Imagine a world without science – we wouldn’t have modern medicine, an understanding of the universe around us, or the internet and WiFi. The broad and encompassing field of science guides how we live our lives.
Each year, a week (and a bit) is dedicated to celebrating the enormous contributions scientific endeavours make to the world around us. This year, National Science Week is celebrated across Australia from 10 to 20 August, and offers some exciting events for locals in Canberra.
Deep dive into worlds of dystopian futures and space exploration at a special screening of Blade Runner (M) at Arc Cinema on 18 August. Spend a night exploring Hollywood ballistics with the Australian Federal Police at East Hotel on 14 August, or catch a discussion on how future filmmakers can inject some positivity into space flicks to take you out of this world at Canberra Technology Park on 27 August.
If staying grounded on Earth is more your style, travel back in time – and under Parliament House – on an Unconformity Tour. Learn more about neuroscience and healthy brains through yarncraft or discover the science behind currency.
This year’s theme explores ‘Innovation: Powering Future Industries’ with schools and institutions across the nation taking part. For 11 days, Australians are encouraged to explore how science continues to shape our lives through emerging industries such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and evolving practices like arts and agriculture.
The heart of science exploration here in Canberra, Questacon celebrates the field each and every day. For National Science Week, the institution is hosting an array of exciting and inspiring activities for people of all ages to get involved in science. Not wanting anyone to miss out, Questacon is offering virtual experiences online, and bringing the fun to shopping centres on both weekends, 12-13 and 19-20 August.
The Science in the Centres program is an integral part of the Science Week roster in the ACT, placing scientists at the heart of our community. The accessible and engaging workshops and activities invite children and adults to interact with science in different fields in fun and exciting ways. The science celebration centres at Woden, Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Cooleman Court and the City will be taken over by dinosaurs, snakes, history, parasites and so much more.
On Saturday 19 August, Young Engineers and Canberra Daleks and Robots head to Westfield Belconnen with some interesting guests. Questacon volunteer and robot creator and owner, Andrew Corson, brings some of his robotic friends along with him. His Doctor Who exterminators, the Daleks, are eye-catchers wherever they go. He also has Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and some humanoid variants a user can control.
“A child can use the app to move the robot around,” he says. “They can also call up programs and have it sing and dance and talk, it also can receive voice commands. Other robots are preprogrammed with segments from the show they represent, like Twiki has a whole lot of grabs from the television show [Buck Rogers].”
With a lifelong interest in futuristic-looking machines, Mr Corson started building his own robots in 2016 using mechanical kits. As he learnt more about robots, he continued to build, and now has around eight robots at home. He shares his creations at Questacon, expos and through outreach programs in schools. Remembering the grand Science Weeks of years gone by, he wants to see them restored to their previous glory, and says science plays an important role in society.
“Science can be looked to for solving our problems and there’s a lot of problems going on in the world. Also, for your own career, there’s a lot of job opportunities, a huge number of fields in science,” he says.
Incorporating new building methods such as 3D printing, Mr Corson enjoys the learning process. Recently, the creator has been using Chat GPT in his builds, creating one like the famous Pepper robot, a social bot that can hold a conversation.
According to Mr Corso, there’s no need to fear an I, Robot reality just yet; the future of robots is within industry, more than having their sights set on world control.
“The bulk of robots aren’t humanoid type robots, they’re in industry; they make cars, helping to build. I think they’re going to be more and more doing things that humans don’t necessarily need to do, to make it safer, to make work more productive,” he says.
Learn more about innovation and future industries this National Science Week through events around Canberra from 10 to 20 August. Full program online at scienceweek.net.au
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