Media release: Saturday 10 August
Today is the first day of National Science Week 2019.
National Science Week events will be held right throughout Australia—from the Indigenous astronomy in the Northern Territory to ‘Dr Dolphin’ and his bottlenose friends in Adelaide, and from marking the Moon landing in Sydney to the science queens of Kings Park in Perth—with science festivals, music and comedy shows, expert panel discussions, interactive hands-on displays, open days and online activities.
Headline local and international science stars include:
▪ NASA exobiologist Darlene Lim—a scientist who prepares astronauts for missions by putting them in the toughest environments on Earth.
▪ Claire L Evans—American musician, VICE reporter and author of Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet.
▪ Veena Sahajwalla – based at UNSW, Veena is the inventor of green steel, a new building material made from old car tires and recycled plastic.
▪ Alan Duffy – astrophysicist, RiAus Lead Scientist and TV science presenter.
Other guests include US-based astrobiologist Paul Davies, veteran US oceanographer Sylvia Earle, and ‘War on Waste’ star Craig Reucassel.
National Science Week activities take place in capital cities, regional centres, and remote settlements across the country. Highlights include:
▪ The Great Aussie BioQuest – a citizen science project using smartphones to map biodiversity.
▪ Disposable – use pee power to recharge your phone and hear experts debate the future of plastic: the art and science of rethinking waste.
▪ Life on Mars – In Perth, NASA scientists and astrophysicists discuss the potential for life on the Red Planet.
▪ Kids Navigate Neuroscience – fun and games for Adelaide children keen to explore the form and function of the brain.
▪ NEON — three chemicals, three choreographers, three composers and 18 performers: it’s chemistry in dance in Hobart.
Search for events in your area: scienceweek.net.au/events/. More highlights here. Images
