tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/chief-scientist-3712/articlesChief Scientist – The Conversation2021-03-11T18:03:25Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1569352021-03-11T18:03:25Z2021-03-11T18:03:25ZChief Scientist: science will drive a post-pandemic manufacturing boom<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388989/original/file-20210311-21-13913pm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C729%2C3870%2C2850&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Office of the Chief Scientist</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s early days in my tenure as Australia’s <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/about/the-chief-scientist">Chief Scientist</a> but I have already been struck by how central science is to the national policy agenda. I knew this as an observer, but since I took up the post it has become clear how many initiatives are looking to science to lead the way.</p>
<p>As we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia is looking to boost its manufacturing capacity in areas such as medical manufacturing and low-emissions technologies including clean hydrogen.</p>
<p>This is good news for Australia’s science and research community. It is an enormous opportunity. It is also a considerable challenge and responsibility.</p>
<h2>After the pandemic</h2>
<p>One of the first events with which I was involved as Chief Scientist was a US-Australia Dialogue on Medical Innovation in Response to COVID-19. This was an opportunity to share experiences across the United States and Australia, and the conversation touched on some of the topics that will be a focus of my term.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">In February, an expert panel explored the exceptional contributions Australian health care companies and experts have made in partnership with the US in response to COVID-19.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Contributing to Australia’s pandemic response is high on my agenda. This includes not only short-term activities such as the vaccine rollout, but also learning the lessons of the past 12 months.</p>
<p>Australia’s interests will be well served by a greater capability in pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing. I was interested to hear the insights from two significant companies in this sphere, ResMed and CSL. Both have played important roles in the pandemic both locally and globally: ResMed in the manufacture of ventilators, and CSL in the development of therapies and vaccines.</p>
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<p>The federal government is focused on building Australian capability in medical manufacturing, and I strongly support this work. </p>
<p>The pandemic accelerated global vaccine development, especially in the new field of mRNA vaccines. The technology has potential for other vaccines, including for influenza, and for new treatments for diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s. The <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/medical-products-national-manufacturing-priority-road-map">Medical Products National Manufacturing Priority road map</a> has identified this area as a growth opportunity.</p>
<h2>Beyond medicine</h2>
<p>The government’s focus on manufacturing also includes new low-emissions technologies, such as clean hydrogen, and Australian capability in a variety of other sectors. These include resources technology and critical minerals processing, food security, recycling and clean energy, defence and space. I am also deputy chair of <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/policies-and-initiatives/industry-innovation-and-science-australia">Industry Innovation and Science Australia</a>, a board advising the government in this effort.</p>
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<p>The government is also strongly focused on encouraging more commercialisation of research and ensuring Australia gets the benefit of the research and innovation that it incubates.</p>
<p>Much of my time in recent weeks has been spent consulting across government, industry and the science and research communities as I bed down a concrete work agenda. It is already clear that research translation — the ability to get the most value from the excellent research being done in our universities and other institutions — will be a key focus. I will have more to say on that when I speak at the National Press Club <a href="https://www.npc.org.au/speaker/2021/801-dr-cathy-foley">next week</a>.</p>
<h2>From research to commercialisation</h2>
<p>I worked at the CSIRO for many years as a researcher in superconducting materials, and was later the organisation’s Chief Scientist. My experience spans the continuum from pure research to commercialisation.</p>
<p>For me, science is where the work starts, but not the whole answer. Science is creative, hard, exciting, sometimes demoralising and immensely fulfilling and fun. </p>
<p>Science can provide the nation with options for the path forward. But we also need engineering, a good business model, user interface and design. Not to mention the social licence to accept, support and pay for the solution.</p>
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<p>My job is to ensure the government has access to the best evidence available as it tackles the challenges we face and drives new opportunities for Australian innovation and industry.</p>
<p>I look forward to working with science and research community, industry and business community, government and institutions to make that happen.</p>
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<p><em>Cathy Foley is Australia’s Chief Scientist. She addresses the <a href="https://www.npc.org.au/speaker/2021/801-dr-cathy-foley">National Press Club</a> on Wednesday March 17.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/156935/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cathy Foley 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>Chief Scientist Cathy Foley says high-tech manufacturing is the way forward for Australia.Cathy Foley, Australia's Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1515882020-12-09T11:51:58Z2020-12-09T11:51:58ZAlan Finkel: how a late-night phonecall in 2016 triggered ‘incredible progress’ on clean energy<p>Like so much of what I have done as Australia’s Chief Scientist, the <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-markets/independent-review-future-security-national-electricity-market">electricity market review of 2017</a> was unexpected. </p>
<p>I was driving home after delivering a speech late one night in October 2016 when then federal energy minister Josh Frydenberg called and asked if I would chair a review of the <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/energy-system/electricity/electricity-system/energy-system">National Electricity Market</a>. </p>
<p>The urgent need had arisen as a consequence of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-caused-south-australias-state-wide-blackout-66268">South Australian power blackout</a> and ongoing concerns about the evolution of the electricity market. The call was brief; the task was huge.</p>
<p>This was new territory for me. While I have a PhD in electrical engineering, I had no specific interest in power systems. I had previously taken a business interest in green technologies. I had started a green lifestyle magazine, I had invested early in green technology stocks (and lost a small fortune), been involved in an electric car charging company, and I drove an electric car. I was an engineer but my work was in micro-electronics, at the scale of brain synapses. Large-scale power engineering had been my least favourite subject.</p>
<p>Now, it is close to my favourite. Work on low-emissions technologies has occupied a significant portion of my <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-australias-chief-scientist-alan-finkel-brought-more-science-into-government-his-successor-cathy-foley-will-continue-the-job-150156">five-year term as Chief Scientist</a>, which finishes at the end of this month. </p>
<p>Energy is a complex, vitally important topic, on which everyone has an opinion. The physics of human-induced global warming is irrefutable and a fast reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is urgent. Last summer’s bushfires were a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-bushfire-royal-commission-has-made-a-clarion-call-for-change-now-we-need-politics-to-follow-149158">grim reminder</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-finkel-review-at-a-glance-79177">The Finkel Review at a glance</a>
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<p>People often ask me whether climate policy is destined to destroy political leaders in Australia. Call me an optimist, but what I have seen is progress. When my proposed <a href="https://theconversation.com/finkels-clean-energy-target-plan-better-than-nothing-economists-poll-82066">Clean Energy Target</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-the-clean-energy-target-fizzles-what-might-replace-it-85598">met its maker</a> in October 2017, I was disappointed, but I was honestly excited the Australian, state and territory governments agreed to 49 out of 50 recommendations of our <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-finkel-review-at-a-glance-79177">review</a>. </p>
<p>Many of these recommendations ensured the electricity system would retain its operating strength as ever more solar and wind generation was added, and others ensured better planning processes for long-distance interconnectors and renewable energy zones. The public narrative that climate progress is moribund overlooks this ongoing work.</p>
<p>In early 2018, as I began to better understand the full potential of hydrogen in a low-emission future, I informally briefed Frydenberg, who responded by asking me to prepare a formal briefing paper for him and his state and territory counterparts. With support from government, industry, research and public interest colleagues, it developed last year into the <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/australias-national-hydrogen-strategy">National Hydrogen Strategy</a>, which explored fully the state of hydrogen technology internationally and its potential for Australia.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/145-years-after-jules-verne-dreamed-up-a-hydrogen-future-it-has-arrived-127701">145 years after Jules Verne dreamed up a hydrogen future, it has arrived</a>
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<p>The next step came this year with the <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/technology-investment-roadmap-first-low-emissions-technology-statement-2020">Low Emissions Technology Statement</a>, which articulates a solid pathway to tackle some of the pressing and difficult challenges en route to a clean economy. This was developed by Frydenberg’s successor, Angus Taylor, supported by advice from a panel I chaired.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-heres-the-lowdown-on-australias-low-emissions-roadmap-146743">‘The good, the bad and the ugly’: here's the lowdown on Australia’s low-emissions roadmap</a>
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<p>When I was appointed Australia’s Chief Scientist in 2015, my predecessor Ian Chubb took me for a drink at Canberra’s Monster Bar. He had a prepared brief for me and we flicked through it. But Ian didn’t offer prescriptive advice, given the reality that the specifics of the role are defined by each chief scientist in line with requests from the government of the day.</p>
<p>I came to the role with a plan no more detailed than to work hard, do things well, be opportunistic, and always say yes – despite the device that sits on my desk and barks “no” whenever you hit the red button, a gift from my staff keen to see a more measured response to the many calls on my time.</p>
<p>I am most proud of my initiatives in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education. These include the <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-09/australian_informed_choices_position_paper.pdf">Australian Informed Choices</a> project that ensures school students are given wise advice about core subjects that will set them in good stead for their careers; the <a href="https://starportal.edu.au/">STARPortal</a> one-stop shop for information on extracurricular science activities for children; a <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-11/optimising_stem_industry-school_partnerships_-_final_report.pdf">report</a> to the national education ministers on how businesses and schools can work together to provide context to science education; and the <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/StorytimePledge">Storytime Pledge</a> that acknowledges the fundamental importance of literacy by asking scientists to take a pledge to read to children.</p>
<p>But many of the high-profile tasks have arrived unexpectedly – the energy and low-emissions technology work, helping CSIRO with its <a href="https://publications.csiro.au/publications/publication/PIcsiro:EP156099">report</a> on climate and disaster resilience, and my work this year to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-15/coronavirus-fight-for-more-ventilators/12147638">help secure ICU ventilators</a> and most recently, to <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-contact-tracing-review">review testing, contact tracing and outbreak management</a> in the coronavirus pandemic.</p>
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Read more:
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<p>The incoming Chief Scientist, Cathy Foley, will no doubt find, as I did, the job brings big surprises and unexpected turns. I expect she will also find government more receptive than ever to taking advice from experts in health, the physical sciences and the social sciences.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean gratuitous advice. The advice we offer as scientists must be relevant and considered. Much of my advice has been in the form of deep-dive reviews, such as the <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/ed16-0269_national_research_infrastructure_roadmap_report_internals_acc.pdf">report</a> on national research facilities that was <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05119-8">funded in the 2018 budget</a>. But this year, amid the pandemic, we began something quite different: the <a href="https://www.science.org.au/covid19/rapid-research-information-forum">Rapid Research Information Forum</a>, which gives fast, succinct advice to government on very specific questions. This has been a highly effective way to synthesise the most recent research results with a very quick turnaround.</p>
<p>Nor does advice mean criticism. The Chief Scientist’s job is not to be the chief scientific critic of government policy. It is to advise ministers with the best that science has to offer. In turn, their job is to weigh that advice alongside inputs from other sectors and interests.</p>
<p>For me, working with the government has delivered results. Ministers have been receptive, have never told me what to say, and have agreed to the vast majority of my work being made public. In the energy sphere, we’ve made incredible progress. I am delighted to be staying on in an advisory role on low-emissions technologies.</p>
<p>When Frydenberg called late that evening in 2016, I had no idea where to begin to assess the state of the electricity market. And I had no idea that three years later we would be taking the first steps towards a clean hydrogen economy.</p>
<p>Now I am confident we will achieve the dramatic reduction in emissions that is necessary. Because of the immensity of the energy, industrial, agricultural and building systems, it will be slow and enormously difficult in a technical sense, politics aside. </p>
<p>Anyone who believes otherwise has not looked in detail at the production process for steel and aluminium. Converting these industries to green production is a mammoth task. But the political will is there. Industry is on the job, as is the scientific community, and the work has started.</p>
<p>The beginning of my term coincided with one of the most momentous scientific breakthroughs in a century: the <a href="https://theconversation.com/gravitational-waves-discovered-top-scientists-respond-53956">detection of gravitational waves</a>, literally ripples in the fabric of spacetime. This confirmed a prediction made by Einstein 100 years ago and was the final piece in the puzzle of his Theory of General Relativity. </p>
<p>As I finish my term, the contribution of Australian scientists to that discovery has just been <a href="https://theconversation.com/top-science-prize-for-2020-goes-to-aussie-physicists-who-helped-detect-distortions-in-space-time-148989">recognised</a> in the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science. As chair of the Prizes selection committee, this was a nice bookend for me. More importantly, it’s a reminder we are playing the long game.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151588/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Finkel 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>As he reaches the end of his five-year term, Australia’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel reflects on his proudest achievements in the role - and why the biggest projects have been the most unexpected.Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1501562020-11-18T18:53:51Z2020-11-18T18:53:51ZAs Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel brought more science into government. His successor Cathy Foley will continue the job<p>Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel, will bring his five-year stint in the role to a close at the end of 2020. His successor will be Cathy Foley, a physicist and current chief scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the national government research agency.</p>
<p>What legacy will Finkel leave behind? If there’s a defining theme to his time as chief scientist, it must surely be how he has drawn science and evidence more deeply into government policy-making. Among his many achievements in this vein, two key examples leap out.</p>
<h2>Bringing scientists to public service</h2>
<p>The first is the <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/australian-science-policy-fellowship-program">Australian Science Policy Fellowship</a> pilot program. Based on a <a href="https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships">hugely successful US scheme</a> run by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, this program recruits brilliant professionals from scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical (STEM) fields and places them in the federal public service. Now in its third successful year, the scheme has been embraced by 10 Commonwealth government departments.</p>
<p>The embedded scientists, technology experts, engineers and mathematicians not only bring their specific expertise into public service careers. They also bring the broad analytical skill set that is a hallmark of a high-quality STEM education. In STEM, you’re taught to question timeworn assumptions, pull things apart to understand how they really work, look at problems from fresh angles, and strive to innovate and improve things.</p>
<p>The program is a defining legacy for Finkel, who is himself an engineer by training, an entrepreneur by instinct, and a <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/about/biography-2#:%7E:text=Dr%20Finkel%20has%20an%20extensive,at%20the%20Australian%20National%20University.">cross-disciplinary STEM leader by evolution</a>.</p>
<h2>Connecting government with research and expertise</h2>
<p>The second example hails from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As chief scientist, Finkel found himself fielding requests from government ministers for the latest expert scientific evidence about the coronavirus and the effects of the outbreak.</p>
<p>With a huge volume of research being undertaken at record speed, this was no small task. Finkel looked to leverage the collective brains trust of our nation’s learned academies and peak bodies, such as Science & Technology Australia (STA), to reach deep into our nation’s STEM workforce. (Disclosure: we are the president and CEO of STA, respectively.)</p>
