South Australia launches National Science Week tonight
6 August 2015, launch at 5pm, Goyder Pavilion Mezzanine, Adelaide Showground
South Australians will have the opportunity to meet scientists, discuss the hot topics, do science and celebrate its cultural and economic impact on society.
There are more than 100 National Science Week events across the state; these are just a few of the highlights:
- Walk through the human body and brain, and jump on a giant plant cell at Science Alive!
- See astronaut and YouTube star Chris Hadfield, and some incredible cosmic photography
- Meet SciBabe, the woman who survived an ‘overdose’ of 50 homeopathic sleeping pills
- It’s not all about ice caps and polar bears: how will climate change affect our health?
- My Research Rules: science meets comedy in a battle of the brains
- Caves, calcite and fossils on Kangaroo Island
- Bettongs and bilbies on the big, blow-up screen
… and there’s more on each below.
The whole SA science shebang will be launched at 5pm tonight at the showgrounds, the home of Science Alive!
The Curiosity Show legend Professor Rob Morrison will host the event, and epilepsy researcher and Prime Minister’s Prize for Science winner Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO will speak on the topic of ‘Science: Changing Lives’.
The Unsung Heroes of SA Science and Science Communication and the Australian Institute of Physics SA Excellence in Physics Teaching Award winners will also be announced. Launch event details
Media interviews and photo ops with SA Science Week patron Rob Morrison and award winners.
Contact: Rona Sakko, Chair, SA coordinating committee on ronadel@dodo.com.au or 0419 827 723
Walk through the human body and jump on a giant plant cell at Science Alive!
Walk through a supersized human body and brain
; jump inside ‘Bio-bounce’, the biggest, bounciest plant cell; make LED torches and meet native animals at this weekend’s Science Alive! at the Adelaide Showground.
Friday is ‘Careers Day’, with Science Alive! open for everyone on Saturday and Sunday. Last year’s events attracted more than 23,500 visitors over the three days.
Visitors can explore Stardomes, robots, electronics, The Curiosity Show, slime, smoke ring canons and even meet a Dalek, with more than 50 science organisations offering interactive and fun activities, and free entry for kids. Event details
See astronaut and YouTube ‘Space Oddity’ sensation Chris Hadfield, and incredible cosmic photography
Famed astronaut, New York Times bestselling author and YouTube sensation Colonel Chris Hadfield will share his space experiences in ‘A Spaceman’s View of the Planet,’ live at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Chris Hadfield will take the audience on a journey to the International Space Station, with insights into his daily life in space, conducting scientific experiments studying the universe, testing spaceship design, and monitoring the human body’s reaction to weightlessness—ultimately to enable others to travel into deep space. Event details
And something more for astronomy and photography enthusiasts: cosmic photographer David Malin will be talking about ‘Vision, light and colour’, revealing some little-known aspects of light, from the way it colours our view of the universe, to the perception of light and colour at low light levels. Event details
Meet the woman who survived an ‘overdose’ of 50 homeopathic sleeping pills
And she did it just to prove they don’t work.
Prolific blogger and YouTube sensation SciBabe Yvette d’Entremont is dedicated to debunking pseudoscience. She is always looking at the alternative medicine and pseudoscience movements with a sceptical eye, using a combination of real science and humour.
SciBabe is touring Australia for National Science Week, and is in Adelaide on 24 August. Event details
It’s not all about ice caps and polar bears: how will climate change affect our health?
Former director of the South Australian Museum and 2007 Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery is well-known for his work communicating the dangers of climate change on our planet.
Tim will be discussing the impacts of climate change on human health—a hot topic in the lead up to December’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris. Event details
Caves, calcite and fossils on Kangaroo Island
Get your hands on some fossils and lend your ears to some experts at the Kelly Hill Caves open day on Friday 21 August. Open to local school children and the general public, there will be fossil sieving, sorting and identification activity stations. Event details
Little critters on the big screen
Bettongs, bilbies a
nd more will be up on the big, blow-up screen at the Critter Cinema at the Arid Recovery Reserve in Olympic Dam.
These local films feature flora and fauna found in the arid lands of Australia, and were made in workshops as part of the Red Earth festival this year. Event details
National Science Week: background
In 2015, National Science Week events will be held right throughout Australia—from a croc dissection in Darwin down to an exhibition of breathtaking photographs of Aurora Australis in Tassie—with everything from science festivals, music and comedy shows, expert panel discussions, interactive hands-on displays, open days and online activities.
Now in its 18th year, National Science Week is one of Australia’s largest festivals, with last year’s program offering more than 1000 events throughout Australia, reaching an audience of over a million people.
The festival is proudly supported by the Australian Government, as well as partners CSIRO, Australian Science Teachers Association and the ABC; and sponsors NewScientist, Cosmos, Popular Science and PrimaryConnections.
National Science Week 2015 will run from 15-23 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.