Category Archives: ACT

For information on ACT branch activities please contact Claire Harris (ACT President) or Ruth Pitt

Pies at the pub for Pi Day

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22 July 2010
6:30 pmto9:30 pm
6:30 pmto9:30 pm
6:30 pmto9:30 pm

Join ASC members for pies at the pub and maths games and entertainment for Pi Day…

Where: King O’Malleys, 131 City Walk, Canberra City

When: 6:30pm, Thurs 22 July

What: social evening, pie & pint/softdrink deal $15

Cost: free to attend

RSVP/more info: by Tues 20th to ‘asccanberra[at]gmail.com’, so we know numbers to get appropriate table/room size.

Join crazy Jamos and David as they introduce you to cool things about Pi, have a go at creating a Pi joke, or just come for a chat and a beer. Everyone welcome, members, friends!

What is Pi day? Wikipedia will tell you.

Thanks to King O’Malleys www.kingomalleys.com.au

Translating science into action

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1 July 2010
5:30 pmto7:30 pm
5:30 pmto7:30 pm

Science is a discipline that can make a major difference to society, but scientific results often need some help to be translated into actions.

This joint event considers the different disciplines that help convert science content into actions in the community:

  • Extension officers are educating farmers about scientific research that can improve their crop yields and farming practices
  • Interpretation experts are informing the community about scientific research that helps study and protect natural resources
  • Science communicators are promoting scientific research that is making a difference to our health, society and economy.

Join representatives of these three disciplines to discuss the different challenges and techniques involved, and the similarities and differences between them.

A panel of experts representing the Australian Science Communicators, the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network and Interpretation Australia will provide an overview of their disciplines, and will discuss how they would tackle a hypothetical situation in the community.

Date: Thursday 1 July from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm

Venue: CSIRO Discovery, Black Mountain site, Clunies Ross St, Acton

Price: $5 for APEN/IA/ASC members, $10 for non-members, including refreshments

RSVP (for catering): ASCcanberra@gmail.com

More about our panel:

  • Jesse Shore, Science Communicator and President of Australian Science Communicators
  • Emalyn Loudon, Manager of Technology Transfer & Adoption at Australian Pork Limited (APL) and representing the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network
  • Rosemary Hollow, Assistant Director – NSW/ACT Team, Australian Government Land and Coasts and representing Interpretation Australia

Canberra’s Sustainable House visit

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11 July 2010
11:00 amto12:30 pm

Join Nick and Sarah for a tour of their house in Ainslie that is carbon neutral and draws no water from the mains. In 2007, they were the winners of the ACT Sustainable Cities Award, Residential Category.

See and hear about the solar heating, innovative biological greywater treatment system that treats all household waste water, and the first and only approved waterless composting toilet in residential Canberra.

When: Sunday 11 July, 11am -12:30pm
Where: 240 Duffy St, Ainslie
Cost: ASC Members $10, Non-members $15
RSVP: By 2 July (to asccanberra [at] gmail.com)

Optional lunch to follow at Olim’s Hotel (Limestone Ave, Ainslie) with special guests Derek Wrigley and Emeritus Professor John Sandeman for an informal chat about sustainable housing and communication.

More information:

Canberra’s Sustainable House

Derek Wrigley’s profile (ANU)

John Sandeman’s profile (ANU)

ABC Stateline transcript ‘Climate Houses’ (featuring Derek and John)

Book by Derek  Wrigley: Making Your Home Sustainable: a guide to retrofitting

Discovery Science Writers Series: 25 June, Dr Mark Howden

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25 June 2010
12:15 pmto1:15 pm

Discovery Science Writers Series

Dr Mark Howden ‘Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change’.

When: Friday 25 June 2010 12.15 pm

Location: CSIRO Discovery, Black Mountain Laboratories, Clunies Ross Street, Acton ACT.

The talk

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change moves beyond describing the causes and consequences of climate change to providing options for people to work towards adaptation action.

Climate change implications and adaptation options are given for the key Australian primary industries of horticulture, forestry, grains, rice, sugarcane, cotton, viticulture, broadacre grazing, intensive livestock industries, marine fisheries, and aquaculture and water resources.

Co-editor Dr Mark Howden talks about the science behind the book and discusses the process of working with the authoring committee to pull this work together.

Read more about Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change.

The author

Dr Mark Howden is an expert in the area of climate change and agriculture, working with rural industries to adapt to Australia’s changing climate.

Read more about Dr Mark Howden.

Discovery Science Writers Series

CSIRO Discovery presents a series that celebrates authors from the Canberra region who publish in the science arena. Our talks will focus on the science behind the publications as well as the writing process.

