Love camping? Love science? Get involved! Campfires and Science is a new and growing community of people who head outdoors, light a campfire, and share knowledge. We lead regular, free events in wild places to support scientific fieldwork and provide hands-on training in the research methods that help us to best protect the environment. Welcome to…
Dr Stephen Poropat Research Associate, The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History Postdoctoral Researcher, Swinburne University of Technology Four major sites are currently providing new insights into Australia’s Cretaceous dinosaurs, who lived from 145 to 66 million years ago. These are the Broome trackways in Western Australia, the Strzelecki and Otway ranges in…
Making room for nature in our urban future. Amy Hahs (PhD) is an urban ecologist, with a keen interest in understanding the interplay between biodiversity and urban environments. She has extensive research experience in the field of urban ecology, working directly on projects studying how urban vegetation and habitat features influence the biodiversity in those spaces, how…
Come for a walk through Mount Waverley’s Valley Reserve, as part of a celebration of National Bird Week and the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. Ecologist Dr Joab Wilson will lead you through the indigenous habitat and draw your attention to the diversity of birds who work, nest and feed in the area. He will give…
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…
