014-07-01T05:05:06ZStatistics is more than a numbers game – it underpins all sciences<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48865/original/hfg4pxx7-1400478683.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How do we make sense of numbers without stats?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jb912/8940192619">Jeffrey/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. Here, we explore the significance of statistics.</em></p>
<p>We are all familiar with many instances of statistics in everyday life: the statistics of sport, weather, population, the stock market … the sort of thing that might appear in the “<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/lifestyle/lifestylecustom/number-crunch-by-professor-croucher-20120127-1qknc.html">number crunch</a>” column in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. </p>
<p>The central feature of statistics is data: designing ways to collect, summarise, visualise, present and draw inferences from data.</p>
<p>Fundamental concepts are variability and uncertainty. As a way of making sense of the great variety of ways in which we meet statistics, I’ll give a simple breakdown into three broad categories.</p>
<p>The first category is statistical facts. Such facts are often interesting in themselves, or in comparison with the same fact for different times or places. They might seem like data, but in reality they are summaries of data. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52598/original/gdzg7npm-1404103019.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/5381172329">Nathan Rupert/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What was the proportion Australians 15 years of age or older in 2001, who have never married? <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/26D94B4C9A4769E6CA25732C00207644?opendocument">The answer is 32%</a>. </p>
<p>Behind the 32% figure is the <a href="http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/historicaldata2001?opendocument&navpos=280">2001 Australian Census</a>. As a summary of census data, it has no statistical uncertainty.</p>
<p>More complex are data collected in survey sampling of populations based on randomly selected units. Variability enters the equation, as different samples will generally give different results.</p>
<p>Sample survey data is typically summarised as proportions, percentages or averages, and the results are presented as inferences concerning the population. They will be uncertain inferences, because of sampling variability (“error”) and other types of error. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4326.0">2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing</a> conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (<a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/">ABS</a>) found that an estimated 3.2 million Australians (20% of the population aged between 16 and 85) had a mental disorder in the 12 months prior to the survey.</p>
<p>(Presenting the uncertainty in estimates such as this one and explaining how that is interpreted is beyond the scope of this article.)</p>
<p>Let’s call this sample survey statistics – the second category. </p>
<p>Survey results such as those in our example are clearly important if we are to make informed decisions towards realising our aspiration, as outlined by the Chief Scientist in his introductory article.</p>
<p>Now let me turn to my third category: the enormous range of other uses of statistics. It includes the use of statistics by professionals (“statisticians”) and people whose principal activity is something other than statistics. </p>
<h2>Statistical subcultures</h2>
<p>Sectors of the economy such as agriculture make use of statistics in characteristic ways.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52594/original/43h5d2m7-1404102221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52594/original/43h5d2m7-1404102221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52594/original/43h5d2m7-1404102221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52594/original/43h5d2m7-1404102221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52594/original/43h5d2m7-1404102221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52594/original/43h5d2m7-1404102221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52594/original/43h5d2m7-1404102221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/melkon/2204306942/in/photolist-4mMDE7-diJ2fN-jGTm9-arDnYu-76JHo3-nBENKd-8uwW3T-4QdiHd-76JDx9-c9RLy1-2yYEc4-5Vk6YG-daNYgg-5LPwuX-bvYVxr-aeGjMv-6x6Y4s-aAZ6BK-9byDGz-8a4bJu-b6MYfP-fpjdbE-5wMp6e-9zVAGx-8uQ8Hz-nBEYKz-2yYE9v-8QLEVb-4m2Bbk-Bt1f6-4vLVkQ-6x2Noe-82Nws2-nLSMMR-nuFhAG-9ev112-4m6DL1-9GrhmM-nLSMCH-fCuESX-9GuebU-5vfYy9-fCWbcv-d1bCuj-bAXtKB-bfPuaX-a7h3QS-fL6hrL-eV9s3G-bn89Ty">Sergey Melkonov/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet when you search the web with key phrases such as “statistics in agriculture”, you will most likely find statistical facts about agriculture, not how statistics can be used to improve agriculture practice. That takes a more directed search, but the uses of statistics in this way are many and varied. </p>
<p>Over a long career in the CSIRO, <a href="http://www.csiropedia.csiro.au/display/CSIROpedia/Newton+Turner,+Helen+Alma">Helen Newton Turner</a> (1908-1995) applied statistics to animal production and later sheep breeding, and modern versions of her research continue to this day. </p>
<p>Statisticians work on comparative crop variety testing, which is a source of information on variety performance for Australian farmers. Similarly, the mining and manufacturing industries, and even the service industry, make use of statistics.</p>
<p>It is hard to name an area of science, technology, business, industry or government, even the humanities, which does not have its own statistical subculture – its own types of data, collection of questions and models and methods used to answer these questions by analysing the data, alongside a statistical literature. </p>
<p>It seems evident that statistics pervades every field of human endeavour, either through the use of statistical facts, some form of sample-population inference, or other informal or formal methods of addressing questions of interest. As I will explain, this statistical activity need not, and in general will not, be carried out by people calling themselves statisticians.</p>
<h2>A role in all aspects of health</h2>
<p>We might start with summary facts concerning mortality and morbidity, which show where we are, as a prelude to where we’d like to be. We can move to surveys to elicit more detailed information on particular topics than we have from routine data collections.</p>
<p>The mental health survey mentioned above is one example. Epidemiology works hand in hand with biostatistics in seeking to understand the patterns and causes of disease, and to inform policy decisions by identifying risk factors.</p>
<p>Biostatistics is used in the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials to assess the efficacy of vaccines, drugs, devices, treatments or interventions. </p>
<p>It is also widely used in pre-clinical biomedical research, where cell lines or model organisms are analysed, in the studies necessary before a drug goes to human clinical trial and beyond.</p>
<h2>Industry quality</h2>
<p>What about the role of statistics in knowledge-based industries and high value goods and services, aspects of the economy that many (including me) would like to see greatly expanded in Australia in the coming decade?</p>
<p>Statistical methods were first used widely in the manufacturing industry in the 1930s, building on the pioneering 1920s work of <a href="http://asq.org/about-asq/who-we-are/bio_shewhart.html">Walter Shewhart</a>, who is known as the father of statistical quality control. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rNdW2veACFg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Learn more about Walter Shewhart and quality control here.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These activities expanded rapidly following World War II, particularly in Japan, where American engineers and statisticians joined their Japanese counterparts in making important contributions to Japan’s reputation for innovative, high-quality products.</p>
<p>These developments broadened the role of statistics, moving it beyond the realm of statisticians. Statistical thinking entered the minds of both management and workers, through concepts such as <a href="http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/quality-circles.html">quality circles</a>. Problem identification, data collection and basic statistical analyses became important aspects of the job.</p>
<p>In the decades since the 1950s and 1960s, the value of statistical thinking in industries of all kinds has become widely acknowledged. </p>
<p>Developments such as <a href="http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/total-quality-management/overview/overview.html">Total Quality Management</a>, <a href="http://www.isixsigma.com/new-to-six-sigma/getting-started/what-six-sigma/">Six Sigma</a> and the series of standards from the International Organisation for Standardisation (<a href="http://www.iso.org/iso/home.html">ISO</a>) known as <a href="http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/management-standards/iso_9000.htm">ISO 9000</a> have all contributed to the near-universal awareness of the value of statistics in helping “define, establish, and maintain an effective quality assurance system for manufacturing and service industries” and in improving the quality of products and services. </p>
<p>It was understood from the earliest days that methods from manufacturing industries were also effective, with appropriate modifications, in the service industry, but uptake in that area has definitely been slower.</p>
<h2>One thing is certain</h2>
<p>Statistics, in one or more of the modes that I have described, has entered almost every aspect of human endeavour. We can use it for better planning, more efficient delivery of services, and increased productivity. </p>
<p>The value of statistics is only limited by a lack of awareness and the severe shortage of adequately trained statisticians. This can be remedied. </p>
<p>Just as it is difficult to quantify the benefit of having a workforce with an adequate knowledge of written and spoken language, so it is difficult to quantify the benefit of having a workforce who can adequately communicate about variability and uncertainty.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-henstridge-21621/profile_bio">John Henstridge</a>, Professor at the University of Western Australia</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52590/original/t7xwrxvd-1404101944.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pennuja/5363518281">Jim Pennucci/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Terry has illustrated the way in which statistics pervades almost any area where science, industry and government work to improve Australia. I must agree with this – even though I have spent decades working as a statistician, I remain surprised at just how useful this set of tools is and how widely it can be applied. </p>
<p>It really is a mathematical Swiss Army penknife.</p>
<p>Terry presents good reasons to be optimistic about statistics and what it can contribute to our aspirations for Australia. With such a track record, it is difficult to imagine anything else. But statistics is facing challenges in Australia. </p>
<p>With notable exceptions, statistics, like all the mathematical sciences, is in decline in Australian universities. This is partly due to declining standards of mathematics in secondary schools. Statistics is also challenged by a lack of clear recognition, in part due to the all-pervasive nature of its application as Terry highlights. </p>
<p>People in many areas do not realise that statisticians have developed tools that they need and often view statistics through the somewhat dated way it used to be taught. Statisticians share some of the responsibility for what is frequently poor teaching of their subject.</p>
<p>Despite these concerns, I have to be optimistic like Terry. One of the reasons is that statisticians form a passionate community who want to understand our world through data. That is exactly what Australia needs to make the right decisions.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-warton-97949/profile_bio">David Warton</a>, Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales</h2>
<p>At university I planned to specialise in ecology, but turned to a subject I found more interesting – statistics! An ecologist might spend his or her whole career studying only plants, seals, invertebrates, frogs, birds or microbes, but I have studied all of these and more (although mostly from a computer screen).</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/52583/original/jp99q5my-1404101606.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/67262490@N04/6187273416">Samuel Sharpe/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Statistical research has a key role helping ecologists find structure in the face of so much uncertainty. It has a similar role as an enabling science in all disciplines in focus in this series.</p>
<p>While statistics is a rewarding career choice, a challenge is to ensure that sufficient students make this choice – so that the discipline continues to have the capacity and expertise to meet the demands of science and industry, and challenges of the digital age such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-big-data-13780">big data</a> and the study of networks. </p>
<p>But recent budget decisions are an immediate threat, with risks that the path to a postgraduate degree in statistics will become financially out-of-reach for many, and with cuts to graduate destinations such as CSIRO and the ABS.</p>
<p>A second challenge is improving standards of <a href="http://web.augsburg.edu/%7Eschield/milopapers/984statisticalliteracy6.pdf">statistical literacy</a> among scientists, journalists, doctors, patients and the community at large, so all can make informed decisions in the face of uncertainty. </p>
<p>The increased role of statistics in the national mathematics curriculum can help improve statistical literacy, provided that teachers have sufficient resources and support to implement curriculum changes effectively. </p>
<p>Universities can also help by ensuring full-time staffing of statistical consulting services, invaluable resources for their research communities.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading:
<br>
<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22256/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Terry Speed receives funding from the NHMRC. He is affiliated with the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Melbourne.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Warton receives funding from the ARC.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Henstridge is the Managing Director of Data Analysis Australia and National President of the Statistical Society of Australia. Previously he was a consultant at Siromath.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Terry Speed, Professor of Bioinformatics, Walter and Eliza Hall InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/228422014-06-17T05:32:49Z2014-06-17T05:32:49ZAustralia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51120/original/8wm8d9m8-1402881797.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">As an enabling technology, ICT reaches into many fields including health, cybersecurity and engineering (shown here).</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucdaviscoe/6046652813">Kevin Tong/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. This instalment takes a look at ICT’s role.</em></p>
<p>It’s finally dawning on private and public sectors that information and communications technology (ICT) is an enabling technology. ICT is relevant to companies – whether making drugs, mining coal, building a bridge or providing banking services – and government agencies, such as the Australian Taxation Office (<a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/">ATO</a>), operators of an urban railway systems and (obviously) Social Security and Defence Science and Technology Organisation (<a href="http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/">DTSO</a>). </p>
<p>One or two decades ago, it was common for casual commentary to suggest that Australia had missed the ICT bus:</p>
<ul>
<li>ICT multinationals, almost all foreign-owned, generally weren’t interested in doing more than selling in Australia</li>
<li>ICT-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) faced the usual challenges impacting all SMEs, and the additional one – their ICT specialist R&D staff were less qualified on average than R&D staff across other disciplines</li>
<li>CSIRO was perceived – perhaps unfairly – as not having significant impact in the area</li>
<li>international rankings of Australian computer science publication citations showed us <a href="http://ict-industry-reports.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2013/10/2000-Australias-ICT-Research-Base-PMSEIC-Report.pdf">a long way behind</a> even the world average. </li>
</ul>
<p>These days, public perceptions of ICT’s importance are far more developed. Almost every day, we interact with a supermarket scanner, we check our email, we pass under a motorway toll point, we download our power bill or we check what our friends on Facebook are doing. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51101/original/25k89rhn-1402878989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/louisa_catlover/5478816632">Louise Billeter/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is <a href="http://www.nicta.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/25682/Software_from_NICTA_spin-out_company_Open_Kernel_Labs_secures_one_billion_mobile_handsets_.pdf">Australian software</a> in more than a billion mobile phones worldwide. And while just a small fraction of those phones are in Australia, there are certainly enough that the community at large appreciates the transformational power of ICT and how pervasive it is, even if it is often behind the scenes. </p>
<p>The National Broadband Network (<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-national-broadband-network-nbn-207">NBN</a>), an ICT construct if ever there was one, has been the subject of significant <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-australia-afford-the-coalitions-nbn-17494">political controversy</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-what-do-you-think-of-the-nbn-17647">raised public awareness</a> of the pervasiveness of ICT. </p>
<h2>What’s down the track, then?</h2>
<p>Our everyday lives are going to be affected in an extraordinary number of ways, most involving the coupling of ICT ideas with technologies with which we are familiar. Likely scenarios include:</p>
<ul>
<li>instead of swallowing pills or receiving injections, devices in our body may <a href="https://theconversation.com/wearable-electronic-skin-delivers-drugs-and-stores-data-25279">administer drugs automatically</a>, at times and dosage levels tuned to our body’s requirements</li>
<li>firemen will be equipped with micro <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-just-for-war-how-drones-can-be-used-for-good-12692">airborne vehicles</a> to search a burning building for survivors</li>
<li>all road vehicles will be <a href="https://theconversation.com/self-driving-cars-and-autonomous-robots-where-to-now-19879">fitted with sensors</a> and devices to communicate with other vehicles and roadside infrastructure, to lessen collisions, and to reduce congestion through the provision of real-time advice; in due course, traffic densities on freeways will be increased through automated control of vehicles</li>
<li>the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Online-services/In-detail/Online/Getting-started/?page=8#Online_services_for_individuals">ATO website</a> will accept queries on curly tax issues and provide an answer via an automated service which the taxpayer can rely on in meeting his or her tax obligations</li>
<li>partial sight will be restored through a <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-technology-progress-in-the-race-to-the-bionic-eye-3019">bionic eye</a> to people who have become blind through diseases such as macular degeneration (see video below)</li>
</ul>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dKy8OgVUmoo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<ul>
<li>people will improve their qualifications through enrolment in massive open online courses (<a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/massive-open-online-courses">MOOCs</a>), receiving a grade after automated processing of their assignments and examination papers</li>
<li>many farm fences will be eliminated; farm animals will be provided with sensors designed to localise the animal’s position and deliver an electric shock when it strays from a defined region</li>
<li>people will discuss contracts with a non-English-fluent Korean businessman using a two-way, unobtrusive real-time translation <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-smartphone-apps-are-revolutionising-language-learning-25165">phone app</a>, or via an add-on to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/turning-it-on-for-work-meetings-is-avatar-kinect-the-new-you-621">three-dimensional Skype</a> system</li>
<li>robot <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of2HU3LGdbo">floor cleaners</a> in the home will be as fast and as efficient as vacuum cleaners pushed by a human.</li>
</ul>
<p>This list highlights the pervasiveness of ICT applications, and no doubt countless more examples can be advanced. Almost everyone would agree too that we would be better off with such advances (though with qualifications with issues such as privacy and security). So what is involved in getting there?</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=785&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=785&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=785&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=986&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=986&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51110/original/rfs79cbp-1402880414.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=986&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arlophoto/8664276888">Arlo Bates/Flickr (cropped)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A passive approach is to imagine that using money earned from trade in agriculture or mining or education, we could simply buy tasty ICT morsels catching our fancy in the international market. But this won’t work. </p>
<p>We must have ICT skills: if we don’t, not only do we miss out on the pots of gold associated with the different business opportunities, but we will be ill-informed purchasers of sophisticated products. </p>
