Working for people you admire 11 Nov 200818 Sep 2017 Right now on the Australian ABC network they are reshowing a program that was first shown in April this year on Professor Sir Gustav Nossal AO [and a three line slew of fruit salad of awards, qualifications, and honours]. The transcript is here, but it doesn’t do justice to the man himself. Gus, as he likes to be called, is one of the most remarkable people I have ever met, and the one who I count working for as a great honour, when I was the communications manager at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, where I worked while I did my PhD, for ten years (the PhD took six). He discovered monoclonal antibodies, while working to establish Burnet’s theory of clonal selection, and after retirement worked to deliver aboriginal reconciliation. More than any other “white” man, he was the one who was responsible for that. Gus has an amazing ability to remember every person he has ever met, their family’s names, and circumstances. When the wife of a security guard at the adjacent Royal Melbourne Hospital died, Gus was at the funeral. He was the only management member there. He was the only one who knew. He is one of the few people who I think is wholly admirable. The two years he was director while I was there, and the eight years after when I spent as much time doing work for him as I did when he hadn’t retired, were the best of my pre-academic life. Who do you admire who you worked for? General Science History
Evolution Quotemining in the 19thC 23 Jul 2009 Dispersal of Darwin again has an excellent piece of the history of evolution: he traces the quotemining by the theologians in the 1880s of John Tyndal, a known Darwinian of the day, to “show” that evolution is unproven and speculation. It seems that the dishonesty is unchanging. Read More
Creationism and Intelligent Design Roundup – not just for weeds! 13 Sep 2008 Here is a roundup of links and stuff that I don’t have time to blog on right now. A. C. Grayling replies in a piece of beautiful snark to Steve Fuller’s response to his review of Dissent over Descent. Thony is not permitted to point out any further historical inaccuracies…… Read More
Australian stuff Musgrave on vaccine denialism 4 Sep 2009 Ian Musgrave has a smackdown of the false claims and, let’s face it, criminal lies by the antivaxxers in Australia here. Since Ian always knows whereof he speaks, it is a useful and educational post. About a decade ago, a medical researcher at the place I worked, who also practised… Read More
You already have a job, Jason. No need to brownnose 😉 I didn’t say Gus was the only guys I worked for that I admire.
You already have a job, Jason. No need to brownnose 😉 I didn’t say Gus was the only guys I worked for that I admire.
I’m lucky to currently work for someone I admire. He’s an ex-military police commander, and a better diplomat, or more compassionate human being, you will not find.
I never worked for him directly, but I nominate Richard Woolcott, now (though well into his 70s) reemerging as Rudd’s envoy to persuade the region to consider creating a new supra-regional organisation. He has amazing diplomatic skills, an ability to relate to almost anyone, and was widely respected and liked in the region. After retirement Woolcott became increasingly vocal (in his moderate and polite way) about the Howard government’s (mis)behaviour, its disregard of the rule of law and civil rights, and the damage it was doing to Australia’s international image.