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for Sunday 25 May, 2003
Sydney Dance Company Cafe
Sydney Writers’ Festival, 2003
The Scientist as Literary Hero
From HG Wells to Stephen Jay Gould, generations of writers have examined the progress and implications of scientific research. In the past, scientists were often depicted as amoral at best, but more often, insane and sometimes evil. With the growing interest in popular science writing, science has become a best-seller – and some science writers now have the status of international stars. But is it just a passing fad, or is popular science writing here to stay? Join ABC Radio National’s Alan Saunders in a lively discussion with Brenda Maddox, Ros Haynes, Bob Beale and Cathy Foley.
Today’s Specials
HOST: Dr Alan Saunders, writer and broadcaster
GUESTS:Dr Brenda Maddox, writer,
Dr Ros Haynes, University of NSW
Bob Beale, writer
Dr Cathy Foley, senior researcher, CSIRO
Entree
About Cafe Scientific
The first ‘Cafe Scientifique’ sessions were held in the UK in Leeds in 1998. Since then, they have sprung up in Newcastle, Nottingham and Oxford and the network has now begun to expand to other cities in the UK, the USA, Canada and even Egypt. When the event came to Australia, the name Cafe Scientific was adopted.
The sessions are entirely different from the usual talks and seminars given at universities and institutions. Instead of one person lecturing others, Cafe Scientific is designed for group discussion. The event usually features a host and a range of different speakers, but the debate is always open for the audience to join in at any time.
You are welcome to join the discussion. If you want to make a comment, ask a question or suggest an answer - just wave or yell for the microphone. We're recording the session so we want all the questions and comments included. It isn't necessarily going to air - there would be editing before hand anyway - so if you say something REALLY silly - let us know if something should be edited out!
Main Course
HOST
Dr Alan Saunders, ABC
Alan studied philosophy at the University of Leicester, and Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics. He came to Australia in 1981 to pursue research in the History of Ideas Unit at the Australian National University and was awarded a PhD Alan joined the ABC Science Unit in 1987, and founded The Food Program. He was co-presenter of Screen, a weekly program about film and television and since 1997, Alan has presented Radio National’s The Comfort Zone - a program that debates and celebrates architecture and design, landscape and gardens, and food (Saturdays at 9am). Alan has written about food and other topics for the ABC's Delicious magazine and the Good Weekend. He is the author of A is for Apple (Random House) and published his first novel, Alanna, in 2002. In 1992 Alan Saunders was awarded the Pascall Prize for critical writing and broadcasting.
GUESTS
Brenda Maddox
Brenda is a London-based biographer, broadcaster and critic. She recently published "Rosalind Franklin: the Dark Lady of DNA" and "Maggie: The First Lady", a short life of Margaret Thatcher. Her other biographies include "George's Ghosts: The Secret Life of W.B. Yeats", "D.H. Lawrence: The Married Man", and "Nora", about the life of Nora Barnacle, the wife of James Joyce. Brenda is a contributor to the Observer, the New Statesman, the New York Times, the Washington Post BBC's Radio 4 and wrote for The Economist. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, past chair of the Broadcasting Press Guild, and of the Association of British Science Writers and a member of the Royal Society's committee on Science and Society. Brenda holds a degree in English literature cum laude from Harvard. In private life, she is Lady Maddox, wife of Sir John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature, and divides her time between London and Wales.
Dr Roslynn Haynes
Roslynn Haynes is Associate Professor in the School of English at the University of New South Wales. She first studied Biochemistry, working on the replication mechanisms of DNA before turning to the study of Literature. However, she has remained very interested in interfaces between disciplines, including that between science and literature. Her PhD thesis at the University of Leicester, and her first book, were on the thoughts and writing of H.G Wells. One of her more recent books, From Faust to Strangelove:Representations of the Scientist in Western Literature, explores popular perceptions of scientists and the emotions they generate.
Bob Beale
Bob Beale is a Sydney freelance writer specialising in science, environment and health. He worked at the Sydney Morning Herald from 1985 until 1997, including as Science and Environment Editor. Bob has recently written for The Bulletin magazine, Australian Doctor, Medical Observer, The Reader¹s Digest, Ecos, The New Zealand Herald and (in the US) HMS Beagle, The Scientist and Experience Life. He is the author of two non-fiction books: The Vanishing Continent, (with Peter Fray), and Men - From Stone Age To Clone Age: The Science Of Being Male. Bob is currently completing Going Native (co-authored with Australian Museum director, Michael Archer). Bob has judged the Eureka Prize for science books, and the Walkley and Prodi Awards for journalism. He has won the Michael Daley Eureka Prize for Science Journalism, plus awards from NSW Landcare Award and the Australian Skeptics.
Dr Cathy Foley
Cathy is a Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Telecommunications and Industrial Physics. She is well known for her interests in physics, science education, women in science, science in the media (she was a regular weekly guest on ABC Radio 702 for 5 years) and nuclear disarmament. She is the project leader of the Superconducting Devices and Applications Project which is developing High Temperature Superconducting systems for Mineral Exploration, detection of metal for quality assurance in manufacturing, electrode-less heart monitors and remote detection of contra band at airports. This multimillion-dollar project helped with the discovery and delineation of the BHP Cannington Silver mine and her team is currently commercialising their systems. Her group were the first team to successfully fly superconducting systems.