August 30, 2019

‘You don’t have to be an astronomer to play a vital role in astronomy’

Visiting science personality Alan Duffy inspires UOW students

Visiting astronomer Professor Alan Duffy dazzled University of Wollongong students and staff with his knowledge about dark matter on Thursday, August 29.

The lead scientist at the Royal Institute of Australia delivered a talk titled Darkness Visible Down Under to UOW astronomy students.

He took questions from students after the 12.30 lecture, and was so generous with his time at the University that he nearly missed a studio interview at ABC Illawarra planned for 4pm.

There is a great future in astronomy according to Professor Duffy, and you don’t have to be an astrophysicist to make a difference.

Professor Alan Duffy at UOW speaks to a lecture theatre of astronomy students on Thursday

“We have the largest telescope that will ever be built, being built in Australia and South Africa,” he said.

“The biggest demand in astronomy is not for astronomers like me, it’s for computer scientists and electrical engineers who can figure out how you deploy 100,000 telescopes, wire them up and process data at a rate that is greater than the internet each and every day.”

Meanwhile, interest in the UOW astronomy subject is booming to the extent the UOW Physics School will offer the subject, previously offered in Spring only, in Spring and Autumn sessions from 2020. 

Professor Duffy is part of a team who were recently pledged $35 million in funding from the federal government to investigate the nature of dark matter.

In order to make the case to government, Professor Duffy’s team outlined a number of technological benefits that would come as a result of the research, leading to medical and defence improvements.

He said the discovery of dark matter could have incredible implications.

“We are trying to advance our knowledge of the fundamental building blocks of matter,” Professor Duffy said.

“This is exactly where we were a century and a half ago when we could see the trees move, but we didn’t know what atoms were. Imagine what we will gain from making that kind of discovery in comparison to discovering what the atom was. Eventually we could split the atom.”

While acknowledging there’s an art to science communication, Professor Duffy who makes regular appearances on the ABC and The Project would encourage more researchers to engage with the public through the media.

“I would certainly encourage any researcher to try and explain their science to the public, because ultimately the taxpayer is their boss,” he said.

“The bulk of science research is publicly funded.”