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POLL RESULTS
Was primitive life first seeded on Earth from space?
Eighty-one per cent of you are open to the possibility that the ancestors of all life on Earth were alien microbes born on another celestial body and transferred here on a comet or meteorite. View the full results and add your commentsThis week’s poll: NASA just turned 50 - but who will be the world’s premier space agency in another 50 years time? Have your say
THE WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
Robot lander detects snow falling on Mars
A laser instrument on NASA’s Phoenix lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds. Found at the Red Planet’s north pole, falling light levels threaten to deprive the probe of power within months.
ANSTO: Opal reactor leaking water, but safe
Australia’s OPAL nuclear reactor is facing new criticism that a fault, allowing water to seep internally, renders it unsafe. This follows a fuel issue that already forced the reactor to close for ten months.
‘Eye flicker’ explains optical illusion
Tiny eye movements may be responsible for the optical illusion of a famous artwork. The discovery hints at how we are fooled by other illusions too.
Chinese complete successful spacewalk
Three Chinese astronauts returned safely to Earth last night after making the country’s first spacewalk.
Failure on climate will “haunt humanity”
Failure to curb global warming would “haunt humanity” forever, Australia’s top climate adviser said Tuesday as he urged the country to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050. |
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IN FOCUS: A full-time obsession
 It’s been 12 long years, but Australia finally has a Chief Scientist who’ll be advising national policy on a full-time basis again. On Tuesday, the Labor government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed physicist and astronomer, Penny Sackett. The first woman to hold the position, she will start in November, replacing plant geneticist Jim Peacock whose term ended on August 31.The position was created by former Labor PM Bob Hawke in 1989. But it was downgraded to a part-time role in 1996 by the incoming government of Liberal PM John Howard. And there it stayed until Labor regained office in December last year. Australia’s Chief Scientist provides information and advice on policy and research, and leads the PM’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council. It’s a vital link between senior levels of national government and the science communities in academia, industry and learned societies.
To have such a crucial role performed “between jobs” decries the importance of science to solving modern problems. Britain’s former chief scientist, Sir David King, made the point that many serious challenges society faces today – climate change, food and water security, and deforestation to name a few – require scientists to be at the core of decision making. They’re not just people you call in when the plumbing’s not working.
Sackett is a theoretical physicist who has worked on dark matter and helped pioneer a technique to hunt for extrasolar planets. The director of the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, she is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a director of the Giant Magellan Telescope, a project to build the world’s most powerful optical telescope. She is well connected internationally and has a reputation for being innovative and managing complex and groundbreaking scientific projects. She is therefore an excellent candidate to provide comprehensive and timely advice on the scientific and technological issues of importance to Australia – while also bolstering the standing of science in government.
It’s worthy to note that, in his announcement, science minister Kim Carr said he hoped Sackett will also “encourage young Australians to see science as an exciting career option.” I agree. Science is a living, breathing segment of our society where interesting people do amazing things, and where young people can have rewarding, fulfilling lives. We’re doing our bit at COSMOS, telling the stories of science in a personal and engaging way. And you are too – by reading this newsletter and by continuing to be interested and fascinated by science.
Wilson da Silva
Editor-in-Chief
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COSMOS ONLINE FEATURE
 Fifty years on, NASA looks to new frontiers
Half a century after NASA was created at the height of the Cold War – when the U.S. sought to prove its superiority by winning the Moon race – the agency faces new challenges. |
COSMOS ONLINE OPINION
 Lunar love affair
There are good scientific reasons for returning people to the Moon, says Malcolm Walter, and for Australia to participate much more fully in international space programs. |
BONUS MAGAZINE FEATURE
 Ocean wilderness
As big as California, the world’s largest protected marine area recently opened for business, and it’s already doing a brisk trade in conservation. We went island-hopping in Micronesia to find out more. |
NEW COSMOS - OUT THIS WEEK!
 The October/November edition is available in stores now! Discover what may be the world’s largest fossil: a reef perhaps as long as the Great Barrier Reef, which drowned long ago. Go hunting with astronomers for the supermassive black hole hiding in the Milky Way and learn about our options for sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Plus we ask if insects are the next gourmet cuisine and probe the health benefits of nicotine. View the full contents. |
COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Got any comments or suggestions for the newsletter or the website? Let us know: online@cosmosmagazine.com |
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