The speaker uses experiences from his own career to illustrate that a training in physics provides great versatility, even in this very specialized world. Following cosmic ray research at the University of Tasmania, he spent 10 years working in space research. He was then employed to establish and lead a new CSIRO division to develop new scientific concepts and technologies to permit exploration for minerals in the harsh, deeply weathered Australian environment. He will describe the physical requirements, the industrial interfaces and some of the results obtained – in particular he will outline the development of electromagnetic methods for exploration at depth and pioneering research in remote sensing. Leaving CSIRO, he continues to provide scientific advice to the world wide mining industry. He will illustrate this by outlining the physics and development of the now operational “Falcon” technology for measuring the Earth’s gravitational field to one part in 108 from a low flying aircraft- by far the hardest challenge in his professional career. Inter alia, he will outline some of the other unusual tasks or interests that have come his way- assisting in the development of the Australian plastic banknotes; debunking pseudo- scientific proposals from people who were trying to extract mega-millions of dollars from government and industry; and involving himself in the science associated with space-flight and climate change.

Dr McCracken gained his PhD from the University of Tasmania in 1958. After a very varied and highly successful career he has resumed studies of cosmic ray phenomena.