National Science Week

South Australia launched National Science Week from 13-21 August 2016, an annual celebration of science and technology with science week events held across the state. Events are held by universities, research institutions, schools, libraries, museums and science centres.
 
We contacted the National Science Week SA Coordinating Committee to find out more about some of the upcoming events in South Australia.
 
SA’s National Science Week highlights
Full event listing online at www.scienceweek.net.au
 
Retro rocket science with Amy Shira Teitel: ‘Death of the Dyna-Soar’ – Hindmarsh
Wednesday, August 24 2016. 7:00 PM
Before the Space Shuttle, there was the Dyna-Soar—a spaceplane developed by the US Air Force in the late 1950s.
Visiting American Space Historian, author and blogger, Amy Shira Teitel, will present an absorbing talk on Dyna-Soar, the massively capable space plane that America didn’t know it needed.
Amy Shira Teitel is one of the international guests touring the country for National Science Week. She is an American Space Historian and the author of the popular science title ‘Breaking the Chains of Gravity’. She also has a blog and a YouTube channel called ‘Vintage Space’. Event details
 
Synaptic ping pong and optical illustions: ‘Kids Navigate Neuroscience’ – Adelaide
Sunday, August 21 2016. 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Why does food not taste good when we have a cold? How do neurons communicate? What does the brain look like up close? Come meet your brain and find out!
In this fun and interactive children's event, held in the School of Medicine at the University of Adelaide, kids (aged 5-11) will explore how the brain and nervous system work in a fun and hands-on way by participating in a series of interactive neuroscience exhibits created by faculty and students at the University of Adelaide.
Examine how information moves between neurones by playing a game of Synaptic Ping Pong, build layers (meninges) around an egg to see what types of protection are best for the brain, explore how optical illusions work, look at human brains up close, and more. At each station, children can collect a stamp in their ‘Passport to the Brain,’ and work towards earning an official ‘Brain in Training’ certificate. Event details
 
Professor Flint's ‘A Brief History of Life, the Universe, and Everything’ – Adelaide and regional SA
August 19, 24, 25, 27, 2016
Every great story has a hero. In ‘Professor Flint’s A Brief History of Life, the Universe, and Everything,’ life itself, and its awesome ability to adapt and survive across billions of years, is the hero. Join Professor Flint and performers from the Adelaide Youth Theatre on this delightful, paleontological, musical adventure and discover where you and your family fit in to this extraordinary story.
Performances in Oaklands Park, Angle Park, Nangwarry, Mount Gambier and Hilton. Event details
 
Night Moves: dolphins after dark – Kingscote, Kangaroo Island
Wednesday, August 17 2016 till Friday, August 26 2016. 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Nocturnal? Diurnal? …the possibilities are myriad and mysterious, particularly as it relates to our oceans at night, especially in the coastal inshore areas which are so close to human habitation.
What happens in our waters after dark, with Cetaceans and other marine species?
Join this day of events and activities, including a forum with international Cetacean expert Dr Mike Bossley AM and Professor Sean Connell, a ‘Meet the Marine Scientists’ session for students, night on-water surveys, Whale Spotters training and workshops, and a Brain Break Morning Tea. Event details
 
Discover the microbats: Adelaide Botanic Gardens
August 19, 22, 2016
Nine microbat species occur within Adelaide’s metropolitan area, but because they’re small, nocturnal and difficult to detect, few people notice them. Specialised equipment and training is required to decipher their echolocation signals, so microbats provide a great opportunity for community engagement with scientific techniques, novel technologies, monitoring activities and analytical skills and reporting.
This series of workshops is designed to teach participants about how scientists work and about local biodiversity – you can come to one or more of the workshops with local bat researcher Dr Annette Scanlon, under the guidance of bat expert, Terry Reardon (SA Museum). Event details