Farming with AI; DIY frog saunas; dancers with disability; parasite pandemic; shop with snakes; inflatable fruit & veg
National Science Week
The national festival that reaches more than 3 million people through over 2,000 events is back from 9 to 17 August. Dozens of stories around Canberra:
- Snakes, robots, rockets: science while you shop in Canberra’s shopping centres
- Can AI cultivate sustainable farming?
- DIY frog saunas and spa treatments combat deadly fungus
- Dancers with disability explore bee science through performance
- Can you save the world from a parasite pandemic?
- Star Trek fan drives ‘positive space films’ festival
- Meet the molecular biologist twisting balloons to teach healthy eating
- Computer programmers aged 55+ wanted. No experience required
- Rainbow roses: people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities discover explosive strength of capillary pressure
- Vote for Australia’s most underrated animals
More on these highlights below.
Scientists, experts 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.
Visit ScienceWeek.net.au/events to find more stories in your area.
Media centre here. Images for media here.
Snakes, robots, rockets while you shop – multiple locations
Pop-up activity centres will give shoppers the chance to discover the science behind reptiles, engineering, water bugs, space, robotics and the environment.
Westfield Belconnen, Westfield Woden, South Point Tuggeranong, Cooleman Court, Gungahlin Marketplace, Majura Park Shopping Centre and the Canberra Centre will host a variety of displays and hands-on science activities during the weekends of National Science Week (9 - 10 and 16 - 17 August).
Meet scientists and take part in activities from Robogals, Young Engineers Canberra, Mt Stromlo Observatory, Engineers Australia, Questacon, Canberra Reptile Zoo, and more.
Each centre will have different activities, but there will be rocket launching, live reptiles, human sized moving robots, kids soil science. All will be great photo opportunities.
Media enquiries: Jillian Matthews, [email protected] or 0478 333 883.
Can AI cultivate sustainable farming? – Acton
How will farmers use AI to boost sustainability and profit?
AI agronomists, seed-planting farmbots, pest-detecting drones, and robotic noses geared for evaluating wine and beer could be part of the answer.
Researchers are busy cultivating its use to selectively control weeds (saving on herbicide); figure out the perfect time to water crops; and identify grapes damaged by bushfire smoke.
Meet the experts when the Australian Academy of Science hosts ‘AI in Food’ at Canberra’s Shine Dome (as part of its series of talks on ‘AI in Science: the promise, perils and path forward’), featuring:
- CSIRO’s Dr Sarah Hartman who is using deep learning to develop an AI agronomist that works for and with farmers.
- University of Melbourne’s Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes, who uses high-tech digital instruments for agriculture, food and wine, alongside his role as investigator at the Plants for Space ARC Centre of Excellence.
Tuesday 12 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/ai-in-science-the-promise-perils-and-path-forward-ai-and-our-food/acton/
Media enquiries: Dan Wheelahan, [email protected] or (02) 6201 9444.
Dr Sarah Hartman and Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes are available for media interviews.
Frog saunas and spa treatments fight deadly fungus – Turner
Canberra scientists are employing surprising tactics to help frog populations fight the deadly chytrid fungus.
Join a DIY frog sauna workshop and twilight wetlands walk with ACT FrogWatch program’s Anke Maria Hoefer and meet University of Canberra amphibian researchers using frog saunas, spa treatments and trace metals such as copper and zinc.
Thursday 14 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-in-and-out-of-the-pub-frogs-fungus-and-funky-metals/turner/
Media enquiries: Anke Maria Hoefer, [email protected] or 0429 066 046.
University of Canberra researchers involved in the project:
Jarrod Sopniewski - postdoctoral research fellow, Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, is installing frog saunas and spas around suburban wetlands in preparation for reintroduction of the locally extinct Green and Golden Bell Frog species.
Milad Esmaeilbeigi - PhD researcher, Centre for Applied Water Science, who is investigating the interactions of metals in water and chytrid fungus.
Dancers with disability pollinate science and inclusion – Canberra
Explore the importance of bees for ecology, biodiversity and our food train through ‘BuzzACT’, a dance-and-science show for children.
Canberra’s inclusive dance performance group, The Chamaeleon Collective, comprises 70% of artists living with disability, chronic illness and/or PTSD.