<p>If buying internationally, we could be as much victims of a ruthless vendor as the Icelandic bankers who purchased foreign financial products that <a href="http://jbh.is/09TIE53_2Sigurjonsson.pdf">ruined their country</a> in 2008. Imagine trying to decide what is the best technology or technologies for an NBN with little or no expertise. </p>
<p>The required human capital clearly must come from universities, and will only be up-to-date if the universities have adequately resourced staff of international standard. </p>
<h2>Three simple steps to maximise ICT talent</h2>
<p>First, it needs to be very easy for ICT researchers to collaborate with researchers in other disciplines; so many future applications will rest on a further disciplinary pillar besides ICT, precisely because it is an enabling technology. </p>
<p>Of course, institutional players such as the universities and the Australian Research Council (<a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/">ARC</a>) will sign on to this proposition, but giving effect to it can be still very challenging. </p>
<p>Fundamentally, prestige for an academic grounded in his or her achievements is generally seen as easier to attain when a single discipline is involved. Those crossing two (or more) disciplines are more likely to be considered as not making it well in either rather than achieving a high standard in more than one discipline. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51117/original/fwgr5w8s-1402881678.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An example of cross-disciplinary research: brain-computer interfacing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sybrenstuvel/3492628090">Sybren Stüvel/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Then there’s the question of money: if discipline-based panels allocate research funds, such researchers can lose out.</p>
<p>The second qualification is that the route to commercialisation of ideas needs to be straightforward. </p>
<p>In the ICT area commercialisation has been hugely assisted by the creation in 2002 of <a href="http://www.nicta.com.au/">NICTA</a>. This organisation has provided a bridge not only between its own researchers and the commercial world (including business creation with start-ups) but also between affiliated ICT researchers in universities and the commercial world. </p>
<p>Commercialisation is less the core business of universities than it is of NICTA, and most universities have less depth of ICT-relevant commercialisation skill set than NICTA has. </p>
<p>A third requirement is that it must be possible to pursue large-scale research ideas with public sector finance. With the limited exceptions provided by Cooperative Research Centres (<a href="http://crca.asn.au/">CRCs</a>) or ARC centres and defence-oriented work in DSTO, CSIRO and NICTA are probably the only examples.</p>
<p>A healthy coupling of the university sector to the commercial world is certainly not the whole story. That coupling needs to be grounded in a solid disciplinary base where the individuals can match it with the best in the world. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51124/original/csq789kp-1402882115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The science of cyber analytics supports better predictions and guides adaptive responses of computers and computer networks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnnl/4295162815">PNNL - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Specialists are needed in subdisciplines such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cybersecurity">cyber security</a>, machine learning, computer and communication networking, large scale and distributed systems, mobile communications and computing and <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-big-data-13780">big data</a>, to name a few. </p>
<p>But without our ICT experts, we’ll be left behind the wayside – and catching up will be more difficult than ever.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-glance-148/profile_bio">David Glance</a>, Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia</h2>
<p>It is easy to confuse Australia’s passion for being users of the latest technology with a passion to be involved in creating them. </p>
<p>In fact, as the US continues to see a rise in <a href="http://cra.org/govaffairs/blog/2013/03/taulbeereport/">enrolments</a> in computer science degrees, Australia has seen a continuous <a href="http://www.acs.org.au/news-and-media/news-and-media-releases/2012/declining-enrolments-and-skills-shortages-threatens-future-of-ict">decline</a>. </p>
<p>It is not that Australians are less bright or resourceful or less hard working. It is not even a tyranny of distance because if there is one thing you can do remotely, it is develop and sell technology, especially software.</p>
<p>No – it may simply be the fact that on the whole, Australians are just not interested in developing ICT.</p>
<p>This is not a particular problem in a globalised world in which the ways of doing things in Australia are not that different to how things are done in the US or in Europe. </p>
<p>We can possibly rely on others to produce the technologies that we will need to drive a growing economy past the mining phase.</p>
<p>What will be vital as a minimum, though, will be the ability and desire to utilise ICT to support innovation in everything else that we actually do. </p>
<p>So even if being a primary provider of ICT is not in Australia’s future, being expert at using them will be.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/toby-walsh-51/profile_bio">Toby Walsh</a>, Research Leader at NICTA</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=700&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=700&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51126/original/nvrxbswr-1402882578.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=700&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgoyette/3866601916">Paul Goyette/Flickr (cropped)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>ICT has been a great driver for change over the past 10 years – and, as illustrated by Brian’s examples above, it is sure to continue being one of the most important drivers over the next decade.</p>
<p>So let’s not forget the immense environmental, societal as well as economic pressures that are building across the globe.</p>
<p>Australia, the lucky country, has escaped many of the troubles so far, but our luck can only last so long, and ICT is one of the few hopes we have to mitigate the problems that lie ahead. </p>
<p>We already work closely with our <a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">mathematician colleagues</a> to develop equations to help government and business optimise their activities, and do more with less. It’s computers that <a href="http://www.techworld.com.au/article/542261/nicta_calls_smarter_infrastructure/">ultimately solve</a> these problems.</p>
<p>As the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/google-and-fairfax-playing-a-different-tax-game-20140509-37z0y.html">recent debate</a> over tax bills of multinationals demonstrate, nations must produce – not consume – intellectual property in the ICT space to reap the rewards.</p>
<p>Take Google, for example. Google sits on around <a href="http://investor.google.com/financial/tables.html">US$60 billion</a> – not bad for a company founded on the back of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank">computer algorithm</a>. But those rewards don’t go to the users of Google. They flow back to the producers.</p>
<p>For this reason, Australia must produce ICT to ride the coming wave of change.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading: <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22842/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Anderson receives research funding from the Australian Research Council and National ICT Australia (NICTA). He works for the Australian National University. He owns shares in a number of companies which will benefit by the increased adoption of information and communications technology. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Toby Walsh's research is supported by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, the Australian Research Council and the Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development through grants AOARD-104123 and AOARD-124056.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Glance does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Brian Anderson, Distinguished Professor, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/231912014-06-03T04:49:22Z2014-06-03T04:49:22ZBuilding the nation will be impossible without engineers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48682/original/d3fx4875-1400209610.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The engineers' realm extends far beyond construction – it bridges the gap between research and practical application.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dexxus/4756831209">paul bica/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. Here, we examine where engineers can take us.</em></p>
<p>Australian industries need the flexibility, insight and foresight that comes from thinking creatively, asking critical questions, forming and testing hypotheses and reasoning quantitatively – and engineers have the technical knowledge and the problem solving skills to respond to constant change.</p>
<p>As they have a holistic understanding of the practical needs of communities, businesses and the environment they are well positioned to work with other disciplines, including scientists and designers, to provide a stream of new ideas and technical responses essential for sustainable competitive industries.</p>
<p>But future knowledge-based industries won’t just spring up because Australia’s engineers are generally well regarded or because Australia’s engineering degrees and professional associations are of high quality. </p>
<p>The ability of engineers to build Australia into the future – to literally build our modern infrastructure and to foster invention and innovation to support internationally competitive industries – will depend largely on changes that must occur over the next decade or so. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1125&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1125&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48683/original/w52b4ky7-1400210378.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1125&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/torres21/491110688">marco antonio torres/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Australia’s next generation of engineers, our school students, poorly understand the role of engineering and the importance of the sciences and the mathematics that underpin the ubiquitous technology that determines the way we live. </p>
<p>We have <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-chief-scientist-we-need-a-national-stem-strategy-15768">too few students</a> studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at higher levels at high school, too few going onto engineering at university, and a <a href="http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/shado/News%20and%20Media/Media%20Statements/2012MediaStatements/new_study_shows_depth_of_engineering_skills_shortage.pdf">shortage of engineering skills</a> across the economy as a consequence. </p>
<p>We can’t just look to <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/call-to-lift-migrant-intake-as-skills-crunch-looms/story-fn9hm1gu-1226800227409#mm-register">immigration</a> to fill this gap; engineers are in demand across the world. Recent <a href="http://www.atse.org.au/atse/activity/STELR/content/activity/STELR/AboutStelr.aspx">national efforts</a> to promote STEM education are good news and are gaining ground, but we need to proactively continue to support capacity building.</p>
<h2>The importance of a collaborative culture</h2>
<p>From the university perspective we need to further enhance the engagement of engineering students with industry – beyond existing professional experience requirements within Australian engineering degrees – to produce truly “work ready” graduates. </p>
<p>The OECD currently lists Australia <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/top-boffin-in-call-for-science-strategy/story-e6frgcjx-1226837570673#">last place</a> out of 33 nations for collaboration on innovation between businesses and the higher education sector and public research agencies. </p>
<p>This is a critical gap that we must address by providing substantial opportunities for students to undertake internships within a variety of industries and by bringing many more industry specialists and policy makers into the classroom to enthuse and inspire students. </p>
<p>This kind of holistic engineering education produces graduates who not only understand how to innovate, but how to address the real world needs of both societies and industries. </p>
<p>To make sure we can respond competitively in the face of intense global competition, engineering education and research must be framed by the understanding of the economic realities and operating conditions that industries face that such deep engagement fosters.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=717&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=717&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48686/original/6dnnzmwd-1400211032.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=717&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ford has a long history in Australia and those skills can be put to use after its factories close in 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiefordadverts/3358826806">Five Starr Photos (Aussiefordadverts)/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>From a business point of view we need to change the way we think about our industries. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/ford-to-pull-out-of-car-production-in-australia-expert-reaction-14584">recent</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/toyota-names-2017-end-australian-car-making-to-cease-experts-react-23037">announcements</a> ending car manufacturing in Australia are a good example. </p>
<p>That Australia will no longer manufacture cars is only a disaster if we are unable to identify and analyse what it took to make those cars, and apply this knowledge in another way. </p>
<p>So instead of mourning the loss of “big” industries defined by particular “end products” we need to be constantly looking for creative, new opportunities along increasingly complex, evolving value chains. </p>
<h2>Adding value</h2>
<p>To create niche solutions that are smarter and more efficient requires both human and intellectual resources working within a vibrant culture of innovation. The key concept here is “high-value output” which is not necessarily an “end product”. </p>
<p>With consumer consumption driving the mass proliferation of high-tech products, we can be certain that these products will have some aspects in common such as various electronic components, which will in turn drive demand for the niche materials we need to make them. </p>
<p>Businesses might identify opportunities for diversification by making chips for various electronic products used in entertainment and health industries. Those car parts manufacturers could switch to making steel parts for complex equipment or for the beds used in hospitals, as the health-related industries expand with ageing populations. </p>
<p>What is critical here is expertise in making sophisticated steel parts and the ability to recognise and take advantage of commercially viable opportunities to continue to use those skills as economies evolve (such as within the burgeoning health care sector). </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48696/original/32qqdhj2-1400212441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathowie/4164950729">Matt Houghey/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Interestingly, this growing demand for health care services and related infrastructure and equipment and the explosion in electronics – that require high-value, niche inputs such as metal alloys – is converging as the health care sector depends increasingly on complex information technology and as more and more health services are deployed in the homes via sophisticated self-managed equipment and the remote monitoring of, and communication with, patients.</p>
<p>Likewise, when we think about the value chain we need to think more creatively about how to incorporate the masses of potentially valuable materials we currently throw away as waste. </p>
<p>Not only are natural resources being depleted at an unsustainable pace, and carbon emissions rising, but industries recognise the cost-effectiveness of reusing materials. It will largely be engineers that can deliver previously unimaginable solutions. </p>
<p>It may not seem obvious, but alternative carbon sources from <a href="https://theconversation.com/recycling-the-unrecyclable-a-new-class-of-thermoset-plastics-26594">waste plastics</a> to <a href="https://theconversation.com/recycling-helps-tyred-out-rubber-hit-the-road-again-3982">used tyres</a> – huge waste burdens globally – can be usefully transformed into value-added steel by partially replacing the conventional carbon source, non-renewable coke, in electric arc furnace steelmaking. </p>
<p>This “<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge/veena-sahajwalla-polyomer-injection-technology/story-fn9dkrp5-1226518233546">green steelmaking</a>” process, which I helped develop at UNSW, results in a more efficient furnace, reducing demand for power and simultaneously transforming problematic wastes.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dysSyOI7v6U?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Greater than the sum of its parts</h2>
<p>Equally, engineers can provide the technical expertise to support entrepreneurs pursuing their own ideas. Such a combination of engineering and business enables both areas of expertise to achieve much more together. </p>
<p>In my own experience working with our commercial partner to develop our “green steel” making process, a whole range of different professions were critical in ensuring that we captured the intellectual property (IP) we generated. </p>
<p>Protecting our IP has meant we were able to take our business case to the world, resulting in international commercialisation of our technology in collaboration with our industry partner.</p>
<p>Working in partnerships with other disciplines and with industries, engineers will create new knowledge, generate groundbreaking technologies, participate in research collaborations and training exchanges. This will ensure a rapid translation of knowledge into value for Australian industries. </p>
<p>This will create a culture of learning driven by innovative thinking, grounded in collaboration and built on the recognition that the dynamic changes in our world are inevitable. </p>
<p>If we are prepared to see change as a continuous cycle of new opportunities, not new problems, we will realise our aspirations. Future generations of engineers have much to contribute to ensuring new ideas and solutions lead to continuous improvement in quality of life, in Australia, and internationally.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-batterham-879">Robin Batterham</a>, Professor at the University of Melbourne</h2>
<p>As a former Chief Scientist, I can be brave and push the line that ideas, as such, don’t really affect our lives. Don’t get me wrong – uncovering knowledge is important and we must play our part in generating and exchanging it. That said, it is the application of ideas in technology and science that impacts our livelihood. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48689/original/zcqcwd2p-1400211740.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/1758273313">Kevin Dooley/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Do you want to wind the emissions clock back without getting rid of six billion people? Then chat up the engineers as what needs to happen also must be economic and practical and innovative – the realm of engineers.</p>
<p>Moving from climate onto manufacturing: it is hardly the strong and vibrant core of Australia at the present, and yet it could be. </p>
<p>Through Cooperative Research Centres (<a href="http://www.crc.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx">CRCs</a>) and other research groups and with industry associations, there is a renaissance of activity in high value add, agile manufacturing companies, tackling the world’s supply chains as they become more complex, demanding and internationally linked. </p>
<p>Be it communication systems, bionic devices or advanced composites, engineers are creating and driving success that benefits us all, economically, socially and with sustainability.</p>
<p>We just need more of them.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cathy-foley-1066/profile_bio">Cathy Foley</a>, Chief of CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering</h2>
<p>Australia has an excellent track record of scientific discovery, but what are not as well recognised are the engineered outcomes that use this science. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48690/original/9bkyfh4h-1400211827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/silversmile777/5450105913">Andrew Goodwin/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>From <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/bionic-ear">cochlear implants</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-obstructive-sleep-apnoea-9884">sleep apnoea</a> breathing machines to new chemical engineering processes that <a href="https://theconversation.com/smart-plastic-inventors-win-pms-science-prize-3825">improve all plastics</a>, Australia has some great examples of technology-led products that have global markets. But have we kept up with the times and is Australian engineering competitive enough? </p>
<p>We need to take that scientific ingenuity that we are famous for and engineer our discoveries into new industries. These industries should be the basis of future technologies and next generation products that transform how we live and work. </p>
<p>We have this stereotypical vision of scientists with their heads in the clouds and engineers with their heads under the car bonnet. </p>
<p>Imagine if we got better at connecting scientists, engineers and investors to turn our manufactured future into a modern, resilient, exciting and highly exportable commodity. </p>
