22 Aug: Vol 24, #12 - UWA News staff magazine - The University of ...

UWAnewsA cathedralThe Gravity Discovery Centre has won itsfounders, UWA’s David Blair and CurtinUniversity’s John de Laeter, the $10,000Australian Government Eureka Prize forpromoting the understanding of science.The science centre dedicated to the big questions of theuniverse was first conceived as a visitor centre for the AustralianInternational Gravitational Observatory near Gingin.“We are searching for gravity waves predicted by Einstein butnever seen,” said physicist Professor David Blair, Head of theGravity Wave Research Group.“The new information this discovery could give us about ouruniverse is staggering. We knew we had to share the excitementof our search with the public.”Emeritus Professor John de Laeter from Curtin University ofTechnology worked with Professor Blair to create the Centre.His experience in bringing science to the public through hisinvolvement with the founding of Scitech made him the idealperson to chair the Gravity Discovery Centre Foundation.Working in their spare time with a team of volunteers, theyhave raised more than $5 million. Among the many attractions atthe growing centre are the largest publicly accessible telescope inthe southern hemisphere and a collaborative telescope that letsstudents study the night sky in other countries.Since the Centre opened in 2003, students have measured theEarth’s rotation with a Foucault Pendulum; taken a one kilometrescale walk to the edge of the Solar System; and studied howobjects move as they fall into a giant Black Hole.They can listen to themselves in the past using the Time Coil;hear the song of the wind on an Aeolian harp resonating througha giant interferometer pipe; learn about Australian technologyinnovations; and cook their lunches on solar barbeques.Professor Blair calls it a cathedral to the heartbeat of space.Professor David Blair (below) and Professor John de Laeter (above) atthe opening of the Gravity Discovery Centre nearly two years agoto theheartbeatof spaceFrank Howarth, Director of the Australian Museum, whichawards the Eureka Prize said: “Every culture has asked questionsabout Life and the Universe. Professor Blair and Professorde Laeter are giving the next generation of explorers theopportunity to discover the answers in unique ways. They areworthy winners of the $10,000 Australian Government EurekaPrize for promoting understanding of science.”The prize is awarded to individuals or groups for outstandingworks of science communication and outreach that promoteinterest and enthusiasm about science in the general communityand enhance the public’s ability to assimilate information onscientific issues in an informed and accurate manner, or increasethe community’s understanding of the value of continuing withscience studies in senior secondary school and beyond.The award is sponsored by the Commonwealth Minister forEducation, Science and Training.EDITOR/WRITERUWAnews Lindy BrophyTel: 6488 2436 Fax: 6488 1192 Email: lindy.brophy@uwa.edu.auEDITOR-IN-CHIEFColin Campbell-Fraser Tel: 6488 2889 Fax: 6488 1020Designed, typeset and printed by UniPrint, UWAPlease note our new web addressUWAnews online: http://uwanews.publishing.uwa.edu.au/THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 22 AUGUST 2005