Scientists, experts and event organisers are available for interview before and throughout the ‘week’.
Here are ACT highlights from the national festival that reaches more than 3 million people through 2,500+ events. National Science Week will run 15 to 23 August 2026.
Direct contact details for each event listed below and online.
Contact national publicist Tanya Ha for contacts and tips: [email protected] or 0404 083 863.
Highlights for ACT:
- Platypus and rakali:
cute predators a sign of healthy waterways
- Geological striptease
- Balloon veggies:
persuading kids to eat healthier foods
- Iranian refugee and Trekkie
founds space film festival exploring a ‘better future’
- Before the #WomenInSTEM hashtags, there was a newsletter
- Help fix Wikipedia’s women problem
- Science in shopping centres:
snakes, space, rockets, rocks and more
- Dancers with disability pollinate science and inclusion
- The sound of cosmic collisions:
a musical exploration of space-time
- Over-55s coding to keep the brain young
- Flower power:
what is Australia’s most amazing wildflower?
More on these below including contact details for interview.
Or find more stories in your area at ScienceWeek.net.au/events.
Visit the Media Centre for all media releases and images.
Platypus and rakali: cute predators a sign of healthy waterways – Whitlam & Tidbinbilla
The waterways around the nation’s capital are home to some of Australia’s most adorable predators.
Platypus are expert hunters, with special sensors in their bills enable them to detect tiny electric signals of moving prey. They can eat 40,000 waterbugs and other organisms a day.
Rakali, the native water rat often referred to as Australia’s otter, is a clever creature. Rakali in Australia’s north have learnt to kill cane toads and eat their non-toxic organs with “surgical precision”.
As top predators, they can only survive where there’s a substantial supply of smaller creatures, making them a sign of a healthy freshwater ecosystem. That’s why Dan Harris-Pascal and his colleagues at Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch monitor platypus and rakali populations with the help of volunteers.
This National Science Week, the program is running guided platypus and rakali walks to spot them in their natural environment, waterbug hunt bioblitzes to collect and identify aquatic macroinvertebrates (platypus food), and a screening of the film ‘The Platypus Guardian’ and Q&A with its star Tasmanian photographer Pete Walsh who is working to protect Hobart’s platypus population.
Tidbinbilla Sanctuary Walk: Saturday 8 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/guided-platypus-walk-at-the-tidbinbilla-sanctuary/paddys-river/
Molonglo River Walk: Sunday 9 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/guided-platypus-walk-at-namarag-nature-reserve-molonglo-river/whitlam/
Platypus Guardian Film and Q&A with Pete Walsh: Tuesday 18 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/platypus-guardian-film-screening-and-q-and-a-with-pete-walsh/acton/
Media enquiries: Daniel Harris-Pascal, [email protected] or 0413 246 761.
Daniel Harris-Pascal and Pete Walsh are available for media interviews. Please allow a couple of days for Daniel to gain interview approvals.
Striptease meets ‘dirty’ science – Canberra
Canberran researcher Dr Karina Judd presents a smart, sexy, adults-only exploration of geological and earth sciences.
By day, Dr Judd conducts science-engineering-social science research at the Australian National University to make the zero-carbon transition more people-friendly.
By night, she moonlights as ‘Roxie’ in her one-woman cabaret Rock Hard! The Geological Cabaret, winning the 2026 Science at the Fringe Award.
“Funny and bold … an enjoyable learning experience!” - judge’s comments, Adelaide Fringe Festival. What to expect? Cocktail hour geology with sultry songs, smouldering dance, sharp wit and a shimmer of burlesque. No safety glasses required.
Friday 14 and Saturday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/rock-hard-the-geological-cabaret-2/canberra/
Media enquiries: Dr Karina Judd, [email protected] or 0448 318 748.
Dr Judd, who wrote and produced Rock Hard! The Geological Cabaret, is available for media interviews. She studied environmental geology at UNSW Sydney, specialising in soil and mineral chemistry before completing Honours in geology showcasing soil chemistry techniques as a useful tool in identifying past tsunami. And she is a seasoned performer of cabaret, burlesque and dance. See ANU profile: cpas.anu.edu.au/people/karina-judd
Balloon veggies persuade kids to eat healthy - Canberra, Condor, Denman Prospect & Holt
Move over balloon animals, these balloon fruits and veggies are getting kids eating healthy (note: please don’t eat balloons). Former reality tv star, molecular biologist and official balloon scientist Dr Chloe Lim has partnered with the University of Canberra and Nutrition Australia to create Foodie Fun Play! This hands-on adventure lets curious little eaters explore nutrition through storytelling, science and sensory experiences. Perfect for kids aged 3-8.
