CANBERRA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- An astrophysicist who discovered fast radio bursts has been awarded Australia's most prestigious science award.
Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese on Tuesday night awarded the 2024 PM's Prize for Science to Matthew Bailes from the Swinburne University of Technology and Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav).
Bailes and his collaborators discovered fast radio bursts (FRBs) -- brief bursts of energy brighter than entire galaxies that can emit more energy in milliseconds than the sun does in years -- in 2007.
The discovery led to a new branch of astrophysics research and has significantly advanced the scientific understanding of the universe, allowing scientists to count the number of atoms in the universe.
Also honored at the ceremony in the Great Hall of Parliament House on Tuesday night were Andrew Wilks and Chris Burns who were awarded the PM's Prize for Innovation for inventing and commercializing a drug that is used to treat myelofibrosis -- a rare form of blood cancer.
Tianyi Ma from RMIT University in Melbourne was recognized for groundbreaking work in renewable energy with the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year and quantum researcher Andrew Horsley received the Prize for New Innovators.
"Australia has world-class scientists, researchers and teachers. This year's winners show just how bright the future is for Australian science," Albanese said in a statement.
"On behalf of all Australians, I congratulate the 2024 prize recipients and thank them for their contributions."
Bailes received a 250,000 Australian dollar (168,617.9 U.S. dollar) prize and Wilks and Burns will share in another 250,000 Australian dollar.
The award recipients were honored at a breakfast hosted by the Australian Academy of Science in Canberra on Wednesday morning. ■
