Pittwater Online News

 2016 NSW Australian of the Year finalists announced

November 16, 2015

2016 NSW Australian of the Year - Elizabeth Broderick 

2016 NSW Senior Australian of the Year - Professor Gordian Fulde 

2016 NSW Young Australian of the Year - Melissa Abu-Gazaleh

2016 NSW Local Hero - Dr Catherine Keenan

Chairman of the Australia Day Council of NSW, Angelos Frangopoulos, has announced the 2016 NSW Australian of the Year Award recipients at a ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney this evening.

The NSW Premier Mike Baird praised the 2016 NSW Australian of the Year Award recipients.

“Congratulations to all of the NSW finalists who should be so proud that the contributions they make to our society have been recognised at this level,” Mr Baird said.

“Together they have advocated for equality, supported the disadvantaged, and cared those less fortunate than themselves. Their efforts and leadership have helped so many people and will continue to do so as they inspire others to lead by example.

“I would like to commend each of our four winners and wish them the best of luck as they are considered for the national Awards to be announced on Australia Day eve.”

Elizabeth Broderick has been named 2016 NSW Australian of the Year for her work as a social change innovator.

It takes a special person to bring together captains of industry and Defence Force chiefs to address gender inequality. But that’s exactly what Elizabeth Broderick has done. As Sex Discrimination Commissioner from 2007 to 2015, Elizabeth was single-minded in her determination to break down the structural and social barriers preventing women from reaching their potential. A key advocate for Australia’s national paid parental leave scheme, Elizabeth fought for changes to the ASX Corporate Governance Principles to increase the number of women at decision-making level. She developed the Male Champions of Change strategy, enlisting a ‘who’s who’ of powerful businessmen to tackle sex discrimination in the workplace and her review into the treatment of women in the Australian Defence Force led to large-scale cultural change. Elizabeth has advised the United Nations and NATO, established mentoring programs for women and is a loud voice in the struggle against gender-based violence. Elizabeth continues to speak out and strive for gender equality.

Professor Gordian Fulde has been awarded 2016 NSW Senior Australian of the Year.

From midnight to dawn, while most people are in bed, 67 year old Professor Gordian Fulde is presiding over one of Australia's busiest emergency departments. The Director of Emergency at St Vincent's Hospital and Sydney Hospital for more than three decades, Gordian is the longest serving emergency department director in Australia. The doctor on call when disaster strikes, Gordian has seen it all and is passionately outspoken about the scourge of ‘ice’ and alcohol- fuelled violence which delivers a flood of people into Australian hospitals each weekend. While you will occasionally see him appear on Kings Cross ER, Gordian is also actively involved in teaching and training students and staff in many facets of emergency medicine. A member of the Board of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, Gordian also supports many schools and community organisations, sharing his stories of working in an urban warzone, and warning of the dangers of a binge drinking culture, which is overwhelmingly the main cause of injury in Australia’s emergency departments.

The 2016 NSW Young Australian of the Year is 29 year old Kanahooka resident Melissa Abu-Gazaleh.

Tired of seeing young men painted as drunk and violent no-hopers, Melissa Abu-Gazaleh established the youth-led Top Blokes Foundation when she was just 19. As Chief Executive Officer of the New South Wales organisation, Melissa is helping Australia combat anti-social and risk-taking behaviours among young men and busting many negative stereotypes along the way. Reaching thousands of 14 to 24 year olds each year, the Top Blokes Foundation fosters young men's social inclusion, resilience and mental health, while empowering them to contribute to their community through volunteering. Melissa’s Junior Top Blokes Mentoring Program, for example, uses social education to challenge boys to address issues like alcohol, drugs, mental health, anger, masculinity and pornography. What started off as a “thing to do in her spare time” now occupies her every waking moment, and Melissa sits on boards, chairs committees and manages a team of 14 people who are passionate about youth leadership and empowering people to be agents of change.

Sydney’s Dr Catherine Keenan has been awarded 2016 NSW Local Hero for her work as a youth educator.

A former journalist, arts writer and literary editor, Catherine Keenan turned her back on her career in 2012 to help nurture the talent and creativity of marginalised young Australians. As the co-founder and executive director of the Sydney Story Factory, Catherine has helped thousands of primary and high school students express themselves through writing and storytelling. Catherine, who has a doctorate in English literature from Oxford University, is focused on helping people from Indigenous and non-English speaking backgrounds, but everyone is welcome to attend the Sydney Story Factory and all classes are free. With energy, enthusiasm and sheer hard work, Catherine has raised funds, established partnerships and trained more than 1,200 volunteers who work with students one-on-one or in small groups to teach them writing skills, cultivate their creativity and help them find their own voice. Catherine’s passion for language, literature and creative writing is building self-esteem and academic achievement, opening pathways to higher education and improving the life choices of many young Australians.

