From Marc Duldig, President of the Australian Institute of Physics
From 13-21 August is National Science Week, so let’s get physical with sci-fi in Sydney, virtual tours of space in Adelaide and Canberra, desert innovation in Alice Springs, and rocket science in Melbourne.
Welcome to my special National Science Week bulletin for 2011. There are expected to be more than 1000 events across Australia, many with a physics component.
This bulletin highlights some of those physics-themed events, including:
- the AIP Super Science Quiz for school students in Adelaide on 19 August;
- medical technology after Einstein – a public lecture sponsored by the AIP and the Powerhouse Museum as part of the Ultimo Science Festival 2011;
- sci-fi physics fact and fiction in Sydney;
- Charley Lineweaver guiding us around the universe in Canberra;
- a 3D tour of the solar system in Adelaide;
- the Centre for Appropriate Technology in Alice Springs showing science innovations and projects that are working in remote desert Indigenous communities;
- rocket science at Melbourne’s Scienceworks museum;
- freewheeling science at Perth’s Scitech;
- young student ‘SciBuds’ at New Town High School in Hobart;
- Queensland school children tackling a trivia challenge and competing for science investigation awards; and
- the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney showing exhibitions on nuclear science and on steam engines and running experiments with heat, light and movement.
From Saturday 13 August you can take part in the 2011 National Project on multi-tasking. It will help answer common questions about multi-tasking, such as: Is it good for us? Do women multi-task better than men? Take the online test at http://www.scienceweek.gov.au/news/Pages/TheMultitaskingTest.aspx and you may win $1,000.
The 2011 National Tour guests are robot designer David Hanson, anti-doping chemist Catrin Goebel, obesity physiologist Michael Cowley and plastic surgeon Fiona Wood. They are giving talks across Australia during Science Week – have a look at the itinerary here: http://www.scienceweek.gov.au/National/NationalTour/Pages/NationalTourItinerary.aspx.
You can find out more about National Science Week at http://www.scienceweek.gov.au or follow the links to individual events listed below. There are plenty of events after 21 August too.
If you have trouble reading the bulletin in this format, it’s also online at www.aip.org.au. You can also read it and RSS it on my blog here and on LinkedIn.
You are welcome to contact me regarding AIP or other physics matters. Just email aip_president@aip.org.au.
Please note that replies to this email go to Niall Byrne, Science in Public, whose team compiles and manages the bulletin on my behalf, and also handles corrections, updates and bounces. If you have news or other information for the bulletin, email Niall by the 23rd of each month.
Kind regards,
Marc Duldig,
AIP President
In this bulletin:
10.Submissions to the bulletin and journal
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| 13 Aug 2011 9:00 AM Global 60SecondScience Video Competition Venue: Online … on your camera … on your computer |
Create a 60 second video which explains a science concept or phenomena. Free entry, $11K in cash prizes. |
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| 15 Aug 2011 9:00 AM Meteorology – Atmospheric Water Vapour – Laboratory Sessions at ADFA Venue: School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, UNSW @ ADFA |
Water vapour is the most abundant of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, playing a major role in energy transport. Join us in a student lab session to measure humidity. |
| 15 Aug 2011 9:00 AM Erindale College Science and Mathematics Enrichment Day Venue: Erindale College |
Students from local high schools, along with students from Erindale College will participate in fun and challenging science and mathematics activities. |
| 16 Aug 2011 6:00 PM ANU Public Lecture Series – Scales of Science: ‘Social Network Analysis as an Intelligence Technique – The Iranian Weapons Program Revisited’ with Graham Durant-Law Venue: Finkel Theatre at the ANU |
This lecture by Graham Durant-Law considers the mathematical discipline that examines the relationships between a set of entities. Network analysis builds on this graph theory by allocating attribute data to the nodes and relationship data to the links. Applications for network analysis can include physics, social sciences, medicine or even terrorism studies… |
| 17 Aug 2011 11:00 AM Vocal Gymnastics and the Science of Sound – Mal Webb performs live at Questacon Venue: Questacon Japan Theatre |
