Published on the 20th February 2017 by ANSTO Staff
Emeritus Professor of Physics Max Brennan AO will explore the topic, “Big Science—Value for Money” in a Distinguished Lecture at ANSTO on 21 March 2017.
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| Credit: ITER Organization/EJF Riche |
Using the examples of the Large Hadron Collider, optical, radio and gravitational astronomy facilities and the fusion energy tokamak ITER, Prof Brennan will illustrate how these facilities address some of the major unanswered questions in science as well as deliver a whole range of major benefits.
“In addition to contributing to the global advancement of knowledge, these benefits range from contributions to our culture to direct impacts on social, economic and environmental developments,” said Prof Brennan.
‘Big Science’ facilities in Australia, which required a significant government investment, include the OPAL multi-purpose nuclear reactor.
Following completion of his PhD, Prof Brennan had a distinguished career as a research associate at Princeton University, followed by positions at Flinders University and the University of Sydney. He conducted research in cosmic rays, nuclear physics and plasma physics.
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Prof Brennan served as Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Sydney and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1988.
He served on international and national committees, including as Chairman of the International Fusion Research Council, Australian Atomic Energy Commission and the Australian Research Council Chief as well as an appointment as Chief Scientist for South Australia.