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<p>He created the <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/RRIF">Rapid Research Information Forum</a>. It handled questions from ministers, swiftly crowd-sourcing leading experts to produce clear and concise guides to the emerging evidence. It is a model for future policy-making, and should be resourced as an ongoing vehicle for expert advice to complement the in-house work of the public service.</p>
<h2>A complex balancing act</h2>
<p>Finkel’s legacy also includes a vast amount of work on energy and education policy, and myriad <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/advice-to-government">reports, reviews and roadmaps</a> to help the government navigate complex challenges by leveraging Australia’s STEM strengths.</p>
<p>He also created the <a href="https://starportal.edu.au/">STARportal</a>, a digital treasure trove of STEM resources for parents and teachers to engage kids in STEM – especially girls. And his office has run campaigns such as <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/summertime-science">Summertime Science</a>, <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/australian-science-superheroes">Science Superheroes</a>, the <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/storytime-pledge">Storytime Pledge</a>, and <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/STEMeverywhere">STEMEverywhere</a> to get the public more involved in STEM.</p>
<p>The chief scientist’s role is a complex balancing act. It demands great intellect, mastery of policy and political engagement, strong management of relationships with the STEM sector, expert media skills and the ability to communicate clearly to the Australian public.</p>
<p>Behind the scenes, the chief scientist is an advocate for science-informed policy, and an independent source of wise counsel to the prime minister and other ministers on science, technology and innovation. But they are also drawn into media and public debates about the role of science in any number of issues, requiring dexterous skill and a strong command of detail, nuance and politics.</p>
<p>Supported by his top-notch staff, Finkel racked up a catalogue of <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2018/02/speech-evidence-and-integrity">luminous speeches</a> in the finest tradition of using formal speechcraft to stake out an agenda. He proposed many big and bold ideas, elegantly articulated with warmth, wit and historical anecdotes aplenty.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chief-scientists-address-to-the-national-press-club-the-voyage-of-science-and-innovation-55645">Chief Scientist's address to the National Press Club: The voyage of science and innovation</a>
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<p>A strong relationship with the prime minister has been one of Finkel’s greatest assets. Scott Morrison’s speech at the award ceremony for the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science this year carried a special note of personal connection.</p>
<p>As well as thanking the thousands of scientists who kept us safe this year working on everything from vaccines to epidemiological modelling to ventilators and virus transmission, Morrison <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/funding-and-incentives/prime-ministers-prizes-for-science">paid tribute to Finkel</a>, noting his public service was far from over.</p>
<h2>Stronger collaboration, more inspiration</h2>
<p>Finkel’s successor will be physicist <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/09/cathy-foley-appointed-australias-next-chief-scientist">Cathy Foley</a>. She is currently chief scientist for Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, where she has spent 36 years of her impressive career. </p>
<p>We can expect Foley to combine Finkel’s instincts for strong public engagement with the mastery of public service machinery that Finkel’s predecessor Ian Chubb displayed deftly in the role.</p>
<p>Foley is also impeccably connected across the STEM sector. She’s a former president and policy committee chair of STA, a fellow of two learned academies – the Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Australian Academy of Science – and a generous mentor to many young scientists and women in STEM through STA’s <a href="https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/superstars-of-stem/">Superstars of STEM</a> program.</p>
<p>What will her priorities be? Morrison has noted he would like her to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKkYa8XpZ5M">drive stronger collaboration</a> between industry and the science and research community to create jobs for the COVID-19 recovery and beyond.</p>
<p>Federal Science Minister Karen Andrews proposed Foley for the job and is herself a longstanding champion of women in STEM. Andrews said the new chief scientist would help Australia’s manufacturing sector leverage science and technology to strengthen our sovereign capabilities.</p>
<p>For her part, Foley has stated a strong desire to help the government draw on expert scientific advice, serve the nation, and inspire more young people – especially girls – into STEM.</p>
<p>She’s already off to an astute start – turning up at the media call to announce her appointment with gifts for Morrison’s two daughters <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKkYa8XpZ5M">to inspire in them an even deeper love of science</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-let-stem-skills-become-a-casualty-of-covid-19-143752">We can’t let STEM skills become a casualty of COVID-19</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150156/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Misha Schubert is the CEO of Science & Technology Australia and a visiting fellow at the Centre for Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeremy Brownlie has received funding from the Australian Research Council & the Ministry for Primary Industries NZ. He is president of Science & Technology Australia.</span></em></p>Outgoing Chief Scientist Alan Finkel leaves a legacy of closer ties between policy makers and scientific experts.Misha Schubert, Visiting Fellow at the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University, Australian National UniversityJeremy Brownlie, Deputy Head, School of Environment and Science, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/482302020-08-13T20:07:45Z2020-08-13T20:07:45ZFrom Kangaroo Island to Mallacoota, citizen scientists proved vital to Australia’s bushfire recovery<p>Following the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20, many people throughout Australia, and across the world, wanted to know how they could help in response to the environmental disaster. </p>
<p>Hundreds contacted the Australian Citizen Science Association (<a href="https://citizenscience.org.au/">ACSA</a>), Australia’s peak citizen science body, for guidance on how to participate in relevant scientific projects. </p>
<p>It was a golden opportunity to show that science can be, and <em>is</em>, done by all kinds of people – not just those working in labs with years of training and access to high-powered instruments. A scientist can be you, your children or your parents.</p>
<p>And this recognition led to the establishment of the <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/Citizen-Science/Citizen-Science-Bushfire-Recovery">Citizen Science Bushfire Project Finder</a>, a key outcome from the <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/ministerial-statement-bushfire-science-roundtable">bushfire science roundtable</a>, which was convened in January by Federal Science Minister Karen Andrews.</p>
<p>To establish the project finder database, ACSA partnered with the CSIRO and the Atlas of Living Australia to assist the search for vetted projects that could contribute to our understanding of post-bushfire recovery. </p>
<p>Five months on, the value is evident.</p>
<h2>Science as a way of thinking</h2>
<p>In response to the bushfires, one citizen science project set up was the <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/News/News-releases/2020/Kangaroo-Island-dunnart-recovery-supported-by-citizen-scientists-across-the-country">Kangaroo Island Dunnart Survey</a>. A record number of citizen scientists answered the call to assist in recovery efforts for this small marsupial.</p>
<p>The Kangaroo Island dunnart was already listed as endangered before the fires, with population estimates between 300-500 individuals. And initial post-fire assessments indicated a significant further decline in its population, highlighting the importance of tracking the species’ recovery. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, nearly 1,500 kilometres away from Kangaroo Island, a local resident set up “Mallacoota After Fires” in the small community of Mallacoota, Victoria – a region <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2020/feb/18/sifting-through-the-ashes-mallacoota-residents-after-the-bushfires-in-pictures">hit hard</a> by the bushfires.</p>
<p>This has enabled the community to record and validate (via an app and website) how the fires impacted the region’s plants and animals.</p>
<p>So far, the project has documented the existence of a range of flora and fauna, from common wombats to the vulnerable green and golden bell frog. It has also captured some amazing images of bush regeneration after fire. </p>
<p>Science does not just belong to professionals. As eminent US astronomer Carl Sagan <a href="https://speakola.com/ideas/carl-sagan-science-last-interview-1996">noted</a>, “science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge”.</p>
<p>This suggests that, when properly enabled, anyone can actively participate. And the output goes beyond the rewards of personal involvement. It contributes to better science.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/citizen-science-how-you-can-contribute-to-coronavirus-research-without-leaving-the-house-134238">Citizen science: how you can contribute to coronavirus research without leaving the house</a>
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<h2>The need for ongoing engagement</h2>
<p>Citizen science is significantly contributing observations and expertise to bushfire research. Across southeast New South Wales and the ACT, several hundred citizen scientists have: </p>
<ul>
<li>conducted targeted landscape-wide surveys of threatened species, or new weed or pest incursions</li>
<li>collected specified data from plot locations stratified against fire history </li>
<li>assessed whether wildlife actually use water and feed stations established by communities after a fire has been through. (Data suggests the use of the stations is limited).</li>
</ul>
<p>And it’s not just in local communities. Platforms such as <a href="https://digivol.ala.org.au/">DigiVol</a> have enabled citizen scientists from around the world to review thousands of camera trap images deployed post-fire to monitor species survival and recovery. </p>
<p>Still, there is much more to do. Australia is a vast continent and as we saw last summer, the fire footprint is immense.</p>
<p>But there is also a huge community out there that can help support the implementation of science and technology, as we adapt to our changing climate. </p>
<h2>Reaching out at the right time</h2>
<p>In January, Prime Minister Scott Morrison asked the CSIRO, supported by an expert advisory panel chaired by one of us (Alan Finkel), to develop recommendations for practical measures that would increase Australia’s disaster and climate resilience. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/frontline-support/report-climate-disaste-resilience">report on Climate and Disaster Resilience</a> gives due emphasis to the importance of citizen science in complementing traditional research-led monitoring campaigns and sharing locally specific advice. One component of the response also brought together national stakeholders, to develop a series of more detailed recommendations regarding the critical role of citizen science. </p>
<p>Citizen scientists can be involved in important data collection and knowledge building. They can collaborate with disaster response agencies and research agencies, to develop additional science-based community education and training programs. </p>
<p>Also, citizen science is a way to collect distributed data beyond the affordability and resources of conventional science.</p>
<p>With that in mind, the task now is to better marry the “professional” scientific effort with the citizen science effort, to truly harness the potential of citizen science. In doing so, we can ensure environmental and societal approaches to disaster recovery represent a diversity of voices. </p>
<p>The role of the community, particularly in developing resilience against environmental disaster, can be a most useful mechanism for empowering people who may otherwise feel at a loss from the impact of disaster. Furthermore, by working with communities directly affected by bushfires, we can help measure the extent of the impact. </p>
<p>We call on our professional scientist colleagues to actively collaborate with citizen science groups. In doing so, we can identify priority areas with critical data needs, while also informing, enriching and engaging with diverse communities in science. </p>
<p>Equally, we encourage citizen scientists to share and tell their stories across social and political settings to demonstrate the impact they continue to have. </p>
<p>The beneficiary will be science. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chief-scientist-we-need-to-transform-our-world-into-a-sustainable-electric-planet-131658">Chief Scientist: we need to transform our world into a sustainable 'electric planet'</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48230/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erin Roger works for CSIRO as the Citizen Science Program Lead and is the Chair of the Australian Citizen Science Association.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Finkel 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>Ahead of National Science Week, Chief Scientist Alan Finkel reflects on the growing value of citizen science, emphasising the need for more collaboration as we deal with an evolving climate.Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief ScientistErin Roger, Citizen Science Program Lead, CSIROLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1430922020-07-24T04:25:23Z2020-07-24T04:25:23ZChief Scientist: women in STEM are still far short of workplace equity. COVID-19 risks undoing even these modest gains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/349299/original/file-20200724-15-9cnhjn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C87%2C1944%2C1211&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">RAEng/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The events of 2020 are reshaping the way we live, work, teach and learn.
And while we have all been affected differently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/isaac-newton-invented-calculus-in-self-isolation-during-the-great-plague-he-didnt-have-kids-to-look-after-1370760">particularly significant</a>.</p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rrif-covid19-women-stem-workforce.pdf">report</a> by the <a href="https://www.science.org.au/covid19/rapid-research-information-forum">Rapid Research Information Forum</a> found the pandemic has left women facing disproportionate increases in caring responsibilities and disruptions to working hours and job security. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/isaac-newton-invented-calculus-in-self-isolation-during-the-great-plague-he-didnt-have-kids-to-look-after-137076">Isaac Newton invented calculus in self-isolation during the Great Plague. He didn't have kids to look after</a>
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<p>The hard-won gains made by <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-hundreds-of-programs-to-get-women-into-science-but-are-they-working-time-to-find-out-133061">women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)</a> are at risk, especially if employers of people with STEM skills do not closely monitor and mitigate the gender impact of their decisions.</p>
<p>The pre-pandemic impact of caring for children and the uptake of flexible working arrangements are just two of the issues considered in the second edition of the <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/news-and-media/2020-australias-stem-workforce-report">STEM Workforce Report</a>, released this week by the Office of the Chief Scientist. Drawing on 2016 Australian Census data, this report provides a comprehensive analysis of the STEM workforce in Australia.</p>
<p>It analyses the nearly 1.2 million people with vocational STEM qualifications and the roughly 700,000 people with university STEM qualifications in the Australian labour force in 2016. As such, it will enable informed decision-making to help plan our future STEM workforce needs. </p>
<h2>Slow pace of change</h2>
<p>Our analysis found that people with STEM qualifications work in a wide range of occupations and industries. On average, they earn more than those with non-STEM qualifications, and these incomes increase with qualification level. In 2016, 34% of employed STEM university graduates earned A$104,000 or above, compared with 24% of non-STEM university graduates. Of STEM university graduates, 32% of those with a bachelor degree, 34% of those with a masters, and 45% of those with a doctoral degree earned A$104,000 or above.</p>
<p>However, the pace of change towards a fairer and more diverse STEM labour force is still slow. In 2006, 27% of STEM university graduates in the labour force were women. A decade later, this had only risen to 29%. </p>
<p>Just 3.3% of Australian-born women with a university STEM qualification were unemployed, as of census night in 2016. But the corresponding figure for similarly qualified overseas-born women who arrived in Australia between 2006 and 2016 was 14.1%.</p>
<p>Women in STEM also have lower average pay than similarly qualified men, in both part-time and full-time roles. For full-time workers with university STEM qualifications, 45% of men earned A$104,000 or above, compared with 26% of women.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348563/original/file-20200721-37-1oy60uc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Income distribution of full-time workers with university qualifications, by field and gender.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Office of the Chief Scientist</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How to keep women in STEM</h2>
<p>Women who pause their careers to have children often end up leaving the labour force or returning on reduced hours. Flexible work arrangements – including working part-time and working from home – are crucial tools for keeping parents in the labour force. Initiatives such as childcare subsidies and incentives for fathers to take <a href="https://theconversation.com/fathers-days-increasing-the-daddy-quota-in-parental-leave-makes-everyone-happier-122047">significant parental and carer’s leave</a> have proven effective in supporting equitable outcomes in the workforce.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fathers-days-increasing-the-daddy-quota-in-parental-leave-makes-everyone-happier-122047">Father's days: increasing the 'daddy quota' in parental leave makes everyone happier</a>
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</em>
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<p>The flow diagram below represents labour force data for women aged 15-35 who did not have a child and were working full-time in 2011. When we reviewed the status of these women five years later, we found that STEM-qualified women who had children were less likely to still be employed, and more likely to be working part-time. In contrast, the work status of STEM-qualified men was largely unaffected by having children, and men with children tended to earn more than those without. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348564/original/file-20200721-31-lp86da.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">Employment pathways for women with university STEM qualifications.
