Karl Kruszelnicki

Karl Kruszelnicki
AM, BSc, MSc(Qual), MBiomedE, MBBS, MAIP

Karl Kruszelnicki holding a copy of his book Sensational Moments in Science

At the University of Sydney open day on 26 August 2006
Born Karl Sven Woytek Sas Konkovitch Matthew Kruszelnicki[1]
(1948-03-20) 20 March 1948
Helsingborg, Sweden
Residence Maroubra, Australia
Other names "Dr Karl"
Education Edmund Rice College, West Wollongong
Alma mater University of Wollongong
University of New South Wales
University of Sydney
Occupation Science journalist, author and broadcaster
Years active 1981–present
Known for Popular science
Notable work Great Moments in Science
Home town Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Television Quantum
Sleek Geeks
Title The Julius Sumner Miller Fellow, Science Foundation for Physics, University of Sydney
Term 1994–present
Parents
  • Ludwick Kruszelnicki (father)
  • Rina (mother)
Awards Member of the Order of Australia (2006)
Ig Nobel Prize (2002)
Australian Father of the Year (2003)
Website DrKarl.com
Dr Karl on ABC.net.au

Karl Kruszelnicki AM /krʊʃəlnɪtskiː/ (born 20 March 1948),[2] often referred to as "Dr Karl",[3] is a well-known Australian science communicator and populariser,[3] who is known as an author and science commentator on Australian radio and television.

Kruszelnicki is the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow in the Science Foundation for Physics at the School of Physics, University of Sydney.[4]

Early life

Kruszelnicki's family immigrated to Australia when he was two years of age. The family were tenanted at the migrant camp in Bonegilla, Victoria, for the first three years[5] before they settled in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, where he grew up. After high school, his first job was as a ditch digger in the summer between the end of high school and the start of university, using pick and shovel to dig and lay sewerage pipes in the Wollongong suburb of Dapto.[6]

After university, Kruszelnicki's first job as a physicist was working for a steel works in his home town of Wollongong where he had to test the strength of steel made for use in Melbourne's West Gate Bridge, which was under construction at that time. Kruszelnicki designed a machine to test the steel but its results suggested that the steel did not meet specifications. His boss at the time asked him to recheck the results but when the steel continually failed to meet the specifications his boss asked him to fake the data. Kruszelnicki refused and eventually quit.[6] (The West Gate Bridge collapsed during construction but the fault was found to have occurred due to structural failure not due to the quality of the steel used.)

Education

Kruszelnicki attended Edmund Rice Christian Brothers College in Wollongong, New South Wales, between 1960 and 1964.[7] On completion he attended the University of Wollongong, completing a Bachelor of Science majoring in physics in 1968.[8] In 1980 Kruszelnicki was awarded a Master of Biomedical Engineering at the University of New South Wales. He completed a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery at Sydney University in 1986.[8] In 2016, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Sunshine Coast.[9]

Television

Kruszelnicki presented the first series of Quantum (replaced by Catalyst) in 1985. As a science communicator and presenter, he appears on Channel 7's Weekend Sunrise program and on ABC television. From early 2008 to 2010 he co-hosted a TV series called Sleek Geeks with Adam Spencer.

Journalism, radio

Australian Skeptics Convention held in Sydney, November 2014. Kruszelnicki speaking on "Great moments in science".

Radio and podcasts

Kruszelnicki does a number of weekly radio shows. His hour-long show on ABC radio station Triple J has been going on in one form or another since 1981. This weekly science talkback show, is broadcast on Thursday mornings from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon and attracts up to 300,000 listeners; it is also available as a podcast.[10]

Kruszelnicki also often helps with other science and education Triple J promotions, such as the Sleek Geek Week roadshow with Adam Spencer and Caroline Pegram. He and Adam Spencer release the Sleek Geeks podcast regularly (about once a week).[11]

In the United Kingdom, Kruszelnicki appears on a live weekly late-night link-up on BBC Radio 5 Live's Up All Night, usually with Rhod Sharp (Thursdays 03:00 - 04:00 UK time), answering science questions.[12]

Politics

Kruszelnicki was an unsuccessful candidate for the Australian Senate in the 2007 Australian federal election. He was placed number two on the Climate Change Coalition ticket in New South Wales.[13]

Recognition and awards

In 2000, the Australian Financial Review Internet Awards awarded Kruszelnicki the Best Science and Technology Website.[14]

One of Kruszelnicki's more notable undertakings was his part in a research project on belly button fluff, for which he received the tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel Prize in 2002.