Around the world and into your brain, vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentalist and looping beatboxing songwriter Mal Webb explores the science of music and the human voice using all sorts of vocal techniques like sideways yodelling, beatbox, harmonics, throat singing, uvular fluttering. |
| 17 Aug 2011 11:40 AM Science Spectacular Venue: St Benedict’s School |
Students from St Clare’s College will present a variety of hands-on science activities to St Benedict’s Primary School students. |
| 18 Aug 2011 1:30 PM Skulls in Schools – Doing Facial Reconstruction Venue: Questacon Japan Theatre |
Live from Questacon and via video link to schools across Australia. Join Dr Susan Hayes to explore her work on human facial variation and the facial reconstruction of prehistoric remains. |
| 18 Aug 2011 5:00 PM Science Week Trivia Night Venue: UniPub |
A highlight of the National Science Week program for geeks, know-it-alls and custodians of arcane trivia alike. |
| 19 Aug 2011 6:00 PM ANU Public Lecture Series – Scales of Science: ‘Our Earth, Other Earths and the Universe’ with Dr Charley Lineweaver Venue: Finkel Theatre at the ANU |
Dr Lineweaver will present an illuminating and humorous guided tour of the origin of the universe, the origin of terrestrial planets, (including our Earth) and how we ended up on such a nice wet planet. |
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| 13 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Science Tabloid Venue: Franklin Public School |
Franklin Public School celebrates Science Week with a Science Tabloid – Primary School. |
| 16 Aug 2011 9:30 AM Big Science Big Fun Venue: Al Amanah College |
Fizzics Education will be presenting an awesome Science show. |
| 16 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Nuclear matters Exhibition Venue: Powerhouse Museum |
Nine imaginative and daring interactive displays where you can have amazing fun while learning all about nuclear science. |
| 16 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Experimentations Exhibition Venue: Powerhouse Museum |
Come along and do real experiments! Explore the world, see science in action, find out the connections between things and discover by doing. Experiment with heat, light, chemistry, electricity and movement. |
| 16 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Boulton & Watt steam engine Venue: Powerhouse Museum |
See the oldest surviving rotative (wheel-turning) steam engine in the world, made by James Watt and Matthew Boulton. This massive engine was used in Whitbread’s London brewery for 102 years and came to Sydney on the ‘Patriarch’ ship in 1888, donated to the Powerhouse Museum. |
| 16 Aug 2011 10:00 AM The Steam Revolution Venue: Powerhouse Museum |
This display of working steam engines, boilers, hands-on activities and film footage tells the story of steam power and how steam engines changed the world. |
| 16 Aug 2011 2:00 PM Curator Tours: Science Underground Venue: Powerhouse Museum |
A tour behind the scenes in the Museum’s Science and Technology basement. Explore the collection of instruments, objects and curios usually unseen by the public. |
| 18 Aug 2011 9:30 AM Science in the Bush Venue: The University of New England |
A day of hands-on workshops at the University of New England where students will take on experimental challenges and come face-to-face with cutting edge research. The event will run over two days: yr 7-9 students – Thurs. 18th August yr 5-6 students – Fri. 19th August. Registration is essential as places are limited – opens 9th May 2011. |
| 18 Aug 2011 4:30 PM Science Fair Venue: Oakhill College – CSC Foyer |
Science Fair – A display of student projects entered into a competition with special displays and talks. |
| 20 Aug 2011 11:00 AM Fact or Fiction – A Reel Science Event – Session 1 Venue: University Hall – University of Technology, Sydney – Ultimo |
A 90 minute show where you watch clips from your favourite sci-fi films, vote on whether the technology featured is fact or fiction before our special hosts and ANSTO scientists provide the answers |
| 20 Aug 2011 2:00 PM Fact or Fiction – A Reel Science Event – Session 2 Venue: University Hall – University of Technology, Sydney – Ultimo |
A 90 minute show where you watch clips from your favourite sci-fi films, vote on whether the technology featured is fact or fiction before our special hosts and ANSTO scientists provide the answers |
| 20 Aug 2011 5:00 PM Fact or Fiction – A Reel Science Event – Session 3 Venue: University Hall – University of Technology, Sydney – Ultimo |
A 90 minute show where you watch clips from your favourite sci-fi films, vote on whether the technology featured is fact or fiction before our special hosts and ANSTO scientists provide the answers. |
