Author Archives: claireharris

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

Australian Earth Sciences Convention – 4-8 July 2010, Canberra

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Message from Monica Yeung, myeung@gondwana-dreaming.com – please get back to Monica if you have any questions

http://www.aesc2010.gsa.org.au/

*If you are still wondering if the AESC is the conference for you, wonder no more.** Here is all you need to know:

TEN REASONS TO ATTEND THE AESC*

– Learn new stuff 6 concurrent themes http://www.aesc2010.gsa.org.au/index.html, integrated poster sessions – Don’t be boring! → go to sessions on topics outside your area of expertise → definitely go to the plenary talksscheduled at the start of each day Monday, Belinda Robinson (APPEA) will talk on oil and gas Tuesday, Patrick De Deckker (ANU), will tell us about climate change Wednesday, Rob Hough (CSIRO) will reveal his latest insights into colloidal gold Thursday, Martin Brasier (Oxford University) will entertain us with tales from the Ediacaran. – Have fun The convention dinner http://www.aesc2010.gsa.org.au/social.html will be held in spectacular ANZAC Hall at the Australian War Memorial • sit under the wing of the famous G for George Lancaster bomber • sit next to the Japanese midget submarine • dine within sight of the left boot of the Red Baron → enjoy award winning wines from Canberra vineyards → ONLY $120 a seat – includes transport to and from the venue → and NO speeches! – Do new things → Take a field trip under Parliament House(you’re in for a surprise) → Tour to mysterious Lake George- where does that water go and the wine come from? → Visit the Nationals: Museum, Gallery, Library or Portrait Gallery that is → Take a trip to the ski fields → Visit the cellar doors of famous local wineries Alternatively, if Parliament is sitting, go along to watch or heckle. – Win prizes at the Geotrivia night Quizmaster, Tony Eggleton, will test your general geo-knowledge • Food, drinks, prizes and plenty of laughs • Don’t know the answer? A funny answer could still win you a prize! → Tables of 6 can be pre-planned, or simply make up a team on arrival → Tickets @$35 must be pre-purchased on registration (or before, on-line http://www.aesc2010.gsa.org.au/registration.html). – Enjoy the exhibition booths • Posters, food and drinks all located in the exhibition hall of the National Convention Centre. • Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are included in your registration fee → Miss nothing, it’s all served right where all the action is. – Support the Student Event: Education and Careers Don’t miss it • Geoscience Australia, 4 – 6 pm Monday July 5th. IT’S FREE! • Students, teachers, parents and members of the general public all welcome http://www.aesc2010.gsa.org.au/social.html • Meet with professionals from all around Australia → Discover what careers exist and what study pathways to take → Short talks and exhibits to enjoy → See Geoscience Australia’s superb collections of minerals, rocks, fossils and maps → Tour the Tsunami Warning Centre and the SHRIMP mass spectrometer → Walk through 4,600 million years of Earth history – it’s easy! – Geogoss Conferences are all about networking • AESC opportunities abound to catch up with old friends and meet new ones • Poster sessions, lunch, session breaks, the dinner and many more → Find out who is who, who is doing what, where and why. You know you want to. – Be involved Want to have your say in the running of some or all of the GSA ? → Attend the AGM and learn how things work in the society → Join a workshop or a specialist group meeting Don’t be afraid, you won’t be press-ganged into: • serving on the national executive committee • joining a specialist group • running an event … not unless you want to, of course! – Something for everyone. Nothing for you? How wrong could you be! • There are special sessions on a variety of topical themes → salinity, hazards, education → AuScope, IODP, resource security → groundwater, other planets, palaeomagnetism and more. – No regrets. Be there http://www.aesc2010.gsa.org.au/index.html and you won’t be disappointed …

*Join us in Canberra for the AESC on the 4-8 July 2010. It’s not too late to register: http://www.aesc2010.gsa.org.au/registration.html*

The Geological Society of Australia (GSA) encourages you to join us in Canberra for a capital experience. Register now!

AESC Chair, Brad Pillans

_______________________________________________ ASC-list mailing list list@asc.asn.au http://www.asc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=115

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.

Impro workshop, 23 June

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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 and communicate 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 http://www.impro.com.au/ 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: http://www.asc.asn.au/2010/06/state-and-national/act/

_______________________________________________ ASC-list mailing list list@asc.asn.au http://www.asc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=115

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

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.

Discovery Science Writers Series: 23 April, Dr Leo Joseph and Dr Libby Robin

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23 April 2010
12:30 pmto1:30 pm

Discovery Science Writers Series: Leo Joseph and Libby Robin

23 April 2010 12:30pm

Authors Dr Leo Joseph and Dr Libby Robin discuss the science behind their book ‘Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country’.

Location

CSIRO Discovery

Black Mountain Laboratories

Clunies Ross Street, Acton

About the talk

Dr Leo Joseph and Dr Libby Robin have edited the marvellous new work Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country, which recounts the history and the authors’ personal experiences of a particular bird species and their strategies for survival in the ever-changing climate of Australia.

Dr Joseph and Dr Robin join Mr Cris Kennedy from CSIRO Discovery Centre in a conversation about the process of writing for and editing their Whitley Award Winning book.

Read more about Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country.

About the authors

Dr Joseph is the Director and research leader of the Australian National Wildlife Collection (ANWC) and a board member of the ANWC Foundation.

Dr Joseph and Dr Robin join Mr Cris Kennedy from CSIRO Discovery Centre in a conversation about the process of writing for and editing Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country.

Read more about Dr Leo Joseph: investigating the evolution of Australian birds.

Dr Robin has a joint appointment in the Fenner School of the Australian National University, and as Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Historical Research, National Museum of Australia, Canberra.

She is an environmental historian with a Doctor of Philosophy in the History of Science from the University of Melbourne, Victoria. She currently coordinates the Australasian Environmental History Network.

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.

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

Read more about CSIRO Discovery.