This analysis looked at women aged 15-35 who did not have a child and were working full-time in 2011, and plots the labour force status of these women five years later.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Office of the Chief Scientist</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our report found that STEM-qualified women also do more hours of unpaid domestic work than STEM-qualified men. Women working full-time were more than twice as likely as men (19% vs 8%, respectively) to do more than 15 hours’ domestic work per week. The recently reported experiences of women taking on a higher share of child care during the COVID-19 pandemic appear to support these findings. </p>
<h2>Beyond census data</h2>
<p>The census data can only tell us part of the story. The <a href="https://www.science.org.au/support/analysis/decadal-plans-science/women-in-stem-decadal-plan">Women in STEM Decadal Plan</a>, developed by the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, presented information from numerous sources to explore the breadth of women’s experiences. It showed that negative stereotypes dissuade women from pursuing STEM careers and “a significant cultural shift in workplaces is necessary to create gender equity for women in STEM”.</p>
<p>These findings are supported by <a href="https://malechampionsofchange.com/harnessing-our-innovation-potential/">research</a> from the Male Champions of Change STEM group, which found women in STEM jobs experience significantly more barriers than men, including sexism, workplace culture, exclusion and a lack of career progression. Two-thirds of women reported having their voices devalued at work. Listening to and acknowledging the experiences of women and other disadvantaged groups in STEM is necessary to develop and implement meaningful actions for change. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/girls-score-the-same-in-maths-and-science-as-boys-but-higher-in-arts-this-may-be-why-they-are-less-likely-to-pick-stem-careers-131563">Girls score the same in maths and science as boys, but higher in arts – this may be why they are less likely to pick STEM careers</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We mustn’t allow the upheaval from COVID-19 to wipe out the small gains we have made in STEM-qualified women’s representation and participation in the workforce. </p>
<p>The pandemic has rapidly changed the way we work, showing that workplace flexibility is just one way to keep all of us working productively. Other profound changes to workplace culture should follow, or we risk yet another decline in women’s workforce participation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143092/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa Harvey-Smith receives funding from a Commonwealth grant as the Australian Government Women in STEM Ambassador.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Finkel 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>In 2016, women represented just 29% of workers with university qualifications in science, technology, engineering or maths. And that was before the pandemic disruption.Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief ScientistLisa Harvey-Smith, Professor and Australian Government’s Women in STEM Ambassador, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1367792020-05-06T11:28:13Z2020-05-06T11:28:13ZCoronavirus: study shows people want more scientific expert analysis – and less Boris Johnson<p>Since the UK government <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-as-the-uk-faces-more-restrictions-the-public-needs-clearer-government-information-134471">introduced</a> late afternoon press conferences in March, these have tended to dominate the news cycle. But our research with <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-trust-tv-journalists-and-want-them-to-scrutinise-government-coronavirus-policy-new-research-137620">news audiences</a> suggests that many people want the wider human impact of the disease brought into sharper focus. </p>
<p>They also want a greater emphasis on what experts are saying, including those advising the government – beyond their appearances at the daily press briefings.</p>
<p>As part of a <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2020/04/28/research-suggests-uk-public-can-spot-fake-news-about-covid-19-but-dont-realise-the-uks-death-toll-is-far-higher-than-in-many-other-countries/">continuing study</a> of just under 200 members of the public from April 16 and May 3, we found most people were exposed to government messaging about the lockdown. But when we asked who they wanted to hear more from and what issues they wanted addressed, our participants called for more scientific experts, free from political interference. </p>
<p>They also said there had been too much of a focus on the prime minister’s health and not enough analysis of the impact the pandemic is having on ordinary people.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1255893227770707971"}"></div></p>
<h2>Lockdown messaging</h2>
<p>Between April 30 and May 3, we asked participants if they felt more or less likely to shop, travel or mix in public compared to the previous week. Despite <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-calls-from-journalists-for-an-end-to-the-lockdown-are-out-of-step-with-public-opinion-136279">significant media attention</a> in recent weeks about whether and when the government might lift the lockdown, respondents overwhelmingly said their view was unchanged. Many people indicated they were less – not more – likely to mix in public compared to the previous week.</p>
<p>When explaining what informed their judgement, participants primarily referenced media coverage that mostly included government messaging. One participant said: “I think just the general coverage in the media has made me want to stay inside more”, while another was more precise: “Specific sources which have influenced me are the BBC’s coverage of Boris Johnson saying we are not removing the lockdown”.</p>
<p>Some respondents mentioned alarming stories that explained their reluctance to mix more in public: “There have also been articles in the BBC and Sky, suggesting that once lockdown measures are lifted, COVID-19 cases will rise again. So surely the best thing to do is not rush to public spaces.”</p>
<p>Clearly, the government’s messaging has cut through, but the challenge will be to communicate when and how it will be safe for people to mix again in public.</p>
<h2>What do the public want addressed?</h2>
<p>Since the prime minister was diagnosed with COVID-19, there has been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/opinion/coronavirus-boris-johnson.html">criticism</a> about the amount of attention the media has focused on his health status. Between April 20 and 23, a week after Johnson left hospital, we asked participants whether there had been too much coverage of his recovery – or not enough.</p>
<p>While respondents recognised the importance of reporting the status of the prime minister’s health, they also raised concerns about the disproportionate focus on Johnson compared to the thousands of other people who were suffering with the disease. </p>
<p>One respondent commented: “I think that there has been too much coverage of the prime minister’s health. Every day it is the main story on the news … The pandemic affects everybody and news should be reported as such.”</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1249374626494513158"}"></div></p>
<p>With specific reference to television news, participants were then asked whether coverage answered their questions and reflected their concerns. There were a wide range of responses, but many people wanted less speculation, particularly about the possible easing of the lockdown, and more facts about the human impact of the pandemic. As one respondent put it: “I would like to see an overall picture of the pandemic. For example, it helps me to know how many people are surviving this virus due to hospital care and isolating at home … I would like the news to cover some form of statistics which also cover recovery rates.”</p>
<h2>Towards a public agenda?</h2>
<p>We also asked respondents about who they want to hear from more. The majority called for more expert views from health and science. One participant stated: “I would definitely like to hear more from scientists, professionals in the field, doctors and WHO [the World Health Organization]. Because I trust them the most and believe they have the real insight and knowledge into what is going on and how to tackle it.” </p>
<p>Many participants also wanted to hear more from the experts informing government decision-making beyond the daily press briefings. As one respondent explained: “More information from chief scientific advisers, greater insight into SAGE and what their reporting is.” There were also calls for critical workers at the front line of the pandemic, including, NHS staff, supermarket workers and bus drivers, to inform media coverage to a greater extent.</p>
<p>Overall, while most participants acknowledged the need for politics to inform day-to-day coverage, they felt it should be counterbalanced to a greater extent by independent analysis of government decision-making from health experts and scientists, along with more reporting about the wider human impact of the disease. </p>
<p>With the arrival of the prime minister’s new baby still <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52513103?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bbbc.news.twitter%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_campaign=64&at_custom3=%40BBCNews&at_medium=custom7&at_custom4=CAC965B6-8C72-11EA-8BE9-A8894744363C&at_custom2=twitter">attracting media attention</a>, our research suggests most people do not want personality-driven coverage. What they want is reporting that is in tune with the needs and concerns of ordinary people experiencing the pandemic.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136779/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Cushion has received funding from the BBC Trust, Ofcom, The British Academy, ESRC and AHRC.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maria Kyriakidou receives funding from the AHRC. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marina Morani receives funding from AHRC</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nikki Soo receives funding from AHRC. </span></em></p>What the UK public thinks of the way the pandemic and lockdown are being covered by the media.Stephen Cushion, Chair professor, Cardiff UniversityMaria Kyriakidou, Cardiff UniversityMarina Morani, Research Associate, Cardiff UniversityNikki Soo, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1074402018-11-27T19:07:38Z2018-11-27T19:07:38ZFinkel: students, focus on your discipline then you’ll see your options expand<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/246953/original/file-20181122-182050-9soh6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A musician must master the instrument before they can master playing in an orchestra.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This is a long read. Enjoy!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Today I want to set out my case for the enduring relevance of the disciplines. I want to advocate for a content-rich curriculum. And I want to focus in particular on the importance of teaching maths, in sequence, through a structured program, and at the level of a student’s real ability.</p>
<p>But I want to get there by way of a parable. </p>
<h2>The Light in the Cave</h2>
<p>A few years ago, I travelled with my family to New Zealand. We decided to spend a few hours at the Te Anau caves, near the south-western tip of the South Island.</p>
<p>Every year, people flock there in their tens of thousands not so much for the caves – although they’re stunning – but for the glow-worms. Like a scene from The Phantom of the Opera, you step into a barge that glides silently through the water, shrouded by the subterranean darkness. Then you look up, and you’re in a grotto, and all you can see are thousands upon thousands of tiny blue pin-points of light.</p>
<p>Now I’m an engineer – and the author of the <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-markets/independent-review-future-security-national-electricity-market">Finkel Review of the National Electricity Market</a>. It’s hard to take off your hats when you’re on holiday. So when I looked at those lights, I thought to myself: what a brilliant mechanism for the efficient conversion of chemical energy into light energy!</p>
<p>It works like this: glow-worms live on mosquitoes and midges. To catch them, they dangle an invisible web of silken threads and switch on their lights. The light confounds the prey, then the silk entangles the victims. And the victims provide the energy to keep the lights on. Genius. So that’s what I saw in the cave: engineering inspiration.</p>
<p>Then there’s my wife, a life scientist. She can tell you that glow-worms are found only in Australia and New Zealand. And she’s also the very recently retired editor of Cosmos magazine. So she knows a lot about the natural phenomenon of bioluminescence.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247389/original/file-20181126-140507-virf71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247389/original/file-20181126-140507-virf71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247389/original/file-20181126-140507-virf71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247389/original/file-20181126-140507-virf71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247389/original/file-20181126-140507-virf71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247389/original/file-20181126-140507-virf71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247389/original/file-20181126-140507-virf71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The light in the cave in New Zealand comes from glow-worms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Today, we can isolate the luminescent and fluorescent proteins in creatures like glow-worms and jellyfish. And we use gene editing techniques to modify – for example – the neurons in a fruit fly, so they flash in different colours depending on the level of electrical activity.</p>
<p>That means we can take images of complex structures like the brain in glorious technicolour. We move ever closer to answers to the cruellest conditions: dementia, motor neuron disease, schizophrenia. So that’s my wife’s perspective: great science, great pictures, and great material for Cosmos.</p>
<p>Then there’s my older son, Victor. He’s a management consultant. He deeply respects the Kiwi capacity to monetise what is, when you think about it, colonies of fungus gnats living on mosquitoes in a cave. And my younger son, Alex. He’s a software engineer who appreciates the way the tour operator keeps iterating and improving the experience.</p>
<p>And as I stepped off the barge I wondered, would an astronomer look up and see a living galaxy of stars? Would an airline pilot be reminded of the view from the cockpit, flying over a city at night? Would a historian be intrigued by all the myths and legends we’ve used to explain this phenomenon over the centuries?</p>
<p>I wish I’d had more time to ask. But just from my sample group of four, it was clear: every one of us, with a grounding in a discipline, stepped off that boat with something distinctive to say. We’d seen the world in different patterns. And we’d imagined its possibilities in many forms.</p>
<p>That’s the parable of the Light in the Cave.</p>
<h2>The importance of specialising in something</h2>
<p>When I was a student the importance of actually specialising in something – mastering a discipline – was more or less assumed. We thought about the skills mix of our future society in the same way we imagined an orchestra. You want a broad mix of people who excel in a range of speciality fields.</p>
<p>Yes, we do want those people to be able to play together. And we want them to sound like an orchestra, not several dozen simultaneous solos.</p>
<p>That means – if you’ll excuse the pun – that every one of those musicians needs to have at least two strings to their bow: a primary discipline – the instrument, and a secondary discipline – orchestral performance. But they can’t master the secondary discipline without reaching a level of proficiency in their instruments first.</p>
<p>If you think you can, I challenge you to give a clarinet to a ten year old and enrol her on the same day into the school band. Now, that student could have a genuine passion and talent for music – but until she can manage her fingers, and the breathing, and read music, and produce a noise that isn’t a brain-splitting shriek – she’s got to knuckle down and practice. Solo. Focus on your discipline – then you’ll see your options expand.</p>
<p>And I internalised that logic. I now understand that a discipline is like a ladder. You have to put in the effort to climb it, step by step, with structure and sequence, accepting the guidance of your teachers. Learn the principle. Do the practice. Apply the skills. Repeat.</p>
<p>In particular, that’s the approach my parents and teachers took to my mathematical education. They didn’t leave it to me to decide. Of course, they didn’t know what I might one day want to do at university. I didn’t know what I wanted to do at university!</p>
<p>But right from the beginning, they knew maths was likely to be extremely important, and mastering it would maximise my choices. So they made sure I worked at it until I didn’t have to work at it – starting with the times table.</p>
<p>At first, I had to stop and think – all the time. It was tedious. But I wanted to do well. That made me determined. And soon enough I could see “11 times 12” or “nine squared” and the answer just sprang up in my mind unbidden, so that I wasn’t even conscious my brain was doing any work.</p>
<p>By the time I got to university I had reached a level of proficiency that allowed me to devote all my mental energy to mastering engineering. Again, I worked at it. I became an incurable engineer just like I’d become a human calculator: rung by rung, climbing the ladder.</p>
<p>The next step for me was setting up a company to commercialise a medical research tool I’d developed in the course of my study. I was uncertain of many things in my life at that time, including my bank balance, because there were many days when I was too nervous to look at it. But at least when it came to hiring, I knew exactly what was required. Discipline experts who could work together – not generalists who thought the same. </p>
<p>Since that time, I’ve seen a lot of teams, in business and in research, and I’ve sat on a lot of boards. I would still build my company exactly the same way. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247391/original/file-20181126-140531-19c0p83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247391/original/file-20181126-140531-19c0p83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247391/original/file-20181126-140531-19c0p83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247391/original/file-20181126-140531-19c0p83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247391/original/file-20181126-140531-19c0p83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247391/original/file-20181126-140531-19c0p83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247391/original/file-20181126-140531-19c0p83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Learn the principle. Practice. Apply the skills. Repeat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I now have the life experience to confirm the wider application of the golden rule: yes, you will go badly astray if you pick ten people who collectively specialise in nothing at all. And I worry that we, as a nation, will go the same way, if we take away from the next generation of workers the disciplinary ladders that we climbed ourselves. In short: if we raise a generation who come out of the glow-worm cave perhaps ready to talk – but with nothing distinctive to say.</p>
<h2>The future is uncertain</h2>
<p>Why would we take that route? There are any number of rationales presented, and usually, by thoughtful people with the very best of intentions.</p>
<p>Don’t encourage students to limit themselves to a discipline, they say. Encourage everyone to be a capable generalist instead. Teamwork! Emotional intelligence! Public speaking! Creative thinking! That’s what will make them adaptable, so that’s what we ought to teach. And let students acquire those generic skill sets by following their passions. </p>
<h2>Maximising choice</h2>
<p>What does that look like in practice? It means putting the expectation on teenagers to pick from over a hundred different courses available to them in years 11 and 12. At the same time, training their minds on the importance of graduating with the highest possible ATAR, on the understanding the higher the number, the wider the choice. And giving them minimal guidance on the discipline-specific knowledge they might actually need to do well in a particular degree.</p>
<p>Yes, I am thinking in particular here about the removal of prerequisites from university course guides. And most of all, I am thinking of the messages we give to students about the importance of focus and mastery in maths.</p>
<p>Why do I focus on mathematics? Partly, because it’s a skill set that’s fundamental to science, to commerce, to economics, to medicine, to engineering, to geography, to architecture, to IT. And partly, because it’s the textbook example of why you need to learn things in sequence through hard work, with the guidance of an expert teacher – and the very clear message from schools that it’s a priority.</p>
<p>You can’t just trust your passions to help you meander through it. So it’s particularly vulnerable when we shift the focus from hard content to soft skills.</p>
<p>We have the year 11 and 12 course enrolment data to confirm it. These show a 20 year decline in the proportion of students taking intermediate and advanced maths at year 12. And it’s worse for girls. <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/spf_issues_paper_final_trim_id_d17_2145710.pdf">In 2016</a>, just 7% of female year 12 students took advanced maths compared with 12% of male students.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247395/original/file-20181126-140534-1tnf857.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247395/original/file-20181126-140534-1tnf857.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247395/original/file-20181126-140534-1tnf857.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247395/original/file-20181126-140534-1tnf857.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247395/original/file-20181126-140534-1tnf857.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247395/original/file-20181126-140534-1tnf857.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247395/original/file-20181126-140534-1tnf857.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">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even the Chief Scientist had to practice times tables until proficient.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also have a recent <a href="http://www.iier.org.au/iier28/hine.pdf">study</a> from Western Australia. The heads of the maths departments in 50 high schools were surveyed on the reasons why students were turning away in droves from their more advanced maths classes.</p>