<p>Australia is well placed to create an engineering-led boom – so let’s do it.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading: <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/23191/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Veena Sahajwalla has collaborated with OneSteel through ARC Linkage grants scheme. The PIT technology – “Green Steel” – has been licensed to OneSteel for commercialisation. Current grants and previously received grants are ARC grant schemes (ARC Linkage, Discovery) and AISRF, and industries including: OneSteel, Hyundai Steel, POSCO, ACARP, Austral Bricks and LKAB. She a member of a range of professional associations: EA, AIST, ACS, ASM International, AusIMM, ATSE, Climate council and NSW Australia Day Council Board member.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathy Foley is a member of a range of professional societies such as the AIP and a Fellow of ATSE.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robin Batterham receives funding from the Department of State Development, Business and Innovation and Visy Pty Ltd. In 1999 he was appointed as Australia's Chief Scientist, a position he held concurrently with that of Chief Technologist for Rio Tinto Limited.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Veena Sahajwalla, Professor and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT), UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/228452014-05-20T04:24:38Z2014-05-20T04:24:38ZMarine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47799/original/yyv657hn-1399268612.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We need to play our cards right if Australia's marine environments are to keep us afloat.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saspotato/4449775623">Saspotato/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. In this instalment we dive into marine science.</em></p>
<p>Why are our oceans important to us? How is our health, the health of the environment, the strength of our economy and indeed, our future, dependent on the seas? How can marine science help us, collectively, to sustainably develop our marine-based industries and at the same time protect our unique marine ecosystems so that they can be appreciated and enjoyed by future generations? </p>
<p>In many ways, Australia is defined by the oceans that surround us. We have the third largest ocean territory in the world. The majority of our trade travels by sea, vast offshore oil and gas resources earn vital export income and offer a long term, cleaner energy source than coal and our fisheries and aquaculture industries provide healthy food. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47339/original/s93kgbt8-1398825467.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Birds eye view of the Great Barrier Reef.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/freckles75/3705615004/in/photolist-6EzAMU-cQZbq5-bARkuF-961cYB-defj4J-bnWmc9-bAR83k-ftzzZY-9uh9sc-bARbgp-avWVGB-fouKFo-djq6CV-djqi4C-djq1fw-fou7Zj-6DsfeS-foux9E-fof1P2-aiLjCc-fouCCG-foug77-fofr7x-fofomp-fouJih-fofmeH-fouwq7-djqpyi-fofiDH-fouqm9-foeWBB-fof2Cp-fougQw-fofdg6-fouzxs-fouGhh-foeY2z-fofuP8-fouGNG-fofhcX-fof3kK-fofnex-foutE5-foffZR-fofvgr-foeXrz-fofsxM-fouhAG-fouufS-fofnUR">Su Fuidge/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We are custodians of two magnificent marine World Heritage Areas – the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef – and we are a nation that loves to sit by, swim, surf, dive, fish and sail in the (mostly) clean waters and healthy marine ecosystems that surround our continent.</p>
<p>Australia’s affinity with our ocean estate is perhaps best exemplified by the fact that <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article32004">85% of our population</a> lives within 50km of the coast.</p>
<p>Marine industries contributed approximately <a href="http://www.aims.gov.au/documents/30301/23122/The+AIMS+Index+of+Marine+Industry+2012.pdf/d0fc7dc9-ae98-4e79-a0b2-271af9b5454f">A$42 billion</a> to our economy in 2010. This is projected to grow to approximately <a href="http://www.aims.gov.au/documents/30301/550211/Marine+Nation+2025_web.pdf/bd99cf13-84ae-4dbd-96ca-f1a330062cdf">A$100 billion by 2025</a> with the expansion of current industries and development of new opportunities in areas such as renewable energy. As a nation we will increasingly be dependent on our “blue economy” for our future prosperity. </p>
<p>In addition to their economic and aesthetic value, our oceans also provide a suite of essential “ecosystem services” – most importantly in their role within the global climate system. Since the end of the 18th century, about 30% percent of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions have been taken up by the oceans while over the past 50 years, they have absorbed about <a href="http://www.oceanscientists.org/index.php/topics/ocean-warming">90% of the extra heat</a> generated through the impacts of the greenhouse effect. </p>
<p>The moderating influence of the oceans as our planet warms, and their very strong influences on our island continent’s weather, impact on every Australian, every day.</p>
<h2>Six grand challenges facing our marine nation</h2>
<p>If Australia, and indeed the world at large, is to continue to enjoy and grow the benefits accrued from our oceans, we need to face up to and meet a number of significant (and in some cases urgent) challenges. </p>
<p>Australia’s marine science community recently collaborated with governments, not-for-profit organisations and the private sector to produce the <a href="http://www.aims.gov.au/documents/30301/550211/Marine+Nation+2025_web.pdf/bd99cf13-84ae-4dbd-96ca-f1a330062cdf">report</a> Marine Nation 2025: Marine Science to Support Australia’s Blue Economy. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2q_uAprM9_s?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Marine Nation 2025 video.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Marine Nation 2025 outlined six, interconnected “grand challenges” facing Australia, each of which has a significant marine dimension with gaps in understanding or requirement for tools that can be addressed by marine science:</p>
<ol>
<li> <strong>sovereignty, security, natural hazards</strong>: needs improved operational oceanographic forecasting and increased effort on fine-scale hydrographic data and charts</li>
<li><strong>energy security</strong>: needs support for developing energy resources, particularly liquid natural gas and renewable energy and research to support carbon sequestration</li>
<li><strong>food security</strong>: needs research to support a booming aquaculture industry, as well as data and tools to improve management of wild-catch fisheries</li>
<li><strong>biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health</strong>: needs environmental baselines, effective indicators of ecosystem health to guides national marine environmental monitoring, and tools to predict impacts of development on marine biodiversity</li>
<li><strong>dealing with changing climate</strong>: needs enhanced understanding and skill in prediction of the impacts of sea level rise, increasing sea temperature and ocean acidification and the role of the ocean as a carbon sink</li>
<li><strong>optimal resource allocation</strong>: needs integrated social, economic and environmental information and tools to assist transparent, robust and accountable decision-making. </li>
</ol>
<p>The multidisciplinary nature of marine science, the geographic scale and connectedness of marine systems, and the complexity of the challenges above mean that in the majority of cases no one institution (or in the case of industry, one company) can build the evidence base or tools required to adequately address these challenges, even at local scales. </p>
<p>Thus, a dedicated and coordinated effort across our national marine science community, governments and industry is required. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47807/original/qnyxb9yv-1399271555.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/102408049@N03/11167786996">Oceans Institute/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Coordination can (and should) ensure that resources are used efficiently and strategically, and allow the full breadth of the marine science community – from the fundamental work conducted across the university sector, to the translational and applied science conducted by national science agencies such as CSIRO, <a href="http://www.ga.gov.au/marine.html">Geoscience Australia</a> and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (<a href="http://www.aims.gov.au/">AIMS</a>) – to have the maximum impact. </p>
<p>A couple of recent cases illustrate of how strategic, collaborative efforts across organisations and sustained investment in national-scale infrastructure provide vital support for decision makers across government and private sectors. </p>
<p>CSIRO oceanographer <a href="http://www.csiro.au/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/Marine--Atmospheric-Research/DavidGriffin.aspx">David Griffin</a> has been involved in the search for Malaysian Airlines <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/flight-mh370">flight MH370</a> this year. </p>
<p>He used advanced models of <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/forecasts/">ocean currents around Australia</a> developed through a collaboration between CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Navy over the past decade, to determine likely movement of wreckage and allow search and rescue operations to pinpoint their activities.</p>
<p>The same models can also be used to track and predict oil spills, missing boats, valuable fish stocks and guide Navy operations. </p>
<p>The critical data required by the models comes from Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (<a href="http://www.imos.org.au/">IMOS</a>), a national, collaborative infrastructure facility set up eight years ago. IMOS has become an international leader in ocean observing and is now the critical observational foundation for much of Australia’s marine science. </p>
<p>Two strategic and sustained marine science investments – in ocean observations and modelling – provide the fantastic capability for David’s work, and many other applications to come. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47334/original/xwkrqqhh-1398824441.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A shoal of anthias (<em>Pseudanthias</em> sp.) swarm over a coral garden, Great Barrier Reef.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rling/438046949/in/photolist-EH4xX-8EgpaW-4xBUkx-EH4Vt-EH76B-418xhi-8CjHh6-EH6p6-3zV8Ne-Aid9-EH6LJ-EH6Nd-2RGmv5-8JCmL3-EH77z-EH4Y2-EH6KS-EH6T1-8CnQXq-8CnRME-3zZxbQ-8GGCeH-8NBnks-3zV8px-8JziBn-4uPDZ3-6aa2Zt-cgD6PU-8Nyh4g-8ScCWb-EH4mQ-8NBnbN-3zZtkW-dTdNJ1-6Jmr2z-EH78w-k6qW6j-7mddmM-54Py42-3zV7Hc-4aBRx-7ugPBX-k4SDUn-cAatqQ-EH75p-8CjHW2-6EBEMY-EH6VB-8JziEe-8CnRiL/">Richard Ling/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Similarly, following the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s questions about our management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Australia’s response has relied heavily on the body of evidence provided by strategic investment in marine science conducted over the past 30 years. </p>
<p>Science doesn’t always tell a good news story – the AIMS long term monitoring has shown that half of the <a href="http://www.aims.gov.au/latest-news/-/asset_publisher/MlU7/content/2-october-2012-the-great-barrier-reef-has-lost-half-of-its-coral-in-the-last-27-years">Great Barrier Reef’s coral cover</a> has been lost over the past 27 years due to the cumulative impacts of cyclones, <a href="https://theconversation.com/great-barrier-reef-dying-beneath-its-crown-of-thorns-6383">Crown of Thorns starfish</a> and bleaching (caused by heat stress). </p>
<p>Importantly though , the research conducted by AIMS, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (lead by James Cook University) and others also provides the evidence base for understanding ecosystem health and development of policy and regulation to stop the decline and rebuild the reef.</p>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>Australia has world class, and in many areas world leading, marine science capability. Appropriately, over the past few years the marine science community has recognised the need to work together and is increasingly collaborating in providing big-scale science focused on national and global needs. </p>
<p>But if we are to rise to the challenges of our growing “blue economy”, we will need to do much more. We will need to take a long-term outlook and focus effort on both the development of science capability (human and physical) and securing the best possible returns to Australia through its effective coordination and utilisation. </p>
<p>The first steps along this pathway are clear:</p>
<ol>
<li> a stable, sustained and genuinely national approach to maintaining, updating and transforming the infrastructure needed to conduct world-class marine research, along with the human resources to run it</li>
<li> targeted training and skills development in marine science (in particular, advanced quantitative skills), along with mechanisms to support and incentives for collaboration</li>
<li> direction of greater effort into communicating the relevance and benefits accruing from marine science, to ensure optimal awareness and uptake in policy, legislative and regulatory domains.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sabine-dittmann-115747/profile_bio">Sabine Dittmann</a>, Associate Professor of Marine Biology at Flinders University</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47809/original/5hh5dqw2-1399271691.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The RV Southern Surveyor is a national facility available to marine scientists to explore and study Australia’s oceans.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/55932465@N00/8730966026">longreach/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Marine sciences deliver data and modelling on oceanographic patterns benefiting weather forecast and maritime safety, provide information underlying sustainable seafood harvesting and production and knowledge on marine life underpinning biodiscoveries.</p>
<p>Yet it is a challenge to carry out marine research throughout the <a href="http://www.ga.gov.au/marine/jurisdiction/australia.html">huge realm</a> of Australia’s maritime jurisdiction. Australia has only a small fleet of research vessels for coastal and offshore waters and needs a better alliance of shore-based marine field stations. Ocean exploration relies on technological innovations.</p>
<p>As much of the oceans are still unexplored, curiosity driven research can provide useful discoveries such as alternative products to benefit human health. The <a href="http://www.coml.org/">Census of Marine Life</a> illustrated the highly diverse marine life in Australia’s seas, but taxonomy is a threatened skill unless the tide turns for museum research funding.</p>
<p>Rigorous experimental hypothesis testing, using shore- and sea-based facilities equipped with operating funds, technical and research staffing, can support mitigation of cumulative impacts and global warming. Marine research strengthens monitoring into the health of Australia’s seas facing growing economic use, the effectiveness of marine protected areas and biosecurity of marine invasive species.</p>
<p>Understanding marine ecosystems requires multidisciplinary approaches and a well-connected network of scientists. At times of highly competitive research circumstances, appreciation for collaborative skills has to increase. </p>
<p>Higher education in marine sciences, including maritime engineering, provides an informed and versatile work force to address challenging scientific questions and generate knowledge for decision making on the wise use of the seas around us. Continued participation in international programs on ocean exploration will strengthen Australia’s position as a leading nation for marine sciences.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mike-coffin-1301/profile_bio">Mike Coffin</a>, Professor and Executive Director, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at University of Tasmania</h2>
<p><em>How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.</em> <br>
- Arthur C Clarke</p>
<p>The global ocean is humankind’s common heritage and responsibility. Ocean under Australian jurisdiction is significantly larger than the nation’s landmass. Our 0.3% of the world’s population is custodian for 3.8% of the world’s ocean, by far the greatest responsibility per capita among the G20 nations.</p>
<p>Effectively managing our vast public marine domain requires understanding it, yet our ignorance of the dynamic ocean is profound:</p>
<ul>
<li>of an estimated 2.2 million species of marine life, 91% await discovery and description</li>
<li>how changes in factors such as ocean temperature, acidity, light supply, nutrients and trace metals combine to drive marine life to acclimate, adapt or extinction is not understood</li>
<li>95% of the world’s seafloor remains to be mapped in detail</li>
<li>the soundscape of the 98% of the ocean beneath the surface zone, where light doesn’t penetrate and most life uses sound as its primary sense, is virtually unknown.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=789&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=789&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47812/original/qm2njshm-1399272364.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=789&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikveland/3252468593">Erik Veland/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Australia’s vital and growing blue economy critically depends on understanding and managing the sea, through both national efforts (such as the <a href="http://www.imos.org.au/">Integrated Marine Observing System</a>) and international partnerships (such as the <a href="http://iodp.org/index.php">International Ocean Discovery Program</a>). </p>
<p>But much of the nation’s capability in the three pillars of marine research — observation, experimentation and modelling — across the major marine scientific disciplines — <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">biology</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">chemistry</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">geoscience</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">physics</a> — is precarious due to short-term and therefore vulnerable support.</p>
<p>In the context of a to-be-developed national strategy for marine science, increased and sustainable investment in exploratory, basic, applied and translational marine research — in both human capability and infrastructure — as well as improved underpinning primary, secondary and tertiary education in science and mathematics are needed to ensure a healthy, productive and resilient ocean for present and future generations.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading: <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22845/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Gunn, receives no funding from organizations other than his employer, the Australian Institute of Marine Science. AIMS is a publically funded research organization that receives external funding from foundations, State and Commonwealth Government Departments and private industry. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mike Coffin has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Marine National Facility, the Australian Antarctic Science Program, the US National Science Foundation, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Norwegian Research Council, the Ocean Drilling Program, the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, Joint Oceanographic Institutions, and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sabine Dittmann works for Flinders University. She receives funding from the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources of South Australia and Natural Resources Management Boards. She is President of the Australian Marine Sciences Association Inc., which she represents at the Oceans Policy Science Advisory Group. She is also a member of the National Committee for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation of the Australian Academy of Science.</span></em></p>In many ways, Australia is defined by the oceans surrounding us. We have the world’s third largest ocean territory, most of our trade travels by sea, and we have vast offshore resources.John Gunn, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Institute of Marine ScienceLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221242014-05-06T03:02:44Z2014-05-06T03:02:44ZTo reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41457/original/968236qv-1392272159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We've stellar astronomy research programmes and need to keep them up.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/xJason.Rogersx (image cropped)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. In this instalment we peer into the depths of astronomy.</em></p>
<p>Every decade, Australian astronomers get together to create a plan for our community. This is an exercise we are currently undertaking for release in 2015. </p>
<p>Here I look at how astronomy will help Australia fulfil its aspirations towards a strong, prosperous and secure future, through a fictionalised executive summary of astronomy’s 2025 Decadal Plan.</p>
<h2>Astronomy 2025: looking towards the future, reflecting on the past</h2>
<p>The past decade (2015-2024) has been one that has seen Australian astronomy take the lead on the world stage through the government’s long-term strategy to sustainably invest in people, infrastructure and research. </p>
<p>These investments in astronomy have led to an unprecedented surge in Australia’s role at making fundamental discoveries, at building industry clusters around the astronomy hubs and at turning the tide of participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across the country. </p>
<p>Through its long-term infrastructure program, Australia has been able to take a leading role in the international research infrastructure programs of the Square Kilometre Array (<a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/square-kilometre-array">SKA</a>), <a href="http://www.gmto.org/">Giant Magellan Telescope</a> and European Southern Observatory (<a href="http://www.eso.org/public/">ESO</a>). </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47219/original/hhgnx5gv-1398738263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Artist impression of SKA dishes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SKA_overview.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Through the pioneering work of our Pathfinder arrays in Murchison in Western Australia, the know-how to build the first phases of the Square Kilometre has translated into the commissioning of the SKA-Low array in 2022. </p>
<p>This telescope’s observation of the Dark Ages of the universe – the time before stars – has shown when and how the luminous universe was born out of the ashes of the Big Bang. Future explorations, in concert with optical observations, will provide the photo album of the universe during its infancy.</p>
<p>CSIRO’s proactive co-development with the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory (<a href="http://www.nrao.edu/">NRAO</a>) of the technology for focal plane arrays had lead to a threefold decrease in the cost of the SKA-survey instrument. This partnership provided a novel way for the US to enter the SKA consortium and has enabled a much more powerful facility to be built on Australian soil than previously envisioned. </p>
