143. Interview with astrometallurgist Dr Matt Shaw

Have you ever met an astrometallurgist? Neither had we, until we had the great pleasure of chatting with Dr Matt Shaw on this week's episode! Matt's career genuinely sounds like it was pulled straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel, but it's very much grounded in real, cutting-edge science. He began as a metallurgist in the mining industry - extracting metals like gold from rocks, or as he describes it, "basically Minecraft, but in real life" - working everywhere from the Australian desert to the Canadian Arctic. Having mastered some of the most extreme environments on Earth, Matt decided to tackle the ultimate hostile environment: space. He completed a PhD in astrometallurgy at Swinburne University, exploring how we might one day extract and process materials on the Moon, and worked with CSIRO's space in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) team developing technologies to produce water, oxygen and metals beyond Earth. These days, Matt continues his space research while working predominantly with the Green Steel and Critical Minerals teams at CSIRO Clayton, investigating innovative ways to reduce emissions and tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our planet: how to make green steel. But what makes Matt especially exciting to talk with isn't just the very cool science. It's his passion for communication and collaboration. Whether he's talking with school students, appearing in the media or engaging with the public, Matt has a real knack for making complex ideas feel both exciting and accessible - and he's got the track record to prove it: - Winner, Asia-Pacific Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition 2021 – watch Matt's winning talk - Judge, Asia-Pacific 3MT Final 2022 - Runner-up, FameLab Australia 2023 – watch Matt's presentation - STEMPals Curiosity Communicator Award 2024 You can follow Matt and learn more about his work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-shaw-001/