<p>And the three stand-out reasons were exactly what I’ve heard, and I’m sure you’ve heard, from teachers all over the country:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>it’s not required for entry to university</p></li>
<li><p>other courses are easier</p></li>
<li><p>everyone says you can maximise your ATAR – and thereby, your choices – if you just drop down a level in maths.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The logic is beguiling – especially when it’s coupled with the message that the future is all about the soft skills.</p>
<h2>The value of prerequisites</h2>
<p>But we also know that the logic is false – because we know what happens to those students who opt for easier courses with more soft skill components in school. They arrive at university and discover they’re in the same unprepared position as the ten-year-old holding a clarinet in her hand for the first time the same day she was enrolled in the school band. They’ve got to grapple with a discipline like science, commerce, or architecture while simultaneously trying to fill the maths gap.</p>
<p>And at that stage, what choice do they have? They can drop out of university. They can find another course – after drawing a cross through all the courses involving maths. Or they can struggle through and find themselves at the end of the degree, competing for a job with students who were better prepared and thriving from day one.</p>
<p>Consider the data compiled by the University of Sydney, and presented this year. Students who took only elementary maths for the <a href="http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/about-HSC">Higher School Certificate</a> (HSC) were <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/school-maths-strugglers-more-likely-to-fail-uni-sciences/news-story/b866ff29f502bd2e04b4ae986a98f203">twice as likely</a> to fail both first year biology and first year chemistry, compared to those who opted for intermediate or advanced maths.</p>
<p>Another <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:9120">study</a> conducted at Western Sydney University in 2009 looked at first year university mathematics. Every one of the students who entered with advanced maths passed. 77% of those with only elementary maths failed. That’s four out of five, failed.</p>
<p>And yet cohort after cohort of school leavers keeps repeating the pattern, and we continue to allow it – even encourage it. Where is the duty of care?</p>
<p>We have another <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/369/8488-22008-1-PB_%282%29.pdf?1542932326">paper</a> from the University of Sydney, published in 2013. Even at an institution with high ATAR requirements, 9% of students in science degrees had no mathematics study in senior secondary years, and 17% had only elementary mathematics, with no calculus. Fewer than half of the students in science degrees met the “assumed knowledge” of advanced maths to enrol in the first year differential calculus unit.</p>
<p>And the same study confirmed, once again, that higher levels of mathematics taken for the HSC are strong predictors of success in first year science, as well as first year maths.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247396/original/file-20181126-140513-1celkdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/247396/original/file-20181126-140513-1celkdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247396/original/file-20181126-140513-1celkdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247396/original/file-20181126-140513-1celkdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247396/original/file-20181126-140513-1celkdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247396/original/file-20181126-140513-1celkdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/247396/original/file-20181126-140513-1celkdv.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">Removing prerequisite courses for entry to university does students a disservice – they’re more likely to drop out of or fail first year university maths.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">QUT/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Now if you were a teenager in the UK, and you wanted to study at one of the elite universities – called <a href="https://russellgroup.ac.uk/">the Russell Group</a> – you would open up the group’s annual guide. There you would see, very clearly stated, what subjects are essential for entry into every university course, and which are useful. For example, students thinking of engineering would learn that advanced level maths is essential.</p>
<p>Discipline-based courses like maths, English, physics, biology, chemistry, geography and history are identified as “facilitating subjects” – the subjects most likely to be required or preferred for entry. Generic courses like critical thinking and general studies are less important and, quote, “usually better taken only as an extra”. So the message is very clear: generic courses cut your choices.</p>
<p>For some Australian universities, and some courses, intermediate or advanced mathematics might still be explicitly required – but the number of those institutions and courses has dwindled. Some have replaced “prerequisite” with “assumed knowledge”.</p>
<p>They are not the same. The word “prerequisite” means the subject is compulsory. The phrase “assumed knowledge” means the subject is nice to have. There is no possible way in English to interpret them to mean the same. It’s not clear to me why the universities even mention “assumed knowledge” if there is no formal requirement for students to have done the preparatory courses.</p>
<p>On the evidence from the University of Sydney, perhaps it might be more accurate to replace the phrase “assumed knowledge” with a longer phrase, “you will not comprehend or pass this course unless you take this subject but the choice is yours”.</p>
<h2>We can do better</h2>
<p>I believe we can do better. We have to do better than mixed signals. We have to get across the message maximising your choices is not the same as maximising your ATAR. And we have to ensure that the ladders to opportunity – the disciplines – are strong.</p>
<p>Mastering a discipline is mastering your destiny. So let’s ensure all our students come out of the glow-worm cave with something distinctive to say.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article is an edited extract of a <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2018/11/speech-the-winning-2030-cv/">keynote speech</a> delivered at the 5th International STEM in Education Conference on Wednesday 21 November 2018.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107440/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Finkel 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>Chief Scientist Alan Finkel writes we can do a better job of teaching students to master a discipline and maximise their post-school opportinities.Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/905862018-03-12T21:28:58Z2018-03-12T21:28:58ZHow to improve government’s use of science<p>Several prominent scientists have been brought into the government fold in recent years to strengthen decision-making at provincial and federal levels.</p>
<p>In 2017, Mona Nemer became Canada’s new chief science adviser, and Ontario appointed Molly Shoichet as its first-ever chief scientist. The previous year, Alberta Environment and Parks placed Fred Wrona in the role of chief scientist. </p>
<p>These researchers are poised to make important contributions to environmental policy and decision-making because they link scientists to deputy ministers and elected leadership. Despite the fanfare around their appointments, we still know little about how much influence they will have within government. </p>
<p>If these chief scientists are to be successful in strengthening the representation of science within government as promised, it’s worthwhile discussing what might hamper or assist them in their efforts. </p>
<p>This is especially true for some of the environmental challenges we face in Canada, due in part to the large volume of scientific evidence needed for implementing effective policies and decisions. </p>
<p>The outcome could be a more resilient environmental governance model that lends accountability to land-use and policy decisions, regardless of the political party in charge.</p>
<h2>Trust in science</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix125">Science is sending messages</a> that global threats such as climate change require urgent policy solutions and regulatory action. <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-a-water-crisis-looms-in-cape-town-could-it-happen-in-canada-90582">Canada is not immune</a> to these imminent threats. However, these messages are frequently unheard because science is often subject to political spin, skew, suppression and subjectivity.</p>
<p>Recent examples of worrisome events include the “<a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100929/full/467501a.html">muzzling” of federal environmental scientists</a> (<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/half-canada-s-government-scientists-still-feel-muzzled">yet to be resolved</a>), the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14615517.2012.720417">degradation of federal environmental assessments</a> and the conflicts of interest that led to <a href="http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/er-2017-0083#.WqVKt-jwbIU">poorly planned studies</a> in Alberta’s oilsands. </p>
<p>Events like these lead to public mistrust of government and its ability to consider the available scientific evidence in its policy-making. It also casts doubt upon whether governments are able to deliver robust environmental monitoring programs.</p>
<p>The chief scientists aim to combat these types of credibility shortfalls. Understandably, they have <a href="http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2017/quick-wins-for-canadas-chief-science-advisor/">sparked optimism</a> and <a href="https://y2y.net/news/media-releases/albertas-new-chief-scientist-is-good-news-for-wildlife-and-water-says-y2y">hope for strengthening</a> defensible environmental governance in Canada. </p>
<p>The positions <a href="http://sciencepolicy.ca/news/chief-science-officer-or-advisor">serve a variety of functions</a>, such as providing scientific clarity to policy-makers or elected officials, ensuring scientific credibility within a department or ministry or promoting their jurisdiction’s scientific activities. </p>
<h2>A checkered past</h2>
<p>The common thread between these activities are the high expectations of a chief scientist to promote the strengths of nonpartisan, credible science. </p>
<p>However, science advisers have not always had influence. In the United States, a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11024-009-9117-3">number of factors</a> — including the personalities of individual leaders, staff and scientific authorities — have influenced to what extent (and to whose standards) they have been effective. How leadership solicits scientific advice also plays a role in their ability to leverage themselves and their important messages.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208741/original/file-20180303-65547-1ikd4f0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208741/original/file-20180303-65547-1ikd4f0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208741/original/file-20180303-65547-1ikd4f0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208741/original/file-20180303-65547-1ikd4f0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208741/original/file-20180303-65547-1ikd4f0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208741/original/file-20180303-65547-1ikd4f0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208741/original/file-20180303-65547-1ikd4f0.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">German Chancellor Angela Merkel, seen here at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015, is one of a handful of global leaders with a strong background in science. She earned a doctorate in quantum chemistry.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition, because these roles often lack fixed terms, chief scientists can be <a href="https://thetyee.ca/News/2017/07/04/Alberta-Failing-Leaking-Oil-Gas-Wells-Risk/">dismissed without cause</a>. This led, for example, to the closing of the Office of the National Science Advisor by the Harper government in 2008.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/Media/Details/457/">deep societal issues</a>, including scientific illiteracy and distrust, working against the country’s scientific advisers.</p>
<p>These can be solved, in part, by <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/leadership-lab/the-business-case-for-encouraging-students-to-pursue-a-stem-education/article34986218/">encouraging young Canadians to pursue education</a> in science and technology and <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/scientists-must-become-more-involved-in-the-political-process/">enhancing the role of scientists</a> in political processes.</p>
<p>In contrast, <a href="http://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2017-0087#ttl11">adding more scientific advisers to government</a> could be construed as a hasty <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/more-science-please-but-hold-the-bureaucracy/article34658909/">bureaucratic fix</a>, which may only distract from investing in resolutions such as those mentioned above. </p>
<h2>No magic sword of science</h2>
<p>Canada’s science advisers don’t wield a magic sword of science. The idea that they are capable of slaying policy dragons developed in the absence of <a href="http://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2012/03/chief-scientists-are-not-superheroes.html#more">evidence is misguided</a>. </p>
<p>This misplaced notion is partly due to the complexity and multiple dimensions of scientific knowledge in the context of environmental policy. In the past, environmental policy has broadly focused on “evidence,” which tolerates bias and is not subject to peer review, rather than “<a href="http://www.pmcsa.org.nz/blog/scientific-advice-in-a-troubled-world/">scientific evidence</a>” and “<a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/braiding-science-together-with-indigenous-knowledge/">multiple lines of evidence</a>” more specifically.</p>
<p>Although the federal government has begun to show interest in <a href="https://www.wcel.org/blog/canadas-proposed-new-impact-assessment-act-good-afar-far-good">integrating scientific evidence into its environmental policies</a>, elected leadership at <em>all</em> levels must be in tune with these calls for change. </p>
<h2>Inciting rigour</h2>
<p>So how then can these science advisers make more effective contributions? In our experience as young environmental professionals, we have noticed a number of gaps that have yet to to be recognized in recent science-policy discussions.</p>
<p>First, there is only sporadic discussion of how evidence differs from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2014.05.010">reviews of scientific evidence</a> for policy and decision guidance. For example, a synthesis of all relevant studies on a particular question can provide more robust evidence than a single study on its own, a process called evidence synthesis or meta-analysis. </p>
<p>These exercises push disciplines towards building scientific consensus, which should be used to inform environmental policies. Chief scientists should shoulder these types of activities that are tailored to the needs of specific policies instead of passing along those duties to others who may be susceptible to political spin. </p>
<p>Additionally, the people and institutions spearheading environmental science should find ways to put their research findings into use by employing novel and existing methods <a href="https://theconversation.com/co-operative-research-revolution-could-answer-call-to-transform-science-and-society-81447">such as co-operative networks</a>. Networks are an important tool for <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/485301a">chief scientists</a>; however, science networks should also consciously <a href="http://akademiai.com/doi/abs/10.1007/s11192-012-0703-z">avoid insularity</a>. </p>
<p>Finally, chief scientists must build <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/fred-wrona-alberta-environment-1.4294304">trusting relationships</a>. Trust in science is built, in part, through objective, critical and independent thought.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there are few examples of trust-building actions by science advisers. For example, is it enough to allow <a href="https://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2017/09/26/chief-science-advisor">federal scientists to speak freely</a> about their work, as mandated by the federal Chief Science Advisor? </p>
<p>Surely federal scientists should be encouraged to <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0148867">make outreach a priority</a> for the purposes of building trust in science, rather than simply granting them the freedom to speak.</p>
<p>Despite these recommendations, many provincial and territorial environmental agencies have ministers and deputy ministers <a href="http://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2017-0087#ttl11">without scientific qualifications</a> such as degrees in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. </p>
<p>This is worrying. Until ministries have leaders who are committed to science and meaningfully engage with scientific communities, their environmental policies and decisions will <a href="https://albertaviews.ca/facts-dont-matter/">likely come up short</a>. Further, few scientists have been <a href="https://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/why-dont-americans-elect-scientists/">elected and appointed to positions of power</a>, seemingly a global phenomenon with few exceptions.</p>
<p>Science advisers undoubtedly provide a critical voice for environmental science within government. But we must continue to find new ways to embed science into the political arenas of decision-making and policy development.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90586/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Josh Cronmiller receives funding from Natural Resources and Engineering Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelechi Nwanekezie receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canada</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Magali F. Nehemy receives funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) - CREATE for Water Security</span></em></p>Science advisers can make important contributions to environmental policy and decision making by government. But we should expect even more.Josh Cronmiller, M.Sc. Environmental Management, University of SaskatchewanKelechi Nwanekezie, PhD Candidate, Environmental Assessment & Policy, University of SaskatchewanMagali F. Nehemy, PhD Candidate, School of Environment and Sustainability, University of SaskatchewanLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/913852018-02-07T19:09:21Z2018-02-07T19:09:21ZHow a German migrant planted citizen science in Australia – and why it worked<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205216/original/file-20180207-28340-lvg2ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mueller came to Australia in the mid 19th century - and gave women a rare opportunity to be involved in science.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/state_library_south_australia/8552980195/in/photolist-po6pRm-po3Mnb-qgMLCu-po1kvr-pLdo7f-9A64Ei-oHDo4C-e2Ng2M-9A92iW-9A64Nk-B395rk-GG1vqo-AJsSAt-Q2u3nz-BoYW2n-Jcca4s-zf3hv3-zf9FSk-A6uEmP-yzM9mD-zMrbY3-B33hNY-BxqoMQ-qRwen8-nXg66r-PhnAZb-M12utf-MMcZds">state_library_south_australia/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 1847, a young German named <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mueller-sir-ferdinand-jakob-heinrich-von-4266">Ferdinand Mueller</a> came to Adelaide, with a dream: to be the botanist who catalogued every plant species in Australia.</p>
<p>Off he went, collecting plants from Queensland to Victoria, up mountains and over deserts, for the better part of a decade.</p>
<p>He demonstrated beyond any doubt that Australia was very large and had a lot of plants.</p>
<p>Then inspiration dawned. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/exoplanet-discovery-by-an-amateur-astronomer-shows-the-power-of-citizen-science-75912">Exoplanet discovery by an amateur astronomer shows the power of citizen science</a>
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<h2>A collection of collectors</h2>
<p>Mueller realised that the way to catalogue plants wasn’t to walk around Australia collecting them – but to sit very comfortably in Melbourne, collecting collectors.</p>
<p>That’s <a href="https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/documents/MuelleriaVol_32_-_p72_Maroske.pdf">exactly what he did</a>. He recruited through advertisements in the newspapers, teachers in country schools, and the contacts made on his travels. Over the next forty years, more than 1,300 amateur enthusiasts would contribute to Mueller’s flora of Australia. His network spanned the continent, decades before Australia was a country. It included more than two hundred women and twenty young girls, the youngest just six years old when she sent Mueller her first plant.</p>
<p>One of the most prolific collectors was Mary Kennedy. She lived on a sheep station in Wilcannia in New South Wales, about as far inland as you could go at the time without falling off the map, with eleven children to raise. We know she collected more than five hundred plants.</p>
<p>Along with the specimens themselves, she asked the local Indigenous people for the names of these plants and their uses; preserving a rich treasury of traditional knowledge that endures to this day.</p>
<p>Mueller gave her a legacy in exchange, a species of grevillea named in her honour: <em><a href="http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research-and-publications/publications-search/flame-spider-flower-grevillea-kennedyana-recovery-plan">Grevillea kennedyana</a></em>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205214/original/file-20180207-58182-tbwr49.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>