<p>This telescope is going through its final commissioning and will be surveying the cosmos at radio frequencies, providing a radio map of the universe starting in 2026. The developed technology has profound commercial applications and is being used in applications ranging from remote sensing to high-speed radio frequency communication.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47329/original/ggpq46ks-1398823159.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Artist’s impression of a pulsar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">NASA</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The other piece of SKA, based in Southern Africa, is nearing completion. Building on their seminal detection of gravitational waves using pulsars in 2018, Australian astronomers are leading the charge to mount the largest single project on the Southern Africa based SKA telescope – probing the Big Bang itself using gravitational waves detected using <a href="https://theconversation.com/pulsar-study-maps-the-stars-17212">pulsars</a>. </p>
<p>An Australian CSIRO/industry consortium has been in charge of delivering the high-speed communication infrastructure for the Southern Africa SKA, a A$200 million contract that has catalysed Australia’s previous disparate efforts into a world-leading technology cluster based in Perth. </p>
<p>This cluster includes CSIRO, three universities, several start-ups, four small and medium enterprises and two multinational companies. Already this cluster is responsible for the exporting of more than A$500 million worth of manufactured goods per annum. </p>
<h2>Infrastructure at an astronomical scale</h2>
<p>The Giant Magellan Telescope was completed in 2022, the first of the new generation of extremely large optical telescopes to come on line. Working with the James Webb Space Telescope, the Australian-built Giant Magellan Telescope Integral-Field Spectrograph (<a href="http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/research/projects/giant-magellan-telescope-integral-field-spectrograph-gmtifs">GMTIFS</a>) instrument has directly observed some of the first stars of the universe – those created out of pristine hydrogen and helium left over from the Big Bang. </p>
<p>These observations were directly used by the SKA-I to detect the universe’s Dark Ages and demonstrate the power of combining information across the electromagnetic spectrum. </p>
<p>To optimally manage our long-term astronomical infrastructure requirements, Australia joined the ESO in 2016. This investment allowed Australia to integrate its current optical and radio facilities into the world’s most comprehensive suite of astronomical facilities. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=195&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=195&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47232/original/rghpvj3h-1398742221.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=195&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The ESO observatories and headquarters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso50_obs_compo/">ESO</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a partner of ESO, Australia was selected to lead an international consortium of universities and industrial partners to build the Planetary Atmosphere Spectrograph – an A$90 million instrument to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. This instrument was deployed on the world’s largest telescope, the 39m E-ELT Telescope, in 2024. </p>
<p>Australia’s access to this astronomical portfolio made possible the detection of oxygen in a nearby Earth-like planet’s atmosphere. The discovery was made possible by first using the Giant Magellan Telescope to screen a list of the closest candidate planets from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (<a href="http://space.mit.edu/TESS/TESS/TESS_Overview.html">TESS</a>), to confirm which systems contained an Earth-like planet within its star’s habitable zone (where water is liquid). </p>
<p>These planets were then observed with the Planetary Atmosphere Spectrograph, which showed the presence of oxygen. This discovery was a watershed moment, not just for astronomy, but for humanity. Oxygen is the signature of life.</p>
<p>The instrumentation efforts surrounding the Giant Magellan Telescope, ESO at the Australian Astronomical Observatory and at Mount Stromlo Observatory have led to a new cottage industry that produces unique space-qualified instrumentation. Already this grouping of industrial partners and research organisations has built seven satellites, four of which were for external clients. </p>
<p>The most ambitious of the new satellites is set to deliver unprecedented imaging of the Australian continent on a daily basis, providing invaluable inputs for agriculture, fire prevention, water management and environmental control. This satellite is scheduled for launch in 2026.</p>
<h2>Gender balance</h2>
<p>Since 2015, astronomy has made a concerted effort to address the gender imbalance within our field. This included programs across the nation to increase the participation of girls (and boys) in STEM studies as part of their secondary education. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47331/original/jw6h8b7g-1398824043.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/knobil/2713332579">Mark Knobil/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Strategies to encourage and retain women in undergraduate and graduate studies, and institution by institution action plans to plug the leaky pipe that has seen women leave academia in large numbers at each stage of career progression. While the past decade has not seen much growth in the number of astronomers, it has seen a huge change in our demographics. </p>
<p>In 2025, we find that 44% of all permanent staff within astronomy are women, up from 23% in 2015. A full 50% of all undergraduate and PhD students are now female and we expect gender equality to be reached over the next five years. Astronomy’s proactive approach in this area is serving as a template for the nation’s research sector. </p>
<p>It is the nature of fundamental research that it is almost impossible to predict the future. </p>
<p>Over the coming decade though, due to the strong footing our discipline has been put on through long-term investments made in the 2015-2025 period, Australian astronomy is poised to continue its world-leading mix of discoveries, research training and technological breakthroughs, that will help to ensure that each generation of Australians is more prosperous than the last. </p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-webster-11000/profile_bio">Rachel Webster</a>, Professor at the University of Melbourne</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47240/original/3dfxs48j-1398745115.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The stars rotate around the southern celestial pole during a night at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1043a/">ESO</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The dark sky illuminated by a sickle moon, the brighter planets dancing across a sequence of familiar star patterns: who cannot be moved by the inherent beauty? The sky belongs to us all, at once a reminder that we are linked together on the planet and that we all have the same rights of access.</p>
<p>Yet our astronomical telescopes reveal much more: the universe before life began, planets where life might be possible, vast collections of stars – some similar to those in our Milky Way and others more diverse; extreme objects that defy the imagination but not our physics and mathematics. </p>
<p>These excite the imagination of our young people and encourage them to delve deeper into the natural world.</p>
<p>Highly trained computer-literate scientists who can solve new and complex problems are a major output of our astronomical research training programs. Inspired by the science, our graduates ultimately contribute to a wide range of disciplines from bioinformatics through meteorology and climate change to economics and diverse statistical studies. </p>
<p>The volatile nature of modern industry and government requires graduates trained in the fundamental skills, with the capacity to apply their knowledge creatively to multidisciplinary questions.</p>
<p>By capturing the interest of students at an early age and ensuring a highly trained and sophisticated workforce, astronomy’s impact reaches significantly beyond its discoveries about the nature of the universe.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tamara-davis-4715/profile_bio">Tamara Davis</a>, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland</h2>
<p>Technology drives innovation. When all you have is a hammer, every problem is a nail (as the saying goes). One role of pure research is to better equip our tool-kit. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=955&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=955&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=955&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1200&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1200&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47335/original/5t4pydnx-1398824630.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1200&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A new section of Mount Stromlo observatory, built after bushfires.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sacharules/479754057">Sacha Fernandez/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Astrophysics and other fundamental physics research may seem intangible, but thanks to their contributions our toolkit has the means to make computers, digital cameras, medical imaging and modern telecommunications.</p>
<p>Profound discoveries such as electricity and quantum physics could not have been made by industry that needs short-term profit. </p>
<p>True pivotal discoveries need long-term support by the society that wants to make them. While Australia aspires to be as competitive as possible we need as a community to invest in the pure research that will give Australian businesses cutting edge technologies that they can then harness to strengthen our economy.</p>
<p>Astrophysics is in the business of long-term pivotal discoveries. Right now, for example, we’re investigating the discovery of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/dark-energy">dark energy</a>, which seems to have anti-gravity properties. Imagine what we could achieve in transport and energy generation if we could learn to harness that! </p>
<p>But even if we fail, our striving will have created new technology and inspired young minds towards science, all of which strengthens Australia. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, understanding the size of the universe and our delicate place poised in this thin layer of atmosphere on a fragile planet, brings into perspective the insignificance of most of our problems and reminds us of how much we share with our neighbours around the globe. </p>
<p>Earth is our only lifeboat and we need to take care of it together. </p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading: <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22124/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Schmidt is Chair of Astronomy Australia Limited, a not-for-profit company that manages Australian Astronomical Infrastructure. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Webster receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is affiliated with the University of Melbourne.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tamara Davis receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Brian Schmidt, Distinguished Professor, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/222542014-04-22T04:09:08Z2014-04-22T04:09:08ZGroundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46436/original/8z47mrcz-1397539195.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We live in a 'wide brown land' – but we need to figure out how to use it sustainably.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://Duncan.co">Duncan Rawlinson</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. In this instalment we delve into earth sciences.</em></p>
<p>It is difficult to think of an area of our lives that is not touched by the earth sciences – whether it relates to the energy used to fuel our vehicles and homes or the natural disasters that dominate the evening news, to the dependence of our daily lives on weather forecasting or the precious metals used in electronic devices – to name a few. </p>
<p>Australia is richly endowed with mineral and energy resources and our economy depends heavily on the ease with which we can mine wealth from the earth. </p>
<p>The opening words of the final chapter of Donald Horne’s 1964 book <a href="http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/lucky-country">The Lucky Country</a> read:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I don’t know about you; I don’t mind being lucky, but I’d much rather be smart than second rate. </p>
<p>The Australian mining community knows that there are no more easy pickings at the Earth’s surface in Australia – any remaining world-class ore deposits lie beneath the Earth’s surface – so we now need to be much smarter, and apply a diverse range of skills and tools in order to explore and exploit the sub-surface. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=186&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=186&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=186&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=234&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=234&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46399/original/p2cyc2yx-1397526932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=234&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Coober Pedy opal mine.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/georgiesharp/2512822287">Georgie Sharp/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In other words, we can no longer rely on luck. </p>
<p>We need to be a smart country – even if we want to continue to base much of our economy on mining – or face the risk of being second rate.</p>
<p>I use the example of mining because it is the most obvious way that earth resources contribute to Australian economic prosperity. It is widely recognised that advanced economies must transition from dependence on natural resources and physical labour to knowledge economies that are based on intellectual assets and know-how that are used to create wealth. </p>
<p>How well is Australia tracking in this transition? While we dig wealth from the ground, we are also a leading supplier of mining technologies and services to other countries. </p>
<p>Not only are we China’s mine, but Australian <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-good-to-be-true-weighing-up-australias-exposure-to-china-24402">revenues from education</a>, which includes a large contribution from educating China’s growing and increasingly affluent middle class, makes education the largest service export industry in Australia. </p>
<h2>Flexing our geoscientific muscles</h2>
<p>We are doing quite a few things well, but we are in a competitive world and complacency won’t help. We still depend heavily on a finite natural endowment and need to continue along the path of transitioning to a knowledge-based economy.</p>
<p>How can the earth sciences help Australia in this journey? Just as geological and climatological phenomena touch so many areas of our lives, their widespread importance also means that the earth sciences can contribute significantly to Australia’s ongoing security and prosperity. Let me give just a few examples.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46414/original/tbcnjcnc-1397536345.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QcWVPFxGA">ccdoh1/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Geoscientific expertise has been central to the discovery and extraction of fossil fuels that have driven global economic transformation since the industrial revolution. </p>
<p>Our economy is addicted to carbon and will remain this way for some time to come despite the fact that we need greener and cleaner energy. Knowledge is key to this necessary transformation. </p>
<p>Capturing and storing carbon emissions is technically challenging, but knowledge of the underground reservoirs that held hydrocarbons for millions of years is now fundamental to understanding how to store captured carbon into the future. </p>
<p>Geoscientists must work closely with engineers and others to achieve this ambition. In the meantime, increasing the efficiency of hydrocarbon extraction is key to keeping energy costs down. </p>
<p>Australian physicists, chemists, mathematicians and engineers have combined forces to develop <a href="http://www.lithicon.com/company/">three-dimensional imaging technology</a> to visualise the tiny pore spaces between sediment grains in rocks, which is important for enhanced extraction of oil and gas from their natural reservoirs. </p>
<p>This Australian know-how has recently attracted major international investment that will accelerate use of this clever technology in the global hydrocarbon industry.</p>
<h2>Known unknowns</h2>
<p>Australia is one of the more geologically stable parts of our planet. But our neighbours to the north, who have rapidly developing economies, live with the daily threat of geological hazards, including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides. Our geological know-how has the potential to benefit the quality of life and economy of our neighbours. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46415/original/kqpmtcfv-1397536486.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rling/5666269869">Richard Ling/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>How? Through helping to monitor, assess, and potentially forecast and mitigate risks to populations that increasingly live in mega-cities that are often highly vulnerable to natural hazards.</p>
<p>What about our climate future? How will rainfall change regionally around Australia as a result of ongoing climate change? How will this affect water resources and agriculture? How fast will sea level rise and how will this affect coastal infrastructure, property values, and long-term investment strategies? </p>
<p>Even climate sceptics must recognise that increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions will lead to greater acidity of the oceans, which will cause the skeletons of corals to dissolve. </p>
<p>How will this affect Australia’s outstanding natural resources and the tourist economy associated with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/great-barrier-reef">Great Barrier Reef</a>? How will this affect food chains and marine resources, including fisheries? The climate system is complicated and there is much to learn about its workings – ongoing research is needed. </p>
<p>Knowledge of the climate system, and of the natural and human-induced factors that cause it to change, is crucial to most sectors that contribute to the economy. <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/climate-science">Climate science</a> will increasingly influence investment decisions, infrastructure planning, and insurance premiums.</p>
<h2>Smart, collaborative and hard working</h2>
<p>In all of the above examples, Australia is well placed to rise to future challenges and is endowed with outstanding talent in the earth sciences – in the university sector, federal and state agencies and industry. </p>
<p>I am a believer in the extraordinary ingenuity of the human species and our ability to devise solutions to tough problems. I have seen enough to make me optimistic about the ability of the earth sciences to continue to contribute to wealth creation in Australia.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46417/original/7bp4ktdx-1397537168.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lake Carnegie, WA.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5638320238">NASA</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But is this enough? Increasingly, in knowledge-based activities, any single company or institution lacks the complete range of expertise needed to solve key problems. </p>
<p>Cooperation across such boundaries is increasingly needed, including better interactions between industry and academia, with development of productive long-term, strategic relationships. </p>
<p>We also need to develop a more advanced innovation system – in which there are strong incentives for interaction among these various actors to transform ideas into marketable processes, products or services. </p>
<p>These challenges are considerable and international competition is great. We need to be smart, collaborative and hard working, not just lucky, much less second rate, to make the most of our intellectual assets to drive the future prosperity of Australia.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mike-sandiford-228/profile_bio">Mike Sandiford</a>, Professor of Geology at the University of Melbourne</h2>
<p>As Andrew points out, the prerequisite for meeting the many challenges of sustaining prosperity is a more detailed knowledge of the earth system. But I suggest we also need a new way of framing the purpose of that knowledge, in recognition that our species is no longer just an innocent bystander to the earth system.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=688&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=688&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46423/original/zn9b29cm-1397538011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=688&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingsinger/86898565">Bruce Irving/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a geologist I find no starker illustration of this than in the realisation that human society is currently headed to a primary energy consumption rate of <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-effect-on-the-earth-is-real-how-were-geo-engineering-the-planet-1544">44 trillion watts</a> by 2060. </p>
<p>This is the average rate of energy transferred by plate tectonics each year – the process that makes the planet’s mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes.</p>
<p>With around 90% of human energy needs sourced from fossil fuels, meeting the challenge of how to secure the prospects of both present and future generations will require a much better understanding of the implications of our use of such resources.</p>
<p>In this context, the perspective of earth scientists will be essential to help reconceptualise our relationship with the planet and its resources. I suggest earth scientists should follow the lead of their colleagues in ecology, who have long framed their thinking about functioning of ecosystems in terms of services. </p>