Our authors have all recently published, and where possible, copies of their books will be on sale at our events and our authors will sign copies for you.

The Discovery Science Writers Series is presented in association with the Australian Science Communicators ACT Branch.

Read more about this event on CSIRO’s events listing.

Read more about CSIRO Discovery.

How to improvise: workshop event

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23 June 2010
6:00 pmto8:00 pm

We do it everyday… so we may as well be better at it! We;re talking about improvising. A skill that helps you express yourself, be creative andcommunicate better.

Join ASC and Reid Workman from Impro ACT for a fun, challenging and active impro(visation) workshop.

The workshop will introduce you to the activities of impro(visation) (also known as theatre sports) and illustrate the skills you can gain from it that can help you: communicate better, meet new people, laugh a lot and have some fun.

Where: CSIRO Discovery, Clunies Ross St, Acton.
When: Wednesday 23 June from 6pm
Cost: $5 for ASC members, $10 non-members
Special offer! If ASC members bring a friend, the member gets free entry and the friend gets in at the member’s price!
RSVP: asccanberra@gmail.com
Free wine, beer and tasty refreshments provided.

About the presenter
Reid Workman has been involved with the sport for 10 years and a member of Impro ACT for 5 years. And in that time has had more fun than you can poke a stick at and has also performed and been taught by some of the world’s greatest improvisors. He is about to start teaching basic improvisation classes and is keen to inflict his teaching on the Australian Science Communicators. He uses these skills as a Science Communicator working at various organisations around Canberra.

Check out more about ACT Impro and see their next show ‘Impro Match Point’ on Sunday 4th July, 7:30pm at the Dickson Tradies.

Read more about the ASC ACT branch.

Discovery After Dark

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18 May 2010
5:30 pmto8:30 pm
5:30 pmto8:30 pm
5:30 pmto8:30 pm
5:30 pmto8:30 pm
5:30 pmto8:30 pm
5:30 pmto8:30 pm

Discovery After Dark – a special International Year of Biodiversity event

You ought to reward yourself after a long hard day at work. CSIRO Discovery Centre invites you to an evening of after-hours fun.Exciting new local band Graveyards provide the ambience, while you can roam the Discovery floor.

Our mixologists Liz and Claire will be whipping up some appropriately science-themed cocktails to enjoy as you bring out your inner child in our hands-on laboratory, let our 3D theatre blow your mind, or watch our sticks insects and turtles teach you who’s boss in our Live Creatures show.

To cap off the night, we present an open-mike event. Celebrating International Year of Biodiversity, bring along your own performance piece on the theme of biodiversity, nature, science or discovery. It could be a poem, story, song, drama, comedy piece or party trick! It must be your original creation and not more than two minutes in duration. Compete for massive prizes – $1000 in book voucher prizes.

5.30pm Doors open and cocktails served
6.00pm Local indie band Graveyards play in the Discovery atrium
6.30pm Live creatures show
7.00pm SPECIAL OPEN MIKE EVENT – emcee local experimental poet Hal Judge

ADMISSION FREE
CSIRO Discovery Centre, Clunies Ross St, Acton.
More information: 02 6246 4646 or Discovery@csiro.au

Event on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123931057619045&ref=mf

The science of… art

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10 May 2010
6:00 pmto8:00 pm

The science of… art

Can you picture Einstein’s theories illustrated in clockwork? Or the delicate lacework of a crane fly’s wings captured in ink? Come and explore the nexus of science and art with two leading Canberra-based scientific artists (or artistic scientists?). This is part of the Canberra ASC group’s ongoing ‘the science of…’ series.

Join Tim Wetherell, a sculptor and science writer, and Jessica Miller, a visual artist and scientific illustrator, for a colourful and close-up exploration of the links between science and art.

We’ll also be launching the year’s program of events, so come and find out what other exciting events we have planned for the year.

Where: CSIRO Discovery, Clunies Ross St, Acton.
When: Monday 10 May from 6pm
Cost: $5 for ASC members, $10 non-members
Special offer! If ASC members bring a friend, the member gets free entry and the friend gets in at the member’s price!
RSVP: asccanberra@gmail.com
Free wine, beer and tasty refreshments provided.

About the presenters

Tim Wetherell was born near Bradford, Northern England, in 1962 and having completed school went on to gain a PhD in physics at The University of St Andrews. In 1990 he emigrated to Australia and undertook a Graduate Diploma in Sculpture at The Australian National University. Tim now works as both a professional sculptor in Canberra and as a science writer at ANU. See some of his work at www.timwetherell.com.