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<span class="caption"><em>Grevillea kennedyana</em>, named after a citizen scientist.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/80286256@N03/21720848794/in/photolist-z6p2B1">Michael Somerville/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>A century would pass before the term “citizen science” entered into the academic lexicon, and decades again before it gained deep credibility.</p>
<p>In hindsight, we can see that’s exactly what Mueller’s project was: a pioneering scientific project powered by people. It satisfied the three criteria that we look for in any great citizen science endeavour today: quality science, linked with the community, and with a broader goal of making the world a better place. </p>
<h2>Citizen science has to be good science</h2>
<p>To be good science, citizen science must be consistent with the exacting standards we apply to every other experimental process.</p>
<p>Mueller knew that his claims to a comprehensive flora of Australia would be widely reported and intensely scrutinised. Tripping through the fields collecting wildflowers is easy. Peer-reviewed botany is hard. His collectors, including those with limited education or grounding in the scientific method, had to appreciate the difference. He made it his priority to explain.</p>
<p>When a woman on a sheep station picked up her basket and headed off into the scrub, or put the samples on the mantelpiece to dry, she did so in the name of science.</p>
<p>It gave purpose to the collectors, and rigour to Mueller’s research.</p>
<h2>Citizen science has to be a door to the world of science for the community</h2>
<p>Mueller was an opportunist in his advocacy for amateur botany.</p>
<p>He recruited children, because they were sharp-eyed and enthusiastic; school teachers, because they could outsource the work to students; and women, because he saw their talent going to waste.</p>
<p>In an era when women rarely went to university, or entered the professions, he offered a taste of a world that many longed to enter. They proved they were worthy of far more: full and equal access with men, on merit.</p>
<p>Times have changed, and very much for the better, thanks in large part to those female pioneers. The need for those doors to science in the community remains.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205220/original/file-20180207-28333-6ewczt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205220/original/file-20180207-28333-6ewczt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205220/original/file-20180207-28333-6ewczt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205220/original/file-20180207-28333-6ewczt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205220/original/file-20180207-28333-6ewczt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205220/original/file-20180207-28333-6ewczt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205220/original/file-20180207-28333-6ewczt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Australia’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, with a bust of Ferdinand Mueller at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alan Finkel</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>Citizen science has to make the world a better place</h2>
<p>In the end, that’s what makes it worth doing.</p>
<p>That spirit shines through in the letters written to Mueller by farmers’ wives and stockmen’s daughters.</p>
<p>It’s the 1800s: the era of Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, when a newly prosperous people were falling in love with the bush. There’s talk of Federation in the newspapers.</p>
<p>Here was a project that united men and women from every colony, with a mighty vision, and a love of country.</p>
<p>We often focus on the “science” part of citizen science. The “citizen” is important as well. It reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, with a duty to generations to come.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/finkels-law-robots-wont-replace-us-because-we-still-need-that-human-touch-82814">Finkel's Law: robots won't replace us because we still need that human touch</a>
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<p>There are some who believe that citizen science will be left in the twentieth century: a relic of an era before advances in artificial intelligence made human-power obsolete.</p>
<p>I disagree. If humans today are anything like the humans of Mueller’s day, we will never stop inventing new ways to be useful.</p>
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<p><em>This article is based on a speech Dr Finkel delivered to the Citizen Science Association Conference 2018 in Adelaide on February 7.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91385/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Finkel 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>We often focus on the “science” part of citizen science. The “citizen” is important as well. It reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, with a duty to generations to come.Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/649742016-09-09T07:04:43Z2016-09-09T07:04:43ZWhy Australia needs a Chief Artist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137179/original/image-20160909-13348-qgtfa6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why can't an artist offer advice to politicians in the same way a scientist can?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Gray/Reuters</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In one of those abyssal silences that punctuate official Thinkfests when artists have to come up with new policy ideas that don’t involve asking governments for more money, I once facetiously suggested appointing a Chief Artist.</p>
<p>If the destructive story of Australian cultural policy over the last three years tells us anything (so brilliantly described by Ben Eltham in his recent Platform Paper, <a href="https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/platform-papers-48-when-goal-posts-move/">When the Goal Posts Move</a>) it is that present arrangements are not sufficient to guarantee our national interests are best served.</p>
<p>New ideas are needed aside from the endless, obsessive, empty talk about “innovation”.</p>
<p>The inspiration for the idea of a Chief Artist, or Chief Cultural Practitioner, or [insert acceptable title here] is taken in part from the role of Australia’s <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/about/the-chief-scientist/">Chief Scientist</a>, established by the Hawke government in 1989. The job is to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… [provide] high-level independent advice to the Prime Minister and other Ministers on matters relating to science, technology and innovation… to identify challenges and opportunities for Australia that can be addressed, in part, through science… To be a champion of science, research and the role of evidence in the community and in government. </p>
<p>Finally, the Chief Scientist is a communicator of science to the general public, with the aim to promote understanding of, contribution to and enjoyment of science and evidence-based thinking.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The essence of the role is therefore twofold. On the one hand, it is to offer high level experience and expertise. On the other, it is to be a representative of a particular area, and communicate its challenges and public value.</p>
<p>It is important to note the Chief Scientist is the representative of a function: of science, not scientists. As with the role of the Chief Justice, the motivation behind such an appointment is recognition that a “first among equals” opinion is a useful supplement to the workings of democratic government.</p>
<p>Why? “Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve,” quipped George Bernard Shaw. The remorselessly partisan nature of Westminster-style adversarial politics means that disinterested advice is at a premium. Important problems and their potential solutions get divvied up along party lines – or, in the case of culture, apathy and ignorance get evenly shared.</p>
<p>The idea of a Chief Artist might appeal to people who are artists. But it is worth serious consideration even by those who aren’t, for two reasons. Firstly, because the cultural sector is now a mind-bending tangle of economic and social processes. It is marked by complex sub-sectoral differentiation, and this is accentuated by digitization, which affects different industries in different ways.</p>
<p>Australian governments often show a poor understanding of the modern cultural world, and are in constant danger of making poor decisions about it – witness the jaw-droppingly stupid suggestion of <a href="https://www.asauthors.org/copyright-under-threat">rolling-back the term of author’s copyright</a>.</p>
<p>Second, the erosion of the arm’s length relationship between the Australia Council and the federal government has created a space for advocacy which can only be filled by someone outside that agency. Back in the 1980s, when the fiery Donald Horne was Council Chair, its advocacy role was more pronounced.</p>
<p>But those days have gone and it is hard to see them coming back. Likewise, the CEOs of the ABC, SBS and Screen Australia are constrained from speaking freely by a view of their role that sees them working for, not just with, the government of the day, and unable to defy or transcend partisan opinion.</p>
<p>How would such a role work in practice? A version of it can be found in Singapore’s system of Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs), of which there are currently nine, representing a range of different areas. Garry Rodan writes that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>NMPs are appointed… for terms of up to two and a half years on the advice of a Special Select Committee appointed by Parliament. In contrast with elected MPs, they cannot vote on money bills, bills to alter the Constitution, or motions of no confidence in the government. However, they speak on these issues and vote and speak on any other bills and motions.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is not necessary to endorse Singapore’s one-party rule to see that appointed forms of representation have a vital part to play in ensuring governments get the advice they need, not just the sort they find acceptable.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.parliament.gov.sg/mp/kok-heng-leun">Kok Heng Leun</a> is Singapore’s current NMP for culture. He is artistic director of Singapore’s Drama Box, and was a name put forward by the Singaporean arts community itself. He was initially knocked back by the Special Select Committee, but then put forward again and subsequently accepted.</p>
<p>He is an active, able and articulate individual, capable of bringing real knowledge about culture to bear on a policy process that is over-supplied, as ours is, with buzzwords, hobby-horses and half-knowledge.</p>
<p>His maiden speech can be read <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/artsengagesg/arts-nmp/nmp-kokhengleun#TOC-Annual-Budget-Statement-5-April-2016-">here</a>. This is a quote from it:</p>
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<p>For centuries, the arts have provided a safe space for us to ask questions, understand one another better, and dream of a better communal future that embraces diversity. Sometimes, we do not have an answer immediately, but asking the right question is a step closer. It just takes time. And instead of saying there is no time, let us make time for it. And instead of saying [there is] no space, let us make space for it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These are the kind of thoughts about culture that many of us have. A Chief Artist would be in position to voice them in way that has some real impact.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64974/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
In one of those abyssal silences that punctuate official Thinkfests when artists have to come up with new policy ideas that don’t involve asking governments for more money, I once facetiously suggested…Julian Meyrick, Professor of Creative Arts, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/497442015-10-27T00:41:31Z2015-10-27T00:41:31ZReaction: Alan Finkel to be Australia’s next Chief Scientist<p><em>Engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr Alan Finkel, has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/alan-finkel-to-be-australias-new-chief-scientist-49733">appointed</a> Australia’s new Chief Scientist, and will assume the post in 2016 once the current Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, completes his five year term.</em></p>
<p><em>Members of the Australian scientific community have offered their reactions to the news of Dr Finkel’s appointment.</em></p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Professor Merlin Crossley</strong><br>
<em>Dean of Science, University of New South Wales</em></p>
<p>Many scientists will be delighted at the news. Alan Finkel is a brilliant, energetic and persuasive communicator. He is passionate about science and has been a champion of education at all levels. He understands the importance of knowledge and its applications, and he has a record of success as an entrepreneur and business leader. </p>
<p>Through his magazine, <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/">Cosmos</a>, he has an enormous breadth of scientific knowledge, and having been Chancellor of Monash University, he knows what universities can do when they have the right vision. </p>
<p>He’s someone with the intelligence and confidence to be able to drive an ambitious and positive agenda. He’ll be able to advocate strategies that work and help the government to see through sensible policies, rather than jumping from one doomed short term fix to another. </p>
<p>Ian Chubb will be a hard act to follow but it is great to see someone like Alan Finkel take over, and I’m sure he’ll help the government enact good policies in critical areas, like inspiring school kids via pure science, providing fellowships for our young researchers, sustainably funding research infrastructure, engaging with industry, and finally using scientific thinking to address the grand challenges facing our nation.</p>
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<p><strong>Professor Brian Schmidt</strong><br>
<em>Distinguished Professor, Australian National University</em></p>
<p>Alan Finkel is worthy successor to Ian Chubb. His experience as scholar, innovator, businessman, and university chancellor covers the whole gambit of science-related activities, and is underpinned by a great personal enthusiasm for the betterment of Australia. I look forward to working with Alan in the years to come.</p>
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<p><strong>Sir Gustav Nossal</strong><br>
<em>Emeritus Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Melbourne</em></p>
<p>This is truly the most fantastic news. [Alan] Finkel is an extraordinary leader. He has proven himself in personal scientific research. He has succeeded in business in competitive fields. He has worked for the public good, most notably in his presidency of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. </p>
<p>He has been unbelievably generous in philanthropy, supporting exciting causes. He has shown leadership in the university world. He is a scientific publisher of note. Beyond all this, he is a person of the highest intelligence, integrity and imagination.</p>
<p>It is difficult to think of anyone who would do this important job with greater distinction.</p>
<p>As an aside, Australia may be “getting two for the price of one”, as his wife, Elizabeth Finkel, is a distinguished science journalist and author.</p>
<p>This news has made my day, my week, my month and my year.</p>
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<p><strong>Professor Les Field</strong><br>
<em>Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) & Vice-President at the University of New South Wales</em></p>
<p>The announcement of Alan Finkel as Chief Scientist is great news. I can think of nobody better suited to the role and to fill the enormous shoes that Ian Chubb will leave behind. </p>
<p>Alan brings a strong research background as well as wealth of experience in both academia and industry. He understands first hand the importance of excellence as well industry engagement in driving innovation and that’s exactly what Australia needs to drive policy forward over the next few years.</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Professor Peter Doherty</strong><br>
<em>Laureate Professor from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne and Nobel Laureate for Medicine in 1996</em></p>
<p>Alan is a successful science entrepreneur, a philanthropist and a dedicated supporter of public science communication. His appointment as Chief Scientist is to be greatly welcomed, and it is a measure of the man that he is prepared to take on this complex task. </p>
<p>With Canberra’s new spirit of openness to innovation and thinking in terms of the future, at least in the parliament, there is a good possibility that his voice will be heard and we will again see Australia moving forward.</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Dr Andrew Siebel</strong> <br>
<em>Deputy Chair, Australian Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Forum at the Australian Academy of Science, and Senior Research Officer at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute</em></p>
<p>The EMCR Forum is delighted with the appointment of Dr Alan Finkel as the next Chief Scientist of Australia. As President of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and founder of Cosmos magazine, Professor Finkel has been a great advocate for science and technology. His insight and experience in industry and academia will bring enormous value to the position previously held by Professor Ian Chubb. </p>
<p>The Prime Minister vowed last week to put science “at the centre” of his government’s agenda and at the “very heart” of its future. This appointment demonstrates a focus on innovation and translation of science into industry, and an emphasis on science education and literacy.</p>
<p>In 2013, Australia ranked 18th out of 20 advanced economies for government R&D spending as a share of GDP. Finkel’s appointment strengthens the call for Australia to lift public and private R&D from 2.2% of GDP to 3%. </p>
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<p><strong>Professor Frieder Seible</strong><br>
<em>Academic Vice-President (Industry Engagement), Dean of Engineering and Dean of Information Technology, Monash University</em></p>
<p>I think this is the ideal appointment. As a scientist and entrepreneur, Alan is always looking for innovation and that’s exactly what Australia and society needs right now. As Chancellor here at Monash he is highly engaged and at the forefront of every major project and operation – I think he will bring the same qualities to his new role as Chief Scientist. </p>
<p>Another one of Alan’s key characteristics is his inquisitive nature. No matter the scientific topic, he always wants to probe deeper. Again, I think this makes him ideally suited for this role.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49744/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, and is on the boards of the Australian Museum, Australian Science Media Centre, EMBL Australia and Sydney Institute of Marine Science. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Schmidt is Chair of Astronomy Australia Limited, a not for profit company that receives funds, including those from NCRIS, to invest in National Astronomy Infrastructure. He is a non-executive director of the Australian Wine Research Institute, which has received funding as part of past NCRIS programs. His research is funded by from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gus Nossal is a consultant for the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and a Principal of Foursight Associates Pty Ltd. He was formerly Chairman of The Global Foundation Advisory Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (1998 to 2000). He is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter C. Doherty is funded to work on immunity to the influenza A viruses as part of an NHMRC Program Grant. He is also a member of The Conversation's board of directors.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Siebel, Frieder Seible, and Les Field do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The scientific community reacts to the news that Dr Alan Finkel has been appointed Australia’s New Chief Scientist as of 2016.Merlin Crossley, Dean of Science and Professor of Molecular Biology, UNSW SydneyAndrew Siebel, Senior Research Officer, Metabolic and Vascular Physiology, Baker Heart and Diabetes InstituteBrian Schmidt, Distinguished Professor, Australian National UniversityFrieder Seible, Academic Vice-President; Dean of the Engineering Faculty and Dean of the Information Technology, Monash UniversityGustav Nossal, Professor Emeritus , Walter and Eliza Hall InstituteLes Field, Secretary for Science Policy at the Australian Academy of Science, and Vice-President & Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), UNSW SydneyPeter C. Doherty, Laureate Professor, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/343132014-11-17T14:15:14Z2014-11-17T14:15:14ZWhy Europe needs a chief scientific advisor<p>The past week saw two significant events in European science. You know about the first one: the triumphant Rosetta mission which <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/rosetta">landed a probe on a comet</a>. But the other event was less publicised, and much less welcome.</p>
<p>The European Commission has decided to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30037531">scrap its chief scientific advisor</a> (CSA) role. The current CSA, Professor Anne Glover, <a href="https://twitter.com/eu_sciencechief">tweeted</a> about the incredible achievement of the European Space Agency at the same time as her post was being axed. </p>
<p>I’m a chief scientific advisor myself, for the UK government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/people/guy-poppy">Food Standards Agency</a>, so I understand the demands of the role and the value of such advice. Professor Glover’s dignity and continued enthusiasm for European science highlights her integrity and professionalism, something she has brought to the role throughout her tenure.</p>
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<span class="caption">Anne Glover, advising.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49815520@N05/7002346357">Friends of Europe</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>The removal of the CSA post was controversial. In the UK much of the media reaction framed it as an <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/researchers-attack-brussels-for-ousting-top-scientific-adviser-professor-anne-glover-9862272.html">attack on science</a>, or a triumph for the green campaigners who <a href="http://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/attachments/ngo_letter_on_chief_scientific_adviser_-_final.pdf">wrote to the EC</a> about Glover’s support of genetically modified crops. But this oversimplifies the issues and doesn’t focus on what does now need addressing, in the wake of Juncker’s decision not to have a CSA – what now for science and evidence in European policy?</p>
