Sydney Morning Herald: Australia’s chief scientist, astronomer Penny Sackett, surprised the scientific community last Friday by announcing her resignation effective 4 March—just halfway through her five-year tenure. Pundits have suggested that her resignation may be in protest over the government’s decision to delay an emissions-trading scheme that she is known to support, or that it reflects rumored tensions between her and science minister Kim Carr. Sackett’s official statement simply said that she is “standing down for personal and professional reasons.”