The NSW Award recipients will join recipients from the other States and Territories as finalists for the national Awards to be announced on 25 January 2016 in Canberra.

National Australia Day Council CEO, Jeremy Lasek, said the NSW Award recipients are four inspirational Australians.

"The NSW Award recipients are all extraordinary Australians passionately working to create a better society for now and the future. We are proud of all of them," said Mr Lasek.

For more than 36 years, the Commonwealth Bank has been a proud sponsor of the Australian of the Year Awards. Commonwealth Bank Chief Executive Officer, Ian Narev, congratulated the NSW Award recipients.

“Congratulations to the NSW recipients on being named national finalists in the Australian of the Year Awards. We recognisetheir inspirational contribution to our community and wish them well for the national Awards,” said Mr Narev.

For more information on the Australian of the Year Awards finalists visit the Honour Roll.

Top: UNSW St Vincent's Clinical School Associate Professor Gordian Fulde

 Indigenous PhD graduate blends traditional medicine and modern science

18 November, 2015:  Dan Wheelahan - UNSW

Thanks to knowledge from his elders, La Perouse community’s first indigenous PhD graduate, Dr Shaney Ingrey, is using modern science to shine a spotlight on the medicinal potential of local plants.

The Dharawal people of southern Sydney have known about the medicinal benefits of the local flora for millennia, but thanks to knowledge passed down the generations, the local community’s first indigenous PhD graduate is using modern science to shine a new spotlight on the plants' potential.

Dr Shaney Ingrey has become the fourth Indigenous student to graduate from UNSW with a PhD in 2015, receiving his doctorate in microbiology during a ceremony on the Kensington campus last week.

As he told The Australian newspaper, his study, which put traditional knowledge under the blowtorch of modern microbiology, has found a scientific explanation for some of the plants’ medicinal qualities — and could yield new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, viral infections or even cancer.

“When I was talking to my grandmother about these plants, she would say which ones to use and which ones not to use. She’d say: ‘Use these plants for your study but keep these other ones to yourself’”.

Dr Ingrey isolated endophytes — bacteria and fungi that live in plant tissue — and screened their DNA for genes that produce antibiotic proteins.

When the tests came back positive, he cultivated the natural products of these organisms and tested them again for antibacterial and antifungal activity.

The project identified five natural substances already known to have antibiotic qualities, as well as a previously unknown polyketide — a compound produced by the same class of enzymes that generates many modern pharmaceuticals and insecticides.

Transforming traditional knowledge into modern drugs is nothing new. Youyou Tu, co-winner of this year’s Nobel prize for medicine, developed malaria therapies from herbal traditions rooted in the discoveries of a 4th-century Chinese alchemist.

But unlike Chinese traditions, Aboriginal medicinal insights were never written down.

“Our knowledge was all passed down by word of mouth,” Dr Ingrey says.

That knowledge was passed down from Dr Ingrey’s great-grandmother who was born in an Aboriginal camp on La Perouse beach in the late 1800s.

“Most of the stuff for the study came from my grandmother. When I was talking to her about these plants, she would say which ones to use and which ones not to use.

“The plants were used for infected wounds, sore throats, upset stomachs, fungal infections. She’d say: ‘Use these plants for your study but keep these other ones to yourself’,” he says.

Dr Ingrey plans to apply for an Australian Research Council grant to continue the research.

In the meantime he teaches biology and maths to indigenous years 11 and 12 students at nearby Matraville Sports High School.

Some of them think they don’t have the talent to make it to uni, which couldn’t be further from the truth. They just need the right support.

Dr Ingrey was nurtured through UNSW’s Nura Gili program, a pathway scheme that embraces indigenous knowledge and culture.

“We are very proud of Dr Ingrey’s achievements, particularly given the nature of his PhD research topic,” says Dr Reuben Bolt, Acting Director and Academic Coordinator at UNSW’s Nura Gili Indigenous Programs Unit.

“The knowledge of traditional medicine passed down from his elders played a significant in shaping the science for the study.

