Highlights from day 8 of National Science Week
Researchers, experts, and other interesting talent available for interview around the country.
TAS: Beaker Street Festival hits a climax with an evening of sex, science and a giant clitoris puppet – Hobart
WA: Female fossil rockers bring a palaeo-music show to Perth
QLD: Touring multisensory Quantum Year exhibition created by legally blind artist stops in Brisbane
QLD: Planetarium pop-rock-funk – Brisbane
NATIONAL: Multimedia project captures 65,000+ years of Indigenous Knowledge through voices of elders, scientists and environmentalists – online via Gunnedah, NSW
WA: Venusian volcanologist and NASA astrophysicist joins Baroque orchestra – Perth
ACT: Weekend shopping with snakes, rockets and robots – Canberra
NT: Territorians’ ticket to space – Darwin
QLD: 50 ways to die in space – Brisbane
SA: Bug catchers wanted to document ‘proof of life’ in Renmark’s restored floodplains – Renmark
ACT: Computer programmers aged 55+ wanted – Greenway
WA: Carbon-fibre bones, gravity waves and selfies with atoms at Forrest Research Foundation – Crawley
VIC: Roving dinosaurs, fossils and Sky Country – Bendigo
QLD: Launch a rocket – Toowoomba
NSW: Explore the science of stargazing – Lake Macquarie
Read on for direct contact details for each event, or contact Tanya Ha, tanya@scienceinpublic.com.au or 0404 083 863; and Shelley Thomas, shelley@scienceinpublic.com.au or 0416 377 444.
Also today:
- VIC: Insects, meteorites and megafauna: the stories behind the specimens at Melbourne Museum
- NSW: Fly a virtual navy helicopter and get to grips with rockets, reptiles and robots at ‘Science on the South Coast’ in Nowra
Coming up tomorrow:
More about the event highlights
Science of better sex at Beaker Street Festival – Hobart, TAS
Beaker Street Festival reaches a climax.
‘Come Again? An Evening of Sex and Science’ involves sultry scientists and pleasure experts providing insights into the science of better sex, complete with ‘a giant clitoris puppet and peer-reviewed innuendo’.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/come-again-an-evening-of-sex-and-science/hobart/
Centred around Hobart’s Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) and nearby venues, the week-long festival (12-19 August) features talks and workshops; interactive science/art installations; photography exhibitions; live music and performance; and Tassie food and drink.
Festival Founder/Creative Director Dr Margo Adler says: “This year, we’re reclaiming the parts of ourselves that feel most at risk of being lost in this age of distraction — our wonder, our pleasure, our attention spans, our connection to nature and to each other.”
See all Beaker Street Festival events
Media enquiries: Matt Fraser, matt@originalspin.com.au or 0401 326 007.
Female fossil rockers on tour – Perth, WA
Aussie girl-geek band The Ammonites takes a palaeo-musical show to Western Australia.
The trio – Danni, Morgan and Blair, who graduated from Dinosaur University – are the alter-egos of performers Bridget Tran, Kate Neville and Montana Vincent. With the help of renowned singing palaeontologist Professor Flint, their show explores Australia’s prehistoric past, while shining a light on challenges facing women in science and inspiring girls to follow their lead and dream big!
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-ammonites-rock/perth/
Media enquiries: Michael Mills, michael@heapsgood.com.au or 0411 287 381.
Legally blind artist and musician collaborate in multisensory science exhibition to celebrate Quantum Year – Brisbane, QLD
‘A Different Light: Multisensory Science Books of X-Ray Crystallography’ touring exhibition builds on the work of the Monash Sensory Science initiative and will be delivered through partnerships with Vision Australia (VIC), Next Sense (NSW), Braille House (QLD) and other key educational organisations.
Designed by legally blind artist Dr Erica Tandori, from Monash University’s Rossjohn Laboratory, and designer/musician Dr Stu Favilla, from Swinburne University of Technology, it explores hidden atomic structures and protein formations revealed through X-ray crystallography in a series of 10 multisensory science books.
Showcasing accessible and inclusive science during Quantum Year, the exhibition enables blind, low vision and diverse needs (BLVDN) audiences to connect with cutting-edge Australian science and scientists (past and present) – including Nobel Prize winners Henry and Lawrence Bragg, the Australian father-and-son duo who pioneered X-ray crystallography.
It also features interactive mock-ups of the Braggs’ X-ray crystallography machines from the early 20th Century, image and data sonification, science inspired electronic music, and tactile artworks and graphics that represent atomic structures, diffraction patters and protein formations.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/a-different-light-qld/south-brisbane/
Media enquiries: Dr Erica Tandori, Erica.Tandori@monash.edu or 0407 806 733.
