National Science Week entertainment related stories up for grabs now around Australia
- ‘We’re All Aliens, Baby’: science songs and astrophysicists at a live Planetarium concert – Brisbane
- Performance art in zero gravity; habitat beyond Earth; what is a space environmentalist? – Sydney
- Hedy Lamarr’s Hollywood glamour and scientific genius on stage – Canberra & Victorian tour
- The Love Lab: discover what really matters, from sex to wearing shoes indoors – Sydney
- An Aussie astronaut, adult ADHD, de-GOOPing wellness, and 150 roving scientists – Hobart
- 9-metre whale puppet tells The Whale’s Tale – Darwin
- Giant ancient kangaroos, Tassie tigers, and a singing palaeontologist – online & Naracoorte, SA
- 140,000 years in 30 minutes: A deep time view of Australia’s epic history – Perth
- Matt the Feral Cat – make and meet this feline fiend in Albany, WA
- Do loos flush in space? Out-of-this-world XR, including NASA’s $23-million space dunny – Darwin
More on these below and visit ScienceWeek.net.au/events to find more stories in your area.
Scientists, experts, performers and event organisers are available for interview throughout National Science Week.
Direct contact details for each event are below or contact Tanya Ha on tanya@scienceinpublic.com.au or 0404 083 863.
Media centre here. Images for media here.
Individual event details and media contacts
‘We’re All Aliens, Baby’: science songs and astrophysicists at a live Planetarium concert – Toowong, QLD
Award-wining songwriter and science communicator Nathan Eggins (aka Conspiracy of One) is bringing his signature sciencey music back to the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, with a couple of University of Queensland astro-experts in tow.
Nathan’s pop-rock-funk music explores scientific and psychological concepts while highlighting and satirising many forms of pseudoscience, misinformation, and cognitive biases.
Nathan and his band will share songs from his debut album ‘Road to Reason’, along with fan favourite science songs like ‘We're All Aliens, Baby’ and ‘The Sound a Duck Makes’, set against the backdrop of the starscapes of the Skydome.
Participants will also hear from dark energy expert Tamara Davis and extrasolar planets researcher Benjamin Pope and enjoy free popcorn and ‘homeopathic cocktails’.
Saturday 17 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/planetarium-concert-live-music-in-the-skydome-2/toowong
Media enquiries: Nathan Eggins, nathan@sentientproductions.com.au or 0402 593 431.
Performance art in zero gravity; habitat beyond Earth; and what is a space environmentalist? – Sydney Science Festival goes off planet
- Building sustainable habitats beyond Earth, with Indian spaceship designer, entrepreneur, climate action advocate, and space diplomat Susmita Mohanty
- Celestial Emu: Gamilaroi astrophysicist Karlie Noon and Bangarra Dance Theatre dancer Daniel Mateo share Indigenous astronomy in a short film directed by Olivia Costa.
- Crowded skies: American space environmentalist Moriba Jah and artist Trevor Paglen reveal the unseen, crowded sky, from space junk to ‘invisible’ surveillance satellites.
- Creativity in space: Australia’s first female astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg in conversation with visiting Asian American artist and engineer Xin Liu.
Hear from compelling speakers on science’s hot topics. Sydney Science Festival is back with events in multiple locations around Sydney and online.
Saturday 10 – Saturday 17 August. Multiple dates and locations.
Many of the speakers and international visitors are available for media interviews.
Media enquiries: Michelle Lollo, media@powerhouse.com.au or 0419 523 735.
Hedy Lamarr’s Hollywood glamour and scientific genius on stage – Canberra & Victorian tour
Hedy Lamarr, glamorous star of the silver screen, also invented Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology that makes the world of wireless communication tick. From Austria to Hollywood, WWII, torpedoes, ecstasy, and intrigue to the very cell phone in your pocket, Hedy Lamarr is there!
American actor and writer Heather Massie, who also studied astrophysics, enchants the audience as Hedy Lamarr, along with Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davis, Louis B Mayer, and more in a one-woman solo play with 36 characters. She’s coming to Australia with her award-winning show, touring Victoria and ACT.
“In Lily Tomlin-esque fashion … Massie channels the iconic star … vividly yet matter-of-factly, and often very humorously … In a balance of high energy and poise, Heather Massie is no less than captivating.” Jed Ryan - The Huffington Post.
More information: www.heathermassie.com.
Heather Massie is available for media interviews.
Media enquiries: Helen van de Pol, hjvandepol@icloud.com or 0448 920 235. Heather may be contacted directly via What’s App +1(212)600-0514.
Find love at the Love Lab – Sydney, NSW
Move over, CupidGTP! Exit swipe right and join ‘The Love Lab’ – a scientific experiment that marries the ancient art of village matchmaking with speed dating, without skirting the tough questions on what really matters.
Like, sex, climate change, or wearing shoes inside the house.
“We’re not saying there’s a right answer but there is probably a scientifically correct answer,” say Love Lab copilots, aka Dr Naomi Koh Belic (she/her – a biracial, bisexual first-generation university graduate with a PhD in stem cell biology) and Shu Ezacjial (they/them – a queer, mixed-race science communicator and engagement specialist).
