Life sciences Australians seem to have a predilection for the life sciences. Since the Braggs, all the scientific Nobel laureates associated with Australia have worked in biological sciences. Howard Florey shared a Nobel Prize in 1945 for the discovery of penicillin. John Cornforth shared a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1975 for work related to the structure of living matter. Professor Graeme Clark has developed a bionic ear that electrically reawakens the silenced hearing nerve of the profoundly deaf.
Some Australian innovations are relatively low in technology but high in humanity.
The late Dr Fred Hollows developed cheap corneal replacements to cure types of blindness common in developing countries. His work is being carried on through a foundation led by his widow. Schools and universities and public awareness activities help to make Australians scientifically literate. The goal is to build a nation of people who can think critically about problems, and who are not afraid to experiment and look for solutions. Basic research, mostly performed in universities, adds to the general pool of knowledge.