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On climate change, Chubb said he regarded his role as providing the Australian government with the best scientific advice. The evidence in favor of manmade climate change is strong enough that governments should try to slow the

Climate change is a hot political issue in Australia. The failed effort in 2010 to establish a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse emissions led to the resignation of Australia’s previous prime minister, Kevin Rudd. On the day I met Chubb, the Australian Senate had just passed a different carbon-limiting scheme. Under the Clean Energy Bill, around 500 power stations, factories, and other heavy users of fossil fuels will be required to buy permits for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit. The revenue will be used to lower personal income tax and to fund clean-energy initiatives.

Australia’s unique geography is a factor in its science. The country’s vast, largely unpopulated interior provides an excellent site for SKA and other astronomical facilities that require dark or radio-quiet skies. Australia grows enough food to feed three times its population. If climate change imperils Australia’s farmland, the loss of production will be felt beyond its borders.

Geographically of course, Australia is quite different from, say, Spain or the Netherlands. The sixth biggest country in the world, Australia occupies an entire continent and is located almost as far as cartographically possible from both the ancestral homeland of most of its citizens, the UK, and its most powerful military ally, the US.

In its population (22.7 million) and GDP ($1.2 trillion), Australia resembles a medium-sized European country. Its scientific output is that of a rich, advanced nation. According to Thomson-Reuters, of the world’s scientific papers published in 2006пІп‚БЂњ10 was 3.17%, 10 times its share of the world’s population. Australia is particularly strong in molecular biology and genetics and in immunology. In both fields in 2008, papers from Australia garnered on average more than 20 citations each.

Our hour-long conversation ranged over several topics, including climate change, education, and Australia’s bid with New Zealand to host what will become the world’s biggest, most sensitive telescope, the (SKA). I was aware of Australia’s strengths in astronomy, medicine, and other fields of science. But after listening to Chubb, I came away with the impression that Australia has another, less well-known strength: science policy.

Chubb is a neuroscientist, whose research focuses on the biochemistry of signal transmission. Before he took up his position, he served as the vice chancellorпІп‚БЂ«that is, the chief executive officerпІп‚БЂ«of the Australian National University in Canberra.

Last week I visited the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC, to have a chat with , Australia’s chief scientist. He was in town to promote Australian science and to meet science policy makers. He’d just arrived from London; his next stop was Ottawa.

A chat with Australia’s chief scientist

THE DAYSIDE is the blog of Charles Day, Physics TodayпІп‚Б„ўs online editor. His short essays range all over the physics landscape and beyond.

A chat with Australia's chief scientist - The Dayside