National Science Week 2010 > Your State > VIC

Victoria

Now in its 12th year, National Science Week enables those with a general interest in science and teachers, organizations and students, to both host and attend a range of entertaining events and activities about science, technology and engineering. Why not showcase the science at your organisation? Invite a scientist to your place and see what you can learn from each other. Or else just sit-back and enjoy some novel and engaging science.

At HYPOTHESIS 2009

Event Director Beth Ashkam gets her photo taken with Charles Darwin at Hypothesis – which offered a diverse and colourful space for young adults to socialize with science.

Image of Charles Darwin event

HYPOTHESIS – Friday 14 August

Kick off National Science Week with a free night of comedy, talk, cabaret and film at BMW Edge, at Federation Square on Friday 14 August. Socialise in a 3D projected universe, speed meet a geek, watch retro TV or discover the poetry on a ten-dollar note.

With so much packed into the night, here’s a taste . . .

Jon McCormack an electronic media artist and researcher speaks on artificial life and evolutionary music and art. Simon Pampena combines his two passions, stand-up comedy and mathematics, in one exciting show. Museum Victoria presents ‘Science Fact or Fiction?!’ in which a panel of stand-up comedians and museum scientists grapple with some of the most slippery ideas in science. Scale Free Network zooms in and illuminates the world of the very, very small, presenting live micro-monsters from the Yarra River, close-up views of butterfly tongues, poetry hidden on a ten-dollar note and much more.

The Radical Chemists and VICS (Victorian Institute of Chemical Science) gives you a chance to examine, in glorious 3D, some of the molecules that our noses and tongues detect when we eat and drink. AstroTour: a 3D Virtual Tour of the Universe astounds and amazes with a three dimensional tour of the solar system and universe. Presented by Swinburne University of Technology's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing. Teacup Tumble acrobatically demonstrates their recent research breakthrough. Come for the physical feats and stay and get educated as the duo of geek girls present their show, its 'Science not Circus'. 'Speed Meet a Geek' gives you the chance to join the talented and hilarious Chris Krishna-Pillay and meet some of Melbourne’s most charming scientists.

Friday 14 August, 5:30 – 10:00pm
BMW Edge Theatre - Federation Square
Cnr Flinders and Swanston Streets Melbourne
FREE Designed for ages 15+. Refreshments for sale.

This event is supported by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development and the City of Melbourne.

OPEN HOUSE AT MELBOURNE MUSEUM - Saturday 15 August

Come along and discover Melbourne Museum! Meet the experts, walk with dinosaurs, visit the blue whale and explore the depths of the oceans and find out the secrets hidden in the forest gallery, check out Bugs Alive! and what's going on in your mind and body, with programs and activities all day long.

Visit www.museumvictoria.com.au/scienceweek for program details.

This event is supported by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development and the City of Melbourne.

LIVING SCIENCE AT THE MARKET - Sunday 16 August

Join us at Queen Victoria Market to explore the role of science and innovation in day-to-day life, and especially in meeting the challenges of feeding the world and exploring health, nutrition and food technology. Always a fun day, ‘Living Science’ features science cooking workshops, DNA extractions, food science presentations, hands-on science activities and much more.

The Cheese Man will be back, there will be demonstrations at Suga explaining the science of confectionary and Chris KP will be joined by celebrity chef Adrian Richardson to learn how to cook the perfect steak.

Sunday 16 August, 9:30am – 3:30pm
Queen Victoria Market - Queen Street Melbourne
FREE

This event is supported by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development and the City of Melbourne

MEET A NASA ASTRONAUT - Tuesday 18 August

At only 38 years of age, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur has already ventured on her first mission into space. Clocking 12 days and 21 hours, travelling 8,489,084 kilometres in 197 Earth orbits, in May this year Megan embarked on the fifth and final servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope.

On the mission, Megan was responsible for the delicate operation of the robotic arm to capture the Hubble Space Telescope and then release it again once the repairs were complete. Megan will be the last human to touch the Hubble Space Telescope.

Join us at RMIT to hear about life as an astronaut and NASA's plans for the future.

Tuesday 18 August, 6:30pm
Kaleide Theatre - RMIT
360 Swanston Street, Melbourne
FREE, but registrations are recommended; call (03) 9252 6472

INVITE A SCIENTIST TO DINNER!

Once again this year we are offering limited opportunities for you to ‘Invite a Scientist’ to Dinner/Lunch/coffee, to talk about a subject of interest to you. You may be a school, community group or family – send us a plan of what you would like to do and we will help you find an interesting and engaging expert, we will also help you with resource the event. This is a great way for you to get something for yourselves out of National Science Week, and a terrific way for our scientists to learn from their communities. A Committee run event, please see contact details below.

Venue: Your school, your community rooms, your kitchen table

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Events are staged throughout Victoria, return to the home page of this website and use the ‘Events Search’ to find an event in your district which may interest you or to put up your own event and help us make this year’s Festival bigger and better!

CONTACTS

Help and advice for your event:

Helen Gardiner
Chair, National Science Week Victorian Coordinating Committee
c/o CSIRO Education
PO Box 56, Highett, Victoria 3190
p 03 8344 2055 | m 0448 920 235 | f 03 9252 6256
e Helen Gardiner

or via Alice Pryor, Secretariat 03 9252 6472

Media enquiries:

Tania Ewing & Associates

p 61 3 9387 2784 | m 61 0 408378422

e Tania Ewing | www.taniaewing.com

Victorian partners

CSIRO Education
Museum Victoria

Science Teachers Association of Victoria

Victorian Government Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development

Victorian sponsors

City of Melbourne

Queen Victoria Market