Thursday 15 August
Highlights from day 6 of National Science Week
Researchers, experts, and other interesting people available for interview around the country.
VIC: Canine happiness 101: if dogs could talk, you might be shocked – Melbourne
NSW: Creative genius: discover your ‘visual brain’ – Sydney
ACT: Want to work as a scientist in government? – Canberra
VIC: How to grow a Martian garden – Wodonga
QLD: What the froth? Science in the brewery – Gladstone
SA: Meet the scientists who speak for the trees – Adelaide
NSW: Sleeping with cancer – Westmead
WA: The science of beer
WA: 140,000 years in 30 minutes at Scitech Planetarium – Perth
ACT: Fang-tastic. For the love of bats, vampires and pop-culture flick, Blade – Canberra
NT: Be a Top End biosecurity expert for the day – Katherine
National: Your smartphone pics could help scientists keep an eye on water – online
Read on for more on these, including direct event contact details.
Coming up tomorrow:
Performance art in zero gravity; ‘bad' fungi; Tassie wildlife caught on camera; 3D printed meds; and Matt the Feral Cat – see a preview of Friday’s highlights.
National Science Week 2024 runs from 10 to 18 August.
Visit ScienceWeek.net.au/events to find more stories in your area.
Media centre here. Images for media here.
General Science Week media enquiries: Tanya Ha, tanya@scienceinpublic.com.au or 0404 083 863
The Science of Happier Dogs – Melbourne, VIC
Australia’s ‘dog houses’ boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with almost half of all households (48%) now home to at least one dog, adding up to 6.4 million pet pooches nationwide.
For dog-lover and Melbourne University canine welfare scientist Dr Mia Cobb, it begs the question: how many are truly happy and understood by their owners?
“For tens of thousands of years, we have been sharing our lives with dogs – so, how come we’re still working out how to be their best friend?” she says. In contrast to conventional research on how dogs help humans, Dr Cobb employs science to understand how humans can help dogs.
Learn how to decipher canine behavioural cues in ‘The Science of Happier Dogs’.
Thursday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-science-of-happier-dogs/north-fitzroy
Media enquiries: Alexa Viani, alexa.viani@unimelb.edu.au or 03 8344 4123.
Dr Cobb, who co-founded canine science platform, Do You Believe in Dog?, shares her home with a large mutt, Rudy (who appeared on ABC’s A Dog’s World with Tony Armstrong); a rehomed pandemic pup, Luna; and three chickens named after characters from the hit musical, Hamilton.
Creative genius and your ‘visual brain’ – Sydney, NSW
What happens in your brain when you encounter multi-sensory experiences, like art?
David Alais, a Professor of Experimental Psychology at University of Sydney, is fascinated by the way art can reveal the ‘visual brain’ at work.
In ‘Study in Visual Perception’, he examines how the work of Austrian born artist, Lily Greenham, reveals the brain’s visual processes in action and its limitations.
Bottom line: science is catching up with recent advances in neuroscience, shining new light on the mysteries of vision, creativity and aesthetics.
Thursday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/study-in-visual-perception-a-public-lecture-by-professor-david-alais-4/the-university-of-sydney
Media enquiries: media.office@sydney.edu.au or 02 8627 0246 (diverts to mobile)
You could have a science job in government – Capital Hill, ACT
Every day, thousands of Australian Government scientists are working on tasks like investigating potential drug cheating in sport, stopping weed seeds from coming into Australia, setting standards for radiation safety, and putting our own communication satellites into space.
Meet a plethora of government scientists at Parliament House. These are public servants who do science in the departments, agencies, and regulators that make up the Government Scientists Group (GSG), such as the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Sport Integrity Australia, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Geoscience Australia, the Australian Antarctic Division Questacon, and many more.
Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley hosts the GSG STEM Expo, showcasing the diversity of careers available within the 20 or more GSG members exhibiting and presenting insights into their careers, working environments, and experiences.
Thursday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/gsg-stem-expo-2024/capital-hill/
Media enquiries: Angeline Lowther, communications@chiefscientist.gov.au or 02 6213 6553.
Passport to Space: overcoming barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion in the space sector – Parramatta, NSW
Participation of diverse and minoritised groups is one of the biggest challenges facing the space sector globally. On the question of gender parity alone, just one in five workers are women.
Indian space entrepreneur and habitat designer, Dr Susmita Mohanty, and Lebanese remote sensing scientist, Dr Maya Nasr, join forces to disucss their shared vision for space exploration that is accessible to all.