| 20 Aug 2011 8:00 PM Fact or Fiction – A Reel Science Event – Session 4 Venue: University Hall – University of Technology, Sydney – Ultimo |
A 90 minute show where you watch clips from your favourite sci-fi films, vote on whether the technology featured is fact or fiction before our special hosts and ANSTO scientists provide the answers. |
| 22 Aug 2011 6:00 PM The Einstein Lecture 2011: Powerful Medicine – Einstein would be proud! Venue: Powerhouse Museum |
Using interactive demos, Dr Stephen Fogwill takes us on the path of electron discovery and its antimatter equivalent, the positron. He describes how Einstein’s work led to the powerful medicine of positron emission tomography (PET). |
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| 16 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Everyday Science Fair Venue: Jilkminggan School |
A Kitchen Science Fair involving the whole community of Jilkminggan which will be held at the community school. |
| 18 Aug 2011 9:30 AM Desert Science 101 Venue: Centre for Appropriate Technology, Desert Peoples Centre, Desert Knowledge Precinct |
A learning tour for senior high-school and university students on the Centre for Appropriate Technology’s (CAT) science innovations and projects that are working in remote Indigenous communities throughout the desert region and beyond. |
| 19 Aug 2011 5:00 PM Shell Questacon Science Circus Darwin Public Exhibition Venue: Darwin Showgrounds |
Visit the Shell Questacon Science Circus Public Exhibition in Darwin to see science shows, hands-on exhibits, and our science shop. |
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| 15 Aug 2011 11:00 AM iRocket Venue: Tinana State School |
Students will explore the science of rockets. |
| 16 Aug 2011 1:00 PM Gold Coast Schools Science Trivia Challenge Venue: Activity Centre, GUGC |
The Science Trivia Challenge will be along the lines of traditional Trivia Nights with 6 rounds of 8 questions. In between rounds there will be entertainment by way of “whiz-bang-pop” science demonstrations, brain-buster questions for the audience and prize give-aways. |
| 18 Aug 2011 4:00 PM PICSE Science Investigation Awards Venue: University of the Sunshine Coast Innovation Centre Auditorium |
This popular annual event showcases students’ work from Chemistry, Biology & Physics (EEI’s) with cash prizes of up to $500! This year’s VIP guest – QLD Chief Scientist Dr Geoff Garrett. Open to all students in Years 6/7 & Years 11/12 |
| 18 Aug 2011 6:00 PM My Research in 3 Minutes Venue: Heritage Bar, |
Presentation of research topics |
| 19 Aug 2011 6:00 PM Townsville Dreaming at Cultural Fest Venue: Strand Park |
Townsville Dreaming is a chance for young and old to look at the starry nights skies in a different way. |
| 20 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Gold Coast Science Fair Venue: Varsity College and Bond University |
A fun filled family fair held over two days (Sat 20 and Sun 21 August 2011) featuring fantastic interactive science, technology and innovative activities for all the family. |
| 20 Aug 2011 6:00 PM Townsville Dreaming at Cultural Fest Venue: Strand Park |
Townsville Dreaming is a chance for young and old to look at the starry nights skies in a different way. |
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| 15 Aug 2011 9:00 AM Dernancourt Science Week Venue: Dernancourt Schools |
Multiple individual entries in Oliphant Science Awards. Daily “Scientists for a Day” and whole school experiments |
| 16 Aug 2011 9:00 AM Serious About Science Venue: Peterborough High School |
Peterborough High School is “Serious About Science” |
| 17 Aug 2011 11:00 AM The Journey Home: An Interplanetary Guide To The Solar System Venue: eResearch SA VisLab |
An animated and interactive 3D tour of the solar system. Enjoy the ride as we visit the planets, from scorching Mercury to planetary outcast, Pluto. Join us on this interactive journey of discovery through the solar system and experience the infinite beauty of space in this 3D spectacular! |
| 19 Aug 2011 2:00 PM AIP Super Science Quiz Venue: Eclipse Room, Union Building, Adelaide University |
Get a team from your school involved in this challenging science quiz. Teams of 6 students compete for the Perpetual Shield and prizes. |
| 20 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Science In the Streets Venue: South Australian Museum, Rundle Mall and RiAus |
FREE Public event in the Adelaide CBD! Come be enthralled by youth scientists performing on the streets of Adelaide. This 5 minute presentation will entertain and amaze audiences of all ages; families and passers by |