“Dr Ingrey’s research will no doubt help raise awareness about the significance and wisdom of Indigenous knowledge, and the ways in which it can further assist in the development of new science.”

This story was originally published in The Australian.

Top: Dr Shane Ingrey, the forth indigenous student to graduate from UNSW in 2015 with a PhD, a record for the university. Photo: Dan Wheelahan

 International ironman event secured for Western Sydney

17 November 2015

The NSW Government has secured another major sporting event for Western Sydney with the 2017 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championships to be held in Penrith.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres made the announcement at the event location, Penrith’s International Regatta Centre, which is set to attract triathletes from around Australia and the Asia Pacific region to Western Sydney.

“The NSW Government is committed to bringing a diverse range of events to Western Sydney,” Mr Ayres said.

“The Sydney International Regatta Centre hosted the Ironman 70.3 Western Sydney in November last year, which attracted close to 1,300 visitors from interstate and overseas to the region, with a total visitor spend of more than $1.7 million.

“The elevation of this event to be the Asia Pacific Championships in 2017 is expected to attract more international participants and increase the profile of Western Sydney in the Asia Pacific region.”

The Ironman 70.3 is a triathlon race comprising of a 1.9 km swim, 90 km cycle and 21.1 km run covering a total of 113 km – or 70.3 miles

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said Western Sydney is a thriving events destination that offers visitors the opportunity to explore more of what’s on offer in both Sydney and Regional NSW.

“We have a stellar line-up of sporting events in Western Sydney, from the upcoming 2015 Ironman 70.3 Western Sydney, V8 Supercars Sydney 500 and AUS-X Open Supercross to events next year such as the Sydney International Rowing Regatta, Motorworld Sydney, Bledisloe Cup and the NRL Grand Final,” Ms Chipchase said.

 Australia signs new health cooperation agreements with China

17 November 2015

Australia has signed agreements with China this week, refreshing the framework for technical cooperation between the two countries on health issues, including communicable disease control, preventative health, and medicines policy.

The Minister for Health, Sussan Ley, has travelled to China to sign the Australia-China Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Plan of Action on Health Cooperation, with her Chinese counterpart, Dr Li Bin.

“Australia and China have a long and very strong relationship in health and there is much we can work closely on and continue to learn from each other,” Minister Ley said.

“The signing of these agreements comes 22 years after the first such agreements were signed in Canberra, providing an updated framework for cooperation. 

“The MoU provides a framework for collaboration on health related policy issues. Cooperation may include exchange of information, joint projects and participation at key meetings.

“The MoU is complemented by a three year Plan of Action. The Plan sets out a number of broad priority areas for cooperation such as health systems innovation and sustainability; communicable disease prevention and response; non-communicable disease prevention and management, including tobacco control; medicines policy, such as medicines procurement; and blood safety.”

Under the Plan of Action, China and Australia have agreed to hold annual ministerial and/or senior official meetings in the margins of key international meetings, such as the World Health Assembly, to discuss health policy issues of mutual interest. Activities may also include further reciprocal visits by officials and the sharing of information about key policy developments as opportunities arise.

“The signing of these new agreements is testimony to the strength and breadth of the bilateral relationship between China and Australia,” Minister Ley said.

While in Beijing, Minister Ley and Dr Li Bin discussed common challenges and opportunities in providing access to health services, particularly for people living in rural and remote areas, health technology assessment policy and tobacco control measures. 

“China and Australia share many common challenges in health and it is through visits such as this that we are able to learn from each other’s experiences and together work to build stronger health systems for our populations,” Minister Ley said. 

"It is pleasing that both Australia and China agree that the growing burden of chronic disease in both our countries requires a more co-ordinated approach that is centered around primary care. 

"This is something Australia remains committed to addressing through our Primary Health Care Advisory Group and I look forward to further cooperation between Australia and China in this area."

Ms Ley said there was also common agreement between the two nations about the need to fund new health technology and treatments efficiently and share knowledge on how best to achieve this, including in the areas of digital and Telehealth, as well as Australia's world-class public medicine subsidy system, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

“I also welcomed the opportunity to visit the Peking University Hospital to see the latest advances in acute care in China, and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss communicable disease control. 

“China plays a vital international role in preventing, reporting and responding to communicable disease outbreaks and health emergencies and this visit has reinforced the importance of cooperation in this area.”