<p>By explicitly branding such services we are able to attribute value to them, focus on threats and limitations, and evaluate trade-offs between immediate and long-term needs for such services. I see a key challenge is rethinking our planet as the essential service provider, including not only the biosphere but also the atmosphere, oceans and lithosphere.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katy-evans-114928/profile_bio">Katy Evans</a>, Senior Research Fellow at Curtin University</h2>
<p>There are two fundamental attributes of geologists that will prove essential as we make the transition from a planet that absorbs human activity to one that is affected by it.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46419/original/fmbxyxhs-1397537887.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/qed_net/2323353459">David/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ol>
<li><p>A geologist’s comprehension of time is honed by the study of processes that operate over timescales that last from seconds to hundreds, or even thousands, of millions of years. This sense of time is complementary to that of politicians, whose timescale, of necessity, is bounded by a ticking time bomb set to go off at the next election. We all need to practice a geologist’s sense of time if we are to understand the implications of our ability to change the planet.</p></li>
<li><p>Geology involves appreciation of, and compensation for, missing and uncertain data. The geological record is never complete, and the geological record is like a photograph album where the photographs have been stacked, superimposed, and put through a washing machine. As humans change natural systems to unprecedentedly large degrees and with unprecedented rapidity, the capacity of geologists to operate sensibly in a data-sparse environment will prove increasingly valuable.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>We need geologists, not only to answer the practical and immediate questions posed by the planet, but also to understand this astonishingly beautiful and complex Earth sufficiently well that we can head towards the brightest possible future.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading: <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22254/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Roberts receives funding from the Australian Research Council, and has previously received funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (UK), the Royal Society of London, the Leverhulme Trust (UK), the European Union, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Oceanographic Institutions (USA), and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katy Evans received funding from the ARC.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mike Sandiford receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Andrew Roberts, Professor, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/231902014-04-08T04:08:41Z2014-04-08T04:08:41ZA healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45479/original/v7r8bjh8-1396491453.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Neurons make for good tattoos, but neurodegenerative disorders need urgent action.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/andram/4478577084/sizes/l">LianaAn/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. Today, we take a closer look at medical science.</em></p>
<p>The past is prologue, or so we should hope for biomedical research. </p>
<p>Australia has a proud history with four Nobel Prizes for Physiology or Medicine given for work done here. In particular, the 2005 award to Perth gastroenterologist <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/marshall-bio.html">Barry Marshall</a> and pathologist <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/warren-bio.html">Robin Warren</a>, for establishing that <em>Helicobacter pylori</em> bacteria cause the dyspepsia and ulcers that predispose to stomach cancer, recognised a discovery that had an immediate effect on human wellbeing. </p>
<p>Apart from decreasing suffering and improving health outcomes, that single finding massively <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/press.html">diminished medical costs</a> worldwide by substituting a short course of antibiotics for life-long pill popping.</p>
<p>Otherwise, a major problem with new treatments, particularly those involving the repeat administration of proteins such as monoclonal antibodies (for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and so on) is the massive expense involved. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=793&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=793&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=793&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=997&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=997&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45485/original/f25rq3xx-1396494706.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=997&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Position of cancer genes (green and purple) in cells of a model breast tumour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thejcb/4116191918">The Journal of Cell Biology/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dealing with the question of “who pays?” in the public arena over the next 10-15 years is likely to involve both considerable angst and a need for strong, and consistent national leadership that is informed by the best possible evidence. </p>
<p>In this context, it’s important to bear in mind that the cost of biomedical research, whether it is laboratory-based or in the sociology/behavioural sphere, is minuscule compared to the dollar amounts required for health care delivery. </p>
<p>In general, government funding for research is under ever-increasing pressure. If we want to derive economic benefit from science, we can’t expect others to “roll over” and allow us to exploit their science. We must cut our own track.</p>
<h2>Our own devices</h2>
<p>Historically, Australia has had big hits in the medical devices area. In general, the regulatory costs for bringing gadgets to the market are considerably less than those required to license a new drug or vaccine. </p>
<p>Whether or not Australian innovators win the race to build a <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-technology-progress-in-the-race-to-the-bionic-eye-3019">bionic eye</a> – early prototypes are currently implanted in three individuals – there are many other possibilities for cross-fertilisation between physical scientists, engineers and biomedical/clinical researchers.</p>
<p>Most will be aware that:</p>
<ul>
<li>research led by Prime Minister’s Prize Winner, Brisbane’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-frazer-10030/profile_bio">Ian Frazer</a>, led to the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17494925?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn">Gardasil vaccine</a> which prevents the majority of cervical cancers – an effort that, with initial help from our vaccine and blood products company CSL, has led to substantial royalty income flowing back here</li>
<li>Australia’s leading science award also went to the Melbourne and Canberra based developers of <a href="http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Health-and-Wellbeing/Treatment/Relenza-and-the-flu-virus.aspx">Relenza</a>, one of the world’s first “designer” drugs and the first specific treatment for influenza</li>
<li>the same goes for the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (<a href="http://www.wehi.edu.au/">WEHI</a>) team that discovered the cancer regulatory protein <a href="http://www.wehi.edu.au/faculty_members/research_projects/bcl-2_family">Bcl2</a>, the target for a very promising anti-leukaemia drug that is currently in trial here and may well have emerged as a major therapeutic by 2025. The basic role of Bcl2 was defined more than 20 years ago, highlighting the long lead-time between discovery and practical application that characterises biomedical innovation.</li>
</ul>
<p>On the vaccine front, there are a number of federally-funded initiatives – National Health and Medicine Research Council (<a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/">NHMRC</a>) and the Australian Research Council (<a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/">ARC</a>) – aimed at developing novel vaccines and therapeutics combining, for example, the insights of researchers focused on influenza or HIV/AIDS with the expertise of physical scientist working in areas like <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/nanotechnology">nanotechnology</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45483/original/jf2kzq8z-1396494028.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Scanning electron micrograph of HIV particles infecting a human H9 T cell.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/niaid/5613410121/sizes/o/">NIAID/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By 2025, the advances that emerge from such broad screening programs such as the Australian-initiated and led <a href="http://www.humanvariomeproject.org/">Human Variome Project</a> will have likely led to greatly improved diagnostics and will hopefully be enabling the transition to more precisely targeted therapies for, say, particular subsets of cancers. Here we are talking optimally about small molecules, or drugs. </p>
<p>That’s one of the many reasons why medical research needs the analytical possibilities provided by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-australian-synchrotron-is-great-but-what-does-it-do-5704">synchrotron</a> and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (<a href="http://www.ansto.gov.au/">ANSTO</a>) nuclear reactor. </p>
<h2>New threats and challenges</h2>
<p>Though we don’t currently have malaria in this country, Australian researchers are at the cutting edge of the global effort to develop a vaccine. This has attracted major funding from the US National Institutes of Health (<a href="http://www.nih.gov/">NIH</a>; equivalent to our NHMRC) and from the <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/">Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation</a>.</p>
<p>As we move more people into our north, and the vector mosquitoes migrate south with global warming, the viral encephalitis and malaria, which currently kill about 500,000 children a year, may become a much greater problem for us. </p>
<p>With the enormous advances in both medicine and surgery that have so diminished the toll of coronary heart disease, Australians are, like people across the planet who have the good fortune to be born into advanced societies, living longer and better lives. </p>
<p>The downside is, though, the increased incidence of degenerative neurological disease. Extrapolating Alzheimer’s disease incidence figures to 2025 and beyond shows that, unless there is some breakthrough in prevention and/or therapy, the costs in terms of both health dollars and human suffering will be appalling. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44984/original/dptk7td9-1395976594.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dementia prevalence in Australia to 2025.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alzheimer's Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research done in Melbourne and Perth has refined the use of Positron Emission Tomography (<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-medical-imaging-spect-and-pet-14086">PET</a>) scanning for preclinical diagnosis. </p>
<p>This is by far the biggest medical problem facing us and, if novel therapeutics do not provide a solution (likely by delaying onset), we must find the moral and political integrity to face very difficult and contentious issues related to quality of life and end of life.</p>
<p>Regrettably, though we may think of ourselves as a great sporting nation, Australia ranks at the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21680599">high end</a> in the global obesity pandemic. Australian research on possible causes (and treatments for) the associated type II diabetes problem is recognised as world-class, but we also need better mechanisms for tackling the underlying dietary and psychological issues. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44990/original/jyh8n34v-1395978564.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Overweight children in OECD and non-OECD countries.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Obesity Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44988/original/8d3hd2zc-1395978377.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Past and projected future overweight rates in selected OECD countries.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Obesity Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The quality of Australian research and clinical practice in the infectious disease area, combined with successive governments that were willing to take a pragmatic approach, led to Australia being enormously effective in stemming the toll of the horrific HIV/AIDS pandemic. </p>
<p>Now, with the success of HIV drug treatment, there is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-hiv-infection-rates-at-20-year-high-19358">disturbing increase</a> in the incidence of this, and other sexually transmitted diseases. How do we get everyone to focus on the idea that each of us is responsible for our own basic health? How do we persuade all parents to vaccinate their children?</p>
<h2>Badging biomedical R&D</h2>
<p>While science aimed at discovery and illuminating basic mechanisms may, at times, seem “blue sky”, it is a fact that the current era of molecular medicine is particularly suited to the rapid translation of new findings for human benefit. </p>
<p>Important problems in medicine are increasingly solved by teams that go beyond the expertise of physician-scientists, biomedicine PhDs, research nurses and other allied medical professionals, to draw on the talents of engineers, mathematicians, chemists, physicists and social scientists. </p>
<p>From the aspect of funding and policy, the NHMRC, the ARC, the Cooperative Research Centres (<a href="https://www.crc.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx">CRCs</a>), ANSTO and the CSIRO should be thought of as intimately entwined in the national enterprise we badge as biomedical R&D. </p>
<p>Australia’s research universities and affiliated institutes bring all these skill sets together and, apart from their primary role in our international education “industry”, are major drivers of innovation. </p>
<p>When it comes to promoting a high technology society, maintaining the health of our education system is paramount, at every level.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fiona-stanley-16277/profile_bio">Fiona Stanley</a>, Distinguished Professorial Fellow at University of Western Australia</h2>
<p>The sciences of epidemiology, neurosciences and child development come together to explain how genes and environments, interacting from conception onwards, influence the health, wellbeing and capacity of humans throughout their whole life course. </p>
<p>The evidence is now clear that human capability (defined as the competencies to participate effectively in civil society) is enhanced if the pathways from conception and particularly in early childhood are positive, nurturing, include good nutrition and avoid excessive, damaging stress and toxic exposures such as alcohol, lead or mercury. </p>
<p>As well, the pathways to many non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health problems and maybe some cancers, also commence in-utero and are strongly influenced by childhood risk factors.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45623/original/wn3yg527-1396590158.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45623/original/wn3yg527-1396590158.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=513&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45623/original/wn3yg527-1396590158.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=513&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45623/original/wn3yg527-1396590158.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=513&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45623/original/wn3yg527-1396590158.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=645&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45623/original/wn3yg527-1396590158.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=645&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45623/original/wn3yg527-1396590158.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=645&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The figure above shows how the knowledge from this collaborative group of sciences could be applied to:</p>
<ol>
<li>positively enhance the capacity of Australia’s workforce and economic success</li>
<li>reduce the considerable amounts of the health, mental health, prison and welfare budgets that are increasingly being spent on preventable conditions and problems.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>The evidence is clear that programs that improve the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and the healthy development of their offspring create future wealth and prosperity for the society.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-good-122270/profile_bio">Michael Good</a>, Professor at Griffith University</h2>
<p>No major problem in medicine is specific to Australia. An issue in disadvantaged peoples everywhere, the high incidence of rheumatic heart disease in some indigenous communities, is of major concern.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45622/original/q22wn5z7-1396587866.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Invasion of group A Streptococci (<em>Streptococcus pyogenes</em>, red) into human epithelial cell (brown).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zeissmicro/7266468174">ZEISS Microscopy</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Infection with <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0030146">group A streptococci</a> can lead to simple infections, which if untreated can give rise to far more serious conditions. Rheumatic heart disease is one such condition which is an autoimmune disease affecting a number of tissues, but which exerts its major and lifelong pathology in the heart, leading to valve scarring and heart failure. </p>
<p>Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations suffer the highest reported rates worldwide leading to hundreds of young lives lost. Worldwide, near 500,000 lives are lost each year due to streptococcal pathology. </p>
<p>The autoimmune nature of rheumatic heart disease has made vaccine development extremely challenging – we don’t want a vaccine to actually cause disease – so our approach has been to define an absolutely minimal streptococcal sequence (only 12 amino acids) which is the target of protective antibodies and which is found on all strains. </p>
<p>Vaccination with this peptide, referred to as J8, can protect mice from all the strains that we have examined (including strains recovered from Australian patients). We are now completing a Phase I pilot vaccine study in volunteers in Brisbane. The preliminary data are very encouraging, and we are currently planning larger follow-up trials in Australia and overseas.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading: <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/23190/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter C. Doherty receives funding from the NHMRC for research on influenza and is a member of the Board of The Conversation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Stanley is founding director and patron of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. She receives funding from the NHMRC, ARC and WA government. For a full list see <a href="https://www.socrates.uwa.edu.au/Staff/StaffProfile.aspx?Person=FionaStanley">https://www.socrates.uwa.edu.au/Staff/StaffProfile.aspx?Person=FionaStanley</a></span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Good receives funding from the NHMRC. He has been the Director of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and served as Chair of the NHMRC. He is also a past president of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, and a past director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Peter C. Doherty, Laureate Professor, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/222552014-03-24T19:15:54Z2014-03-24T19:15:54ZAustralia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42320/original/b64vcv5t-1393214701.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's a delicate business, but the study of life can make our lives better.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharman/4570412801/sizes/l/">Kalense Kid/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. Today, we put biological science under the microscope.</em></p>
<p>One of the 20th century’s most famous scientists, physicist <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1908/rutherford-bio.html">Ernest Rutherford</a>, <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford">explained</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When we have found how the nucleus of atoms is built up we shall have found the greatest secret of all — except life.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The 21st century is set to be the time when the study of life – biology – steps up. Once, as Rutherford also <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford">said</a>, it may have been true that “Physics is the only science, all else is stamp collecting” but now physics, chemistry and mathematics have combined and ignited a revolution in biology.</p>
<p>The work of Darwin on evolution and Mendel in <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-gene-12951">genetics</a> provided understanding of how all living things are connected and a fundamental mathematical framework for inheritance. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1962/watson-bio.html">James Watson</a> and <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1962/crick-bio.html">Francis Crick</a> used physics to reveal the chemical nature of the DNA code, and their followers have used the tools of chemistry, physics and informatics to sequence genomes at an ever increasing rate, and most critically have shown how genes work and can now be manipulated in the lab for experimental or therapeutic purposes.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41776/original/dbbkmd5t-1392698239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=787&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/larsjuhljensen/6371309903/sizes/l/">Flickr/Lars Juhl Jensen (cropped)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The tools that have brought about the revolution in genetic engineering came from broad studies in biology, from work on bacterial viruses, green fluorescent jellyfish, yeast, <a href="http://theconversation.com/animals-in-research-drosophila-the-fruit-fly-13571">fruit flies</a>, tiny weeds and <a href="http://theconversation.com/animals-in-research-c-elegans-roundworm-14163">nematode worms</a>, as well as from medical science projects directed at specific diseases.</p>
