Discover how amazing our bodies really are at Melbourne Museum on Sundays during Term Three as we search for microbes and anything else you might find in your tummy. Design your own ‘microbe mobile’ and see what beautiful things live inside your gut. Suitable for ages 5-12. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free…
Bioelectronics is the concept of interfacing directly with the body's own nervous system to monitor physiological signals and, as needed, modulate the electrical activity within the nervous system to alleviate symptoms of diseases. The first generation of bioelectronic systems are now treating a number of disorders, with perhaps the most familiar being cardiac pacemakers that aim to maintain a healthy heart rhythm. Pacing systems are deployed in hundreds of thousands of patients today, and reinforce the potential for bioelectronic medicine to restore health.
Expanding bioelectronics to neurological disorders like epilepsy, chronic pain and dementia is an exciting but challenging opportunity. Despite the clinical success in treating symptoms of diseases like Parkinson's, existing bioelectronic systems have several attributes that currently limit their adoption. For example, currently a skilled neurosurgeon is required to place the implant, and the device's output is relatively inflexible in contrast to the rapidly changing and reactive activity of the nervous system. Resolving these issues requires the complementary pursuit of technological innovation and scientific discovery.
Join us for the July 2019 meeting of the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Citizen Science Association. This meeting will focus on citizen science and education. The meeting will commence with three presentations, which will be followed by break-out group discussions. There will also be plenty of time for sharing your project stories, networking and developing our community of practice. Speakers include Sandra McCullogh from Earthwatch Australia, Julian O Shea from Unbound, and Edmond Lascaris from the City of Whittlesea.
Dr Jeff Cooke will discuss recently announced astronomical events, including a direct image of a supermassive black hole, gravitational waves from merging black holes and neutron stars, and other exotic phenomena, including fast radio bursts. Donation goes to the Royal Children’s Hospital. There have been several major announcements in astronomy recently, including a direct image…
“You built me up. You changed me. You loved me. You left me. Ultimately, you used me – what else can I call it?” Explore the changing use and disuse of urban and industrial spaces, from the point of view of the buildings themselves. How does it feel to have been home to a rave,…
One evening in May 2017, Stephen Slater got an unusual email from the US National Archives. NASA had left a trove of untouched Apollo 11 specific film reels sitting in cold storage, the message read. And he could access them. Slater, an archival producer and self-confessed space nerd, was “stunned.” He was at his home…
Urban Rivers (USA) Can we game our way to a cleaner world? Take control of our garbage-eating robot either in person or online! Created by Chicago-based collective Urban Rivers, Trash Robot will be trawling Melbourne’s Yarra River collecting rubbish outside of the City’s existing litter traps. And Melbourne’s waterways really need the help – in 2017, they were filled with…
Join us for this term-based program and learn about Lego and Sphero Robotics, and also Arduino, and micro:bit electronics. Choose what you would like to explore, and then do so, at your own pace. This is a co-learning program for children where parents and carers are core support for their child. There will be expert…
“Rivers signify tribal boundaries, gatherings for corroboree, life, not only for humans but for all living creatures” – Maree Clarke. Mitch Mahoney & Maree Clarke (Australia) Created by Boon Wurrung artist Mitch Mahoney and Mutti Mutti/Yorta Yorta and Boon Wurrung/Wemba Wemba artist Maree Clarke, Eel Trap is a 10-metre installation made of biodegradable reeds and grasses on the Maribyrnong River. Inspired by traditional…
Arne Hendriks (Netherlands) & Mike Thompson (United Kingdom) Do we really understand fat? In November 2017, the 130-tonne ‘Monster of Whitechapel’ was ejected from the bowels of east London. This fatberg – a congealed mass of fat, wet wipes and nappies – stretched the length of nearly two AFL footy ovals, taking workmen armed with shovels and high-powered jets…
Would you wash your hands with soap made from sewage? Catherine Sarah Young (Philippines) Sewer Soaperie turns raw sewage and fat into luxury soaps. Extreme storms now frequently overwhelm drains, pipes and sewerage systems, causing flooding in major cities. Large lumps of coagulated grease, known as ‘fatbergs’, clog the system and create flooding. These greasy beasts are created…
Presented by Professor Arun Ram, with live music performed by Joshua Hooke This performance will take you back to the salons of Abraham and Lea Mendelssohn in Berlin, 1828, to a gathering of some of the greatest scientific and musical minds of the day. In the year 1828, Alexander von Humboldt set up a hut…