 L’etape cycling race secured for Snowy region

18 November 2015

The inaugural L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France cycling race will take place from 1-3 December 2016 and is expected to attract thousands of domestic and international visitors to the NSW Snowy region.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said the event has been secured for the Snowy Mountains by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of the Snowy Mountains region, and L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France will attract thousands of visitors to the area in a traditionally quiet period,” Mr Ayres said.

“The event will also help promote the region to cyclists and adventure travellers from around the world. There is so much on offer over the Summer months in the Snowy Mountains, with breathtaking hiking tracks, cycling routes and wilderness that will suit all ages and tastes.”

Member for Monaro John Barilaro announced the dates for the event alongside cycling champion and two time wearer of the Tour de France yellow jersey Jens Voigt and legendary SBS commentator Phil Liggett.

“L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France is a massive event for our region and allows cycling enthusiasts to take on the peaks and valleys of the Snowy Mountains. The course has been developed and approved by the Race Director of Le Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, and cyclists will ride under the banner of the world’s most prestigious cycle event,” Mr Barilaro said.

“With 7,000 cyclists expected in 2016, the event will provide a major boost to our local visitor economy, with more than $4 million expected over the next three years. Now the dates have been announced cyclists can plan their trip to the Snowy Mountains, and I encourage them to put aside some time to explore this spectacular region during the Summer.”

More information on L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France, including information on how to register to compete can be found at: http://letapeaustralia.com/

L-R: Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres, SBS commentator Phil Liggett, cycling legend Jens Voigt, Member for Monaro John Barilaro

 Depression in early pregnancy associated with Gestational Diabetes

November 15, 2015

New research by Western Sydney University, has found if a mother receives a higher score for depression during early pregnancy she is more likely to develop Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Lead researcher, Professor Hannah Dahlen, from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, says this is the first time an association has been found between a high Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score done by midwives in early pregnancy and the subsequent development of diabetes during the pregnancy (known as GDM). 

A possible explanation for this is that depression and anxiety increase levels of cortisol and catecholamine production impacting on the glucose transport and insulin resistance. Also, the resulting reduction in physical activity commonly seen with depression and weight gain may increase the chances of developing diabetes. 

Further to these findings women with higher scores for depression were less likely to breastfeed and were more likely to bleed during pregnancy. 

An association was also found between a higher depression score and other risks such as domestic violence, childhood abuse, thoughts of self-harm and more. 

"During maternity care we are very focused on the pregnant belly and the baby - it's now time more focus is put towards looking at the brain. Supporting women in relationship based models of care such as continuity of midwifery care are the ideal way to do this," says Professor Dahlen. 

"Support and care around mental health should not be considered a 'fancy extra' but an urgent priority which is equally, if not more important, than all the clinical care we provide women. 

"While screening for depression and other psychosocial vulnerabilities has been done routinely with pregnant women in NSW public hospitals for the past five to ten years, nearly one third of the population of women under private obstetric care are still not routinely screened." 

While Australian born women in the study published were shown to be at higher risk for mental health problems compared to those born overseas it is quite possible that differences in cultural understandings around depression may not translate well when they are screened and this needs to be explored further. 

There is no doubt significant lifestyle influences are associated with the development of diabetes, such as obesity and inactivity, however this study suggests mental health may also play a role in increasing this risk as well. 

The research, conducted in collaboration with Blacktown Hospital and St John of God Raphael Centre, was recently published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 

Published on 15 Nov 2015: CSIRO

We’ve developed an innovative new coating that could be used to improve medical devices and implants, thanks to the goo that is thought to be have been home to the building blocks of life.

The findings from the research were published in the Nature journal, Asia Materials today.

The paper is available HERE 

 Coming to Australia: Rare travel artefacts on display

18 November 2015: University of Sydney

Previously unseen exhibition offers unique window into the past

A unique collection of travel diaries, journals and paintings from colonial journeys to Australia, some dating back almost 200 years, are on display for the first time at the University of Sydney. 

The Circumstances of Interest exhibition features more than 20 items from the University's Rare Books and Special Collections, previously unseen in a public collection.

The materials provide remarkable insight into the daily lives and pastimes of those undertaking the tedious four-month voyage from England to Australia, and add greatly to our understanding of Australia's immigration story.

"The long-haul flights of today pale by comparison to the experience of travelling alongside 300 other people on these voyages to Australia," said exhibition curator Fiona Berry, Digitisation Projects Assistant in the University of Sydney's Rare Books and Special Collections.

