What’s the connection between volcanoes, climate change and Frankenstein? And when will Victoria erupt? A talk by Monash University’s Dr James Driscoll. “It was a dark and stormy night...” in fact it was a hot and tropical April in 1815, prior to the terror that would engulf the inhabitants of Sumbawa, Indonesia. In this gothic tale…
Dr Amy Hahs is an urban ecologist with an established research career investigating how urban landscapes impact the local ecology, with a strong emphasis on the use of spatial data and geographic information systems as a critical tool for understanding urban ecosystems and informing action. Now, as a specialist consultant, Amy works on a diverse…
We are excited to launch our STEAM Club Program for 2018 – The Escape Room Challenge for middle years students! STEAM club is a collaborative learning opportunity for students to get involved in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths (STEAM) related activities at a Tech School. Students will use the concept of an Escape Room…
Much has changed in the field of surgery in the past 50 years; new technology is changing the way surgeons operate. While surgery has traditionally been a speciality characterised by hand skills and, at times, ‘educated improvisation’, it is now becoming a field where robots, computer guidance, 3D printing and bio-printing are changing the way surgeons…
You are invited to attend the launch of the STEMpowered Exhibition on Thursday November 8. The exhibition will be held in Ballarat from Monday 5th - Wednesday 28th November at the Ballarat Tech School. STEMpowered features a range of great women working in STEM today. Their work showcases the diversity of careers, approaches, ideas and industries…
Presentations & Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion What's in a picture? Almost 50 years ago on Christmas Eve, 1968, US astronaut William Anders took a photo aboard the Apollo 8 mission that became known as ‘Earthrise.’ This ground-breaking image transformed our view of our unique planet, and the place of our home in the cosmos. Apollo 8…
Diseases of the small circle of life: why mitochondrial donation is important Professor Sir Doug Turnbull, Newcastle University (UK) Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell and uniquely contain their own genetic material called mitochondrial DNA. Diseases caused by mutations in this mitochondrial DNA are increasingly being recognised and may present with illness at any…
The Ballarat STEM Network and Inspiring Victoria are pleased to invite you to hear from Australian writer and comedian Craig Reucassel, best known for his work on ABC’s The Chaser and for going through your bins on The War on Waste. Craig and a group of satirical comedians founded The Chaser newspaper, which led to…
Dr Natalie Gunn and Dr Stefan Maetschke IBM Research Australia Loss of vision has a profound impact on a person’s life: financially, economically and socially. The incidence of eye disease is increasing with a global ageing population. It is estimated that vision loss costs the Australian economy $16B a year, and that does not include…
We are delighted to once again bring together the National Science Week program for Victoria in 2019, and warmly invite everyone interested in being a part of our state-wide celebration of all things Science to come along to our information and networking session at the Royal Society of Victoria.
As editor in chief of a science magazine for six years, I’m not sure how I missed the gene therapy revolution. Yes, we did the odd news report on gene therapy, but mostly we were blinded by the deluge of CRISPR publications – a cheap, precise new technique of gene editing that was transforming the ability to genetically modify plants, insects, animals and maybe one day humans. As it turns out this happened in China last November .But it wasn’t just me who missed the gene therapy revolution. It seems most people I speak to about it – including many medical people – hadn’t noticed. The most dramatic example has biblical dimensions. In 2017, the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a gene therapy trial for children born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). These kids normally develop paralysis and die by the age of two. Instead most were sitting and rolling; some were walking and talking. Is this just a fringe thing? Big Pharma doesn’t think so. Novartis recently paid $US 8.7 billion to purchase – AveXis, the start-up company behind the SMA trial. In this talk, allow me to guide you through the gene therapy revolution and how it is set to disrupt the way medicine is delivered.
Consciousness remains one of the biggest mysteries of the human brain. Our perception of what exists as well as our thoughts, feelings, imaginings and dreams has attempted to be understood by philosophers through conceptual analysis and thought experiments. Neuroscientists have sought to describe it as a biological process of neuronal activity captured by measurable tests of brain activity. Increasingly, philosophers and neuroscientists are joining forces, but consensus is elusive. Do we experience consciousness only while we are awake? Do other animals experience consciousness? Does it fade after brain damage? Are intelligent computers conscious? Is consciousness a process? What is it for? We have invited a neuroscientist and philosopher to share their research and perspectives on consciousness and to provide some guidance on these questions.