<p>The stage is now set to dissect in order to understand, and to connect and build.</p>
<h2>Discoveries of note (and coin)</h2>
<p>Fundamental discoveries in biology are now laying a foundation on which future advances in agriculture, environmental science, and medicine will be built. </p>
<p>This knowledge will help Australia maximise food security and implement biosecurity to minimise the spread of pests and foreign diseases. At an environmental level our understanding of ecology is improving. One hopes we can preserve rich ecosystems to enjoy and share with tourists from all over the world. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vTE_hQVccps?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The molecular knowledge of how our bodies operate informs our understanding of infectious, chronic and genetic diseases. This knowledge provides hope for future drugs and other cures, as well as the minimisation of health costs through better targeting of therapies and personal medicine.</p>
<p>So if we are talking about productive agriculture, rich environments, and drug companies, about the future prosperity of Australia, then one thing we’re talking about is money. It is difficult to make forward looking economic or scientific predictions but I do know that looking back can inform us about the future – so let’s look at money in the past.</p>
<p>Let’s look at Australia’s first banknotes. The Australian $2 note has now been replaced by a coin but in the past it pictured <a href="http://www.australianhistory.org/john-macarthur">John Macarthur</a> on the front and <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/farrer-william-james-6145">William Farrer</a> on the reverse. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=195&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=195&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41777/original/dyrsgqq5-1392698406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=195&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Front (left) and back (right) of the Australian $2 note.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_two-dollar_note">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Macarthur was instrumental in developing the first sheep breeds to prosper in the Australian environment and for many years wool has been a core product in the Australian economy. One wonders how the new colony would have fared without practical Australian approaches to selective sheep breeding. The wheat strains developed by Farrer, particularly the <a href="https://www.powerhousemuseum.com/australia_innovates/?behaviour=view_article&Section_id=1000&article_id=10007">Federation strain</a>, have fed our nation and the world.</p>
<p>In the future, having players in the international quest for more productive, more resilient and less environmentally damaging livestock and crops will be critical to our nation, especially as the climate warms.</p>
<p>On the old Australian $50 note there was <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1945/florey-bio.html">Howard Florey</a>, who developed the first widely effective antibiotic, penicillin. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=155&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=194&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=194&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41779/original/5nmqdcnj-1392698793.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=194&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sir Howard Florey on the old $50 note.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is easy to forget how antibiotics have revolutionised human health. One wonders how many Australians have not benefited directly from antibiotics – from time to time I certainly have. </p>
<p>In addition to those that have featured on our banknotes, other Australian biologists have been on our stamps, such as the Nobel Prizewinner <a href="http://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/138054-Peter_Doherty-Legends-Australia">Peter Doherty</a>, who revealed secrets of the immune system, and the late <a href="http://www.wnsstamps.ch/en/stamps/AU002.02">Nancy Millis</a>, a leader in industrial microbiology. </p>
<p>Then there are others who may not yet have been immortalised in currency but who may be in the future: </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/marshall-bio.html">Barry Marshall</a> and <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/warren-bio.html">Robin Warren</a> who identified helicobacteria as causing <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673683927198">stomach ulcers</a> and who thereby helped myriad sufferers worldwide</li>
<li>the late <a href="http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/museum/mwmuseum/index.php/Fenner,_Frank">Frank Fenner</a>, who combatted the rabbit plagues using <a href="https://theconversation.com/fighting-the-rise-of-rabbits-with-disease-and-chocolate-842">myxomatosis</a></li>
<li>those who defeated prickly pear by introducing the <a href="http://asgap.org.au/APOL2008/mar08-s3.html">Cactoblastis</a> caterpillar</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wehi.edu.au/about_us/achievements/professor_don_metcalf/">Don Metcalf</a> and others at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne and the drugs they have produced have saved many people from blood cancers</li>
<li><a href="http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/228">Ian Frazer’s</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/catch-cancer-no-thanks-id-rather-have-a-shot-7568">Gardasil vaccine</a>, which arose from his ability to understand and grow disease viruses, is protecting the next generation from papilloma virus-triggered cancers.</li>
</ul>
<p>Our banknotes do not currently feature any prominent ecologists or environmental scientists but the coins certainly attest to the beauty of our natural fauna. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41790/original/kk62kpbx-1392701237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_1_cent_coin">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One and two cent coins are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Summer_Olympics#Medals_and_bouquets">no longer in circulation</a> but fortunately the feathertail gliders and frill-necked lizards featured on them certainly are, as are the echidnas, lyrebirds, platypus, emus and kangaroos on our other coins. </p>
<p>The preservation of our ecosystems is critical to our well-being as a nation. Over the first two hundred years of European settlement land clearing, water usage, grazing practises and introduced species have had a profound effect on our fauna and flora, but a rich network remains. </p>
<p>Australian biologists are continuing to work to understand how to minimise negative impacts so that we can preserve important ecosystems, including our deserts, rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef. These are places that we and tourists can enjoy, while other areas can be sustainably managed for food or wood production as appropriate.</p>
<h2>Biological attraction</h2>
<p>The advances in biology and the parade of illustrious biologists in Australia has drawn a generation of new students and the general public to the study of biology. </p>
<p>For complicated reasons the number of students studying maths, physics and chemistry is <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-21/australian-students-shun-science/3741316">not increasing</a> as it should in this increasingly technological world. This is a problem that Australia must address, but happily at least biology is thriving.</p>
<p>Science is vital not just for generating material prosperity, or for enriching our own experiences, but also for providing material by which we can each develop skills in critical thinking, in understanding evidence and argument. Science tells us that not everything is relative - in some cases there really are right and wrong answers. In many instances, biology will be the only science our citizens formally study, so it will remain a very important illustrator of the scientific method.</p>
<p>The ability to understand scientific thinking and evidence, helps societies to choose between snake oil salesmen and practical leaders. </p>
<p>Biology is also valuable at an individual level, as human biology underlies all health and medicine. Knowing biology is critically important for our own personal health choices. </p>
<p>Since its beginnings Australia has had to be a resolutely practical and realistic country. We have a beautiful but in many ways a harsh and fragile home. Through scientific understanding and rational argument we have found ways to survive and prosper. Biology and the other sciences will remain essential to our future successes.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-cockburn-114143/profile_bio">Andrew Cockburn</a>, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology at ANU</h2>
<p>Merlin Crossley rightly lauds biology’s profound role in the health and prosperity of Australians – but biology is a broad church, and nobody can master it all.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43524/original/kwhx9s65-1394501573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickerbulb/12526742525/sizes/l/">chris.corwin/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So how can Australia ensure we nurture and retain the expertise to lead us into – and beyond – 2025?</p>
<p>We need to acknowledge that our while our extraordinary fauna and flora and our long history of success in agriculture are huge advantages for our nation, they are also a vulnerability demanding expertise in many disciplines to exploit and protect those advantages. </p>
<p>It takes an expert to recognise <a href="http://www.quarantinedomestic.gov.au/myrtle-rust.html">myrtle rust</a> and that it could be a threat to our forests and woodlands, or that a tiny scale insect could <a href="http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farming-management/organic-farming/organic-fruit-and-vegetables/managing-scale-insects-on-citrus">devastate a crop</a> vital to our economy, and we need to find a way of preserving that breadth of expertise.</p>
<p>It is increasingly hard for the scientists that have such skills to thrive in metric-driven universities or a CSIRO dealing with immediate <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/razor-taken-to-csiro-20131107-2x4fu.html">funding problems</a>, threatening our breadth of knowledge in the biology of whole organisms.</p>
<p>There are solutions. Some years ago I was asked to review a submission from Canadian universities to their research council about how funds should be deployed to support ecology. I was delighted to see that they recognised that the expertise in the taxonomy of arctic plants was about to be lost to retirement, which, given their frozen north, was a national imperative demanding support.</p>
<p>Our own extraordinary biological diversity makes the need for expertise even more compelling.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marguerite-evans-galea-5223/profile_bio">Marguerite Evans-Galea</a>, Research Scientist at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute</h2>
<p>Like no other discipline, biology integrates the enabling sciences of physics, chemistry and mathematics to address the hard questions – including those we have yet to ask.</p>
<p>All of the sciences, but particularly biology, rely heavily on technology for their ongoing and future success. In the throes of the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/metabolomics-wine-and-cheese-curing-disease-no-doping-please-18922">omics</a>” era – such as genomics and proteomics – we have never had a bigger picture of life at the nanoscopic level, than we do today. A clear understanding of this “big data” and successfully translating that into everyday practice is essential to transforming our economy.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43527/original/kz8bp7v7-1394501747.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanreading/6141273215/sizes/l/">Nathan Reading/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the next decade, personalised medicine and specialised drug development will take front seat. Biotechnology, nanotechnology and affordable genome sequencing are already revolutionising medicine at a rapid pace. </p>
<p>They are also central to ensuring a safe, secure food and water supply in the context of climate change. Already, we are creating alternate <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/bioenergy">bioenergy</a> sources, discovering new <a href="https://theconversation.com/worm-turns-for-cotton-pest-as-australia-breeds-in-resistance-15457">agricultural pests</a>, fighting <a href="https://theconversation.com/genomic-analysis-could-help-win-the-fight-against-superbugs-17847">antibiotic resistant bacteria</a> and maximising the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/conservation">conservation</a> of our natural flora and fauna.</p>
<p>Such cutting-edge developments in biology will require a well-educated, highly skilled scientific and manufacturing workforce – creating jobs and exports. With visionary leadership and strategic investment, 2025 will see biology leading Australia well into the 21st century.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. Further reading: <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22255/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Merlin Crossley works for the University of New South Wales. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Cockburn receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marguerite Evans-Galea receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. She is a research scientist at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and an Honorary Fellow at The University of Melbourne.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Merlin Crossley, Dean of Science and Professor of Molecular Biology, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221222014-03-11T03:47:06Z2014-03-11T03:47:06ZOptimising the future with mathematics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43011/original/hszc92x4-1393892821.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mathematics is everywhere, from national security and genetics to public transport scheduling.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonitoclub/8384933083/sizes/l/">Bonita Club/Flickr (cropped)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. Today, we add mathematics to the mix.</em></p>
<p>Mathematics is an absolutely critical part of our future – and we can maximise its impact for the public and private good over the next 11 years if we take the opportunity now. </p>
<p>It is the multidisciplinary and universal nature of mathematics which makes this true: multidisciplinary because of its vast scope and universal because of the effectiveness of its processes. </p>
<p>In some fields it plays a supportive role and in others, the lead. I will describe a lead role which will be crucial to achieving the sort of economy we want: the optimisation of public and private sector enterprise. (I will touch on statistics and its role in data analysis only in passing as my esteemed colleague Terry Speed will cover it later in this series.)</p>
<p>Charles Darwin summed up the deep importance of mathematics when he said</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mathematics seems to endow one with something like a new sense.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Mathematicians do not have a monopoly on this extra sense. Broad mathematical capability across the community underpins most qualities identified in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">aspiration for 2025</a>. Bankers, nurses and engineers competently practise various forms of mathematics on a daily basis. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lyQFHKJ2aiw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Today’s 12-year-olds entering secondary school will be 2025’s young graduates.
After the <a href="http://www.acer.edu.au/ozpisa/pisa2012">slide in the performance</a> of our 15-year-olds exposed in the latest Programme for International Student Assessments (<a href="http://www.oecd.org/pisa/">PISA</a>) results, it’s not clear that they will enjoy the same broad mathematical capability as today’s 23-year-olds. </p>
<p>The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute’s (<a href="http://www.amsi.org.au/">AMSI</a>) <a href="http://www.amsi.org.au/index.php/publications-mainmenu/amsi-publications/148-publications/advocacy/1115-communique-from-the-participants-of-the-maths-of-planet-earth-conference">own aspiration</a> for 2025 is to lift the percentage of secondary maths classes taught by qualified maths teachers from an appalling 66% now to 100%.</p>
<p>We have serious work to do here just to maintain the status quo, but we must also be prepared to deal with the new quantitative and qualitative challenges thrown up by this rapidly changing world – and to do that, we must be more agile than we are at present. </p>
<h2>Getting practical about mathematics</h2>
<p>Biology is a case in point. The slow uptake of mathematics and statistics in the university biology curriculum hampers our progress despite the demand for mathematically capable specialists at the research frontier. </p>
<p>The lesson here is to connect mathematics and biology in our schools, two disciplines which have not traditionally been close (notwithstanding Darwin’s observation). Maths is meeting the biosciences in the 21st century much as maths met physics in the 20th, and we must communicate this through the curriculum – not leave it to <a href="https://twitter.com/ProfBrianCox">Brian Cox</a>, <a href="http://simonsingh.net/">Simon Singh</a>, Facebook and Twitter. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41117/original/dp4bt576-1392000324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We need our ‘mathematical sense’ or we risk ending up with The Blind Leading the Blind (Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1568).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_%281568%29_The_Blind_Leading_the_Blind.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The advanced mathematics that the discipline itself practises loosely splits into </p>
<ol>
<li>theoretical mathematics: developed without an immediate view to external application. It is the deep intellectual nature of theoretical mathematics which attracts many to the discipline (think of the <a href="http://www.claymath.org/millennium-problems/millennium-prize-problems">Clay Millennium problems</a>). </li>
<li>applicable mathematics: focused on practical benefit on various time scales. It is applicable mathematics which most directly, but not exclusively, impacts on our aspirations for 2025. </li>
</ol>
<p>Many of any of us move freely between the two and history shows that the multidisciplinary capacity of mathematics depends critically on the health of the discipline proper. The use of 19th and 20th century differential geometry in 21st century computer graphics is a striking example. This pointed observation is aimed at the managements of our universities! </p>
<p>The word cloud below shows some public, private and research enterprises, all contributing critically to where we will be in 2025 and all <a href="http://www.amsi.org.au/index.php/careers-mainmenu/career-resources">employing or engaging</a> with research-trained mathematicians and statisticians. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42923/original/9th2cjhn-1393823430.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wordle</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mathematicians’ roles are increasingly important in a world addicted to progress, and they are multidisciplinary in nature – statisticians work with retailers to refine and analyse their loyalty programs and mathematicians work with banks to manage financial risk and with the hospitals to manage emergency ward workflows. </p>
<p>We make a fundamental contribution to the growth of knowledge based industries and to the smart operation of the natural and primary resource sectors. Unfortunately we don’t communicate this very well, especially to students and their parents, but we are <a href="http://www.csiro.au/Organisation-Structure/Flagships/Preventative-Health-Flagship/Alzheimers-Biomarkers.aspx">making a start</a>. </p>
<p>The practice of this applicable mathematics can be broken into support roles and lead roles. Roughly speaking the support roles involve the practice of existing sophisticated mathematics and the lead roles involve active research:</p>
<ul>
<li>computational mathematics plays a lead role in industrial, biological, economic and environmental modelling, such as in the increasing accuracy and sophistication of <a href="https://theconversation.com/droughts-and-flooding-rains-climate-change-models-predict-increases-in-both-5470">climate change models</a></li>
<li><a href="https://theconversation.com/diving-deep-into-data-to-crack-the-gene-code-on-disease-21554">bioinformatics</a> plays a lead role in genetics, creating algorithms to <a href="http://www.amsi.org.au/ESA_Senior_Years/SeniorTopic5/5_md/SeniorTopic5.html">analyse genomic data</a> to expose genetic markers for disease</li>
<li><a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-evolutionary-algorithms-3580">optimisation</a> should play a lead role in both making the Australian economy competitive in 2025 and in improving our national well-being. </li>
</ul>
<h2>Optimising optimisation</h2>
<p>Broadly speaking, the mathematical field of optimisation involves determining an optimal scenario (relative to some criteria) among a collection of alternatives. </p>
<p>The determination of the most efficient route between two locations, where “route” and “location” can have many meanings, or the most economical use of resources in production processes. Optimisation problems can involve thousands of variables and minimise or maximise many “objective functions”. </p>
<p>It sounds dry, but it cries out “productivity growth!” and “competitive advantage!” and, in times of emergency, “<a href="https://theconversation.com/evacuation-modelling-finding-the-best-time-and-way-to-get-going-20286">lives saved!</a>”</p>
<p>Darwin would certainly agree that optimisation is in his “new sense” category.</p>
<p>Australia is getting better at optimisation, from traffic management to mining to aircraft scheduling, but it’s patchy. The defence forces are very good at it, in part due to the work of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (<a href="http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/">DSTO</a>), as well as the <a href="http://www.csiro.au/">CSIRO</a>, <a href="http://www.nicta.com.au/">NICTA</a>, <a href="http://www.ibm.com/au/en/">IBM</a> and some of the universities. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43047/original/jbrgmwq5-1393905139.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barefootadrianne/8369220622/sizes/l/">Adrianne Behning Photography/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The health sector is not uniformly good at optimisation, nor are our public transport systems. </p>
