Whole generations of Australians have tuned in on Thursday mornings to hear an hour of Dr Karl Kruszelnicki on the radio and marvel at his vast knowledge of science in everyday life. With several university degrees including physics and mathematics,he certainly has the credentials – and who else would have been suitably qualified to conduct ground-breaking?
Kruszelnicki has made a career out of a love of science.
Kruszelnicki has fronted radio station Triple J’s longest-running segment for more than 40 years.
An author of 47 books,Kruszelnicki,75,is compelled to share the passion for science which began early in his school years in Wollongong.
“I was picked on at school – they’d just switched over to hating immigrants from Europe and we were the latest influx – but I loved school,reading and learning,” Kruszelnicki said.
“I had no idea what I was going to do at uni so I took the easy way out (for me) and studied physics and maths.”
One learning and career pathway was of no interest to Kruszelnicki,who lists physicist,mathematician,researcher,taxi driver,mechanic,roadie,labourer,breakfast TV weatherman and four-wheel drive magazine writer among the occupations on his resume.
He also received an early scholarship to the Australian Film,Television and Radio School,went on to make some of the earliest films for MTV before quitting – “because I decided there was no future in MTV – yet another one of the many wrong decisions in my life”.
It has been Kruszelnicki’s ability to explain scientific concepts to the rest of us that has repeatedly opened doors.
“That degree accidentally turned out to be incredibly useful. The good thing about studying physics and maths is it gives you a very useful mental toolbox that you can use to jump into any other field that you like – biomedical engineering,histology,anatomy,metallurgy – any field that is vaguely scientific or technical,” he said.
Kruszelnicki’s work in science has been diverse:research at his hometown’s steel works,investigating the properties of wool and hair,through to developing a machine that detects electronic signals from the human retina,supporting the work of the legendary Fred Hollows.
Upon completion of that work,he turned down three Ph.D. scholarship opportunities,spent four years studying medicine,then dropped out to work on the launch of science programQuantum at the ABC.
“After a year,I returned to my medical studies and became a doctor at the kids’ hospital – the best job I’ve ever had in my life. I learnt how important it was to liberate people from what was holding them back.
“But I realised I could do more for society by going back into the media by speaking out in favour of vaccinations.
“Yes,there have been bad decisions – bad in the sense that I didn’t become fabulously wealthy – but they were good in that they were the right thing to do.
“Looking back,I think I’ve been on the right side of history.”
Studying science can lead to rewarding careers.Louise Kennerley
Dr Karl’s top tips:
Kruszelnicki is hosting a free National Science Week event,,at Sydney Town Hall on August 17.
First-hand experience leads to medicine
Fourth-year medical student Eunice Cheng,20,has a real love of learning. She speaks with enthusiasm about how her passion for different subjects drove her HSC course choices,and how she thrived pursuing the self-directed and independent learning encouraged at James Ruse Agricultural High School.
‘Comfort always’:Cheng has put her scientific smarts to use in pursuit of a medical career.Louise Kennerley
Cheng topped NSW in Science Extension in 2019,the first year it was examined. As part of her medical degree,she is now completing an Honours project at the UNSW Sydney’s Microbiome Research Centre (MRC).
“My project is on the microbiome of older Australians with and without dementia. It’s a fascinating topic and a great opportunity to immerse myself in medical research,” Cheng said.
“I did my HSC Science Extension project under the supervision of my current supervisors at the MRC. It had always been a dream of mine to return here to do more research,so to be able to live it out is incredible and I’m so grateful for this opportunity.”
Cheng stressed the importance of keeping a balance between study,leisure activities and maintaining good health to ensure she could perform her best in the HSC.
“I deliberately kept up with all of my extracurricular activities throughout Year 12. For example,I represented Australia at the Yale University Young Global Scholars Program for Biological and Biomedical Science in the US in Year 11 and performed as a violin soloist at the Sydney Opera House in Year 12 just three weeks before my trial exams.
“These experiences not only enriched my high school experience,but nicely balanced my studies and helped me develop core life skills which have benefited me far beyond high school,” Cheng said.
Among the challenges was completing her HSC while also managing a rare eye condition which can periodically obscure her vision in one or both eyes.
“Having had my fair share of medical issues growing up,I am always incredibly inspired by my own doctors and hope that I will be able to help others in the same way they have done for me,” Cheng said.
While she hopes to care directly for patients at the bedside,Cheng also wants to maintain work in medical research because of the potential to help a much greater population of people.
“Just before starting university,I came across the quote from Hippocrates:‘Cure sometimes,treat often,comfort always’. ‘Comfort always’ resonated deeply with me,so much so that I even got it engraved on my stethoscope,” Cheng said. “Having this phrase with me serves as a constant reminder of what an amazing privilege it is to be part of the medical profession and my goal in medicine,and life generally – caring for and serving others.”
Cheng topped Extension Science in 2019.
Cheng’s tips for HSC Science:
- Test and apply concepts: “I prioritised making sure that I understood all the key concepts listed in the syllabus and then practised applying them to a wide variety of questions. That way,regardless of what question comes up or whether you’ve seen it before or not,you’ll have the fundamental knowledge to be able to tackle and answer it.”
- Enjoy the freedom of your project: “For Science Extension,pick a topic that you’re really passionate about and it will make studying so much more fun. Also,finding a mentor in the field of my project was crucial to my success and having that guidance and inspiration can make a world of difference. The Science Extension course is great at teaching the principles of science and then giving you the freedom to practise applying them,so take advantage of this.”
- Take initiative!“For me,this included actively participating in class or asking questions to clarify my understanding. Particularly in science,I found that reading widely around each concept covered in class helped me not only better understand the topic but also gave me extra general knowledge that enabled me to answer questions with more depth and detail and give additional examples to back up each answer.”
Top tips from HSC science teachers
Biology
Ami Morrow,Teaching Quality Advisor;
Relieving Head Teacher,Teaching&Learning (Curriculum)
Merewether High School
Ami Morrow from Merewether High School.Supplied
The skills of working scientifically are a vital component of the Biology syllabus. Key skills to practise include:
Many HSC exam questions will require you to apply your knowledge,understanding and skills to unfamiliar situations. Questions often provide stimulus material in the form of diagrams,flow charts,tables,graphs,scenarios or examples that you are not familiar with. Don’t panic! Take the time to pick apart the stimulus and think carefully about what information or conclusions you can draw from it.
For written questions with stimulus,rather than regurgitating the knowledge that you have on the topic,think about how you can apply what you know to the scenario being presented. Be sure to support your response with specific information or data from the stimulus material. If the stimulus includes a graph or a table,try to incorporate specific trends or points from the data into your response.
Tips for longer questions
Plan your answer
Support your answer where appropriate using:
Chemistry
Kathy Barbeler
Head Teacher,Science Faculty
Gosford High School
Teacher Kathy Barbeler.Hedy Xie
Key terms
Know the meaning of the following terms and how to apply them to your investigations and procedures:
Tables,graphs and diagrams:
Scientific experiments
Chemical equations