Science and vegemite. What do the two of them together bring to mind? A lot of people when asked would shake their heads and say not much, a few knowledgeable people would possibly tell you how science is at the forefront of vegemite’s development and I guess fewer still would tell you about eating vegemite to survive whilst doing science.
I fall into the latter category. I am Geoff, that’s how I introduce myself. Sometimes I get called Geoffrey Carter and not very often I am known as Dr Geoffrey Carter. I am a physical scientist, and even though I am retired I still see the world through the lens of physical science but that is not how I define myself, it is just how I think about the world. I define myself as an Aussie kid who got older, loves vegemite, his wife and dog and has a passion for trying to understand the world. I was trained in science in Australia and was extremely lucky to conduct experiments all over the world.
On a visit to the Cyril Callister Museum, I was asked just that question “Science and vegemite, what do the two of them together bring to mind”? So here is where my story begins, but with some explanation to set the scene. I undertook a Masters in Physics by Research and was involved in helping to develop a material that is used in the replacement of human hips. To do this, we needed to develop an understanding of how the ceramic reacted to wear and pressure. This was done by watching how the atoms move and act as pressure is applied to them. Yep you are right you cannot see atoms, that’s absolutely correct, but what we can do is use a nuclear reactor to generate small parts of atoms called neutrons, we shoot the neutrons at the ceramic and the neutrons avoid the atoms and are directed to a detector and draw a pattern that tells us where the atoms are. Its really pretty cool if you ask me! We then compress the ceramic in a big press and take a new pattern and see how it changes.
Now you would be right in guessing there is some pretty funky mathematics involved in all of this but there is also a lot of experimentation, or if you will lab work. Australian scientists are some of the best in the world and part of being an Australian scientist is doing world-class science that makes a difference in people’s lives on a shoestring. My Masters was no different we were making better hip replacement parts and needed a nuclear reactor. Luckily for me Australia built a research reactor in 1958, it was know as the HIFAR reactor. My research was done in the 1990’s, but trust me the reactor looked like it was built in the 1960’s (just like me by the way) (oh we have a newer one now, nuclear reactor that is).
To gain access to the reactor was by writing a grant application and it was, and still is, a competitive process as requests outstrip time available. Thankfully I was successful (with massive help from my mentor). So, what does a grant give you? Well it pays for time on the reactor, a plane trip, a hotel room and two taxi trips. At that time the flight costs were capped and I was from WA so had the most expensive trip in the country.
So, you ask how does vegemite come into it? Well the way we did our experiments was to pair up with another researcher and book reactor time back to back. This way we would share a hotel room, work full time on the reactor’s instrument and help each other whilst saving money to cover the extra costs of flights. The experiment I am thinking about I had one of the best scientists as my partner. We both had 48 hours of reactor time booked. We flew into Sydney, samples in hand, and no we did not put them in our checked baggage. Our whole lives where tied up in the samples we carried onto the plane. We caught a taxi to Lucas Heights (where the reactor is) and on the way there we stopped to grab a big tin of instant coffee, a couple of loaves of bread, some cheese singles and a jar of vegemite, then to the hotel which is next to the reactor. A click of the time clock and we are at the reactor, samples on, scientists watching everything. Only disappearing for a toilet break if absolutely necessary. You didn’t leave the reactor building as getting in and out had high security and if something went wrong with your experiment whilst you were out your whole research/Masters was possibly lost. So for the next 48 hours your partner sustained you by bringing you coffee and vegemite cheese sandwiches. So think on that, a nuclear reactor, a young scientist working as hard as they can, being held together by a great friend and scientist delivering coffee and vegemite sandwiches. I sit here and I can smell the reactor building, hear the machinery and instruments, and remember sitting in the safe zone eating vegemite and cheese made by someone who was extremely heavy handed with vegemite. And you know what? I still have probably way more vegemite on my bread than most! After my 48 hours I had 6 hours sleep and then feed my partner coffee and vegemite whilst he lived in the reactor for the next 2 days.
So the outcome was that the materials used in hips was changed. I received a Masters and went on to do a PhD. I am still extremely close to one of the best scientist I know, I eat vegemite sandwiches at least once a week and the Australian tax payer got world changing science on a shoestring and I truly thank them for that.
Science and vegemite, what do the two of them together bring to mind? A simple smile, deep thoughts and gratitude is all I can answer in return!
