‘The border problems of science and philosophy’: Ilse Rosenthal-Schneider and post-World War 2 science in Australian academia and society

Ilse Rosenthal-Schneider (1891–1990), a refugee immigrant to Australia in 1938, was student of Nobel Prize-winning physicists, Einstein, Planck, and von Laue. She combined background physics, especially relativity theory, with philosophical focus on the nature possibilities knowledge. As well as working at University Sydney teach science students how recognise issues their subjects, she drove major outreach programme regional towns New South Wales, where fêted by her audiences highly accomplished communicator. Her best-known book, published 1980, examined interactions Laue expanding all them understood relationship between philosophy. never achieved great deal recognition, due part limited opportunities for women era, but also insistence bridging disciplines engaging scientific dialogue beyond academia. We will show explored borderlands philosophy throughout life, argued relevance questions practising scientists non-academic publics Australia.