Australia has a new hero today in Australian National University professor Brian Schmidt, who was announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics for his work in proving that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.
Schmidt, who was born in the US but became an Australian citizen in 1995, will share the prize with American researchers Adam Riess of Johns Hopkins University and Saul Perlmutter from the University of California.
The Canberra-based scientist sounded giddy when interviewed by ABC Radio this morning.
“Well, I feel like when my first child was born. I’m kind of weak in the knees,” he said.
He’ll be off to Stockholm in December to collect a prize of more than $1.5 million but Schmidt has more immediate priorities – like teaching a class on cosmology this afternoon.
For me that’s almost the best part of this story – the idea that a superstar of the science world will still be actively working in education despite his lofty new title of Nobel Laureate.
It reinforces the importance of building a strong innovation culture in society, where research and education are prized, cherished and properly supported.
While I can’t speak about any potential commercial application of Schmidt’s work, that’s not really the point.
His win should provide a boost for every scientist working on a development that could launch the next great Australian business – or even a new industry.
In some ways Schmidt’s victory is perfectly timed.
Tomorrow the Government will sit down with unions and employer groups for a jobs forum that is designed to look at ways to lift jobs in sectors such as manufacturing and steel.
Those sectors have been hit hard by structural change and saving them in their current form will be tough.
I am sure there will be a lot of talk tomorrow about the need to invest heavily in education and training to help lead the Australian economy into what everyone is calling the Asian century.
It is only though that investment that a culture of innovation can be built and sustained, so perhaps Brian Schmidt can stand as an example of what can happen when we get that culture right.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