"It's interesting to see how people passed the time in such an artificial environment forced into suspension and cut off from the outside world for months at a time. 

"The journals have an element of desperation and boredom, but also amusement; the passengers had to make their own fun, or else they'd go crazy." - Fiona Berry

The diary accounts paint a vivid picture of life onboard, from accounts of sickness, the food served, the landscape and the weather. But the experience greatly varied depending on the class travelled.

First-class passengers would have found the journey quite a social experience, with regular musical entertainment staged by other travellers to while away the days.

For second-class and steerage travelers the experience was "a much wilder world", said Berry.

Porthole to the past: Voyages to Australia

"Passengers in second-class would have shared a cabin with about 100 other people, which in itself is mind-blowing," she said.

"One unidentified traveler writes about daily fistfights, a man setting fire to his bed in the cabin, and people stealing things. There was a heist on the supply room where food was pilfered.

"Another man describes being pulled out of his bed by another passenger who tied a rope to his ankle while he slept."

Original menu cards, presumably kept as souvenirs and bordered with hand-drawn sketches of fellow passengers, also provide a window into the shipboard world.

Other treasures in the collection include a series of watercolours and sketches from the diaries of Evelyn Louise Nicholson, the daughter-in-law of University of Sydney founder Sir Charles Nicholson.

Created while on her honeymoon with husband Charles in 1897, the diary depicts the various coastlines, harbours and port cities the couple encountered on their journey to Australia, including paintings of Cape Verde and Trinidad.

The exhibition also features journals and images from notorious Sydneysider John Dunmore Lang, a Scottish-born Presbyterian minister, journalist and activist, as well as Marie Beuzeville Byles, an early law graduate of the University of Sydney and the first woman to practice law in New South Wales. 

"The materials are really important in showing us exactly what life was really like on these really long voyages,"said Berry.

"These tiny little details go a long way towards piecing together a complete story."

Event Details

What: Circumstances of Interest exhibition

When: Exhibition runs until 31 December 2015

Where: Level 3, Fisher Library, the University of Sydney

Cost: Free

Below: Photographs from the journal of Thomas Parkin on his voyage from England to Australia in 1890-1891 on the clipper ship ‘Sobraon’. Image: Fisher Rare Books & Special Collections.

 One million cubic metres of rock to be blasted and removed at Corindi and Dirty Creek

16 November, 2015  MEDIA RELEASE

Duncan Gay; NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Luke Hartsuyker, Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Federal Member for Cowper; Chris Gulaptis, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for the North Coast, NSW Member for Clarence

About one million cubic metres of rock will be blasted and removed from locations including Corindi and Dirty Creek as work progresses on the Woolgoolga to Halfway Creek section of the Pacific Highway upgrade.

Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said the upgrade is another step towards completing the duplication of the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border.

“The Australian Government is providing $5.64 billion as part of its commitment with the New South Wales Government to complete the Pacific Highway upgrade by the end of the decade,” Mr Truss said.

“The 14 kilometre Woolgoolga to Halfway Creek upgrade is expected to be complete in 2017 and will link the Sapphire to Woolgoolga project to the south and the Halfway Creek to Glenugie project to the north.”

New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay said once complete, the Pacific Highway upgrade will provide a four-lane divided road from Hexham to the Queensland border.

“The Woolgoolga to Halfway Creek section of highway is part of the larger 155 kilometre Woolgoolga to Ballina project, which is expected to provide about 2,500 direct jobs and 7,500 indirect jobs for the community when work is at peak,” Mr Gay said.

“More than 60 per cent of the Pacific Highway duplication is complete, with a further 19 per cent being built and the remaining sections being prepared for major work.”

Federal Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker said in order to upgrade the 14 kilometre section of road a large volume of hard rock would need to be removed.

“The equivalent of 400 Olympic size swimming pools of hard rock will need to be removed from the road alignment at Corindi and Dirty Creek,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“During the next three months significant progress will be made on the Woolgoolga to Halfway Creek upgrade, starting this month with explosives experts carrying out controlled blasting at Corindi and Dirty Creek.”

Member for Clarence and New South Wales Parliamentary Secretary for the North Coast Chris Gulaptis said the rock removed from the blasting will be crushed and reused elsewhere on the project.

“With major earthwork already under way, blasting is required to remove the remaining rock deposits which would take too long to break up using traditional methods such as rock hammers and bulldozers,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“For obvious safety reasons residents and motorists will be advised before each blast takes place.”

The Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway upgrade is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments on an 80:20 basis.

For more information visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au/W2B

 Quantum computer coding in silicon now possible

November 16, 2015: UNSW

False-colour electron microscope image of the silicon nanoelectronic device which contains the phosphorus atom used for the demonstration of quantum entanglement. Credit: University of New South Wales

A team of Australian engineers has proven -- with the highest score ever obtained -- that a quantum version of computer code can be written, and manipulated, using two quantum bits in a silicon microchip. The advance removes lingering doubts that such operations can be made reliably enough to allow powerful quantum computers to become a reality.

The result, obtained by a team at Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, appears in the international journal, Nature Nanotechnology.

The quantum code written at UNSW is built upon a class of phenomena called quantum entanglement, which allows for seemingly counterintuitive phenomena such as the measurement of one particle instantly affecting another -- even if they are at opposite ends of the universe.

"This effect is famous for puzzling some of the deepest thinkers in the field, including Albert Einstein, who called it 'spooky action at a distance'," said Professor Andrea Morello, of the School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications at UNSW and Program Manager in the Centre for Quantum Computation & Communication Technology, who led the research. "Einstein was sceptical about entanglement, because it appears to contradict the principles of 'locality', which means that objects cannot be instantly influenced from a distance."

Physicists have since struggled to establish a clear boundary between our everyday world -- which is governed by classical physics -- and this strangeness of the quantum world. For the past 50 years, the best guide to that boundary has been a theorem called Bell's Inequality, which states that no local description of the world can reproduce all of the predictions of quantum mechanics.

Bell's Inequality demands a very stringent test to verify if two particles are actually entangled, known as the 'Bell test', named for the British physicist who devised the theorem in 1964.

"The key aspect of the Bell test is that it is extremely unforgiving: any imperfection in the preparation, manipulation and read-out protocol will cause the particles to fail the test," said Dr Juan Pablo Dehollain, a UNSW Research Associate who with Dr Stephanie Simmons was a lead author of the Nature Nanotechnology paper.

"Nevertheless, we have succeeded in passing the test, and we have done so with the highest 'score' ever recorded in an experiment," he added.

In the UNSW experiment, the two quantum particles involved are an electron and the nucleus of a single phosphorus atom, placed inside a silicon microchip. These particles are, literally, on top of each other -- the electron orbits around the nucleus. Therefore, there is no complication arising from the spookiness of action at a distance.

However, the significance of the UNSW experiment is that creating these two-particle entangled states is tantamount to writing a type of computer code that does not exist in everyday computers. It therefore demonstrates the ability to write a purely quantum version of computer code, using two quantum bits in a silicon microchip -- a key plank in the quest super-powerful quantum computers of the future.

"Passing the Bell test with such a high score is the strongest possible proof that we have the operation of a quantum computer entirely under control," said Morello. "In particular, we can access the purely-quantum type of code that requires the use of the delicate quantum entanglement between two particles."

In a normal computer, using two bits one, could write four possible code words: 00, 01, 10 and 11. In a quantum computer, instead, one can also write and use 'superpositions' of the classical code words, such as (01 + 10), or (00 + 11). This requires the creation of quantum entanglement between two particles.

"These codes are perfectly legitimate in a quantum computer, but don't exist in a classical one," said UNSW Research Fellow Stephanie Simmons, the paper's co-author. "This is, in some sense, the reason why quantum computers can be so much more powerful: with the same number of bits, they allow us to write a computer code that contains many more words, and we can use those extra words to run a different algorithm that reaches the result in a smaller number of steps."

Morello highlighted the importance of achieving the breakthrough using a silicon chip: "What I find mesmerising about this experiment is that this seemingly innocuous 'quantum computer code' -- (01 + 10) and (00 + 11) -- has puzzled, confused and infuriated generations of physicists over the past 80 years.

"Now, we have shown beyond any doubt that we can write this code inside a device that resembles the silicon microchips you have on your laptop or your mobile phone. It's a real triumph of electrical engineering," he added.

Juan P. Dehollain, Stephanie Simmons, Juha T. Muhonen, Rachpon Kalra, Arne Laucht, Fay Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, David N. Jamieson, Jeffrey C. McCallum, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andrea Morello. Bell's inequality violation with spins in silicon. Nature Nanotechnology, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/NNANO.2015.262

Below: Project leader Andrea Morello (left) and lead authors Stephanie Simmons and Juan Pablo Dehollain in the UNSW laboratory where the experiments were performed. 

