Sydney Science Festival at venues all over town

Sydney Science Festival kicks off its 2018 program with 13 days jam-packed with over 200 events across 90 venues in store. The Festival will be coming venues around Sydney from Tuesday 7 – Sunday 19 August.

Super Science Saturday at the Australian Museum on 11 August, will feature two galleries of interactive science and engineering demonstrations, live animals, roaming scientists and more. The family-friendly Big Science Day at the Powerhouse Museum on 12 August, showcases the innovations that modern technologies bring to our lives through coding robots to exploring the surface of Mars by driving a Mars Rover.

“The Australian Museum’s Science Festival continues to be a leader in highlighting the world of science to students and families.” Kim McKay AO, Director and CEO, Australian Museum said. “Our two- week schools programme brings together science professionals and educators to start conversations with younger generations about the future of science and their role in it.”

“This year, the Australian Museum is proud to welcome NSW Young Australian of the Year, Macinley Butson, a brilliant young inventor who is making significant contributions to the international community in applied engineering and entrepreneurial thinking.” McKay said.

In a series of science panels for students at the Australian Museum, Macinley, the Sydney Science Festival Youth Ambassador, will be joined by other superstars of science, Australian Museum’s Professor Rebecca Johnson and Emmy award winner and five-time recipient of the Australian Museum’s Eureka award for science journalism, Sonya Pemberton, among others.

A highlight for adult audiences in the first week is the annual MAASive Lates: Science at the Powerhouse Museum on Thursday 9 August Exploring the museum after-hours, visitors can stargaze with astronomers, escape into virtual reality, and sample edible gelatine treats made from ballistic weapons-testing gel from artist Lindsay Kelley, who features in the Festival’s Powerhouse--exclusive exhibition Human non Human (7 August 2018 – 27 January 2019).

The Festival will feature leading women of the scientific world, including the Australian Institute of Physics’ newly-announced Innovation With The Most Powerful Lasers In The World, by physicist Dr Ceri Brenner who is developing X-rays capable of seeing through steel; and award-winning astronomer and Festival Ambassador Lisa Harvey-Smith’s Keynote: When Galaxies Collide, discussing the likely future collision between our own galaxy and its nearest neighbour.

The country’s leading academic institutions will present fascinating talks such as Will Coral Reefs Survive? - UTS Science in Focus, a crucial discussion of the Earth’s dire coral reef situation; and the Australian Academy of Science’s talk The Science of Sport which tackles popular sporting myths, from carb-loading to whether the FIFA World Cup can actually get people off couches.

Other Festival highlights include: STEMpunk Quiz, a lively talk-show ‘showdown’ between teams led by science celebrities; and Night of Illusions, a step inside a realm of endless tactile and visual illusions that will baffle your senses and mess with your perceived reality.

The full Sydney Science Festival program is available online at www.sydneyscience.com.au. For more information about National Science Week events visit www.scienceweek.net.au.