<p>Just days before the decision, I attended an event celebrating <a href="http://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/events/gcsa-50-reflections-on-past/">50 years of UK government CSAs</a>. Attendees heard about a battle during World War II between Lord Cherwell and Henry Tizard, both eminent scientists, over the effectiveness of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16110088">bombing German civilians</a>. Lord Cherwell said it was the best strategy, but Tizard thought Cherwell’s calculations were hopelessly optimistic – and Tizard turned out to be right. The politically favoured Cherwell had Curchill’s ear however, causing Tizard’s advice to be ignored, and Allied bombers were <a href="http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674072374">wasted on unproductive missions</a>. </p>
<p>The government realised scientific advice must be politically independent. Eventually, the ad hoc system favoured by Churchill evolved into an official role that helped create clear blue water between science and politics. The position in Europe was created for similar reasons and thus it is strange how those opposed to it suggest the CSA was not fully capturing the breadth of scientific opinion on certain issues (especially GM crops), suggesting the green campaigners thought the role was political and aimed navigating between opposing views. Of course, this is precisely what it is not. CSAs do gather consensus and the certainty of the evidence – but only among scientists and the evidence they have generated.</p>
<p>There needs to be a robust way to link the external world of science and scientific networks with the internal world of government and policy, which is why most UK government departments have a CSA. Of course, this is just one possible model and there are some objections – green campaigners fear too much power is concentrated with one person, for instance – but CSAs essentially work. They are an important and useful way to ensure the government looks at things through a scientific lens. </p>
<p>The Food Standards Agency is currently considering the safety of what some term “risky” foods such as raw drinking milk. As the CSA, I can offer the scientific evidence relating to such food: how to manage the risks, whether to regulate or offer information on best practice for producers and consumers.</p>
<p>Of course, my authority only extends so far – I’m a chief adviser, not a chief executive. At the 50th anniversary meeting former CSA Lord May put it well: “Science frames a stage for democratic policy making. It must provide the evidence, not the answer”, he explained. “When a problem arises, it’s imperative to group the best available people to get knowledge and emphasise openness and uncertainties.”</p>
<p>This, in a nutshell, is what a CSA is for, and it directly counters the arguments used by people who dislike the concept. The European Commission must address all sorts of complex questions from climate change to space exploration or disease control, and this means different bodies of evidence need to be linked by what Geoff Mulgan calls <a href="http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/systems_innovation_discussion_paper.pdf">systems thinking</a> – and this means an independent expert.</p>
<p>People who draft policy look through many lenses and science is only one, albeit an important one. EC president Jean-Claude Juncker needs to quickly identify how he will have the clearest and most accessible advice to assist him in making decisions shaped and informed by science. He isn’t off to a great start – the commission CSA’s office will be replaced by the European Political Strategy Centre which has no scientific advisory role.</p>
<p>Many of the attacks on Juncker’s decision to abolish the post go too far, but I do wonder and worry how he will receive the words of scientific wisdom in a trusted and consensual way. Europe deserves the best possible link between science and government.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34313/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Guy Poppy is a Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK's Food Standards Agency. He is also a Professor at the University of Southampton where he works on global food security. He receives funding from the BBSRC, ESRC and from The Leverhulme Trust and from the ESPA programme led by NERC/ESRC and DFID.</span></em></p>The past week saw two significant events in European science. You know about the first one: the triumphant Rosetta mission which landed a probe on a comet. But the other event was less publicised, and…Guy Poppy, Director of Multidisciplinary Research and Professor of Ecology, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/317332014-09-16T07:05:34Z2014-09-16T07:05:34ZPassion, patience and persistence are needed by today’s scientists<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/59128/original/s6dswrnv-1410850201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'The way in which we express the awesomeness of science is far too muted.'</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot/ABC</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb appeared on the first <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/">all-science Q&A panel</a> on the ABC last night with Suzanne Cory, Peter Doherty, Brian Schmidt and Marita Cheng. Here he outlines a disconnect between Australian research and public perceptions of science – but scientists can help bridge that gap.</em></p>
<p>Each year, I travel to many parts of Australia, making speeches, attending workshops, symposia, conferences and roundtables. It is an opportunity for me to hear first-hand what people think; scientists as well as interested members of the public.</p>
<p>I am also interviewed often by any number of journalists on any number of topics, and meet many people from the business community: all conversations that give me a sense of how science is viewed by those outside it.</p>
<p>It is pretty obvious that there is a gap between the perceptions.</p>
<p>I do think scientists could work harder to engage the broader community and business.</p>
<p>I also think work is required by others to learn and appreciate what scientists actually do.</p>
<p>I do not pretend it is easy. If it were, we would already have managed to change the culture and have reached a better understanding.</p>
<p>Researchers represent the engine room of Australian science, a constant source of new ideas, different ways of thinking and better ways of doing.</p>
<p>Only those closest to them will know the long hours they spend in the laboratory, in the field, in the office and at home, in pursuit of answers.</p>
<p>Researchers work not knowing when or where the big breakthroughs will come, or if they will ever come. That does not diminish their persistence and rarely affects their passion in the long term, although it may test their patience from time to time.</p>
<p>The only certainty researchers know is financial uncertainty. This makes personal choices and long-term planning difficult, in some cases impossible.</p>
<p>Yet they do it. They do it, but often struggle to communicate and engage with those who stand to benefit.</p>
<p>And those who do stand to benefit often labour under incorrect assumptions about science; which makes it difficult to separate reality from fiction, especially when those with the loudest megaphones choose to play on that ignorance in the pursuit of their own agenda.</p>
<p>The community might not necessarily see how science impacts their food, their health, their security, their environment and the economy. They might take it for granted and not think about it at all. If they don’t see the science, why would they be expected to care about it? But there is an impact: on all of us, each and every day. </p>
<p>The truth is that both sides need encouragement and support, to talk, to listen and to understand each other.</p>
<p>When he was UK prime minister, Tony Blair <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1080/15216540214927/asset/713804011_ftp.pdf?v=1&t=i04viwh8&s=5091e76ba197ee677f7040ab4bcf98706b36406c">told</a> the Royal Society: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>the benefits of science will only be exploited through a renewed compact between science and society, based on a proper understanding of what science is trying to achieve.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>At a time of year when some scientists are being singled out for <a href="https://theconversation.com/plain-talker-on-climate-change-among-eureka-prize-winners-31461">prizes</a>, I wonder if it is possible for Australians to develop a more lasting appreciation of the many curious, dedicated and driven scientists they have in this country. Scientists working in their interests.</p>
<p>In return, I wonder if it is possible for those scientists to always remember why they do what they do. And to feel more comfortable about explaining that in forums outside their own comfort zone. </p>
<p>As I said on the ABC’s Q&A program last night, the way in which we express the awesomeness of science is far too muted. Scientists need to add patience and persistence to their passion to bring the community along with them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/31733/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’s chief scientist Ian Chubb appeared on the first all-science Q&A panel on the ABC last night with Suzanne Cory, Peter Doherty, Brian Schmidt and Marita Cheng. Here he outlines a disconnect…Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist for Australia, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/310582014-09-01T20:40:19Z2014-09-01T20:40:19ZLIVE STREAM: Smart Science symposium with Chief Scientist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/57851/original/8c4qwpvh-1409558020.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You can join in the discussion from 11.30am AEST.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/liquene/3900145161">Alessandro Valli/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Please note: the live stream has now finished. A video of the the live stream is below.</em></p>
<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>
<p>How will science address the challenges of the future? </p>
<p>You’re invited to take part in the discussion. This symposium held at Parliament House is the culmination of a 12-part series co-commissioned with the Office of the Chief Scientist, examining the contribution of each of the major disciplines to address the challenges of Australia in 2025. </p>
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The live stream will begin at 11.30am AEST – please refresh your browsers or press “play”.</p>
<p>Submit your questions in the comments stream below, on Twitter using <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23smartscience&src=typd">#SmartScience</a> or via our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ConversationEDU">Facebook page</a>.</p>
<p>The series – authored by recognised experts in their field – can be <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/australia-2025-series">read here</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/31058/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Please note: the live stream has now finished. A video of the the live stream is below. Australia in 2025 will be strong, prosperous, healthy and secure and positioned to benefit all Australians in a rapidly…Belinda Smith, EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/304612014-08-13T08:30:49Z2014-08-13T08:30:49ZThere are no free rides to the future: Australia’s Chief Scientist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/56362/original/55z7c8t3-1407905561.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Professor Ian Chubb: 'We are a nation in 'transition', we hear. But to what; and how?'</span> </figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>This is a transcript of the 2014 <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/events/2014-jack-beale-lecture-global-environment">Jack Beale Lecture on the Global Environment</a>, hosted at the University of New South Wales.</strong></em></p>
<p>Tonight I want to talk about the future.</p>
<p>I know that it’s not a novel thing to do; not even a new thing to do. Indeed, Hansard records that the word “future” was used <a href="http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/">848 times</a> in the Australian Parliament just last June; a number that appears to be the highest monthly count on record.</p>
<p>I will use the word “future” a lot, too, tonight. Not 848 times – but often enough to emphasise the point that we can choose the sort of future we get: we can take what comes and muddle along; or we can work out what we want and earn it by planning, prioritising and persistence.</p>
<p>I am not one of those who thinks that good things will just happen because we expect them to.</p>
<p>I think we need to organise, evaluate and cohere – to make sure that we align our efforts and our investment with our national interests; that we focus on areas that are of particular importance or where there is a particular need; and that we build to a scale that will make a difference both to ourselves and to a changing world.</p>
<p>I am comfortable saying that here because I think Jack Beale would say the same.
He was a scientist and a statesman, an innovator and a man of business. He was a politician who thought about the future.</p>
<p>In many ways, he put the future of our planet – particularly its water resources – on the map. He was ahead of his time.</p>
<p>He was Australia’s first environment minister – and among the first to think that such a role might have a place in our politics.</p>
<p>He made his motivation very clear when <a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/Parlment/HansArt.nsf/d891a0806177d17eca256d100026e9aa/36f4c%203b525f62a8eca25720a0021a398">he said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Australia is the lowest, flattest, hottest and driest continent on the earth and we have to manage it accordingly.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Of course, in Jack Beale’s day, in his political life, some things were probably a little less complicated (even less complex) than they appear to be now.</p>
<p>Certainly there was no Facebook, or Twitter or selfies when he entered politics in NSW in 1942 – some six years before Australia produced its very first home-trained PhD graduate. Thinking aloud and floating ideas might have been more attractive at a time when your critics faced you and the discussion was more civil.</p>
<p>Jack Beale was also in politics at a time of reconstruction after World War II. It was a period when people of vision saw a need to build a different Australia – a better Australia.</p>
<p>And it was one where research and education were seen as vital to the building of that better Australia – a stronger Australia that earned its place in the world because of the contribution it was willing and increasingly able to make.
They thought a lot about the future in those days – and it was clear that they had learnt from history and didn’t want to repeat it.</p>
<p>I wonder if we can say the same of our thinking about the future today.</p>
<p>Is the word “future” just a convenient handle we grasp to hint at our wisdom, or our vision, but is really a handle without substance? Is it easier to dream about the future than it is to act in the present?</p>
<p>Or are we seeing a real intention to develop a meaningful and comprehensive approach to secure a future we want?</p>
<p>The sort of future we would want to hand on to our children and grandchildren and our great grandchildren; a future for them that we would be pleased to have for ourselves?</p>
<p>The sort of future that Jack Beale’s generation aspired to leave for us?</p>
<p>I’m not sure that it is clear. We have certainly heard the word tied to the recent budget – so we know that a future without debt is a good thing. I can accept that.</p>
<p>But I also know that I want more.</p>
<p>I want an Australia that is more than just what is left after the economic trimmings work their way through the community’s digestive system. I want an Australia in which our economy is organised to support our aspiration and not to limit it.</p>
<p>As I’ve said elsewhere, we wouldn’t order a truck load of bricks without knowing the type of house we wanted to build. Yet we fiddle with individual bits of the economy and wait to see what it all adds up to.</p>
<p>Of course we have to change. Presuming that she’ll be right because it most often has been is no longer an option – surely.</p>
<p>And what has been described as the national motto, that is “no worries”, doesn’t serve us well either.</p>
<p>The world was a very different place when somebody decades ago made those colloquialisms the quintessential Australian response to almost any circumstance.</p>
<p>But there was always an ambiguity at their core.</p>
<p>At their best, they stand for optimism – a willingness to shoulder a challenge with courage and ambition.</p>
<p>But they can just as easily stand for a collective shrug – a willingness to accept whatever comes to hand; an apathy or even complacency.</p>
<p>Too much of the latter and the world will leave us behind.</p>
<p>The managing director of Google in Australia Maile Carnegie reminded us of that recently when <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/google-chief-warns-of-skills-shortages/story-e6frg8zx-1226972901808">she said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] the long-term challenge for Australia is how do we, as a minimum, keep pace with the global revolution that is happening? But the more immediate challenge is to make sure that we don’t slip further behind.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And why would the world care if we appear not to care: no worries; she’ll be right?</p>
<p>Of course, we are frequently told that our future competitiveness cannot be underpinned by our natural resources alone.</p>
<p>We are a nation in “transition”, we hear.</p>
<p>But to what; and how?</p>
<p>There is not likely to be any country in the world with all the answers. But as we decide the what and the how, if we decide we want to act, we can observe and we can learn. Because we do know that nations all around the world are resetting their economies.</p>
<p>We know that new technologies are pushing smart companies to the lead.</p>
<p>New industries and new sources of wealth are emerging. New skills are required for workers at all levels as economies change. A new culture of risk and reward is spreading.</p>
<p>Countries at all levels of development are now focusing on the capabilities required for building new jobs and creating wealth.</p>
<p>And they are acting now to secure the skills, investment and international alliances for their future.</p>
<p>At the core of almost every agenda is science, technology, engineering and mathematics (which I will refer to from here as science). It is the <a href="http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30059041/tytler-stemcountry-2013.pdf">almost universal preoccupation</a> now shaping the world’s plans.</p>
<p>It is a preoccupation that crosses all boundaries of language, culture and geography.</p>
<p>We too need to recognise that it is the knowledge that science will offer, and the sensible application of that knowledge to agreed goals, that will build a stronger Australia.</p>
<p>Australia must forge its path in step with the rest of the world. We must remain in the game with a differentiated and readily adaptable economy that supports the aspirations we have for the country. And we must ensure that we bequeath a planet that can sustain the coming generations.</p>
<p>I put to you that these aspirations are not exclusive and that science is at their core.</p>
<p>Whether it is our climate, our health, our ageing population, our food supply, our economy or our security, it will be scientific discovery and the use of scientific knowledge that will give us the capacity to respond.</p>
<p>None of this is new – indeed, it is widely accepted.</p>
<p>Wherever I go, I hear that science is important and Australia should be good at it, something the Commonwealth’s Commission of Audit also identified. I even hear it confidently asserted that the outlook must be rosy: after all, we are often told that in science we’re clearly punching above our weight.</p>
<p>So – she’ll be right. No worries.</p>
<p>But is that true? Not really. Some recent and comprehensive forthcoming work done by my office provides some interesting indications.</p>
<p>We compared our performance with that of 11 western European countries, the United States and Canada. It is clear that our best are very good.</p>
<p>We do well amongst the group in terms of our share of the world’s top 1% of cited research papers; but our average (field weighted) citation rates are below all of them.</p>
<p>Our patenting rates are poor, and the linkages between our researchers and business are <a href="http://www.industry.gov.au/science/policy/AustralianInnovationSystemReport/AISR2013/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/AIS-Innovation-%20Systems-Report-2013-v3.pdf">among</a> the <a href="http://www.acola.org.au/index.php/projects/securing-australia-s-future/project-4">worst</a> in the OECD.</p>
<p>Less than one in three Australian researchers work in industry; half the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/sti/rds.">OECD average of 60%</a> and substantially less than the US, where some <a href="http://www.uis.unesco.org/Pages/default.aspx">two in three researchers</a> are in the business sector.</p>
<p>Just <a href="http://www.industry.gov.au/science/policy/AustralianInnovationSystemReport/AISR2011/index.html.">1.5% of Australian companies</a> developed new to the world innovations in the latest year for which statistics are available, compared to between 10 to 40% in other OECD countries.</p>
<p>That, as I say, is our current performance.</p>
<p>Looking to the future – by which I mean looking into schools – we sit in the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/PISA-2012-%20results-snapshot-Volume-I-ENG.pdf.">middle of the pack</a> for primary and secondary students’ performance in science and mathematics literacy.</p>
<p>While I accept that indicators such as these are not all perfect, they do offer an insight into where Australia sits overall.</p>
<p>Bluntly, we are middle-of-the-road. Not better – not punching above our weight as we so often declare in a fit of misguided and unhelpful enthusiasm.