 More proof of Einstein's general theory of relativity

November 17, 2015

Chandra image of the black hole at the center of spiral galaxy M81.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Wisconsin/D.Pooley & CfA/A.Zezas; Optical: NASA/ESA/CfA/A.Zezas; UV: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA/J.Huchra et al.; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA

A Florida State University high-performance computing researcher has predicted a physical effect that would help physicists and astronomers provide fresh evidence of the correctness of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Bin Chen, who works at the university's Research Computing Center, describes the yet-to-be-observed effect in the paper "Probing the Gravitational Faraday Rotation Using Quasar X-ray Microlensing," published today in the journal Scientific Reports.

"To be able to test general relativity is of crucial importance to physicists and astronomers," Chen said.

This testing is especially so in regions close to a black hole, according to Chen, because the current evidence for Einstein's general relativity -- light bending by the sun, for example -- mainly comes from regions where the gravitational field is very weak, or regions far away from a black hole.

Electromagnetism demonstrates that light is composed of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Linearly polarized light is an electromagnetic wave whose electric and magnetic fields oscillate along fixed directions when the light travels through space.

The gravitational Faraday effect, first predicted in the 1950s, theorizes that when linearly polarized light travels close to a spinning black hole, the orientation of its polarization rotates according to Einstein's theory of general relativity. Currently, there is no practical way to detect gravitational Faraday rotation.

In the paper, Chen predicts a new effect that can be used to detect the gravitational Faraday effect. His proposed observation requires monitoring the X-ray emissions from gravitationally lensed quasars.

"This means that light from a cosmologically distant quasar will be deflected, or gravitationally lensed, by the intervening galaxy along the line of sight before arriving at an observer on the Earth," said Chen of the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, which was predicted by Einstein in 1936. More than 100 gravitational lenses have been discovered so far.

"Astronomers have recently found strong evidence showing that quasar X-ray emissions originate from regions very close to supermassive black holes, which are believed to reside at the center of many galaxies," Chen said. "Gravitational Faraday rotation should leave its fingerprints on such compact regions close to a black hole.

"Specifically, the observed X-ray polarization of a gravitationally microlensed quasar should vary rapidly with time if the gravitational Faraday effect indeed exists," he said. "Therefore, monitoring the X-ray polarization of a gravitationally lensed quasar over time could verify the time dependence and the existence of the gravitational Faraday effect."

If detected, Chen's effect -- a derivative of the gravitational Faraday effect -- would provide strong evidence of the correctness of Einstein's general relativity theory in the "strong-field regime," or an environment in close proximity to a black hole.

Chen generated a simulation for the paper on the FSU Research Computing Center's High-Performance Computing cluster -- the second-largest computer cluster in Florida.

Bin Chen. Probing the gravitational Faraday rotation using quasar X-ray microlensing. Scientific Reports, 2015; 5: 16860 DOI:10.1038/srep16860

 Giving families more support: Social Services Legislation Amendment

12 November 2015

Over 33,000 Australian families will be better off after more generous youth payment means testing measures passed Parliament today.

Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Christian Porter MP said the changes will make youth payments fairer and simpler.

“This is a win for families who are supporting children who are studying or training,” Mr Porter said.

From January 1 2016, the Family Assets Test and the Family Actual Means Test will be removed from the Youth Allowance Personal Test.

“Removing the assets test will allow thousands more people to qualify for an average annual youth payment of more than $7,000 a year,” Mr Porter said.

“Thousand more students will benefit from the removal of the means test – they will either receive Youth Allowance for the first time or, if they’re already receiving it, receive $2,000 more each year

“Regional and rural families often face higher costs when their children are studying or training because they have to move away from home. These changes mean those families will no longer have their farm assets counted toward the means test.

“From July 2016, the parental income test will also include all children under 16 in the family.

“As a result, 13,700 families with dependent children will receive an increase of about $1,118 per year, and about 5,800 families will for the first time become eligible for a payment of about $1,300 per year.

“Child support payments will also be removed from the parental income test, meaning 3,800 families will enjoy an extra $900 a year.

“These changes are great news for families and students. We want to encourage them to study and train toward the career of their choice so they can contribute to our economy.”

The changes under the Social Services Legislation Amendment (More Generous Means Testing for Youth Payments) Bill 2015 will apply to certain families with dependent children receiving youth payments including Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, and Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme.

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