‘Passport to Space – Susmita Mohanty and Maya Nasr’ is a National Science Week event at Paramatta Town Hall which forms part of the Sydney Science Festival, presented by Powerhouse.
Thursday 15 August: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/passport-to-space-susmita-mohanty-and-maya-nasr/parramatta/
Media enquiries: Michelle Lollo, media@powerhouse.com.au or 0419 523 735.
How to grow a Martian garden – Wodonga and multiple locations
Could you live in a Martian garden? Over the next 30 years, human missions to the moon and Mars are planned: but can these extreme environments provide habitat for humans?
‘The Martian Garden’ events across South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia will invite the public to explore the challenges and try their hand at life beyond Earth at four activity stations while Mars rovers roam nearby.
Visitors will see plant growing cabinets similar to those on the International Space Station, they can code plant bots to harvest produce, find out what makes different foods suitable for space, and explore a range of space crops including duckweed, microgreens, tomato, strawberry and chilli.
Hear from ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space researchers about selecting and adapting plant and microbial species to survive and thrive in new and extreme environments, how to support sustainable new ecosystems off-world, and how to find novel approaches back on Earth.
Wodonga: Thursday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-martian-garden-7/wodonga/
Bendigo: Friday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-martian-garden-5/flora-hill/
Melbourne (Scienceworks): Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-martian-garden-2/spotswood/
Roseworthy, SA: Sunday 18 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-martian-garden/roseworthy/
Media enquiries: Lieke van der Hulst, lieke.vanderhulst@adelaide.edu.au or 08 8313 6669; Frazer Thorpe, f.thorpe@latrobe.edu.au or 0459 762 299.
Today’s women in science on their historical foremothers – State Library of Victoria
From Mary Anning’s Jurassic fossil discoveries to Rosalind Franklin’s contribution to uncovering the structure of DNA, women have led significant contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for centuries.
‘Salon After D'Arc – Trial and Error’ dives into the profound revelations and accidental discoveries in the world of STEM with award-winning Australian environmentalist Tanya Ha.
Hear from co-founder of Women in STEMM Australia, Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea AM and doctor and author, Dr Preeya Alexander as we celebrate the women whose work has changed the way we think, as well as the times when the science didn’t exactly go to plan.
View rare books by and about women who made significant contributions in STEM, including a first edition of Institutions de Physique from key Enlightenment figure Émilie du Châtelet, and academic articles from Marie Curie and Laura Bassi, the first woman to receive a doctorate in science.
Thursday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/salon-after-darc-trial-and-error/melbourne/
Media enquiries: Kate Brereton, kbrereton@slv.vic.gov.au (Monday to Friday) or Carly O'Donovan, codonovan@slv.vic.gov.au or 0438 434 447 (Wednesday to Friday).
140,000 years in 30 minutes: The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History – Perth, WA
‘Connecting to Science through Stories and Sky’ screens a full-dome planetarium show from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).
Produced by Deakin MotionLab in collaboration with First Nations communities and UOW Science Space, The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History explores Australia’s past 140,000 years through the lens of traditional and scientific knowledge.
During National Science Week, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), an equal joint venture between Curtin University and The University of Western Australia, presents a special screening and gathering of artists and speakers at Scitech Planetarium.
Thursday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/connecting-to-science-through-stories-and-sky/west-perth/
Media enquiries: Charlene D’Monte, charlene.dmonte@icrar.org or 0468 579 311
Sleeping with cancer - Westmead, NSW
Cancer patients have enough to deal with without sleep apnoea. Learn about the biology of how cancer impacts rest and how patients can improve their sleep quality with Associate Professor Kristina Kairaitis.
Kristina leads the Sleep & Cancer Group at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, the first group in Australia to investigate why disturbed sleep may be relevant in cancer.
Thursday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/westmead-institute-for-medical-research-science-week-2024/westmead
Media enquiries: Kylie Ironside, kylie.ironside@wimr.org.au or 0413 611 959.
Pint-sized wonders – Gladstone, QLD
What the froth? Raise a glass to innovation and discovery at ‘Science in the Brewery’, co-hosted by Inspiring Australia Gladstone STEM Hub Network and Ward's Brewery.
Whether you're a scientist, beer aficionado or simply curious about hop chemistry, quench your thirst for knowledge, while enjoying a cold one, at the intersection of science and brewing.
Thursday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-in-the-brewery-3/gladstone-central
Media enquiries: Jocelyn Sticklen, j.sticklen@cqu.edu.au or 07 4150 7142
The science of beer – Joondalup, WA
What happens when the science of brewing goes wrong?
