b'Presidents pieceASEG newsPresidents pieceopportunity for the ASEG to occupy thisFederal Executive is always interested space: si non nos ergo qui? to hear how the ASEG can better meet Preparations for the AEGC 2021Members needs (contact details are Conference are proceeding\x08 Althoughinside the front cover of every issue of there has been excellent support forPreview)\x08the conference from presenters andThe past 12 months have been testing, workshop convenors, suggesting thatand there is much that has had to be Members are eager to participate inrethought\x08 Certainly, celebrations of the the third AEGC, especially after variousASEGs 50th year were subdued\x08 However, shutdowns and lockdowns of themany positives can be taken from 2020\x08 previous 12 months, it is acknowledgedTypically, the AGMs location has changed The expression may you live inthat COVID-19 weighs heavily over thewith the home state of the incoming interesting times is a Chinese curse nowconference\x08 Although six months (at thePresident, limiting attendance to locals, known to be apocryphal\x08 However, thetime of writing) is a long time, fortunethe Federal Executive who travel and most likely nearest expression betterdoes generally favour the bold, and luckany interstate visitors\x08 The 2020 AGM to be a dog in times of tranquillitythe prepared; I am confident that thewas a virtual meeting and attended than a human in times of chaos from aAEGC 2021 will exceed expectations\x08 by Members from all states (bar the 1627 collection of short stories by FengDeclining membership is anotherNorthern Territory) making for a national Menglong is no less apt\x08 challenge for the ASEG\x08 Whether aAGM\x08 The promise of technical meetings As it enters its 51st year, the ASEG facescontinuation of declining interest intranscending borders hinted at in 2017, significant challenges on a number ofgeoscience, or a consequence of recentwhen Bill Peters talk on Geophysics for fronts\x08 A worldwide trend in decliningdownturns in minerals and hydrocarbonmagmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) exploration was interest in earth science educationsectors\x08 As a result of the COVID-19broadcast worldwide has been realised noted by Peter Betts in a recent webinarpandemic, the ASEG made the decisionin the webinars that have been hosted was accelerated by the effects of theof retain fees at 2020 levels\x08 This allowedover the past year\x08 It is understood that COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with thethe ASEG to extend the early-birdpresenting in such a format is not the closure of a number of geosciencerenewal period earlier, and provide asame as presenting to a live audience, departments, and a reduction inclearer distinction between due andbut consider that the least-well attended numbers, particularly in explorationoverdue\x08 Judging from Presidents Pieceswebinar was attended by 21 people, geophysics, in others\x08 As a result, optionsin previous Previews, exhortations toand median webinar attendance was for undergraduate study of explorationrenew membership are not new\x08 In my44 people\x08 The audience is even greater geophysics are severely limited\x08 view, the ASEG, in providing free accessthrough the YouTube channel\x08 Figure1 to Exploration Geophysics and Preview,plots leverage (the ratio of YouTube The limitations for undergraduatereduced entry to AEGC conferences,views to webinar attendance) as a study of geophysics raise questionsaccess to the SA/NT Branchs annual winefunction of days since the webinar was about expectations of graduates byoffer amongst other benefits, providesposted, and shows median leverage of industry and academia\x08 Recently, theexcellent value for money\x08 Consideration2\x083\x08 This is a remarkable ratio that will AIG (https://www\x08aig\x08org\x08au/education- for hardship is rarely refused, and thegrow, albeit slowly, over time\x08 A hybrid requirements-for-aig-membership/) updated its minimum knowledge requirements for AIG membership\x08 Granted, societies for professionals (such as the AIG) have different aims to learned societies (such as the ASEG), but the lack of a geophysics component in any minimum knowledge requirement is especially perplexing in an environment dominated by thick conductive regolith\x08 Mineral exploration is a complex process requiring collaboration over different disciplines, and the The Frank Arnott- Next Generation Explorers Award (https://bit\x08ly/3crNKU2) is perhaps a pointer to geoscience education in the future\x08 Similar comments could be made regarding Australias NExUS (https://sciences\x08adelaide\x08edu\x08au/nexus/)\x08 Nevertheless, the paucity of formal opportunities for education in the different aspects of exploration geophysics does represent anFigure 1.Ratio of YouTube views to webinar attendance as a function of days since the webinar was posted.APRIL 2021 PREVIEW 2'