Celebrate National Science Week at Monash
As part of Australia’s annual celebration of all things science - National Science Week - Monash University will be hosting and taking part in a range of events across Melbourne.
Highlights include a play about the brilliance of three women who made outstanding contributions to science and technology: Marie Curie, Lise Meitner, and Hedy Lamarr; Open Day at our Parkville Campus, a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) event which covers a range of talks on topics such as ‘Myth-busting mathematics’ and ‘Modelling the future of our climate’, and a food, facts and fun day at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market.
Curie, Meitner, Lamarr – Indivisible on 15 August and 16 August
Monash University’s Faculty of Science, in conjunction with the School of Physics and Astronomy will present the international play ‘Curie, Meitner, Lamarr – Indivisible’ on Tuesday 15 August and Wednesday 16 August. Book your free tickets here.
“We are very proud to bring this international play to Monash University,” Interim Faculty of Science Dean, Professor Cristina Varsavsky said.
“As a Faculty we are highly proactive in encouraging and supporting women scientists,” she said.
“Monash is taking proactive steps to enhance gender equity across STEMM disciplines by building on our gender balance, recruitment and retention of brilliant women academics, and our inclusion in the SAGE pilot of the Athena SWAN program.
Bringing Science to Life at Queen Vic Market 13 August
On Sunday 13 August, from 10:00am – 4:00pm, as part of the Living Science at the Market (CSIRO /NSW initiative at the Queen Vic Market), Monash’s BioEyes (student outreach) team will be there with zebrafish embryos and larvae, and visitors will be able to observe their development through microscopes.
PhD students will talk about their research projects, and younger children will be entertained with activities such as scientific colouring in.
The free event will explore the relationships between food, science, innovation, technology and the environment. Interactive presentations, hands-on activities for adults and children, shows and demonstrations will run throughout the day.
A day of science fun for school kids at Monash 17 August
A day of activities, workshops, tours, Q&A and talks will be held at the Clayton Campus on Thursday 17 August from 10.00am -1:30pm. More than 100 students will attend, including students from a girl’s only school - encouraging gender equity and participation in STEM.
Events will include: building superbugs; hands-on zebrafish development experiment; tours of a number of labs and facilities with 'crystal fishing' and 'worm experiments'; and a fun 'scavenger hunt’ activity in the Discoveries exhibition.
Getting hands on – Open Day at Monash Parkville 20 August
Monash University’s Parkville campus will open its doors on Sunday 20 August from 10:00am-3:00pm with wide-ranging activities. The Kids’ Lab, hands on experiments, interactive displays and tours and a live instant ice cream show will be just some of the activities happening on the day.
One of our most exciting attractions will be The Kids’ Lab where kids of all ages will be able to: try hands on experiments; have their photo taken with The Mad Scientist; get their faces painted and see a live instant ice cream show.
There will be plenty happening on the campus for everyone with interactive displays, presentations, campus tours, the Outbreak Escape challenge and free coffee.
STEM Talks 15 August
A group of leading Monash scientists will share brief insights into the challenges they face when undertaking cutting edge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) research.
Speakers will tell stories from their research tackling some of the most pressing problems of the twenty first century. Their accounts will help to demonstrate that engaging in science is seldom formulaic or prescriptive, but can be exciting, creative, and often highly rewarding. Register here
Session 1 1.00pm – 2.00pm
Myth-busting Mathematics Professor Kate Smith-Miles
Musical instruments inspire engineering: how communications systems benefited from a love of music Professor Arthur James Lowery
What does the future hold for autonomous vehicles in Australia? Professor Brian Fildes
Session 2 5.00pm – 6.00pm
Modelling the future of our climate – Beyond the crystal ball! Professor Christian Jakob
The great unknown - how optimisation technology can help you find better solutions to everyday problems Professor Maria Garcia de la Banda
Metals, insulators, and something new: The discovery of “topological insulators” and how they might change the world Professor Michael Fuhrer
More information about National Science Week at Monash can be found here