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After an outstanding year of science and space events I grabbled with the thorny issue of summarising my highlights to a top 10 for theconversation (I could have easily listed another ten!) Unsurprisingly the main story of the year was Pluto.
Read MoreIt was a busy day preparing for the Government’s new innovation policy, I chatted about what I hope to see and also what I thought would happen. Then I was able to sneak in some tips on viewing the Geminids meteor shower next week as well as some astonishing new images from the recent New Horizons flyby of Pluto.
Read MoreDeeply honoured to be featured alongside everyday Australian legends as Commbank’s Australian of the Day campaign. Fun chatting to them about my work on Dark Matter as well as helping inspire and educate Australians about the awesomeness of science.
Read MoreI had a horribly awkward fanboy moment when I got to meet the legend himself Buzz Aldrin! There are few people in this world I consider a living legend but Buzz is one, so getting to shake his hand and then hear about his experiences on the Moon and his hoped for plans about getting to Mars was incredible.
Read MoreI wrote an article for Cosmos Magazine explaining how NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft detected streams of Martian air blasted away by the Solar Wind. This tiny trickle (100g / s) was seen to increase 10-15x during even a moderate Solar Storm (or Coronal Mass Ejection). As the Sun was more active when younger these slow and fast processes of stripping air from Mars could explain how the red planet was transformed from a water rich world 4bn years go into the barren desert it is today.
Read MoreOne of the best science lectures I've ever seen was at Monash University by Caltech's legend GR expert Prof Kip Thorne giving the Einstein Centenary lecture to celebrate a century since General Relativity was released to the world. Fittingly, he used the examples of Interstellar's Black Holes, time dilation and 5-dimensional (bulk) beings to make the topic all the more accessible to the (sold out) auditorium.
Read MoreThis Monday will see the last lunar eclipse of the tetrad (sequence of four). A beautiful sight as the moon turns 'blood' red that millions across Europe and America will enjoy. For some however they see it as the apocalypse. Unsurprisingly I am less pessimistic in my explanation on theconversation.
Read MoreDark matter is invisible and able to pass through matter almost completely without notice. As you might imagine finding it is a challenge. By using telescopes, particle colliders and 'glowing' crystals at the bottom of goldmines we are honing in on this mysterious new particle.
Read MoreAre we alone? It's a fundamental question that haunts us as we look up into a cold, dark sky and (so far as we know!) the answer is yes, but perhaps for not too much longer. With $100m from the Breakthrough Listen project Australia will be leading the search for ET's signals. This is something that everyone is fascinated by, including politicians! Myself and a group of distinguished scientists gave a briefing at Parliament House to, amongst others, then Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane and Minister for Science Karen Andrews (seen above with me politely trying not to be bored by my awful ramblings).
You can watch the interview at the National Library of Australia hosted by 666 ABC Canberra's Genevieve Jacobs, Nobel Laureate Prof Brian Schmidt, Prof Naomi McClure-Griffiths, Laureate Fellow Prof Matthew Bailes, Prof Paul Davies and yours truly (completely out of my depth!)
You can also listen to the earlier news briefing arranged by AusSMC (Australian Science Media Centre)
Read MoreAn amazing chance to open for Neil deGrasse Tyson in front of 5000 people, speaking about dark matter and generally hanging out with him backstage (and yes he's a top dude).
Read MoreModern life can seem overwhelmingly complex. By showing the astounding insights into the world we live in from asking three brief questions, I told the Sydney Opera House that sometimes the best way to understand something complex is to ask a simple question.
Read MoreWith the excitement of our funding secured to build the world's first dark matter detector in the Southern Hemisphere in Stawell, Victoria we hosted VIPs and a film crew from 7's Sunrise Weekend. It was 30+ degrees and 100% humidity a km underground but that's where you need to go to search for dark matter!
Read MoreJust an amazing experience heading up to the beautiful Pilbara region of West Australia to speak about aboriginal astronomy. I was part of an amazing lineup of speakers and events for the Karijini Experience, featuring everything from indigenous basket weaving techniques to Opera in the Gorge by the incomparable Deborah Cheetham
Read MoreI managed to corner the Prime Minister for a chat about my research during Science Meets Parliament when 200 scientists descended on Canberra to learn how to talk science to the funding bodies and politicians.
Read MoreI was honoured to be given the chance to tell the school my life and what lessons I've learnt from working in science and how they might be able to follow. And of course I mention the SKA!
Read MoreThe Pilbara is big, isolated and gorgeous. It's also a beautiful place to view the stars from and is filled with curious school kids who attend my talks on indigenous astronomy and dark matter. I also got to explain just what it is I do as an astronomer and how they could get into science too.
Read MoreI got to indulge my geek side with the rest of the awesome panel on the Splendid Chaps' podcast discussing the Science of Doctor Who. Little did I know this would lead to a BBC supported national tour with the RiAus' Science of Doctor Who Live.
Read MoreI spoke at Fed Square for The Age's Science at the Edge event discussing the search for habitable worlds as part of the search for life with three other scientists.
Read MoreI spent a fun day in the gorgeous Dandenong ranges East of Melbourne chatting to the schools there as part of the Mt Burnett Observatory Science Day. Hundreds of pupils attended a day-long series of talks at the Observatory (where I got to show off the helioscope to view the Sun in H-alpha) and then I headed to Emerald High School to speak there about Australian astronomy.
Read MoreIt was an honour to make it all the way to the State Finals for the national Fresh Science competition to find great science in the country and learn how to present it to the general public.
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