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| 18 Aug 2011 7:00 PM New Town High School Science Expo Venue: New Town High School |
After the success of the 2010 event, it’s back, bigger and better than before. Come and see our young scientists in action, including our SciBuds, as they guide you through Science in our everyday lives, through a thought-provoking and eye-opening series of activities and demonstrations. “Be a participator, not a spectator” and come and join in! |
| 20 Aug 2011 11:00 AM Australian Maritime College – Open Day (Beauty Point) Venue: University of Tasmania Beauty Point Campus |
Find out more about studying at the AMC by joining us on campus on the 20th and 21st of August 2011! |
| 21 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Australian Maritime College – Open Days (Launceston) Venue: University of Tasmania, Newnham Campus |
Find out more about studying at the AMC by joining us on campus on the 20th and 21st of August 2011! |
| 23 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Science week Venue: Montello Primary School |
Various activities in all classes, presented by Grade 5/6 students. |
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| 14 Aug 2011 10:30 AM Rocket Science Venue: Scienceworks |
Launch rockets with the Physics Students’ Society: your opportunity to press the big red button during National Science Week. |
| 15 Aug 2011 1:00 PM ‘Science you can see’ – Wheels and things that turn and spin Venue: Ivanhoe Girls Grammar ELC and Grace Park Pre-school, Ivanhoe and Greensborough |
Wheels and things that turn and spin! |
| 15 Aug 2011 6:30 PM Physics in the Pub: The Tools of Big Science Venue: Pugg Mahones |
Join us for a panel-led discussion on the tools of Big Science: how is the face of science changing with tools such as the Large Hadron Collider, the Australian Synchrotron, the Square Kilometre Array and increasing supercomputing power? |
| 17 Aug 2011 1:00 PM Sport Science Fun in student centre Venue: SCORESBY SECONDARY COLLEGE |
Sport Science Fun in Scoresby College student centre at lunch time – Slime! Bouncing Boards! Dunlop Volleys VS. Sports shoes! Testing for Glucose (sugar)!! |
| 17 Aug 2011 7:30 PM An Evening of Rough Science Venue: Lithuanian Club |
Rough Science hits the stage in a hilarious evening of mechanical dissections, double rainbows, and trace gases. |
| 18 Aug 2011 10:00 AM VSSEC Engineering and Science Careers Expo Venue: Victorian Space Science Education Centre |
Engineering and Science Careers Expo for students in Yr 10-12, teachers and the general public. |
| 19 Aug 2011 1:00 PM Marie Curie Research Competition Venue: Student Centre, Scoresby Secondary College |
Marie Curie Research Competition Awards + Special Science Awards for Outstanding Contributions to the Science Department at Scoresby Secondary College. |
| 19 Aug 2011 6:00 PM Singularity Summit Australia 2011- Transcendent Man screening Venue: Cinema Nova |
Screening details: Transcendent Man will screen at Melbourne’s historic Cinema Nova in Carlton on August 19th, 2011, (likely at 7:00 pm). The screening will feature a special videoed address to Australia by Ray Kurzweil and Barry Ptolemy and post-screening Q&A with film contributors Ben Goertzel & Hugo de Garis. This is an event not to be missed! |
| 19 Aug 2011 6:30 PM The State of the Universe Venue: BA201, BA Building, Swinburne University |
Join astronomers from Swinburne University as they consider some of the Big Questions of modern astronomy. |
| 20 Aug 2011 9:00 AM Singularity Summit Australia 2011 Venue: RMIT – Casey Plaze |
The Singularity Summit is an annual conference focused on the Technological Singularity and related converging technologies such as robotics, nanotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, and artificial intelligence. |
| 21 Aug 2011 11:00 AM Inspiring Scientists – careers expo Venue: Scienceworks |
Find out about your favourite “ology” by chatting to inspiring career scientists. |
| 21 Aug 2011 2:00 PM ANZAAS Kids Ask Scientists Questions Venue: Scienceworks Museum |
Designed to get children thinking about how things work – not just getting the ‘right’ answer, this forum encourages children to think about the ‘big’ questions and provides the opportunity to quiz prominent Australian scientists. |
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| 13 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Science of the Universe Venue: Gravity Discovery Centre |
Discover the Science of the Universe. What are black holes? How does our Universe work? Are we alone? Look back in time to the Big Bang. |
