National Science Week 2023 is about to commence, and Flinders University is playing host to exciting sessions that are appropriate for all ages.
Held each year during August, National Science Week incorporates more than 1,000 events around Australia celebrating advances in science and technology.
Popular podcast Paleo Jam is heading out for live broadcasts during National Science Week, with sessions being held around the country throughout the week. The Adelaide session of Paleo Jam – Live! – being held at Flinders University on Wednesday 16 August, in the South 1 Lecture Theatre from 6.30pm – will explore what makes South Australia’s fossil heritage so remarkable, and how the South Australian-initiated VAMP project is helping to revolutionise public access to palaeontology. For more information about Paleo Jam Live!, click here.
Jake Robinson, research associate from the College of Science and Engineering, takes part in National Science Week Author Talk for Adults at 6.30pm on Thursday 17 August, discussing his popular debut science book Invisible Friends – How Microbes Shape Our Lives and the World Around Us. As we progress through the COID-19 pandemic, all eyes are on microbes: an imperceptible and pervasive threat that hangs heavy on the air and clings to surfaces. However, the reality of micro-organisms is far more diverse and life-sustaining than such a notion would have us believe. Invisible Friends introduces the reader to a vast, pullulating cohort of minute life – friends you never knew you had. For more information about Jake’s author talk, click here.
The second session being held at Flinders University is Ocean Science Day on Saturday 19 August, which will dive deep into marine biology and oceanography with immersive learning experiences, arts and crafts, contributed talks, and fun activities for all ages. Games and activities will teach concepts like predator/prey interactions and trophic cascades. Artificial Seagrass Units will provide a habitat so that kids and adults can experience life as a predator in a seagrass meadow. SCUBA diving demonstrations will teach the public about ocean safety and underwater data collection. For more information about Ocean Science Day, click here.