So it was with a great lightening of the heart I read two noteworthy items recently:
1) The Nobel Prize for Medicine awarded to two Australian researchers, and
2) The Andrew Olle Media Lecture delivered by John Doyle.
Professor Barry Marshall and Dr Robin Warren discovered twenty-three years ago that stomach ulcers are caused by a bacterium, readily treatable (in most cases) with a simple course of antibiotics. The best part of this story is that Professor Marshall was so determined to prove his case to a sceptical science community that he actually swallowed a solution contaning the bacterium and subsequently developed an ulcer. It's not only artists who suffer for their passion.
It's less than a decade since another Australian researcher has been awarded a Nobel: Dr Peter Doherty, immunologist and jolly nice chap, for his investigation into how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells.
Science is strong in this country... up to a point. The desire and skill in undoubtedly there, yet our government, in its wisdom, creates few new research opportunities, financially cripples universities and makes tertiary education prohibitively expensive. This is done in the name of "economy", yet the pharmaceutical industry alone shows just how profitable good, well-funded research can be. Not that I'm an advocate of science-for-profit, mind you; I still harbour lofty ideals such as investigation for the sheer beauty of it, for the advancement of culture and betterment of life. But, if it's dollars that talk, you could do worse on your investment than plough a substantial chunk into education, grants and funding for innovative and creative institutions for research.
So, to the Andrew Olle Lectures. For the young players, Andrew Olle was a wonderful, personable, bright and much-loved ABC journalist who died suddenly of a brain tumour in 1995.** The lecture was founded in 1996 in memorial.
I always try to catch the lecture; it's invariably given by an articulate and intelligent speaker, and this year continues that tradition. This year, the speaker is John Doyle.
John Doyle is well-known for rambunctious inuendo-riddled sports commentary in his Rampaging Roy Slaven persona, but less so in the mainstream population as a keen-eyed critic of Australian society. I think a bit of the more biting humour of the old Roy and HG days was lost in between the meat trays and Dean Martin breaks. I was tempted to give a running commentary of the lecture, but have decided instead to restrain myself and only leave you with a small sample of his words plus a couple of links and urge you to at least have a quick browse at what you find there.
Right on, John!
The fact is, as Lachlan Murdoch pointed out in his address here, the media is a business, and if going low sells, then let’s mine really low. Lachlan’s remarkable thesis seemed to be that elite opinion is to be avoided at all cost. What is preferred is opinion that fuels nationalism. And profits made serve to improve the systems of delivery of information to consumers – colour printing and the like. What is overlooked is that, in the end, delivery and delivery systems are meaningless. Content is all that matters. Rubbish is still rubbish be it on an old 21inch black and white HMV or in high definition through the digital set top box. The Beatles and the Stones sounded great through the crystal set attached to the iron frame of my bed as a ten year old. As for elites: well it’s best to encourage worship at the feet of sporting elites, for those who dabble in elite thought may well come to conclusions that are at odds with the prevailing wisdom within the culture of the organization. And while on the one hand the Murdoch organization bleats on about its abhorrence of political correctness and the need to enshrine freedom of speech and opinion, on the other, when dealing with China, is quite sanguine about removing the BBC channel from its Star service because the opinions expressed might upset the burghers of Beijing.
But to give it its due News Limited is digging its heels in regarding Freedom Of Information laws. And is supportive of two journalists who are under threat of gaol for not revealing their sources over a leaked government document. The time has come for a bill of rights.
(Full transcript , selected excerpts on Paul's blog and audio download)
I love my country desperately, but the behaviour I've been seeing from its government, media and citizens of late has been shameful. Heartbreaking. A couple of medical researchers and a comedian/radio announcer/writer have reminded me today of some of the truly wonderful qualities in our currently flailing culture: humour, criticism of authority, irreverence, innovation, a spirit of inquiry, persistance, compassion.
It's a welcome relief.
*just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
**I was shocked to learn while researching this that it was so long ago.
2 comments:
You are the second person to mention this - I am not a Roy and HG fan so I've overlooked this man until now.... It's time for more people like him to speak up - if only the media would report them instead of the Andrew Bolts.
I can understand that Roy and HG are not to everyone's taste -- they're pretty much past their expiry date for me these days -- but John Doyle has been lurking about the ABC doing all kinds of things for years now. I don't always like what he does, but I am always keen to have a look at it, whatever it is.
How much media attention does an event like the Andrew Olle Media Lecture get in the mainstream media? Quite a bit the year Lachlan Murdoch delivered it, at a guess, but this year... bugger all, I'd say. The audience Doyle addressed was made up mainly of recognisable ABC figures; that he was speaking to the converted did cross my mind at the time. *sigh* At least someone is saying something, somewhere.
I do have a tendency to get extrememly despondent when I see what the current government and social climate is doing to us, but recently I had pause for thought. I read an article which touched on the Joh era, and the resulting leftist backlash of the time. And it was a vibrant time in Brisbane! Perhaps as time under the coalition-controlled Senate grinds on the country will finally wake up to the fact that a $2.37 per week tax cut is no compensation for a society in decay and take action. I can but dream.
I think my 7 year old niece summed it up best last night: I was explaining how the government was cutting back the disability support pension, and she said That's so mean! Gotta train 'em young. :)
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