ACT: Detecting doping, real life daleks, and steel from tyres
National Science Week in ACT
Our early picks of highlights
- You could have a science job in government – Capital Hill
- Meet reptiles, daleks, dinosaurs, robots, and more while you’re shopping – multiple locations
- Making steel from old tyres – Parkes
More on each of the highlights below.
You could have a science job in government – Capital Hill
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.
Meet reptiles, daleks, dinosaurs, robots, and more while you’re shopping – multiple locations
Science while you shop! Pop-up science activity centres will give shoppers the chance to meet scientists, engineers, and daleks, and learn about space, engineering with LEGO, live reptiles, dinosaurs, parasites, chemistry, geology, robotics, and more.
Westfield Belconnen, Westfield Woden, South.Point Tuggeranong, Cooleman Court, Gungahlin Marketplace, and the Canberra Centre will host a variety of displays and hands-on science activities during the weekends of National Science Week (10 – 11 and 17 – 18 August).
Media enquiries: actscienceweek@gmail.com
Representatives from stallholders are available for interview.
Making steel from old tyres – Parkes
Meet the engineer who invented technologies that turn waste into green building materials and business opportunities.
Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla invented technology that uses recycled tyres in steel production.
She and her team also invented an e-waste microfactory that harvests metals from old laptops, circuit boards, and smartphones, and technology that makes ceramic tiles and kitchen benchtops from waste clothes and glass. Now they’re targeting plastic, turning hard plastics into feedstock for 3D printing.
Veena will share her vision for a sustainable future at the annual Ann Moyal Lecture at the National Library of Australia. Veena is director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology at UNSW and heads the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for ‘green manufacturing’.
Monday 12 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/ann-moyal-lecture-scientia-professor-veena-sahajwalla/parkes