He received the Australian Father of the Year award in 2003. In the 2001 honours list, he was awarded the Centenary Medal "for major service in raising public awareness of the importance of science and technology".[15]

In the 2006 honours list, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia.[16][17]

In 2006, the Australian Skeptics recognized him as the Australian Skeptic Of The Year.[3][18]

In 2012, Kruszelnicki was named as a National Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia (NSW).[19]

Also in 2012, Main-belt asteroid 18412 Kruszelnicki was named in his honour.[20]

In 2014, Readers Digest readers voted Kruszelnicki as the ninth most trusted person in Australia[21]

Writing

As of mid-2015, Kruszelnicki has written 36 books, along with numerous lecture series (using material that often ends up in his books, or vice versa). Some of these lecture series and books have been televised for events such as Australia's National Science Week, with him supplying voice-overs and sometimes appearing in claymation. Kruszelnicki's earlier work focused on interesting scientific curiosities, but recently his writing has moved towards the theme of scientific myths and misconceptions.

Books

Dr Karl lecturing at QED 2016.
1. Ears, Gears and Gadgets, HarperCollins Publishers Pty Ltd, Australia, 1997, ISBN 0-207-19610-9.
2. Forests, Fleece & Prickly Pears, HarperCollins Publishers Pty Ltd, Australia, 1997, ISBN 0-207-19611-7.
3. Flight, Food & Thingummygigs, HarperCollins Publishers Pty Ltd, Australia, 1997, ISBN 0-207-19612-5.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dr Karl Kruszelnicki Transcript". ABC. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  2. ↑ . Retrieved 27 April 2015
  3. 1 2 3 "Skepticality Episode 71". Skeptic Magazine.
  4. ↑ Dr Karl Kruszelnicki — The Julius Sumner Miller Fellow – Physics – The University of Sydney. Physics.usyd.edu.au (3 May 2010). Retrieved on 22 October 2011.
  5. ↑ "Talking Heads - Dr Karl Kruszelnicki". ABC website. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 Kate Jones (25 November 2013). "My first job: From ditch-digger to celebrity scientist". The New Daily. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  7. ↑ McIlwain, Kate. (30 July 2012). Dr Karl's advice for Edmund Rice boys", Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Dr Karl Kruszelnicki" (22 July 1988). Campus Bulletin, University of Newcastle, Australia. Number 5.
  9. ↑ "Science commentator Dr Karl awarded honorary doctorate". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  10. ↑ "Dr Karl on triplej (ABC Science)". Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Sleek Geeks podcast". Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "BBC - Podcasts and Downloads - 5 live Science".
  13. ↑ Dr Karl to Run for the Senate on Climate Change. Climatechangecoalition.com.au. Retrieved on 22 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2010.
  14. ↑ "ABC science online wins national Award". Australian Broadcasting Commission. 30 November 2000. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "It's an honour: Australia celebrating Australians". itsanhonour.gov.au. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "Myth-buster Dr Karl makes honours list". Nine News. Nine MSN. Australian Associated Press. 26 January 2006. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  17. ↑ "It's an honour: Australia celebrating Australians". itsanhonour.gov.au. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 26 August 2014. For service to the community through promoting greater understanding and knowledge of the application of science to daily living as an author and science commentator on radio and television.
  18. ↑ "Merit Awards". skeptics.com.au/. Australian Skeptics Inc. Skeptic of the Year. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  19. ↑ "Seven added to national living treasure list". Lauren Farrow. Canberra Times. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  20. ↑ JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 18412 Kruszelnicki (1993 LX)
  21. ↑ Flynn, Hazel (July 2014). "Trusted People 2014". readersdigest.com.au. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.

External links

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