I think it is no coincidence that we sit where we do.</p>
<p>Australia is now the only OECD country that does not have a contemporary national science and technology, or innovation strategy.</p>
<p>Our science investment and policies are too heavily dependent on so-called “terminating program” grants, funding offsets and sporadic commitments to infrastructure. And worse, they have suffered from a lack of coordination. As each agency, department or university independently makes its necessary budget adjustments, our national science profile is what’s left over. And it is compounded by the study choices of undergraduate students, given the numerical dominance of university researchers in our profile. What is important may not be popular.</p>
<p>As I said before, we have long presumed that good things will just happen. That in amongst the churn we will still have what we need when the time comes. She’ll be right, we might say. No worries.</p>
<p>But science is a long haul. It is not something that can be turned on or off when we feel like it.</p>
<p>And it isn’t like a tooth brush: something you can buy when you get there because you forgot to pack one.</p>
<p>If we are to build both capacity and capability we need strategic investment supported by good planning and long-term commitment.</p>
<p>We need to build the capability to take up whatever legacy of progress we leave behind – so that the next generations know more about the world than we do today; and learn to shape it in ways that we cannot.</p>
<p>There is actually <em>a</em> science <em>to</em> science.</p>
<p>To give one example: ensuring we develop enough scientists and science-trained workers, in a competitive world where talent is increasingly mobile. A sort of talent security along with all the other securities we talk about: like food, water, cyber and so on.</p>
<p>The Prime Minister <a href="http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-06-11/doorstop-interview-p-tech-brooklyn">summed it up</a> in New York recently: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Science is at the heart of a country’s competitiveness and it is important that we do not neglect science as we look at the general educational and training schemes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We need to be mindful of the fact that decisions made today in schools will start to have their impact on the workforce profile in five, six, seven or more years from now. That is where we should be thinking. The “market” there and beyond.</p>
<p>It is not easy – but it is possible.</p>
<p>The Royal Society of London, for one, has recently released a <a href="https://royalsociety.org/%7E/media/education/policy/vision/reports/vision-full-report-20140625.pdf">report</a> laying down the imperative for science education.</p>
<p>As the Chair of the Committee said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Science and mathematics are at the absolute heart of modern life. They are essential to our understanding of the world […] [and] provide the foundations for the UK’s future economic prosperity.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Vice-Chair of the Committee commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Our Vision takes the long view but recognises that there is both urgency and great opportunity for Government to act now. Estimates suggest that one million new science, technology and engineering professionals will be required in the UK by 2020 and yet there is a persistent dearth of young people taking these qualifications after the age of 16. If the UK is to remain globally competitive and if we are to develop a more equitable and informed society, Government and the wider education community must take the Royal Society’s recommendations seriously.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When we try to begin a conversation here about Australia’s future needs, we get told that starting salaries for science graduates are (apparently) low, therefore there is no market pull, so pull your head in.</p>
<p>The implication is that we shouldn’t be like nearly every other developed economy on the planet and think ahead. Too hard for us. Keep it short-term – focus on what happened last year. She’ll be right.</p>
<p>Personally, I think that attitude is a bit like saying that we can get rid of all Australia’s cows because we’ve got milk in the ‘fridge.</p>
<p>Whatever the logic behind it, we will see the consequences in lost opportunities for our people and our economy.</p>
<p>As the Managing Director of BASF Australia <a href="http://www.afr.com/p/opinion/decline_in_science_students_danger_r199DKic8tkMKE1bf2K0MP">Ross Pilling wrote</a> in the Financial Review: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Australia’s business community is looking on with concern at the sharply declining participation rates in the so-called STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics […] Fewer year 12 students, especially girls, have any interest in studying maths and science. For business, this is a source of profound frustration.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We need a conversation now in which we talk about how we support science to do all the things we need it to do. And how we make sure that we have the right science – and that we ask the right questions.</p>
<p>We need science that:</p>
<ul>
<li>gives us the knowledge to understand the challenges we face</li>
<li>expands the toolkit we can bring to confront those challenges</li>
<li>connects Australia to global science – to give and receive</li>
<li>gives us a shared vocabulary, in which hard things can be talked about and tackled.</li>
</ul>
<p>As the then Prime Minister of Great Britain, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2002/may/23/speeches.tonyblair">Tony Blair said</a> to the Royal Society in 2002 when talking about moral judgment: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Science […] allows us to do more, but it doesn’t tell us whether doing more is right or wrong.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We need the science to inform the judgement and we need the conversation to get the action.</p>
<p>More than a year has now passed since I released a position paper outlining the case for a national strategy for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.</p>
<p>I’ve spent that year doing dozens of media interviews and delivering speeches right across the country advocating a strategy. Not one individual or organisation has said it is a bad idea. Not one has said it is not needed.</p>
<p>The Business Council of Australia on July 31 last year endorsed such an approach and listed a science strategy as critical to Australia’s economic growth.</p>
<p>Their current president, Catherine Livingstone, was more recently <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/business-council-calls-for-urgent-education-overhaul-20140725-%20zvnqh.html">quoted</a> as saying: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have been bemoaning the poor state of STEM skills […] in schools and universities for over 15 years.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So I can only echo her question:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If we are all agreed that this is an issue why isn’t enough happening?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Other countries are doing it – and they’re investing strategically in science – for the long haul.</p>
<p>These other countries have found the right way to get leadership from government – learnt how to get government in the way – in the right way, in the right place for the right period of time.</p>
<p>We can, too.</p>
<p>I note in passing that our “competitors” have also moved past using the expression “picking winners” as the standard pejorative to stop any thinking about needs and advantages and focus and scale.</p>
<p>Instead of being stuck in the old ways, our competitors have moved on.</p>
<p>They have identified national priorities and set out to fund them appropriately – areas where they have advantage, or need, or capacity to grow to scale, or to take new products to market.</p>
<p>The United Kingdom, the EU, Canada, the United States, China, South Korea, and many, many other countries around the globe, have prioritised science funding as an important foundation for future sustained growth.</p>
<p>Amongst others, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-of-the-exchequers-speech-on-science-in-cambridge">said in April</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We’ve had to make difficult choices to cut public spending. The easy route would have been to cut science spending. But it would have been painful for the economy and the wrong answer for Britain. It would have completely undermined our long term economic prospects.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The key players understand that to have the scientific capacity to meet the greatest challenges, they need to be strategic about the entire pipeline, from education, to research to industry. And they act now.</p>
<p>Surely we in Australia can, too.</p>
<p>And I do sense that the calls for action are increasing. I sense that she’ll be right might be challenged – and importantly, from those directly impacted by inaction.</p>
<p>It is also my view that we can’t just continue to tinker at the margins. That’s what we have done and it is clear that it isn’t good enough.</p>
<p>I do believe that we need to be bold – with well thought through but bold initiatives that position us for the future.</p>
<p>So let me put my version of a strategy to you tonight. It would be underpinned by four main objectives:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Competitiveness: science must underpin a differentiated and readily adaptable economy, one that is globally competitive and one that will enable all Australians to benefit from the opportunities that will follow.</strong> We can learn from what has been done in the UK and the US, in particular. There they have introduced structural arrangements that support innovation and ensure that at least a proportion of public money going to private companies is focused on areas where there is need, advantage and outcomes which can be taken to market. They encourage linkages between researchers and the business sector. They encourage the flow of ideas and knowledge into new products and services.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Education and training: we prepare a skilled and dynamic science-qualified workforce, and lay the foundations for lifelong science literacy in the community.</strong> There is a national interest and we would do well to remember it. Action in this area will require appropriate co-ordination and cooperation between different levels of government. We can learn from others, including federations, about how to support teachers both in-service and pre-service, and how to use curricula and assessment to enhance learning through inspirational teaching.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Research: Australian science will contribute knowledge to a world that relies on a continuous flow of new ideas and their application.</strong> Like many other countries, we can develop strategic research priority areas – not using all available funding support, and not neglecting basic research that is the foundation of so much knowledge that we can apply. But we can and should align, focus and scale.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>International engagement: Australian science will position Australia as a respected, important and able partner in a changing world, for both domestic and global benefit.</strong> We should develop strategic government-to-government partnerships that are funded. We should also look to using better the Australian science base and work within our region to establish an Asian Area Research Zone that facilitates work on shared priorities as well as building infrastructure.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>What would such a strategy cost us? Only effort, commitment and willpower.</p>
<p>What are the costs of inaction? The deficit we would leave behind. I hope our children will not find out.</p>
<p>The choice is ours to make.</p>
<p>That is why we should take inspiration from people like Jack Beale – people who thought deeply and acted boldly. He was that rarest of combinations, a politician with a background in (and passion for) science.</p>
<p>He was rare then, he would still be rare. Eleven of the current 150 House of Representatives Members and 11 of the 76 Senators have a <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members">science qualification</a>, and a handful more have worked in related fields.</p>
<p>Which raises an important question, do you have to have studied science, technology, engineering or mathematics to understand the role they play in a nation’s fate?</p>
<p>In answering that, I’m reminded of a quote from a lawyer who said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I suppose that if we were to ask ourselves what in the last 20 years, up to 50 years, had been the great distinguishing feature of this century apart from wars and political confusions, the answer would be the flowering of science and the growing application of science through technology to the problems, the practical workaday problems of the world.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The lawyer was Prime Minister <a href="http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=598.">Robert Menzies</a>. The year was 1962. The occasion was the opening of a major piece of research infrastructure at CSIRO.</p>
<p>He understood then, as we must now, that if science is to flower and be applied to our practical workaday problems; if it is to be central to our future, we must be mindful of what it needs to be able to do for us what we want it to do. And provide it.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/30461/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Chubb is the Chief Scientist of Australia.</span></em></p>This is a transcript of the 2014 Jack Beale Lecture on the Global Environment, hosted at the University of New South Wales. Tonight I want to talk about the future. I know that it’s not a novel thing to…Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist for Australia, Office of the Chief ScientistLicensed 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.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/209082013-12-02T03:39:58Z2013-12-02T03:39:58ZComputer crime is on the rise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36591/original/w5thnykf-1385945237.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The sheer scope of cyber vulnerabilities alone helps make a compelling case for national security concern.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Don Hankins</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>I received the same email five times in as many weeks informing me of an A$18.60 refund following a “billing error” with a “mobile phone provider”. Not a huge sum, but believable.</p>
<p>I don’t have a mobile phone with this company, so I ignored it the first time, and the second.</p>
<p>But by the third email I had started to wonder: did someone else in my family have a phone with this company? And by the fifth email it took considerable strength not to click on the attachment. After 15 years policing experience and more than ten years addressing cybercrime, I was tempted. Scary. What if it was a legitimate email communication?</p>
<p>I checked the full email header, rather than the summary from/to/date header we see by default, and noticed the email originated in the United States, not Australia. This and a visit to a scam alert website that noted this particular email restored faith in my initial gut judgement, allowing me to rest easy knowing that I wasn’t missing out on the big bucks.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36589/original/97zg6xfb-1385944713.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>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">the justified sinner</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The emails were nothing more than spam. Determined, simple spam. Had I filled out the attachment I’d have entered personal information, including financial, so the “refund” could be paid.</p>
<p>Had my credit card details been successfully obtained to use fraudulently, I would be reimbursed by my bank under the terms of the <a href="http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byheadline/ePayments-Code">e-Payments Code</a>. So, no real loss. Or is there? Unsurprisingly, the banks don’t take one for the team in the online economy.</p>
<p>Their moment as the “white knight” sees them demand reimbursement from the online merchants where stolen credit card details were misused. “Card not present” – internet and phone – transactions are at the merchant’s risk. In turn, merchants build that loss into the cost of goods and services legitimate customers buy. So everyone loses out, bar the criminal.</p>
<p>Back to my original series of spam scam emails: the criminal also could have embedded a “malicious payload” of computer code in the attachment known as “malware”. A “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging">key logger</a>” may have been installed, sending every stroke I type – including passwords – back to the criminal. My contacts and files may have been plundered and abused by the criminal then resold to other criminals via well-developed criminal online black markets.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36584/original/czz8x53x-1385942940.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&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">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>My computer – now made a “zombie” by the malware – could be drafted with other compromised computers into a “<a href="http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/botnet">botnet army</a>” and used to carry out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack">denial-of-service attacks</a> against business and government websites, causing them to crash. My computer may also have been used for breaking, or hacking, into other computers with all roads leading back to me if the matter was investigated. My computer could store and share illegal material such as child pornography and could be used to send more spam just like the one that caused all my trouble.</p>
<p>Maybe all of the above, over time. A tempting A$18.60 would have reaped significant individual loss, while contributing to a burgeoning criminal economy and supporting infrastructure. This scenario is played out in an automated, relentless fashion every second we’re awake and asleep.</p>
<p>And the increasing use of mobile and tablet devices, combined with a steady <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/One-Three-Online-Consumers-Use-Tablet-by-2014/1008701">growth in online activities</a>, multiplies the threats. For instance, what if the compromised computer, phone or tablet device I use for my personal life is also used for work? The corporate system could also be at risk, exposing company intellectual property, client information, finances and more.</p>
<p>Ultimately, what was first a damaging individual incident – when aggregated
with potentially thousands or indeed millions of other individual incidents – could have <a href="http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/special-report-issue-26-cyber-security-threats-and-%20responses-in-the-information-age">national security implications</a>, threatening Australia’s economic interests, the well-being of the Australian public and the integrity of Australian government information and systems.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=796&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=796&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=796&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1000&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1000&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36592/original/6rzf22dg-1385945407.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1000&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ToastyKen</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>The sheer scope of cyber vulnerabilities alone helps make a compelling case for national security concern. In a recent example, a seemingly benign hacker nicknamed <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/hacker-measures-the-internet-illegally-with-carna-botnet-a-890413.html">Carna</a> compromised <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/19/carna_botnet_ipv4_internet_map/">420,000 internet-connected devices</a>, mainly routers and servers, to create his own botnet. While Carna claimed to have no malicious intentions the incident illustrates the potential size of internet security issues.</p>
<p>Malicious botnets like <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/threat/encyclopedia/entry.aspx?Name=Trojan%3AWin32%2FWaledac">Waledac</a> and <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/security/sir/story/default.aspx#!rustock">Rustock</a> – <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/06/microsoft-botnet_n_2632616.html">successfully crippled</a> by Microsoft’s <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/dcu/">Digital Crimes Unit</a> in 2011 – and the more recent Bamital botnet are examples of highly malicious criminal enterprises that affected hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.</p>
<p>Cyber vulnerabilities at a small business, corporate and government level mean that valuable intellectual property and traditional national security secrets can be targeted, as can computer systems running critical infrastructure supporting the economy: power, water, transport, food distribution, telecommunications and banking.</p>
<p>And in some instances that targeting may have found its mark via, say, a scam mobile phone refund email.</p>
<p>To date, we’ve failed to grasp the enormity of the misuse of technology and, as a result, have not viewed the problem as a societal one. The A$18.60 refund scenario highlights how cybercrime is both an individual and national security issue. Cybercrime can be so interlinked that, theoretically, my A$18.60 click could be part of a larger, orchestrated attack on critical infrastructure. It’s essential to recognise that no matter how benign a scam may seem it is potentially malignant and can definitely metastasise.</p>
<p>When addressing these issues, blame is usually attributed to end users or government agencies, particularly security services and police. There are few calls for internet service providers, online retailers, social network operators, software and hardware manufacturers and businesses in general to shoulder greater responsibility in providing safer services and educating end users.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36587/original/krms3z3z-1385943331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>True, end users and governments must scale up their efforts. But what’s needed most is a national approach addressing cybersecurity like a public health concern: with measurable baseline data, broad strategies and a relentless long-term commitment to tackle the problem.</p>
<p>Scientists, engineers and mathematicians can and should play a central role. Instead, a handful of public officials and information technology (IT) security professionals dominate the debate.</p>
<p>In the age of the internet, the once-dominant “three Rs” of reading, writing and arithmetic have been replaced by the “three Cs”: coding, computation and communication. Consequently, Australia requires more engineers, programmers and mathematicians to work on cryptography, to write secure computer code and crime-fighting software, to create safer machines.</p>
<p>We need properly qualified citizens who can be security cleared and called on to help the Australian government. To this end the government should introduce a scholarship scheme to encourage a step change in the number of young Australians studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics.</p>
<p>And we need more women. In an increasingly digitised future we run the
risk of seeing a professional and educational chasm re-open between men and women – who are already under-represented in this sector. Anecdotal evidence suggests girls, generally, need more persuading to engage in the three Cs. If we are to increase the number of women focusing on cyber technologies at tertiary institutions and in the workforce – bringing a balance and skill set desperately required in the future – this must be addressed at primary and secondary levels.</p>
<p>Not only will such efforts lead to a safer and more secure Australia – and world – but an expanded Australian IT-security industry would be good for the economy in what is a fast growing multi-billion-dollar market. It makes dollars and sense.</p>
<p><strong><em>This is an excerpt from the Australian Chief Scientist’s free eBook <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2013/11/the-curious-country/">The Curious Country</a>, available for download from 4pm December 3, 2013.</em></strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/20908/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alastair MacGibbon is the CEO of CREST Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that certifies "white hat" ethical hackers, and is managing partner of Surete Group, a consultancy dealing with improved customer retention for internet-facing companies by increasing trust and reducing negative user experiences.
