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Beer experiments; sweet science of chocolate; songs from the grapevine; locally-grown food on Mars or the Outback

National Science Week

Great National Science Week food and drink stories up for grabs now around Australia

• Experimenting with beer – Hobart, TAS
• What’s cooking in 2050 and 2100? – Gladstone, QLD 
• Science of chocolate – Latrobe, TAS
• Space farmers and cooks wanted – Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and national online
• Wine science in song – Adelaide, SA
• Growing food on Mars vs the Outback – Oodnadatta, Andamooka and Copley, SA

See details below and visit ScienceWeek.net.au/events to find stories in your area.

Scientists, experts, performers and event organisers are available for interview throughout National Science Week.

Read on for direct contact details for each event, or contact Tanya Ha, [email protected] or 0404 083 863; or Shelley Thomas, [email protected] or 0416 377 444.

Media centre here. Images for media here.

Experimenting with beer – Hobart

1 recipe. 5 beers.

Four Tasmanian brewers serve up an identical recipe for beer, resulting in vastly different sensory traits.

ExBEERimental Science showcases how small variations in brewing techniques impact our experience of downing a cold one.

Hear about the science and taste the difference with beer-loving scientists Kelsey Picard and Matthew Fielding.

Audience members can join the live event in Hobart at Shambles Brewery. 

Friday 15 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/exbeerimental-science-3/north-hobart/

Media enquiries: Matthew Fielding, [email protected] or 0417 167 618.

 

Chocolate’s sweet science – Latrobe, TAS

What do reflection, light and physics have to do with chocolate? Why do some chocolate bars develop white spots? Is chocolate actually bad for dogs?

Chocolate lover and food scientist Chloë Nelson answers these questions and more in a series of talks at Tasmania’s Chocolate Winterfest. Chloë started her professional career working as a research scientist and did further studies in engineering. She also trained as a chocolatier at the world-renowned Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School.

Sunday 10 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-science-of-sweet-creations-4/latrobe/

Media enquiries: Michelle Dutton, [email protected] or (03) 6426 444.

 

What’s cooking in 2050 and 2100? – Gladstone, QLD

Find out by joining a low carbon picnic that doubles as a sustainable social experiment, with chefs whipping up a future food smorgasbord that highlights ingredients that may be grown around Gladstone under different climate scenarios. Audiences will be invited to taste and vote on their favourite future flavours.

If food isn’t your priority, discover how Gladstone is driving Australia’s decarbonisation transition and why it’s home to the world’s largest seagrass restoration nursery. Sniff out climate change. Or go on a sunset sound walk punctuated by creative works that use music, dance and light to highlight the region’s unique biosphere on the doorstep of the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Just some of the highlights at  Gladstone Art Science Innovation Fest.

Friday 15 August – Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/gladstone-art-science-innovation-fest/gladstone

Media enquiries: Dr Rebecca Cunningham, [email protected] or 0475 415 245.

 

Is it easier to grow food on Mars than in the South Australian Outback? – Oodnadatta, Andamooka and Copley, SA

That’s the curious question behind Science in the Outback Pub events organised by the Outback Communities Authority in partnership with ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space.

Achieving food security is a key challenge for remote communities and disproportionately impacts First Nations Australians. Events will be held where communities have demonstrated an interest in and capacity for independent food production, including controlled growing environments, community gardens, solar and desalination facilities. Plants for Space scientists will share insights on future food missions and how their research could benefit Outback communities.

Multiple dates and locations. 

Media enquiries: Grayson Cooke, [email protected] or 0415 428 906 and Lieke Van Der Hulst, [email protected] or 0449 846 067.

 

Songs from the grapevine – Adelaide, SA

Spoilage yeast, automated tractors, screw caps, smoke taint and volatile organic compounds all presented in song.

The Australian Wine Research Institute will uncork its ‘best of’ scientific findings spanning seven decades in ‘Songs from the Grapevine’ in collaboration with singer-songwriter Max Savage.      

Thursday 7 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/songs-from-the-grapevine/adelaide/

Media enquiries: Max McHenry, [email protected] 0415 922 253.

For a sneak preview of the show, watch/listen to Autonomous Tractors. 

 

Space farmers wanted – Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and national online

It’s Day 530 on the moon base and you’re eating packaged slop again… until a delivery of nutrient-enhanced microgreens arrives from Earth. 

Your mission is to sustainably grow and harvest edible plants in an extreme environment. But first you need to learn the basics of plant biology, food chemistry and farming approaches that minimise water, energy and resource use.

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space is supersizing its mission to develop out-of-this-world future foods by enlisting public participation in ‘Grow 4 Launch’ experiments.  

Participants will receive a microgreens kit complete with seeds, hydroponics gear and test tools, alongside guidance on how to alter plant sensory traits (colour, taste, smell and texture) and investigate conditions that help sustainable growth. The project also invites participants to submit recipes, results and ideas for a Spacefood Cookbook which will also feature contributions from astronauts, nutritionists and chefs. 

Multiple dates and locations. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/grow-4-launch-grow-test-imagine-the-future-of-food-in-space/

Media enquiries: Lieke Van Der Hulst, [email protected] or 0449 846 067.

Plants for Spance researchers available for interview in Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth. Great visuals at in-person events (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth) involving cooking demonstrations, panel discussion, hands-on workshops with musical fruits, and decorating hydroponic plant growth units as rockets. 

 

About National Science Week

National Science Week is Australia’s annual opportunity to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its cultural and economic impact on society – from art to astrophysics, chemistry to climate change, and forensics to future food.

First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year about 3 million people participated in more than 2,000 events and activities.

The festival is proudly supported by the Australian Government, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and the ABC.

In 2025 it runs from Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.