Book launch of The Curious Country
3 December 2013
I’m delighted to represent the Australian Government at the launch of this fascinating book.
I do convey Ian Macfarlane’s apologies for not attending.
To all of the contributors can I say, what an amazing journey. What you’ve been able to do is actually take people on a journey with you. You have written it in such a way that those not familiar with scientific jargon or terminology, will easily understand it.
It’s engaging, it’s real, it’s explanatory and it talks about things that are important to people and their lives. As the editor of the book Leigh Dayton said, not every chapter or essay will be for everyone.
What I’ve found in life is, engaging people and starting the process of taking them on the journey with you, is an effective way of gaining their interest. I feel that some of the essays here will be read by many students, who are at the point of making a decision about whether they follow a certain career path or study path. This book may just sow the seed of interest and excitement for them to join a career in science. I think this is what this book will truly achieve.
I don’t know how many of the authors, being academics, felt about writing about topics so complex, so simply. But I encourage you in doing so because when it comes to the sciences, most people don’t understand the language that you use, that’s why they indeed come to university to further their studies, so they understand and can fully comprehend what you say. This simplified explanation of your areas of expertise, allows families to show their children the wonders of science and perhaps get them interested in a future career in this.
The E-book is good, I’ve read a few chapters, and in particular, I’d like to mention the contribution a former parliamentarian and good friend, Dr Brendan Nelson, about diplomacy and science.
He talks about the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and that it was the fourth topic of discussion in a meeting with the European Union. That conversation became the start of a collaborative approach between countries. What is very interesting is that the last time I was a member of Parliament in this capacity, it was in the room next door where we launched the bid for the Square Kilometre Array project. I was heartened to see the project went ahead.
When people are engaged, things connect. When you get that connection, you have the ability to take people on that journey with you. Of course, my background is in industry and marine sciences, and had times been different and economic fortunes been different when I was a young 15-year-old, I would’ve possibly persued the sciences at University.
In launching this E-Book, can I say well done, great effort and money well-spent because I think people will benefit from the book. What I like in particular is the fact it’s going online, it will be freely available and when people start to google for scientific topics, this tool will start to come up and they can then have access to the book and importantly it is another avenue of information.
Congratulations to the Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, the book’s editor Leigh Dayton and to all the authors in your book.
It sheds valuable and grounded light on the breadth and quality of Australian science.
Thankyou.