He was originally commissioned by the Office of the Chief Scientist to write the essay for the eBook The Curious Country available for free download from 4pm, December 3, 2013.</span></em></p>I received the same email five times in as many weeks informing me of an A$18.60 refund following a “billing error” with a “mobile phone provider”. Not a huge sum, but believable. I don’t have a mobile…Alastair MacGibbon, Director, Centre for Internet Safety, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/178472013-09-05T20:31:42Z2013-09-05T20:31:42ZGenomic analysis could help win the fight against superbugs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30730/original/sbs2ksz4-1378345350.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C1%2C1000%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Whole genome sequencing can help identify the source of the antibiotic resistance.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some recent headlines from Australian newspapers: <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-hospitals-worst-place-for-golden-staph-20130522-2k1b0.html">NSW hospitals worst place for Golden Staph</a>; <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/the-killer-in-our-midst/story-e6frg8h6-1225697945497">CA-MRSA - the killer in our midst</a>; <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/superbug-onslaught/story-e6frg8y6-1226562959794">Superbug onslaught</a>. </p>
<p>By now, most people are aware that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a serious problem, as the above headlines demonstrate. The government is aware of the issue as well. </p>
<p>Two reports in the past month — one from the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2013/07/antibiotic-resistance-a-serious-threat/">Office of the Chief Scientist</a> and the other from the <a href="http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/publications/australian-one-health-antimicrobial-resistance-colloquium-background-paper/">Antimicrobial Resistance Standing Committee</a> – have called for action on antibiotic resistance in Australia.</p>
<p>Both recognised that we need co-ordinated, nationwide surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections to avoid the nightmare of untreatable infections in hospitals. </p>
<p>A good place to start would be to invest in DNA-sequencing technology, supercomputers, and training more people in bioinformatics, a discipline that uses computers to extract meaningful information from genomic data.</p>
<p>Why? Because if we want to monitor where resistance comes from and how it spreads, genome analysis technology is a big part of the answer. Here’s an example of how it works.</p>
<h2>Genomics in action</h2>
<p>Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) is overtaking golden Staph as the leading cause of antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections in some Australian hospitals. </p>
<p>Until recently, it was assumed that clusters of VRE cases in hospitals were caused by resistant bacteria spreading from one patient to another, so hospitals have been trying to stop the spread of the bug by isolating infected patients at great expense.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://mbio.asm.org/content/4/4/e00412-13.long">recent study</a> at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne employed whole genome sequencing to investigate, in the finest forensic detail possible, the relationship between VRE from different patients. The results were a surprise - the bacteria differed substantially, too much to be the result of spreading within the hospital.</p>
<p>Instead, the study suggests that some patients who develop VRE infections in hospital probably had the bacteria, or a precursor, inside them when they arrived there, as opposed to picking up bugs from other patients.</p>
<p>So, isolating infected patients may not always help. Rather, we could prevent VRE infections by checking new patients to see if they are carrying the bug in their gut. And if they have VRE, and go on to develop an infection in hospital, doctors will know not to waste time with the wrong antibiotics.</p>
<p>Of course, hand hygiene and clean hospitals remain critical for stopping the spread of infections between patients.</p>
<h2>Resistance can develop during antibiotic treatment</h2>
<p>Every time a bacterium meets a drug, there is a risk that it will develop resistance. When antibiotics are used unnecessarily - to treat viral infections or bacterial infections where they have a minimal effect - they increase the risk of drug-resistant bacteria emerging. </p>
<p>For example, if you take antibiotics for a cough that’s caused by a viral respiratory infection, it won’t make you better, but it could prompt your friendly gut bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance. You probably won’t notice this because those bugs are living happily in your stomach and doing you no harm. </p>
<p>But if you then have an accident, or become sick and require surgery, those bugs could get into your bloodstream and cause serious systemic infections, or septicaemia, that is very hard to treat.</p>
<p>So, careful and controlled use of antibiotics, or “antibiotic stewardship”, is important to prevent new resistant bugs from developing.</p>
<p>Once a bacterium becomes resistant, it can spread to other people and cause more resistant infections. This is a serious problem in hospitals, where resistance develops in a patient receiving antibiotics, creating a superbug that can spread to other patients.</p>
<p>Worse, bacteria can also share their resistance by transferring bits of DNA between cells. So when one bug learns a new trick, it can quickly teach others. We need to understand this much better so that we can prevent or manage it. But the only way we can detect this happening is through DNA surveillance of bacteria.</p>
<p>This is why DNA sequencing of bacteria has become the new gold standard for tracking the emergence and spread of resistance.</p>
<h2>Critical questions that genomics can help answer</h2>
<p>Genomics can help us identify the source of the infection and how the resistance develops. </p>
<p>Much like forensics can link a suspect to a crime, DNA tracking can link a suspected source (say, a dirty sink) to a patient’s infection. This allows us to monitor the spread of resistant bacteria between hospitals and between states, as well as the introduction of new resistant bugs from overseas. </p>
<p>This information can be important for deciding when to isolate patients or introduce quarantine measures.</p>
<p>We also need to know how often resistance develops during treatment, and how often resistance spreads between patients. </p>
<p>If the problem is mainly one of spread, we need to concentrate on hand hygiene, isolating affected patients and other methods, to try to limit spread in hospitals. But if most resistance arises during treatment, we need to change our antibiotic prescribing habits to avoid this.</p>
<p>These questions are best addressed by whole genome sequencing. The technology is available, and we have the expertise in Australia to implement it for surveillance and infection control. </p>
<p>All it needs is an investment of resources. And as both recent reports have pointed out - like many reports over the past 15 years - action is needed now.</p>
<p><em>Kathryn Holt is the winner of a 2013 L'Oréal For Women in Science Fellowship.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/17847/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathryn Holt receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.</span></em></p>Some recent headlines from Australian newspapers: NSW hospitals worst place for Golden Staph; CA-MRSA - the killer in our midst; Superbug onslaught. By now, most people are aware that antibiotic-resistant…Kathryn Holt, NHMRC Research Fellow, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/138442013-05-01T02:23:07Z2013-05-01T02:23:07ZBees, pesticides and … what are chief scientists for?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23073/original/x3myzbq3-1367371261.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If advice isn't acted upon, is it good advice?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">kevincollins123</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Without good advice, governments are in extreme danger of creating erroneous or damaging public policy. So it’s a serious matter when a government science adviser is accused of ignoring scientific evidence in favour of engaging in political machinations. </p>
<p>Such was the case on Monday, when the author <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/georgemonbiot">George Monbiot</a>, writing for The Guardian, claimed statements made by the new UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA), Mark Walport, (regarding a <a href="https://theconversation.com/neonicotinoid-ban-eases-the-stress-on-bees-13819">European pesticide moratorium</a> designed to protect bee populations) were “<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/29/beware-rise-government-scientists-lobbyists">misleading and unscientific</a>”. </p>
<p>This is in fact mild language compared to what else was written in the article, but I reproduce it here because “misleading and unscientific” is the exact opposite of what Walport should be.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23076/original/5g4dj545-1367372110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=486&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 Mark Walport.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The charge is that Walport has become a political player at the expense of <a href="http://www.bis.gov.uk/go-science/chief-scientific-adviser">his brief</a>, which is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>to ensure that the best science and engineering advice is brought to bear effectively on Government policy and decision-making. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This raises questions about what has generally been seen as an important and prestigious role within the general community and in scientific circles, in Australia as well as the UK, but one that has often flown under the radar of public awareness. </p>
<p>Can an adviser be trusted, by the public and by politicians, to provide objective and non-partisan advice?</p>
<h2>Roleplay</h2>
<p>Unlike the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast">US President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology</a>, the UK and Australian advisory appointments are not political. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1039&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1039&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23074/original/zvsv6fwk-1367371347.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1039&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Professor Penny Sackett.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These latter two have roles that are not overly specified and can be largely what the holders make of them. They are free to a significant extent to set areas of priority and focus.</p>
<p>A notable distinction between the UK and Australian systems is that each government department in the UK has a Chief Scientific Adviser, and these sit on a committee chaired by The Government Chief Scientific Adviser (<a href="http://www.bis.gov.uk/go-science/chief-scientific-adviser">GCSA</a>); in Australia each state and territory has a Chief Scientist, though these too sit on a committee chaired by the Australian Chief Scientist (<a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/">ACS</a>).</p>
<p>Another distinction between the two countries is that Australian Chief Scientists seem to have been spared public accusations of politicism.</p>
<p>The only <a href="http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/resignation-australias-chief-scientist-penny-sackett">indication</a> of discord within the office of an Australian Chief Scientist was when the previous office holder, astrophysicist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/penny-sackett-5186/profile_bio">Penny Sackett</a>, resigned half way through her five-year term in 2011. </p>
<p>She had <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-02-23/resigning-chief-scientist-never-briefed-gillard/1954718">never been asked</a> to brief Prime Minister Julia Gillard and had not been asked to advise Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, whom she met only once, prior to the Copenhagen climate conference.</p>
<p>According to government’s <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/about/the-chief-scientist/">website</a>, the ACS:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>reports directly to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research […] and also works closely with the Prime Minister both in his role as Executive Officer of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council and in order to provide detailed scientific advice.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Much obliged</h2>
<p>Australian Nobel laureate <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-c-doherty-169/profile_bio">Peter Doherty</a> does not believe the position of Chief Scientist is one that politicians hold in much regard. Following Sackett’s resignation in 2011, he <a href="http://blogs.nature.com/news/2011/02/australian_cheif_scientist_met.html">was quoted</a> as saying:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think the new appointee [to the position of Chief Scientist] would have to be pretty naïve going into this parliament if they thought they were going to make much of a difference.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So again, an array of interesting questions presents itself. What responsibility, do science advisers have to speak out on significant issues when the science is clear? The ACS, <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/about/the-chief-scientist/">we are told</a>, should be a “champion of science, research and the role of evidence in the community and in government” and “a communicator of science to the general public”. </p>
<p>Should they consequently be vocal on the issue of anthropogenic climate change, then? And what of other issues?</p>
<p>Right now homeopathy groups are appearing before the government’s <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/phi-natural-therapies">Natural Therapies Review Advisory Committee</a> to present a case for continuing a rebate for their services. Should the ACS be making a public statement about this?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/23072/original/8w67xn5j-1367371247.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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia’s Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb speaking at the National Press Club in 2011.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And to what extent is a government obliged, or should it be obliged, to follow scientific advice? The current ACS, <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153/profile_bio">Ian Chubb</a>, in his <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2011/06/professor-ian-chubbs-address-to-the-national-press-club/">2011 address to the National Press Club</a> said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Quite rightly, politicians will take into account a wide range of considerations and from a multiplicity of sources – and make their decisions accordingly. My goal is to ensure they have no excuses for not having the relevant scientific advice in front of them. Ultimately, what they do with that advice is their business.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>One can only assume such opportunities present themselves for Chubb, as they did not seem to for Sackett, who experienced a subsequent lack of influence on policy formation. Last year, Chubb produced a valuable report on the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2012/05/health-of-australian-science-report-2/">Health of Australian Science</a>, but the logical connection between the report and government action is not clear.</p>
<h2>Walking the line</h2>
<p>That lack of clarity leads to another thorny issue, and one now in the spotlight in the UK: what line must be walked between promoting science and technology in general and promoting specific enterprises, companies and products, especially those seen as vehicles of high scientific returns? </p>
<p>As technical sectors grow and dominate the landscape, how are these to be promoted separately from the rewards they deliver? To what extent are advisers susceptible to pressure from commercial operations, be it direct or through public opinion and political channels?</p>
<p>These will be interesting questions to address as the roles grow over time.</p>
<p>While there is a lack of precision in the ACS role description (not entirely a bad thing) there is certainly a lack of corresponding specificity in how their advice is to be taken, or even how it is to be delivered. The experience of Sackett, who also <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-02-23/resigning-chief-scientist-never-briefed-gillard/1954718">called upon the government</a> to clarify the role, does not suggest such advice is highly valued.</p>
<p>A tremendous amount of scientific work is channelled through our Chief Scientists and into the ears of politicians. They are vested with this collective credibility and should, in the best of all possible worlds, be drivers of policy and familiar public faces.</p>
<p>While there is no question that the calibre of our Australian Chief Scientists is and has been outstanding, it would be nice to know they had the respect and attention not only of the Australian population, but of the politicians they work so hard to inform.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/13844/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Ellerton 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>Without good advice, governments are in extreme danger of creating erroneous or damaging public policy. So it’s a serious matter when a government science adviser is accused of ignoring scientific evidence…Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.