Dr Erica Tandori and Dr Stu Favilla are available for media interviews.
Planetarium ‘pop-rock-funk’ concert helps audiences second guess pseudoscience and conspiracy theories – Brisbane, QLD
Award-winning songwriter and science communicator Nate Eggins (aka Conspiracy of One) brings his quirky, cosmic grooves back to Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium.
Nate explores scientific and psychological concepts through pop-rock-funk songs like ‘We’re All Aliens, Baby’ and ‘The Sound a Duck Makes’. Concert goers will enjoy a free ‘homeopathic cocktail’ against the starry backdrop of the Skydome. And they will hear from special guest scientists:
- University Queensland Palaeontology PhD candidate Amber-Rose Faith talks about dinosaurs;
- Jesse Richardson (award-winning advertising creative director and founder of The School of Thought International) focuses on critical thinking.
Saturday 16 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/planetarium-concert-live-music-in-the-skydome-2/toowong/
Media enquiries: Nate Eggins, nathan@sentientproductions.com.au or 0402 593 431.
Nate Eggins is available for media interviews.
How do you capture 65,000+ years of Indigenous Knowledge? – online
Powerfully… through a series of videos, articles, podcasts and interactive online events that showcase traditional knowledge, environmental stewardship and deadly inventions of Australia’s First Scientists.
The ‘Indigenous STEM Virtual Gallery’ highlights the intersection between Indigenous Knowledge systems and modern STEM innovations by capturing the voices of Indigenous elders, scientists and environmentalists who lead the way in conservation, technology and sustainable practices.
The multimedia project, led by Community News Hub Aboriginal Corporation (based in Gunnedah, NSW), includes educational toolkits for schools and community groups.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/indigenous-stem-virtual-gallery/
Media enquiries: Dean Foley, d.foley@barayamal.com / stories@indigenousnewsaustralia.com or 0458 980 232.
Dean Foley, Community News Hub Aboriginal Corporation managing director, is available for media interviews on the significance of Indigenous Knowledge, innovation and the integration of traditional and Western scientific practices.
Space music with NASA astrophysicist and orchestra in Perth – Kwinana, WA
Dr Antony Brian – an astrophysicist, planetary geologist and Venusian volcanologist (who mapped the surface of Venus for NASA) – is on a mission to launch Baroque concertgoers into deep space.
In ‘Space Music’, he joins forces with Perth-based orchestra Australian Baroque providing accompaniment in the form of striking NASA images. The multi-sensory experience takes place at Koorliny Arts Centre in Kwinana.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/space-music-presented-by-australian-baroque/waikiki/
Media enquiries: Brad Coleman, brad@australianbaroque.com or 0403 539 529.
Dr Antony Brian is available for media interviews.
Snakes, robots, rockets and more while you shop – multiple locations, ACT
Pop-up activity centres will give shoppers the chance to discover the science behind reptiles, engineering, water bugs, space, robotics and the environment.
Westfield Belconnen, Westfield Woden, South Point Tuggeranong, Cooleman Court, Gungahlin Marketplace, Majura Park Shopping Centre and the Canberra Centre will host a variety of displays and hands-on science activities during the weekends of National Science Week.
Media enquiries: Jillian Matthews, actscienceweek@gmail.com or 0478 333 883.
Territorians’ ticket to the International Space Station – Darwin, NT
Young space enthusiasts can go on a spacewalk and witness how astronauts eat, sleep and work on the International Space Station thanks to a free VR experience at Charles Darwin University’s Radicle Centre.
Opened in March 2025, CDU Radicle Centre is the first and only science centre north of Brisbane.
Its reach extends to mobile workshops and exhibits with a fully-equipped science vehicle to provide resources and activities to remote schools.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/vr-explorer/brinkin/
Media enquiries: Carla Eisemberg, Carla.Eisemberg@cdu.edu.au or 0401 737 884.
CDU Radicle Centre for Science and Technology Engagement Director Dr Carla Eisemberg is available for media interviews.
50 ways to die in space – St Lucia (Brisbane), QLD
Space: the final frontier. Beautiful. Intriguing. Mysterious. But if you go there, YOU WILL DIE!
Astrophysicist Dr Eileen O’Hely writes about the physics and physiology of existing – and ceasing to exist – in deep space.
The author of children’s graphic novel 50 Ways to Die in Space will explore the topic with illustrator Nico O’Sullivan.
Participants can also design and launch a paper rocket.
Saturday 16 August. Multiple session times, including sensory friendly and Auslan interpreted.