<p>Small to medium enterprise is not good at it at all. We are babes in the woods compared to countries such as Germany and the US for whom <a href="http://xn--hlrx9vfw0a.net/node/396">optimisation</a> is worth <a href="http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/transportation-management.asp">billions</a>. </p>
<p>The really smart way to optimise infrastructure is to build optimality into the design. We almost never to do this – we usually optimise as an afterthought, if at all. </p>
<p>But one shining Australian example of optimisation in design is the work of business analytics and optimisation company <a href="http://www.biarri.com/">Biarri Commercial Mathematics</a> on the National Broadband Network (<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-national-broadband-network-nbn-207">NBN</a>) – work so good that they are one of six global 2014 finalists for the prestigious <a href="http://biarrinetworks.com/edelman2014?utm_source=corehomepage&amp;utm_medium=slider&amp;utm_term=edelman&amp;utm_campaign=edelman">Franz Edelman Prize</a>.</p>
<p>The mandating by government of optimisation integral to design for significant public and private infrastructure projects would have a transformative impact on the Australian economy. It would not only boost productivity but build in competitive advantage and contribute to a sustainable future. </p>
<p>Optimisation would become part of the economic culture at all scales. </p>
<p>By keeping the bureaucracy to a minimum this measure would encourage the growth of dynamic companies like Biarri and draw on the capacity of CSIRO, IBM, NICTA and the universities, all of whom would be able to tender for the design work.</p>
<p>It would strengthen the mathematical sciences and thrust us, sure-footed, towards 2025 and beyond without fear of falling into the ditch of mathematical ignorance.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nalini-joshi-114925/profile_bio">Nalini Joshi</a>, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Sydney</h2>
<p>Mathematics is a universal language that unlocks innovation by abstracting a problem to reveal patterns that answer the crucial questions. The key to Australia’s future competitiveness and security lies in continually creating and adapting mathematical representations of the real world.</p>
<p>Mathematical truths make a complex world more comprehensible and manageable; they are intertwined with efficiency and innovation at all levels of the economy. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42921/original/m8pbwpt9-1393823092.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lytfyre/3547273047/sizes/l/">lytfyre/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mathematics can show us how to <a href="https://theconversation.com/stuck-in-traffic-maths-can-get-you-on-your-way-15125">minimise traffic snarls</a> in our cities, cut costs in a complex network of rail transportation, avoid congestion on the internet, produce innovative designs in optical lenses, weigh costs and benefits of environmental policies and optimise a small business plan.</p>
<p>Mathematics can create new and better Australian industries. It is now central to fundamental questions of nature, life and health. </p>
<p>How does genomic information lead to development and better health in early life? How can the resolution of medical images be improved while reducing their file size? How can mathematics be used to create a safer regulatory framework for financial markets? </p>
<p>The more technologically sophisticated a society becomes, the more critical its need for mathematical thinking. The pathways towards economic diversity and opportunity are paved with mathematics.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-rice-113842/profile_bio">John Rice</a>, Honorary Professor of Mathematics at the University of Sydney</h2>
<p>A smart economy depends on mathematical skills but you would hardly know it. Mathematics in practice is often not recognised as such, and unrecognisable in terms of school and undergraduate mathematics. This is the great failure of mathematics education. </p>
<p>The greatest contribution that the discipline of mathematics could make to Australia’s smart economy is to remedy that.</p>
<p>The remedy concerns approach as well as content. Mathematics as it is practised, in research and professional occupations, requires thought, creativity, judgement, questioning and problem solving. An economy based on production lines might not require these skills as a matter of course, but a knowledge and innovations-based economy does. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/42915/original/5dqp6j66-1393822684.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/queensucanada/10088166764/">queensu/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Current mathematics education, in schools and universities, is satisfied with programming students to carry out certain mathematical processes, and assessment rewards students who can calculate everything even if they understand nothing. </p>
<p>It’s more like preparing for a production line than a knowledge based economy.</p>
<p>The mathematics discipline seeks a remedy in improving the knowledge base of those teaching mathematics. However, “upskilling” teachers with “more of the same” will not deliver mathematics in the form that a smart Australia needs.</p>
<p>We need mathematics “to be taught more like it is done” by those engaged in it, in both the innovations economy and research. This is a cultural change that involves the discipline itself, one that must be mainstreamed into school and university systems. </p>
<p>Without this, the connection between mathematics and the economy will remain dubious in the public mind, and mathematics will remain hamstrung in achieving its proper influence and delivering its benefits to a 21st century Australia.</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>.<br>
Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a> <br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22122/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Prince receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the European Union.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nalini Joshi receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is affiliated with the Australian Academy of Science as a member of Council and Chair of the National Committee for Mathematical Sciences.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Rice does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Geoff Prince, Director and Professor, Australian Mathematical Sciences InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221232014-02-25T03:25:26Z2014-02-25T03:25:26ZProteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41180/original/4cg8fcv6-1392067881.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More than just beakers and Bunsen burners, chemistry extends across many areas.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">*USB*</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. Today, we take a look at how chemistry will shape our lives.</em></p>
<p>Chemistry is the most central of scientific disciplines and underpins the physical, material and biological world. Opportunities are abundant in the field of chemistry, as most major advances take place at the interface of two or more disciplines and chemistry sits at the core of trans-disciplinary research. </p>
<p>Most scientific research and development is collaborative and global. For Australia to continue to be a prosperous nation, post the mining boom dividends, we must create wealth through invention and innovation, and we must view this national wealth creation through invention and translation as a global enterprise.</p>
<p>Chemistry started saving lives when pharmaceutical drugs were invented. A catastrophic threat from disease in the future will be presented by the strains of pathogens developing <a href="http://www.interacademies.net/News/PressReleases/22792.aspx">resistance to antimicrobial drugs</a>. </p>
<p>A safe and prosperous Australia will be one in which we redouble our efforts to invent new antibiotics to kill common bacteria as well as the drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis that are emerging. It is not too fanciful to imagine a new class of antibiotic using a delivery system that enters bacterial cells carrying a built-in warhead that explodes and shatters the cell wall, destroying the bacterium.</p>
<p>Many cancers are influenced by the way key proteins interact in living organisms. In the future we can expect to continue seeing the development of anticancer drugs consisting of molecules that inhibit certain protein interactions. </p>
<p>This is a completely new approach in the fight against cancer, as is the use of delivery systems based on specialist polymers; these can carry the toxic anticancer drug specifically to the required point of action where they recognise tumour cells that can be destroyed on release of the drug while leaving other non-tumour cells unaffected. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1203&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1203&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41184/original/jsbr2mnw-1392070451.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1203&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lewis_bingle/7372970180/sizes/l/">Flickr/El Bingle</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Response of cancer cells to chemotherapy varies from individual to individual. Now it is possible to sequence the human genes of individuals, and this is heavily dependent on analytical chemistry techniques in combination with biological approaches. </p>
<p>The ability to carry out genome sequencing cheaply and effectively will depend on the invention of new techniques for reading the genetic code on long chains of DNA. One promising approach is the use of <a href="https://www.nanoporetech.com/technology/introduction-to-nanopore-sensing/solid-state-nanopores">protein nanopores</a> or custom-synthesised <a href="http://researcher.watson.ibm.com/researcher/view_project.php?id=1120">porous macromolecular systems</a> whose pores allow only DNA chains to be threaded through. </p>
<p>As each base on the DNA passes through the pore it is “read” by inbuilt optical or electrical nanodetectors/transistors that allow the chain sequence to be recorded fast and efficiently. </p>
<p>Acquisition of these vast quantities of data and the ability to correlate the information with disease states in humans will depend on the close interaction of chemists with statistical biologists and bioinformaticists (so chemists will need a good mathematics training as well). </p>
<p>These are the kinds of contributions that chemistry will make to health care in Australia provided we invest now in training and pathways for ideas to be converted into commercial products.</p>
<h2>Next generation electronics</h2>
<p>In my own field of polymers, chemistry in combination with physics and materials science has revolutionised the way in which we think of plastics. </p>
<p>There is now a whole emerging field of “plastic electronics” in which specialised plastics (the so-called semiconducting polymers) can replace the traditional semiconducting materials such as silicon to serve as transistors, and as the active material in flat panel displays (TV screens, laptop and smart phone displays) as well as numerous other “smart” devices.</p>
<p>These materials are already in some of the largest <a href="http://www.oled-info.com/panasonic-shows-55-curved-oled-tv-prototypes-ces-2014">colour TVs</a> seen last year at the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41183/original/6ctpkhx4-1392070239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robpegoraro/11915543503/sizes/l/">Flickr/robpegoraro</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It will not be long before we are able to print flexible solar cells (just as we print another great Australian invention, the polymer banknote) that can be sewn into clothing to serve as cheap portable power sources for recharging mobile devices. </p>
<p>It is my dream that large area arrays will eventually provide substantial amounts of renewable electricity for our nation.</p>
<p>Returning to transistors, just imagine a flexible plastic inner helmet lining full of transistors that can detect and monitor brain function in real time when a sportsperson (such as a Test cricketer or AFL player) receives a severe and damaging blow to the skull. </p>
<p>We won’t be merely waiting to carry them off the field when they cannot say which day it is. We shall know instantly which parts of the brain may not be functioning properly after the injury. This is the field of flexible electronics that chemists will invent. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jlEIvGzthsk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>There will be applications that will be life changing, just like the change in our lives that happened with the emergence of mobile devices in the past ten years. With appropriate investment and a calculated risk Australia can become a “Master of the Universe” through clever chemistry.</p>
<p>What are the technologies that traditionally have made Australia wealthy? Historically we have been a strong agricultural nation. Good agriculture depends on many factors including soil and climate conditions. Chemists will continue to invent safe and efficient herbicides and pesticides, but these will in the future be integrated with genetically modified organisms so that the specific threat will be defeated without interfering with the surrounding ecosystem.</p>
<p>The mining industry has dominated recent Australian exports. Extraction of the key chemical elements from ore bodies employs the “froth flotation process” initially developed in Australia and researched by surface scientist <a href="http://www.science.org.au/fellows/memoirs/wark.html#4c">Sir Ian Wark</a> from CSIRO. </p>
<p>However, all mining industries employ vast quantities of water. My vision for the future of chemistry is to develop a water-free mining industry (as well as other chemical manufacturing) that employs solid state chemical separation processes perhaps in combination with supercritical fluids such as carbon dioxide or other benign solvents.</p>
<h2>Energy and efficiency</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=817&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=817&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=817&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1027&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1027&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41182/original/h699yvyk-1392069989.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1027&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/statusfrustration/142680882/sizes/l/">Flickr/Status Frustration</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That brings us to the topic of energy. Burning carbon-based fuels to generate energy would not be so bad if we could capture the resulting carbon dioxide efficiently and convert it back into hydrocarbon products such as methane and diesel. </p>
<p>These are the two grand challenges for chemistry. Chemists are working on <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/carbon-capture1.htm">capturing carbon dioxide</a> from flue gas emissions using amine-trapping agents to form carbamates, but we have a long way to go. This has to be 100% effective and the resulting product has to be able to release the carbon dioxide into a suitable storage without consuming too much energy. </p>
<p>Then we have to invent ways of turning the carbon dioxide back into methane. This requires hydrogen and a superb catalyst or electricity because in terms of an energy scale carbon dioxide lies at the bottom of Mount Everest and methane is on the top. </p>
<p>The hydrogen will have to come from using sunlight (photochemistry) and a catalyst to <a href="http://nocera.harvard.edu/SolarEnergyConversion">split water</a> into hydrogen and oxygen. </p>
<p>Humankind has not yet solved this, although Nature does it through photosynthesis, surprisingly not very efficiently, but certainly well enough to have sustained life on earth for billions of years. Some challenge for chemists but we will do it!</p>
<p>We will only achieve these ambitions if we also recognise the need to inspire young people in a broad-based science education with an opportunity to become practising chemists. </p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-buntine-117043/profile_bio">Mark Buntine</a>, Professor of Chemistry at Curtin University</h2>
<p>Chemistry’s ability to sustainably contribute to our quality of life through a knowledge-based society depends critically on our nation’s support for fundamental (or basic) research. It is fundamental research – enquiry advancing our understanding of the natural world for its own sake – that underpins high technology advances in applied fields including the biomedical and materials sciences.</p>
<p>Fundamental research has a long history of resulting in unexpected technological advances. Basic research aimed at developing radar technology during World War II lead to the development of nuclear magnetic resonance (<a href="http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/nmr.html">NMR</a> – a core technique used by chemists to determine the structure of molecules) and subsequently magnetic resonance imaging (<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-medical-imaging-magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri-15030">MRI</a> – an increasingly used medical diagnostic technique). </p>
<p>In 1888 the first reports of the unique properties of liquid crystals appeared. The behaviour of these “strange” compounds remained a research curiosity until the 1970s when they found their way into hand-held calculator displays. Nowadays, liquid crystals have been designed and synthesised by chemists for widespread use in applications including heat sensors, tunable light filters and switchable windows. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=985&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=985&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=985&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1238&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1238&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41737/original/mqt2bghc-1392681827.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1238&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/benchilada (cropped)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Theoretical predictions made by Einstein in the earliest years of the 20th century lead to the curiosity-driven development of lasers in the early 1960s and their subsequent use as a research tool in physics, chemistry and biology. </p>
<p>Today, lasers are a ubiquitous item found in the home and office (CD, DVD and Blu-ray players and barcode scanners), medical procedures (eye and vascular surgery, cancer treatment and <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-are-tattoos-removed-19078">tattoo removal</a>) and numerous industrial processes (laser cutting, welding, levelling and printing).</p>
<p>Chemistry is an exciting discipline that will continue to make powerful contributions to Australia’s scientific, economic and cultural advancement. </p>
<p>Supporting curiosity-driven research today is a critical element in ensuring technological advances tomorrow.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jenny-martin-1572/profile_bio">Jenny Martin</a>, ARC Laureate Fellow at University of Queensland</h2>
<p>The global human population will expand from around seven billion to around nine billion by 2050. This growth will bring enormous challenges – and also opportunities to a clever country. </p>
<p>How we tackle issues of, for example, shrinking energy reserves, food security, climate change, quantum computing, antibiotic resistance and ageing will depend on how we invest in our smartest talent and how we value and support science – particularly chemistry, the science of matter. </p>
<p>To develop a diverse economy for the future with high value goods and services, we need to invest now in chemistry at the interface with biology, physics and nanotechnology.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=849&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=849&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=849&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41738/original/34t5qq92-1392682167.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sir Lawrence Bragg.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1915/wl-bragg-bio.html">The Nobel Foundation</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In this UNESCO <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-x-ray-crystallography-22143">International Year of Crystallography</a> we would also do well to celebrate Australia’s knowledge generators. Crystallography, a field of science that lays bare the very atomic structure of matter, is so closely linked to chemistry that it has claimed six of the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry since 2003. </p>
<p>Most Australians are unaware that crystallography was <a href="https://theconversation.com/bragging-rights-celebrating-the-centenary-of-crystallography-7128">pioneered in part</a> by our first Nobel laureate, <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1915/wl-bragg-bio.html">Lawrence Bragg</a>. He was 25 when the honour was bestowed and remains the youngest ever awardee. Moreover, crystallography boasts a rich history of women pioneers, including two of the four women Chemistry Nobel laureates.</p>
<p>Australia can no longer afford to rely on wealth generation from what we dig out of the ground. Knowledge-based industries for new fuels, foods, smart products and materials will be essential for a strong, prosperous, healthy and secure Australia. To get there, we need to think smart now. Most importantly, we need to invest in all our best chemistry talent – women and men – to ensure our competitive advantage. Our future depends on it.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>.<br>
Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22123/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Holmes works for CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Engineering.
He is a consultant and co-founder of Cambridge Display Technology.
He has received funding from the
Australian Research Council,
Australian Renewable Energy Authority,
Victorian Government (DSDBI and Energy Technology Innovation Strategy),
CSIRO,
University of Melbourne,
veski (formerly know as the Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation),
Department of Industry (Australian Government).
