She has written a book on energy, a topic considered too difficult to tackle by many.

Dr Cooper-Smith gained her PhD in physics at London University but moved from Oxford to Bendigo 13 years ago.

Her book Energy – The Subtle Concept has been published by Oxford University Press.

“It’s about energy and what a mysterious concept it is,” she said.

“It isn’t something you can hold on to and say this is it.

“It can change between forms but one form isn’t more fundamental than the others.”

Dr Cooper-Smith said she looked at the history of how energy was discovered and said although she had a background in physics she was more interested in the philosophies.

“So many books have been written at a popular level about the main areas of energy – time, gravity, the matter myth,” she said.

“This is the first popular book that has been written about energy.

“Physicists have always shied away from it because it’s difficult to nail down.

“It’s not easy to explain.”

Dr Cooper-Smith said she decided Bendigo was the right place to write the book.

“In Oxford it would have been harder to write it because there are so many luminaries just down the road or around the corner.

“I was intimidated by their mere presence – they’re the best in the whole world and I knew a number of them.

“I would have felt they were looking over my shoulder. Bendigo was neutral territory.’’