Media enquiries: Eileen O’Hely, eileen_ohely@yahoo.com.au or 0431 945 392.
Bug catchers wanted – Renmark, SA
Renmark Irrigation Trust is seeking citizen scientists to help document bugs making a comeback to restored Murray River floodplains.Participants will learn how to collect, identify and preserve insects for Renmark’s first floodplain invertebrate record.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/birds-and-bugs-wetlands-wonders-of-renmarks-restored-floodplains/renmark/
Media enquiries: Freya Harrihill, fharrihill@rit.org.au or 0404 344 003.
Renmark Irrigation Trust ecologist Freya Harrihill, who will lead the activities, is available for media interviews.
Seeking computer programmers aged 55+. No experience required – Greenway, ACT
Senior Australians will have the opportunity to learn computer programming at workshops tailored for people who aren’t digital natives.
Billed as more fun than Sudoku or crosswords, Creative Computing for Seniors focuses on keeping brains active by learning how to write and run programs via a block-based coding platform called Scratch.
The free workshop at Canberra Institute of Technology Tuggeranong offers an introduction to the platform that empowers students to create games, animations, stories, interactive art, and more – simply by moving graphical blocks much like a puzzle.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/creative-computing-for-seniors-workshop-using-scratch-8/greenway
Media enquiries: Thomas McCoy, mobilemccoy@gmail.com or 0402 050 852.
Thomas McCoy, a CIT teacher who developed the Creative Computing for Seniors workshop, is available for media interviews.
Carbon-fibre bones, gravity waves, and selfies with atoms – Crawley, WA
Perth’s Forrest Research Foundation opens its doors to the public, in collaboration with Supersonic Science, at Forrest Hall (UWA campus, Crawley).
Visitors can witness the Universe being born or journey inside molecules at a virtual reality station; take photos with atoms or against the backdrop of distant galaxies (thanks to greenscreen technology); see how gravity waves work; build chemical models; and check out carbon-fibre bones, shark skeletons and more.
The Forrest Research Foundation drives research and innovation capacity in Western Australia by supporting over 60 PhD scholars, postdoctoral fellows and their families from around the world to conduct research at one of the state’s five universities.
Saturday 16 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/national-science-week-showcase-at-the-forrest-research-foundation/crawley/
Media enquiries: Connor Bottrell, connor.bottrell@uwa.edu.au or 0434 088 162.
Meet roving dinosaurs, dig for fossils and marvel at Land and Sky Country – Bendigo, VIC
‘Jurassic Wonders: From Earth to Sky’ celebrates First Nations Knowledge, palaeontology and astronomy by teaching children the importance of cross-cultural understanding and engagement to understand the Universe.
Designed for children aged 3 to 11, the event at Bendigo’s Discovery Science and Technology Centre features ‘life-sized roving dinosaurs that stomp, roar and interact with the crowd’, cultural storytelling and a planetarium show focused on Indigenous archaeology.
It also includes Auslan interpretation for children with low or no hearing.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/jurassic-wonders/bendigo/
Media enquiries: Alissa Van Soest, manager@discovery.asn.au or 0413 947 850.
Launch a rocket in Toowoomba, QLD
Cobb + Co museum swaps horsepower for rocket power
Toowoomba residents get the chance to launch rockets, code space rovers, and discover astrobotany at a free community day at the city’s Cobb + Co museum.
The historic site, which forms part of Queensland Museum, plays host to a World Science Festival Queensland regional event timed during National Science Week.
The ‘Robots and Rocketry’ program covers robotics, aerospace and engineering across three zones – Lift Off, Roving Worlds, and Surviving Space.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/world-science-festival-queensland-toowoomba-community-day/toowoomba/
Media enquiries: Christine Robertson, christine.robertson@qm.qld.gov.au or 0417 741 710 and Kylie Hay, kylie.hay@qm.qld.gov.au or 0434 565 852.
Look to the stars – Lake Macquarie, NSW
Lake Mac STEAM returns with two stargazing events.
Explore the science of stargazing via a multi-sensory, 360-degree projection artwork by Ryan Wild at The Cube (located in the Multi-Arts Pavilion). The work blends scientific storytelling with sound design.
And join Newcastle Astronomical Society for a night of stargazing at Speers Point Park.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/lake-mac-look-to-the-stars/speers-point/
Media enquiries: David Rastas, drastas@lakemac.nsw.gov.au or 0447 297 335.
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 3 million people participated in more than 2,000 events and activities.
The festival is proudly supported by the Australian Government, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and the ABC.
In 2025 it runs from Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.