He is affiliated with
The University of Melbourne (Melbourne Laureate Professor),
CSIRO (CMSE),
Imperial College (Emeritus Professor and Distinguished Research Fellow),
University of Cambridge (Emeritus Fellow, Clare College),
The Royal Society (Fellow),
Australian Academy of Science (Foreign Secretary),
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (Fellow),
Royal Australian Chemical Institute (Member),
Royal Society of Chemistry (Honorary Fellow),
Institute of Physics (Fellow).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jenny Martin receives funding from The Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Buntine is President of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (<a href="http://www.raci.org.au">www.raci.org.au</a>) and Head of the Department of Chemistry at Curtin University. He serves on the Australian Academy of Science's National Committee for Chemistry. Mark is also a founder and Director of the Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory (ASELL) project (<a href="http://www.asell.org">www.asell.org</a>), and its progenitor chemistry projects.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Andrew Holmes, Melbourne Laureate Professor of Chemistry & CSIRO Fellow, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221212014-02-12T03:25:58Z2014-02-12T03:25:58ZPhysics: a fundamental force for future security<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40865/original/6bnpsghy-1391660799.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Electricity – just one bright idea to stem from physics.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/JonathanCohen</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. Written by luminaries and accompanied by two expert commentaries to ensure a broader perspective, these articles run fortnightly and focus on each of the major scientific areas. In the first of the series, we hold physics – a fundamental discipline – up to the light.</em> <br></p>
<p>What is matter? What is energy? What holds matter together? How do the various constituents of the universe interact at the most basic level? Where does the Earth sit in relation to the rest of the universe? Can we predict the movements of the stars?</p>
<p>Physics gives us the knowledge to address remarkable questions like these. But knowledge is also power: a better understanding of these laws, allows us to improve the ways we interact with, and harness our environment. And if you look at the rapid development in human technology over the past two centuries, it is amazing just how much technological change has been derived from advances in physics.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40982/original/bvfq8mn9-1391737542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nuclear fusion reactor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aglet/9336757122/sizes/l/">Flickr/aglet</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Perhaps the most clear-cut example in this respect is the dramatic transformation that electricity has brought about in all modern societies. Our whole way of living now is completely dependent upon being able to generate, transmit, and harness electric power in a safe and efficient manner – all of which is ultimately underpinned by our understanding of physics. </p>
<p>Keeping up with the ever growing demand for generating electricity with minimal environmental impact will be a significant challenge in the years to come.</p>
<p>No matter how much we know there is always more to discover – and from every discovery we generate great new and practical technologies. </p>
<h2>Knock-on effects</h2>
<p>Whether physicists studying fundamental principles, such as quantum mechanics, are more likely to invent new devices by applying these principles serendipitously, or by design, doesn’t matter as both approaches work. </p>
<p>What is remarkable is the extent to which fundamental breakthroughs can lead to diverse technological consequences.</p>
<p>Take, for example, the transistor and diode, which are used in electronic watches, calculators, pacemakers, hearing aids, cellular phones, global positioning systems (<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-gps-12248">GPSs</a>), radios, computers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). They are fundamental building blocks upon which our entire society is constructed.</p>
<p>A similar story can be told about lasers. The diverse applications of the laser include bar code readers, micro/eye surgery, compact disc players and information retrieval and storage, fibre optics (for telecommunication and medical procedures), machining, surveying, laser printers, semiconductor fabrication, holography, and perhaps the greatest potential use, nuclear fusion.</p>
<p>Magnetic resonance imaging (<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-medical-imaging-magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri-15030">MRI</a>) likewise is now used routinely to identify chemical species in both chemistry and biology, and has been vital for noninvasive glimpses into the body to find tumours, to study thinking processes and to understand blood flow – all based upon the spinning of protons in a magnetic field.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40864/original/r78y43vr-1391660519.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/7694882446/sizes/l/">Flickr/Muffet</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>From new theories, new technology is created that, in turn, allows more accurate, expanded and novel experimental observations to prove or disprove new theories, which leads on to more technology – and so on, in a cycle. Thus there has always been a deep symbiosis between discovery in physics and the development of new technology.</p>
<h2>Crossing disciplines …</h2>
<p>We all benefit from the contributions of physics, only a fraction of which have been mentioned here – and it’s not just physicists who say so.</p>
<p>The American economists <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economic-sciences/laureates/2004/prescott-bio.html">Edward Prescott</a> and <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economic-sciences/laureates/2004/kydland-bio.html">Finn Kydland</a>, who won the Nobel Prize for economics in 2004 in part for pointing out that new technology drives economic booms. Physics is fundamental in this respect.</p>
<p>In 2013, the European Physical Society commissioned an independent <a href="http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.eps.org/resource/resmgr/policy/EPS_economyReport2013.pdf">economic analysis</a> covering 29 European countries (including Norway and Switzerland) which showed that over the four-year period 2007-2010 the </p>
<blockquote>
<p>physics-based industrial sector generated £3.8 trillion of turnover, around 15% of total turnover in Europe’s business economy, exceeding that of the contribution made by the entire retail sector.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The same study found that the sector supported more than 15 million jobs corresponding to more than 13% of overall employment in the business economy of Europe.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40866/original/mpx3xr8c-1391661018.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolynwill/2569205162/sizes/l/">Flickr/carolyn.will</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here in Australia, our industrial base is different from that in the US or Europe, but the same arguments hold.</p>
<p>On the one hand, we all benefit from the downstream consequences of past discoveries in physics. In this sense, anyone who uses a GPS signal, turns on a computer, listens to digital music, receives a computed tomography (<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-medical-imaging-x-rays-and-ct-scans-15029">CT</a>) scan or an MRI scan, or flicks a light switch is proving the value of the discipline.</p>
<p>But, on the other hand, advances in physics are also used in a more immediate sense by local industry. In recent years, physics has found important Australian applications in financial modelling, minerals exploration, equipment manufacturing, telecommunications and the development of new defence technologies.</p>
<h2>… and crossing oceans</h2>
<p>Physics is no less important here in Australia than it is to people anywhere else.</p>
<p>Its future significance, moreover, should not be underestimated. It is easy to imagine for example that, because it is an established science, all the great discoveries of physics have already been made. This is a deeply mistaken perspective.</p>
<p>Globally, physics is currently entering an extremely vibrant era. Increasing computing power and new instrumentation with unprecedented precision and sensitivity is amplifying our ability to understand complex phenomena.</p>
<p>With new experimental data from the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/large-hadron-collider">Large Hadron Collider</a> in Switzerland, which explores the tiniest particles that form the most fundamental building blocks of matter, and from the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/square-kilometre-array">Square Kilometre Array</a>, which explores the massive structures that form the universe, modern physics will bring us new insights into longstanding questions – such as the origins and expansion of the universe, the nature of dark matter, and the origins of mass.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxJMTSJhHnk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Square Kilometre Array.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At the same time, we are just beginning now to tap into new technologies that are based upon the mysterious wonders of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/quantum-mechanics">quantum physics</a>. The ability to manipulate individual atoms, molecules, and photons of light – and to exploit quantum effects that are imperceptible in the macroscopic universe – foreshadows a future where the communication and processing of information is radically enhanced from where we are today.</p>
<p>Australian science enjoys a particularly strong international reputation in this area, which is potentially very advantageous given the escalating importance of information processing in the Australian economy, and in a growing range of defence applications.</p>
<p>Because of its vast contributions to society, and its tremendous potential to engender new breakthrough technologies and industries, global research in physics has received steady and dramatic increases in investment over the past century – a trend, which is likely to continue as an ever-growing cohort of companies and societies come to recognise the significance of physics to economic, social and environmental development.</p>
<p>Physics is the field that defined the modern scientific worldview. It helps us to understand the world in its most fundamental aspects. It underpins an enormous amount of our most advanced technological capability. </p>
<p>It is essential, therefore, that we encourage students to study it, gifted, passionate and well-qualified teachers to teach it, and that we nurture outstanding scientists who are actively advancing its frontiers.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-jamieson-116005/profile_bio">David Jamieson</a>, Professor of Physics at University of Melbourne</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40983/original/cwqmhs6y-1391738826.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justard/11896283115/sizes/l/">Flickr/Just Ard</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In cafes around the world many of the clientele are employing the physics of the element silicon, properties of electricity and magnetism from Maxwell’s equations, the passage of light through carefully crafted glass fibres, the equations of <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-einsteins-theory-of-general-relativity-3481">General Relativity</a> that describe how gravity shapes space and time for the GPS, and other fundamental physics principles to surf the web, read a newspaper or keep in touch with friends and family.</p>
<p>The same physics principles help us answer the biggest questions we can ask about the origin, evolution and fate of the universe. Australian physicists were deeply involved in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-higgs-boson-particle-280">Higgs boson</a> experiments and understanding the significance of the discoveries.</p>
<p>We are developing ways to control the strange quantum machinery that shapes all matter, promising potentially revolutionary devices for the storage, transmission and manipulation of information. </p>
<p>We are already starting to understand photosynthesis as a quantum mechanical process that we may soon harness to make new sorts of biofuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide. Physics has an essential role to play to deliver the new sources of power needed urgently to make that lifestyle preserve the climate systems that unite all life on our planet.</p>
<p>There is an emerging worldwide trend for the convergence of physics with engineering and medicine which will lead to near-term advances in data management, biomedical materials, new types of imaging, medical prosthetics, and supercomputer modelling of cells and tissues. We can look forward to bionic vision, viral self-assembly and life cams to reinforce memories of important events. </p>
<p>Curious, creative and well-educated people sharing in the international endeavour of physics will shape the world of 2025.</p>
<hr>
<h2><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chennupati-jagadish-113841/profile_bio">Chennupati Jagadish</a>, Laureate Fellow at ANU</h2>
<p>By finding answers to fundamental questions of how our world works – or can work better – physics will continue to set the foundation for future technologies.</p>
<p>Those trained in physics gave us and continue to provide new ideas, materials and machines. Physics skills are the creative backbone of all advanced industrial societies and economies. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=186&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=186&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=186&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=234&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=234&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40984/original/g5yj2vj7-1391738987.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=234&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgiesharp/2512822287/sizes/l/">Flickr/Georgie Sharp</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Australia they have helped to build our cities, located minerals underground and will ensure that we find new resources, from the land, sunlight and oceans, but they could also lead to new and revitalised industries if we exploit them intelligently.</p>
<p>Our engineers and scientists have the capacity to help solve the big challenges and to secure our economic future. Australia can be proud of its achievement in physics, with research excellence in many areas that has been an attractor for many students and young scientists from across the world.</p>
<p>To be technically literate necessitates a good grasp of basic physics and to develop technology for commercial advantage requires high level physics skills. </p>
<p>To ensure that Australia benefits commercially from technological breakthroughs and their commercial exploitation, it is vital that our population is physics and science literate, through a focus on physics teaching in our schools and in higher education.</p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. <br>
Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-future-depends-on-a-strong-science-focus-today-22075">Australia’s future depends on a strong science focus today</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22121/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Simmons receives funding from the Australian Research Council and was Chair of the Australian Academy’s National Committee for Physics until 2012.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chennupati Jagadish receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with Australian Academy of Science.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Jamieson receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is a Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Michelle Simmons, Professor of Physics, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/220752014-02-10T19:33:16Z2014-02-10T19:33:16ZAustralia’s future depends on a strong science focus today<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40842/original/psnmpspx-1391647104.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">What will the nation look like in 2025?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">NASA</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia now and in the future. In this introductory article, Professor Chubb outlines an aspiration for 2025.</em></p>
<p>We are often told in public commentary that the Australian economy is in transition – that we need to use our talents and skills to cope with changes in demand for commodities, and develop high value add goods and services for local and international markets.</p>
<p>The question is: what would it take to make that transition?</p>
<p>We can identify areas where we need to make sure we have action. It is suggested, for example, that Australia could be a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-cant-feed-the-world-but-it-can-help-11269">food bowl</a>, that we could have a burgeoning <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/biotechnology">biotechnology sector</a>, that we need to understand any <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/climate-change-adaptation">impact</a> of planetary warming on us and how different regions will be affected. </p>
<p>We need to be alert to the risk of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/pandemic">pandemics</a> and the overall health of our whole population, and be concerned about our security both <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/national-security">national</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/computer-crime-is-on-the-rise-20908">personal</a>. The list goes on.</p>
<p>Science and the knowledge it provides, along with its applications, will help us manage, mitigate, adapt or even discover solutions to the problems we know about, and allow us to tackle others as they emerge. It is not a big stretch to suggest that science will be close to the core of most of the “solutions” we develop. </p>
<p>It will not be science on its own, though; the humanities and the social science disciplines will play their part. </p>
<p>Of course, part of ensuring our best possible future is learning from past experience. But we also need to understand what is happening to our planet right now: to the oceans, the atmosphere and health, and we need the capability to innovate to make life better for more people.</p>
<h2>Links in the chain</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1191&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1191&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1191&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40843/original/5qhsk249-1391647230.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/holyshizzbombs/7601223826/sizes/l/">Flickr/Kristen Leigh Photo</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We know that addressing most issues will need an interdisciplinary approach. There is little room to doubt that some (probably most) of the big issues that confront us fall outside the boundaries of a single scientific discipline. </p>
<p>But somehow, the notion that we need the disciplines to work together appears to have led to a diminished focus on the disciplines themselves. This would be a particular problem if that loss of focus was on those disciplines that are at the core of many others: physics, chemistry and mathematics. </p>
<p>The need for strong disciplines is the focus of this series.</p>
<p>We have long known that a chain is as strong as its weakest link. It is inconceivable that we could do what we need to do, let alone do what we should do, if any or all the disciplines that underpin our efforts are weak. </p>
<p>If we are to ensure that they are not weak, we have to explain why they are important. We have to do so in a context where they appear to be taken for granted. </p>
<p>Science has been part of our very existence for a long time – from helping early <em>Homo sapiens</em> to respond to the challenges of survival in unstable environments. </p>
<p>So is that why we seem to take it for granted? Do we presume that science will be there when we need it, because it always has been? </p>
<p>We can’t afford the presumption. We don’t all have to be scientists or technologists or engineers or mathematicians, but enough of us do. We have to work to ensure that those among us who want to be scientists have available the best possible opportunities and to produce knowledge we can then use to sustain us. </p>
<p>We began by thinking (in very broad terms) what Australia could aim to be by 2025. Naturally we looked at all that was said and written about the future – and we were fortunate to have just emerged from an <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/election-2013">election campaign</a> in which there was some focus on a national aspiration. </p>
<p>We pulled it all together to produce a succinct statement broadly outlining what we took to be the key elements in what we saw and heard:</p>
<h2>The aspiration</h2>
<blockquote>
<p>Australia in 2025 will be strong, prosperous, healthy and secure and positioned to benefit all Australians in a rapidly changing world. </p>
<p>We are told that Australia will need a diverse economy built on sustainable productivity growth, knowledge-based industries and high value goods and services.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We approached 12 senior figures in a range of disciplines and invited them each to prepare a 1,200-word piece answering the question: how will your discipline/area help to realise this aspiration? </p>
<p>To broaden the perspective, we invited two other experts to write 200-word comments on the same question – not critiques of the longer article, but their view.</p>
<p>The series will be co-published in <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">The Conversation</a> and through the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. </p>
<p>I hope that you find the series interesting, useful and, indeed, stimulating. In particular, I hope that secondary school students will see that these (and other) disciplines are such key contributors to Australia’s future, and so compellingly interesting in themselves, that their study choices will be made easy. </p>
<hr>
<p><br>
<strong>Listen to an interview with Ian Chubb on the <a href="http://michellegrattan.podbean.com/2014/02/10/ian-chubb/">Politics with Michelle Grattan podcast</a>.</strong></p>
<p><br>
<strong>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/australia-2025-series">Australia 2025: smart science series</a>, co-published with the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2014/02/australia-2025-smart-science/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a>. <br>
Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/physics-a-fundamental-force-for-future-security-22121">Physics: a fundamental force for future security</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proteins-to-plastics-chemistry-as-a-dynamic-discipline-22123">Proteins to plastics: chemistry as a dynamic discipline</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/optimising-the-future-with-mathematics-22122">Optimising the future with mathematics</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-nurture-growth-and-prosperity-through-biology-22255">Australia can nurture growth and prosperity through biology</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-future-lets-put-medical-science-under-the-microscope-23190">A healthy future? Let’s put medical science under the microscope</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/groundbreaking-earth-sciences-for-a-smart-and-lucky-country-22254">Groundbreaking earth sciences for a smart – and lucky – country</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reach-for-the-stars-australia-must-focus-on-astronomy-22124">To reach for the stars, Australia must focus on astronomy</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-science-challenges-for-a-growing-blue-economy-22845">Marine science: challenges for a growing ‘blue economy’</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-the-nation-will-be-impossible-without-engineers-23191">Building the nation will be impossible without engineers</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">Australia’s got ICT talent – so how do we make the most of it?</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/agriculture-in-australia-growing-more-than-our-farming-future-22843">Agriculture in Australia: growing more than our farming future</a></strong> </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22075/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Chubb does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist for Australia, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.