Chloe founded edutainment venture, Twistyfic, and made the finals of Channel 7's TV show, Blow Up.
Saturday 15 August - Saturday 22 August. Multiple dates and locations.
Media enquiries: Dr Chloe Lim, [email protected], 0401 118 648
Dr Chloe Lim is available for media interviews. Photos available for media use.
Iranian refugee and Trekkie founds space film festival exploring a ‘better future’ - Canberra
Former IT professional-turned-filmmaker Masoud Varjavandi found strength watching Star Trek while growing up in a Baha’i family persecuted in Iran during the 1980s.
Today, he shares stories for a better future through Canberra’s Space Faring Civilisation Film Festival, featuring award-winning sci-fi and documentary shorts.
Masoud says: “This isn’t about escapism. It’s about reminding people that progress, peace and a better future are still within reach.”
Free stop-motion animation workshops will be held in Canberra’s shopping centres in the lead-up to the Space Faring Civilisation (SFC) Film Festival on Sunday 23 August.
The SFC Film Festival’s mission to bring together the next generation of filmmakers and science storytellers, culminating in a full-day event that includes creative workshops, Q&A panel, and screenings of award-winning sci-fi and documentary shorts with a positive perspective on science and space exploration.
Sunday 23 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/2026-space-faring-civilisation-sfc-film-festival/canberra
Media enquiries: Masoud Varjavandi, [email protected], 0432 902 619.
SFC Film Festival director Masoud Varjavandi is available for media interviews. View the 2025 Highlight Reel.
Before the #WomenInSTEM hashtags, there was a newsletter – Canberra
In the mid-1980s women in science in Canberra, mostly from ANU and CSIRO, started a network and a journal. The Women in Science Enquiry Network grew Australia-wide and campaigned for equity for the next two decades.
Dr Frances Michaelis leads a tour of the WISENET archive at the National Library of Australia – through the journals and ephemera that document how those women found each other and organised. Designed especially for science communicators.
Wednesday 12 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/pages-of-progress-inside-wisenet
Media enquiries: Jasmine Fellows, [email protected] or 0407 006 170.
Help fix Wikipedia’s women problem - Acton
Women are featured in less than 20% of Wikipedia’s 1.5 million biographical pages. The Australian National
‘Inclusive Biographies in STEMM’ is hosted by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science in partnership with WikiMedia Australia.
Wikipedia is a vital source of information online. Not only are its articles prioritised by search engines, the entire database has been scraped millions of times by AI agents. The content gender gap reflects the mostly-male volunteer editors who write and maintain Wikipedia’s articles, as well as the historical minimisation of women’s contributions in science, technology and culture.
Saturday 22 August. www.scienceweek.net.au/event/inclusive-biographies-in-stemm-project-a-mini-wiki-hackathon/acton
Media enquiries: SJ Barnes, [email protected].
Snakes, space, rockets, rocks and more while you shop – around Canberra
Pop-up activity centres will give shoppers the chance to discover the science behind native plants, reptiles, engineering, space (and sci fi!), pollen mapping and the environment.
Canberra Centre, Westfield Belconnen, Westfield Woden, South.Point Tuggeranong, Majura Park Shopping Centre, Cooleman Court, and Marketplace Gungahlin will host a variety of displays and hands-on science activities during the weekends of National Science Week (15 - 16 and 22 - 23 August).
Media enquiries: Brook Clinton, [email protected] or 0406 356 207.
Dancers with disability pollinate science and inclusion – Greenway, Belconnen & Braddon
Explore the importance of bees for ecology, biodiversity and our food train through ‘BuzzACT’, a dance-and-science show for children.
Canberra’s inclusive dance performance group, The Chamaeleon Collective, comprises 70% of artists living with disability, chronic illness and/or PTSD.
Launched in 2020, The Chamaeleon Collective, is part of The Stellar Company, founded by dance artist/choreographer/producer, Liz Lea. The initiative provides professional mentoring and career pathways for emerging artists with and without disability.