Jessica Miller is a visual artist and scientific illustrator. She completed a bachelor degree at Newcastle University (Natural History Illustration) and now lives in Canberra. She works full time at the Australian National Botanic Gardens and is currently managing a project to supply weed images to a Government website. She also studies Natural Resource Management at ANU. Jessica has recently worked on botanical illustrations for CSIRO magazines and the Flora of Australia, and is really interested in the debates around the validity of art used for science. See some of her work at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=421145&id=757515149&l=ad711077df.

Read more about the ASC ACT branch.

Are you connected with other Australian Science Communicators?

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Missing out on the latest news from around the country?   Here’s a quick reminder of the ways to stay connected with ASC:

Note that anyone can join the lists as observers, but only current, financial ASC members can post messages.  Membership to ASC does not automatically register you to the ASC email lists. You must register through the separate system as described here.

ASC-list is the mailing list for discussing science communication issues and promoting events.  The ASC-media list is for press releases and self promotion.  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) including details on unsubscribing, converting your list preferences and accessing the archive can be found here.

Discovery Science Writers Series: 14 May, Prof Julian Cribb

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14 May 2010
12:30 pmto1:30 pm

Discovery Science Writers Series: Prof Julian Cribb on ‘Open Science’

When: Friday 14 May, 12:30pm.

Location: CSIRO Discovery, Black Mountain Laboratories, Clunies Ross Street, Acton ACT.

General Information

About the talk

Open Science: Sharing Knowledge in the Global Century is about how we address the profound challenges which now confront humanity – climate, the food crisis, environmental degradation, resource scarcity and disease – through science communication.

Prof Julian Cribb talks about the thinking that inspired his new book Open Science and fleshes out some of his ideas for the Discovery audience.

These call for the sharing of scientific knowledge among billions of humans, on a scale never before attempted.

Prof Julian Cribb talks about the thinking that inspired his new book and fleshes out some of his ideas for the Discovery audience.

Read more about Open Science.

About the author

Prof Cribb is the Principal of Julian Cribb & Associates, specialists in science communication.

He is also Adjunct Professor in Science Communication at the University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

From 1996–2002 he was Director of CSIRO’s National Awareness Program.

About the Discovery Science Writers Series

CSIRO Discovery presents a series that celebrates authors from the Canberra region who publish in the science arena. Our talks will focus on the science behind the publications as well as the writing process.

Our authors have all recently published, and where possible, copies of their books will be on sale at our events and our authors will sign copies for you.

The Discovery Science Writers Series is presented in association with the Australian Science Communicators ACT Chapter.

Read more about this event on CSIRO’s events listing.

Read more about CSIRO Discovery.

Discovery Science Writers Series: 9th May, Richard Stirzaker

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9 May 2010
2:00 pmto3:00 pm
2:00 pmto3:00 pm

Discovery Science Writers Series: Richard Stirzaker on Out of the Scientist’s Garden

Dr Richard Stirzaker discusses the science behind turning water, sunlight and nutrients into food in your own back yard.
9 May 2010 2:00pm

Location

CSIRO Discovery
Black Mountain Laboratories
Clunies Ross Street
Acton ACT 2601
Australia

General Information

About the talk

There are few more fundamental issues facing humanity than how best to feed ourselves in an increasingly crowded world, and – in Australia especially – what that means for scarce water resources.

Dr Richard Stirzaker’s book Out of the Scientist’s Garden explores this subject, and in this discussion, Dr Stirzaker will talk about the challenges and excitement of building a sustainable working garden for your family.

‘For Australian households trying to save water, collect rainwater and use grey water on their gardens, and for anyone interested in food and how to grow it, rich insights about in Stirzaker’s distinctive blend of science, passion and practical, grounded experience…

‘This is an incredibly important book that deserves to become a classic of Australian agricultural and environmental literature. It should be read widely and carefully by policy makers, by scientists, and above all by citizens everywhere interested in food, water and the environment,’ says Mr Andrew Campbell from ABC Radio.

Read more about Out of the Scientist’s Garden: A Story of Water and Food

About the author

Dr Richard Stirzaker is Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Land and Water, whose work looks at irrigation, salinity, water use of farming systems and the ecological footprint of agriculture.

Read about the work of Dr Richard Stirzaker.

About the Discovery Science Writers Series

CSIRO Discovery presents a series that celebrates authors from the Canberra region who publish in the science arena. Our talks will focus on the science behind the publications as well as the writing process.

Our authors have all recently published, and where possible, copies of their books will be on sale at our events and our authors will sign copies for you.

The Discovery Science Writers Series is presented in association with the Australian Science Communicators ACT Chapter.

Read more about this event on CSIRO’s events listing.

Read more about CSIRO Discovery.