The Love Lab is an inclusive, sex-positive experiment aimed at making science accessible, while helping people form meaningful connections.
Tuesday 13 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-love-lab/sydney
Dr Naomi and Shu are both available for interviews. Photographs: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kLW6bEDHglVh3pPUhc7sXr-T4jvBpzq_?usp=sharing
Media enquiries: Dr Naomi Koh Belic, bookings@sl.nsw.gov.au
An Aussie astronaut, adult ADHD, de-GOOPing wellness, and 150 roving scientists – Hobart, TAS
- In space with Australia’s first astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg and astrophysicist Alan Duffy
- ‘Science Vs’ podcaster Wendy Zukerman myth-busts wellness GOOP from Gwyneth Paltrow and other influencers
- The Year I Met My Brain author, journalist, and ADHDer Matilda Boseley
- The Dr Karl vs Everyone Game Show! with MC Adam Spencer.
These are some of the highlights of this year’s Beaker Street Festival, lutruwita/Tasmania’s annual celebration of science and art.
Centred around the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and nearby venues, the week-long Festival features talks and workshops presented by top local and visiting scientists, interactive science/art installations, photography exhibitions, live music and performance, Tassie food and drink, and 150+ Roving Scientists to chat with.
This year, attendees will dive into Antarctic science (literally!), help bring stars back to the city skyline, and taste the future of food.
Tuesday 6 - Tuesday 13 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/beaker-street-festival-4/hobart
Media enquiries: Emily Macgroarty, emily.macgroarty@organic-publicity.com or 0432 490 406.
9-metre whale puppet tells The Whale’s Tale – The Gardens, NT
When a whale washes up on a beach and is discovered by a child, the whale’s spirit embarks on a journey to find out what is wrong, with the help of one Dr Walrus.
Featuring a giant whale puppet, The Whale's Tale outdoor interactive theatre show combines playful performance with an inspiring environmental message through the eyes of a child. The show highlights the plight of northern Australian whales and the threat of ocean pollution.
The show is part of the Darwin Festival and will be performed outdoors at the Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
Wednesday 14 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-whales-tale/the-gardens
Media enquiries: Kirsti Abbott, Kirsti.Abbott@magnt.net.au or 0466 726 525.
Giant ancient kangaroos, Tasmanian tigers, and a singing palaeontologist – online, via Naracoorte, SA
Naracoorte Caves is home to an exquisitely preserved giant wombat, a 2.5 metre kangaroo, marsupial lions, giant monitor lizards, Tasmanian tigers, and other megafauna fossils. It’s one of the largest and oldest fossil sites in the world, celebrating the 30th anniversary of its World Heritage listing this year.
Meet the megabeasts and the scientists who study them through webinars presenting the latest discoveries in the caves, livestreamed from within the caves themselves. Significant discoveries include finding new species of animals and understanding how mammals respond to climate change.
In addition, the singing palaeontologist Professor Flint will launch his new album ‘Dancing with Diprotodons!’
Sunday 11 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/world-heritage-beyond-the-boundaries/
Media enquiries: Thoman Shortt, thomas.shortt@sa.gov.au
For Professor Flint: Michael Mills, michael@heapsgood.com.au or 0411 287 381.
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
Meet Matt the Feral Cat – Albany, WA
A play that explores the CATastrophic impact our feline friends can inflict on possums, phascogales, lizards, and other local creatures in the Great Southern.
‘Matt the Feral Cat’ uses the magic of puppetry to highlight the threat of cats to native wildlife, the science behind their control, and how we can all protect species.
Working with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, locals will create a giant feral cat puppet using recycled plastic waste material and local native animal paper puppets from paper material that usually ends up in the bin.
The event culminates in a musical play about ‘Matt the Feral Cat’ to highlight local species, their threats, and protective measures that can assist their protection through community and scientific collaboration.
Friday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/matt-the-feral-cat/albany
Media enquiries: Jenni Loveland, jenni.loveland@ohcg.org.au or 0409 572 240
Sarah Comer, regional ecologist with the Dept of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is available for limited media interviews.
NASA’s $23m space dunny – Darwin, NT
Do loos flush in space? Not quite. In zero gravity they operate with suction, like a vacuum cleaner, requiring intense astronaut pre-training.
Goggle-up and join Darwin local, Debbie Hyder – a former circus performer and unicycle world champion who now runs Amazing XR – on an ‘Outback to Outer Space’ VR field trip.
From Ubirr Rock, Kakadu National Park, to the International Space Station (including a peek at NASA’s $23 million dunny, dubbed ‘the orbital outhouse’).
Monday 12 August (Darwin City Library) & Tuesday 13 August (Casuarina Library): www.scienceweek.net.au/event/outback-to-outer-space/darwin
Media enquiries: Debbie Hyder, deb@amazingmissdeb.com or 0427 615 097
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.
Contact details:
Direct contact details for each event are in the media release, or contact Tanya Ha on tanya@scienceinpublic.com.au or 0404 083 863.