| 14 Aug 2011 11:00 AM SCINEMA Film Festival Venue: Science Library, University of Western Australia |
UWA Library presents SCINEMA – A National Science Week event showcasing science film, video and multimedia. This film festival is screening in the Science Library foyer throughout National Science Week. |
| 14 Aug 2011 1:00 PM Nikola Tesla’s afternoon in Perth Venue: Serbo-Australian Information and Welfare Centre Inc. |
Celebrate achievements of Tesla Forum and other organizers of Nikola Tesla EXPO 2011 held in Perth; celebrate Nikola Tesla and his inventions; promote science and education in general |
| 15 Aug 2011 3:15 PM Science is Fun Venue: Mount Barker Community resource Centre |
Various hands-on experiments for 8-16 year old students in the physical science stream. |
| 15 Aug 2011 6:00 PM Freewheeling physics Venue: CSIRO Lab |
Freewheeling physics Yr 6-10 |
| 16 Aug 2011 5:30 PM The warped side of the universe: a future astronomy for Western Australia Venue: Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, The University of Western Australia |
In this talk we will explain how a gravitational wave telescope works and illuminate the exciting physics, astrophysics and cosmology that can be done with a global array of extremely large, ground-based telescopes that will be built to probe the furthest reaches of the universe. |
| 16 Aug 2011 6:30 PM David Hanson and Hanson Robotics Free Lecture at ECU Venue: ECU Joondalup – Building 8 Lecture Room 101 |
International Speakers David Hanson and Hanson Robotics come to Edith Cowan University for a public lecture. Hanson Robotics aim to create intelligent robotic beings, grant them true consciousness and creativity, and deliver them and their constituent technologies into the world. |
| 17 Aug 2011 9:30 AM Science Cafe Venue: Winthrop Hall, The University of Western Australia |
Students in years 9-11 will have the opportunity to hear from a Nobel Laureate and speak one-on-one with inspirational scientists. |
| 17 Aug 2011 7:00 PM Sacred Heart College – SCIENCE OPEN NIGHT Venue: Sacred Heart College |
We open up the Science block on one evening during which time students host a variety of activities in order to share their Science experiences with their parents, families and other members of the College community. |
| 18 Aug 2011 9:00 AM Al-Hidayah Islamic School Science Exhibiition Venue: Al-Hidayah Islamic School |
Al-Hidayah Islamic School Science Exhibition. Whole school Science exhibition for the public and students of Bentley Primary. |
| 18 Aug 2011 12:00 PM Whirlwind Science Venue: Goollelal Primary School |
Physics, Science and Aviation teacher, Mike Hill, flies a helicopter to his neighbouring primary school to explain the science behind his flying machine. An “in-your-face” attention getter about the science of flight. |
| 19 Aug 2011 10:30 AM Brain Break Morning Tea Venue: The University of Western Australia |
A morning tea for UWA staff in the Faculties of Science to Celebrate National Science Week and Science at UWA |
| 21 Aug 2011 10:00 AM Curtin University Open Day 2011 Venue: Curtin University |
Curtin Open Day – for everyone and anyone who is keen to find out more about science and about university. |
| 21 Aug 2011 10:00 AM YOUth at a Sound of Science Venue: Canning River Eco Education Centre (CREEC) |
Youth engagement and leadership is the focus of ‘A Sound of Science’ community fair at CREEC. The sounds of animals, plants, humans and the Earth itself will be show-cased and explored in innovative ways. |
My next bulletin will be sent out in late August 2011, and will cover events in September and beyond. I welcome contributions about activities, conferences and announcements by Thursday 25 August 2011. Please send your submissions to Niall Byrne or Margie Beilharz from Science in Public on margie@scienceinpublic.com.au or call (03) 9398 1416.
You can also submit your physics events directly to the AIP Events Calendar—they will be approved and publicly accessible in just a couple of days, and will also be included in the next month’s bulletin.
If you have an article you would like to submit to ‘Australian Physics’, please send it to the Editor, Peter Robertson on prob@unimelb.edu.au or to the Chair, Editorial Board, Brian James on b.james@physics.usyd.edu.au.
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For more information on physics events go to the AIP Events Calendar.
If you know of anyone who would like to receive these updates, please feel free to forward this to them.
Kind regards,
Marc
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Dr Marc Duldig
President of the Australian Institute of Physics
Phone: 0421 757 285
Email: aip_president@aip.org.au
