Last year we heard the stories of two important Australian scientists.
Our first hero was a Gippsland boy who put Melbourne on the immunological map. His idea of how B cells find their one true antigen love through chopping up their own DNA and wearing their protein heart on their sleeve earned him a Nobel Prize. He was also the very first Australian of the Year, awarded on this day in 1960. Hear Dr Sam Fiorenze talk about his science hero Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet.
Our next hero’s top-secret radar work led to her being a pioneer in radio astronomy when she pointed her antenna to the sky to see what happened. She made some key discoveries about the sun, including calculating its temperature and the magnetic fields of solar flares. Importantly, she also paved the way for women scientists in Australia. Hear Belinda Nicholson talk about her science hero Ruby Payne-Scott.