What processes go into making a good, marketable beer?
Find out from experts and brewers and taste a few different kinds of beer at the Edith Cowan University Birra Bar.
Thursday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-science-of-beer/joondalup/
Media enquiries: Cass Rowles, c.rowles@ecu.edu.au or 08 6304 2467.
Fang-tastic. For the love of bats, vampires and pop-culture flick, Blade – Canberra, ACT
Marvel’s first box office hit, Blade (released 1998), is often credited with kickstarting the superhero cinema age.
Grab some popcorn for a special ‘Blade Screening and Panel Discussion’, delving into the myths and science of vampires and bats popularised in the blood-sucking horror genre.
On the panel:
- Pidge Greenwood is studying a Bachelor of Science at ANU with a focus on genetics and evolutionary sciences. They have a strong interest in vampires and the metaphors they often embody in fiction.
- Dr Brendan McMorran is an Associate Professor and research group leader at the ANU's John Curtin School of Medical Research. His research spans genetics, immunology and infectious disease.
- Dr Joanna Haddock holds degrees in psychology and environmental science and completed a PhD investigating the impacts of urban street lighting on insectivorous bats. She now uses her psychology expertise and love of bats as a science communicator.
- Dr Alice Motion is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School at the University of Sydney’s School of Chemistry. Their work centres on ways to better connect people with science, including through citizen science collaborations.
- Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens (moderator) is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science and the Head of the Popsicule – ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub.
Thursday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/blade-screening-panel-discussion-science-art-film-at-the-nfsa/acton
Media enquiries: Jacqui Douglas, comms@nfsa.gov.au or 0417 738 434.
Meet the scientists who speak for the trees – Adelaide, SA
Imagine the stories and insight a 300-year-old tree could share if they could speak. What might they say that could impact the way we approach climate, food or urban sustainability?
Meet the local researchers giving the trees a voice using the best scientific tools and plant ecophysiology to understand their past and envision their future.
Featuring:
- Dr Samuel Holt, LiDAR Product Manager at Aerometrex, specializing in geospatial data for land management and climate resilience
- Assoc. Professor Beth Loveys, University of Adelaide, focusing on plant ecophysiology and the impact of climate change on plant growth
- Dr Kate Delaporte, Curator of the Waite Arboretum, with expertise in the Urban Forest and Australian native plants.
Thursday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/q-can-we-innovate-creativity-2/adelaide
Media enquiries: Dylan DeLosAngeles, dylan.delosangeles@unisa.edu.au, 08 8302 4072
Be a Top End biosecurity expert for the day – Katherine, NT
Every day, Australia is at risk of a host of nasties – exotic pests and diseases – arriving from all directions, threatening our multi-billion agricultural and livestock industries. Think, brown marmorated stink bugs, browsing ants, Giant African snails, avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, citrus canker, and more.
The Northern Territory is a biosecurity buffer for the rest of Australia, and home to booming primary production industries, from cattle to mangoes.
‘Biosecurity in the Bush’ invites high school students to contemplate a career on the frontline as pseudo biosecurity officers on a field trip to Northern Territory Government’s Katherine Research Station.
Thursday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/biosecurity-in-the-bush-katherine-research-stations-science-spectacle/katherine/
Media enquiries: Rickie Abraham, Rickie.Abraham@nt.gov.au or 0428 052 647
Your smartphone pics could help scientists keep an eye on water - online
Could phone pictures help say when it’s safe to swim or predict mass fish kills and algal blooms? Just as a meteorologist forecasts the weather, scientists can forecast water quality changes.
CSIRO’s AquaWatch Australia uses satellite images, water quality sensors, and smartphone pictures from locals to measure water quality around Australia.
Pictures from the community also help to calibrate the data received from satellites and validate that what we’re seeing from space is accurate.
Learn how they’re using AI to turn all this data into a tool that people can use to check their water quality and make decisions in this talk with Janet Anstee, Deputy Director and First Nations Engagement Lead for AquaWatch.
Thursday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/keeping-an-eye-on-water/
Janet Anstee is available for media interviews.
Media enquiries: Maigan Thompson, Maigan.Thompson@csiro.au or 0409 743 148.
About National Science Week
National Science Week is Australia’s annual opportunity to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its cultural and economic impact on society – from art to astrophysics, chemistry to climate change, and forensics to future food.
First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year about 2.7 million people participated in more than 1,860 events and activities.
The festival is proudly supported by the Australian Government, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and the ABC.
In 2024 it runs from Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.