Saturday 15 to Saturday 22 August. Multiple dates and locations.
Media enquiries: Liz Lea, The Stellar Company, [email protected] or 0498 988 252.
Liz Lea is available for media interviews.
The sound of cosmic collisions: a musical exploration of space-time – Acton
The most violent events in the universe create elements such as gold, platinum and the iodine in human blood. Dr Karelle Siellez is listening to the aftermath of these massive kilonova through electromagnetic radiation ad gamma-ray bursts. She will explore the ‘sound’ of cosmic collisions, and what these signal reveal about the universe, during public talks across the country as part of the 2026 Marie Curie lecture series.
Karelle is an astrophysicist and lecturer at the University of Tasmania. She contributed to the first detection of a gamma-ray burst and gravitational waves from the same cosmic event, recognised with the 2017 Breakthrough Prize. She is also an award-winning science communicator who integrates art, sound, and storytelling into her work.
Monday 17 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/2026-marie-curie-lectures-painting-the-universe-a-visual-and-musical-exploration-of-space-time-with-dr-karelle-siellez-2/acton/
Media enquiries: Dr Karen Livesey and Dr Karen Siu (Tour Co-ordinators), [email protected] or 0478 260 533.
Over-55s coding to keep the brain young – Phillip
Anyone over 55 who can handle a keyboard and mouse can learn to build colourful, musical, moving creations at a free Creative Computing for Seniors workshop using Scratch – the block-based coding tool used by more than 100 million people worldwide.
In a relaxed setting, participants snap multi-coloured blocks together to make interactive stories, games and animations, no experience required. Lunch and refreshments are included.
The organisers pitch it as a way to keep the brain sharp that’s more fun than crosswords or sudoku and a chance to meet new people and start a local Scratch community.
Saturday 15 August and Saturday 22 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/creative-computing-for-seniors-workshop-using-scratch-10/phillip
Media enquiries: Thomas McCoy, [email protected] or 0402 050 852.
Thomas McCoy available for media interviews; photo and video opportunities available.
What do you think is Australia’s most amazing wildflower? – online
ABC Science wants Australians to discover our hidden “flower power”, the kind you find in botanical gardens rather than hippie communes.
With the help of experts, ABC Science has selected ten flowering plants from across the country.
Not just another banksia or waratah, but blooms from the unsung understory that also do something unbelievable. These ten wildflowers are more than just a pretty face; each one hides a surprising superpower. The public will decide which is the most amazing.
Voting to decide Australia’s most amazing wildflower will start just before National Science Week in August, with the winning bloom announced on Friday August 21 in a live broadcast on Radio National.
The shortlist:
- Bladderwort (Utricularia) – Traps and digests insects inside tiny floating “bladders”
- Star flower (Calytrix) – Changes colour like a ‘traffic-light’ to direct pollinators
- Flannel flower (Actinotus) – Blooms from bushfire ashes like a floral phoenix
- Flying duck orchid (Caleana) – Traps insects for pollination and looks like a duck!
- Mulla mulla (Ptilotus) – Thrives, and flowers, in tough, hot arid environments
- Murnong/yam daisy (Microseris) – Provided a significant year-round nutritious food for Indigenous people 
- Richea scoparia – Survives extreme cold and feeds snow skinks
- Creamy candle (Stackhousia) – Looks like a candle and emits a sweet fragrance at night
- Triggerplant (Stylidium) – Hits insects with pollen using a catapult-like trigger
- Underground orchid (Rhizanthella) – Lives underground and looks like a tiny demogorgan.
Wednesday 5 August – Friday 21 August. To find out more and vote, go to www.abc.net.au/wildflowers.
For interviews with Dr Ann Jones, contact Rob Caulley, ABC Publicity, [email protected].
About National Science Week
National Science Week is Australia’s annual opportunity to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its contribution to our lives. Science drives economic and social change – from safe and nutritious food to reducing cancer deaths; from smart phones to AI; from under Antarctica’s ice floes to distant planets.
First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year about 3 million people participated in more than 2,500 registered events and activities.
National Science Week 2026 runs from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.
National Science Week is proudly supported by the Australian Government, alongside key partners Questacon, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and ABC Science.
