Visiting professor takes UOW astronomy students to the dark side
Renowned astrophysicist Professor Alan Duffy's mission at the University of Wollongong was simple.
"I'm here to get a couple students interested in taking part in the great expedition to the dark side of the universe," he said.
"What we've discovered in the last few decades is that we are at the tip of the iceberg...there is a whole dark side of our universe that exists.
"We need to understand that is really the quest I think that will obsess people like myself and hopefully a few of the younger students as well."
The lead scientist at the Royal Institute of Australia delivered a talk titled Darkness Visible Down Under to UOW astronomy students today.
Professor Duffy said decades of research has led astronomers to conclude there is a new, invisible type of mass called dark matter which outweighs normal matter six to one.
The science communicator added Australia was taking a leading role, internationally, in uncovering the nature of this mysterious dark matter.
"To start with we have put the first dark matter detector in the southern hemisphere at the bottom of a goldmine. This is a collaboration involving a number of national and international universities," Prof Duffy said.
"Australia is at the frontier of the hunt for this dark matter and I'm hoping I can get a couple of students interested taking part in that great expedition."
The UOW talk came just a day after the federal government committed $35 million to fund the National Dark Matter Centre of Excellence.
The centre will be headed by Professor Elisabetta Barberio from the University of Melbourne.
"Under her leadership I expect Australia will now take prime position on the hunt for dark matter," Prof Duffy said.
It has an economy that is worth $400 billion globally and Australia is poised to take its rightful share of that thanks to our new space agency.
Professor Alan Duffy
"Dark matter is one of the world's major physics questions of our century, of our age. Understanding what this new particle is, is as big as trying to find the God particle, that was discovered or gravitational waves.
"It really doesn't get much bigger or fundamental then understanding the nature of dark matter."
That's why Prof Duffy was supportive of universities like UOW, which plans on running its 'Concepts of the Universe' course over three semesters in 2020, as opposed to one this year.
"I support anything that enables this new generation of students to be part of one of the most exciting careers there is," he said.
"And, now is the perfect time to start a career in space.
"It has an economy that is worth $400 billion globally and Australia is poised to take its rightful share of that thanks to our new space agency.
"I hope these students enrol and get themselves a head start on this new career, which I think will be amazing."
Prof Duffy will also give a talk for the Institute of Interesting Ideas at The Pavilion in Kiama on Friday from 5pm.
He will talk about the future of space travel and Australia's place in it. Tickets available here.