You are invited to join the Australian Academy of Science in exploring the remarkable work of Professor Sir Mark Oliphant AC KBE FAA FTSE FRS—one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century and the Academy’s founding President.

On what would have been his 123rd birthday, this fifth instalment of the 2024 public speaker series will focus on Professor Oliphant’s crucial contributions to the development of particle accelerators, and how his scientific expertise contributed to some of the most significant technological breakthroughs which continue to improve our lives today. Our speakers will also look at Oliphant's impact more broadly, and how he helped build Australia's understanding of science and its importance to society.

Professor Nanda Dasgupta FAA and Dr Ed Simpson from the Australian National University (ANU) will dive into Professor Oliphant’s pioneering research on nuclear fusion and learn how his experiments paved the way for our modern understanding of energy release from atomic nuclei. We will discover how his early work laid the foundation for future innovations in nuclear technology.