Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2016

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Nobel Prize winner for Physics, Professor Douglas Osheroff, Mr Alan Allinson from BGGS, and the President of Taiwan — Taipei Ma Ying-jeou.

‘Physics trains the mind to solve the problem of understanding our Universe. We don’t find the solution but continue the journey. I love the idea of embracing a culture of uncertainty and trying to solve complex problems. We will never know everything but each step makes us learn more that we can use to make things to better the human experience.’ In 2016 Mr Allinson stepped down from his role as IYPT President, a position he held for seven years (2008 to 2015). Current president Associate Professor Martin Plesch recalls that Mr Allinson made a spectacular entrance, coming from the other hemisphere to, at that time, a rather regional competition, with a team from a girls’ school. But very quickly he gained a lot of respect in the community with his ability of negotiating every issue in a friendly and respectful atmosphere. It took some time for us to persuade him to accept the responsibility of the presidential office, as he was always the one suggesting that someone else could do better. Finally he accepted and IYPT experienced a wonderful era under his leadership. IYPT is now a stabilised, mature organisation and therefore it was a pleasure for me to take over the office last year. Mr Allinson maintains his involvement with IYPT as Honorary President and will continue to attend tournaments and support Grammar girls to explore their love of learning through physics and IYPT, including Kathryn Bird (12H) who has been selected for the 2016 Australian team to compete in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

‘It is not about the best students, it is about every girl that squeals with delight when a eureka moment occurs, and her class mates rush to see what she has found.’

Another personal highlight from his IYPT experience involved a German juror named Wolfgang Burger. ‘Wolfgang was a sort of German Dr Karl with TV shows and books to his name. While chatting with Emma Carlisle (1998) he asked what else she was studying at school. Emma replied that she was studying Modern History and currently doing an assignment on the bombing of Dresden. I will never forget the impact of Wolfgang announcing “I was there” and then proceeding to talk about his guilt for being too scared not to be in the Hitler Youth in Dresden!’ Mr Allinson celebrated 21 years of teaching at Girls Grammar in in January this year and enjoys that Girls Grammar allows him to concentrate solely on physics. (Teachers at Girls Grammar are specialists in their fields and do not teach across subjects.) ‘Physics IS the most important subject! Physics comes from the Greek word “physika” meaning the study of the natural world. It is about looking at the Universe and trying to understand it. Despite many populist views that it is a load of complex facts, it is actually a search to understand — any ideas we have only stand up until the evidence doesn’t match the theory, then the theory is wrong.

AUTUMN ISSUE / 2016