GALACTIC DUST, submarine nuclear reactors, high-performance digital cameras and tools to help diagnose the health of patients in intensive care - what do they all have in common"
The Institute of Physics’ (IOP) 2008 awards have today (Wednesday, October 3) been announced. This year ten new awards have been introduced to ensure that the awards scheme keeps pace with the research interests of the physics community. The awards recognise a broad range of physicists in fields as diverse as biological physics, particle and astrophysics.
Professor Rowan-Robinson whose studies of galactic dust have helped us understand the main populations of galaxies in our universe; Dr Donal Joseph Denvir who established Andor Technology, manufacturers of high-performance digital cameras; and a team at Rolls Royce plc for the development of a long-life nuclear reactor core for UK submarines are just some of this year’s winners.
Professor Anton Zeilinger is the inaugural winner of the international Isaac Newton Medal, open to all physicists, for his overall contribution to physics, and Dr Simon Singh, winner of the Kelvin Medal for his contribution to the public understanding of physics, are two of this year’s other notable winners.
Zeilinger, a founder and leader of optical quantum information, has inspired a generation of up and coming quantum physicists with his profound insights into the microscopic nature of reality, while Simon Singh’s highly acclaimed books and TV shows, including his most recent book, Big Bang, have brought popular physics home to many in the UK.
The ten new awards help to ensure that all areas of modern physics are covered. Along with the Isaac Newton Medal, a new Gold Medal has been introduced for physics in an industrial or business context, along with eight new subject awards including particle physics, physics applied to life sciences, astrophysics, gravitational physics or cosmology and surface or nanotechnology.