Launched in 2020, The Chamaeleon Collective, is part of The Stellar Company, founded by dance artist/choreographer/producer, Liz Lea. The initiative provides professional mentoring and career pathways for emerging artists with and without disability.
Sunday 10 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/buzzz-act-2/gungahlin/
Sunday 17 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/buzzz-act/majura-park/
Media enquiries: Liz Lea, [email protected]
Liz Lea is available for media interviews.
Can you save the world from a parasite pandemic? – Canberra
‘Parasite Pandemic: Unlocking Science Through Immersive Experience’ starts in Canberra before moving to NSW South Coast. The program combines interactive science games and activities aimed at sparking interest in the study of parasites. It also aims to provide participants with insights into how scientists tackle global health challenges more broadly.
Saturday 9 August – Sunday 10 August / Canberra
Parasite escape room: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/parasite-pandemic-escape-room-a-race-for-the-antidote/canberra
Parasites in manga: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/parasite-pandemic-walk-in-the-shoes-of-a-parasitologist/canberra/
Walk in the shoes of a parasitologist: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/parasite-pandemic-escape-room-a-race-for-the-antidote-4/canberra/
Media enquiries: Lisa Jones, [email protected] or [email protected] or 0405 620 747.
ANU scientists available for interview. Photo opportunities with the escape room (laboratory), parasite images and “live leeches” in the parasite zoo. Video footage of leeches available.
Star Trek fan drives ‘positive space films’ festival – Canberra
Former IT professional-turned-filmmaker Masoud Varjavandi found strength watching Star Trek while growing up in a Baha’i family persecuted in Iran during the 1980s.
Today, he shares stories for a better future through Canberra’s Space Faring Civilisation Film Festival, featuring award-winning sci-fi and documentary shorts. Masoud says: “This isn’t about escapism. It’s about reminding people that progress, peace and a better future are still within reach.”
Saturday 9 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/space-science-themed-film-festival/canberra/
Media enquiries: Masoud Varjavandi, [email protected] or 0432 902 619.
SFC Film Festival director Masoud Varjavandi is available for media interviews.
Kids play with inflatable, edible fruit & veg – Chifley
Show-and-tell takes a deliciously twisted turn with Dr Chloe Lim. The former reality TV star and trained molecular biologist (with a PhD in Medical Science) introduces pre-schoolers and primary school kids to healthy eating via balloon twisting and tasting stations.
Chloe founded edutainment venture, Twistyfic, and made the finals of Channel 7's TV show, Blow Up.
From Saturday 6 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-twisty-science-show-science-storytelling-with-a-twist-7/chifley/
Media enquiries: Chloe Lim, [email protected] or 0401 118 648.
What is Australia’s most underrated animal? – online
Do weird and wonderful Aussie creatures get the attention they deserve? For Science Week 2025, ABC Science wants Australians to cast their vote for Australia’s most underrated animal.
Not the usual cuddly crowd-pleasers, but the ugly, the annoying and the lesser-known critters that are often over-looked, under-conserved and underrated.
“We are trying to do the impossible here and rate what may be unrateable, vote on what may be un-findable, but most of all, find out as much as we can about animals which live their entire lives outside the spotlight of popular consciousness,” says Dr Ann Jones from ABC Radio National podcast What the Duck?!
The shortlist (those found in NSW/ACT indicated with bold text):
Palm cockatoo
Dugong
Short-fin eel
Great desert skink
Ghost bat
Rakali (native water rat)
Marsupial mole
Turtle frogs
Giant cuttlefish
Velvet worm
The search for Australia’s most underrated animal will be decided on Friday 15 August. Images here.
Friday 1 August – Friday 15 August: To find out more and vote, go to www.abc.net.au/underrated.
For interviews with other animal experts and science communicators, contact:
Tanya Ha, [email protected] or 0404 083 863
Shelley Thomas, [email protected] or 0416 377 444
Computer programmers aged 55+ wanted. No experience required – Greenway
Senior Australians will have the opportunity to learn computer programming at workshops tailored for people who aren’t digital natives.
Billed as more fun than Sudoku or crosswords, Creative Computing for Seniors focuses on keeping brains active by learning how to write and run programs via a block-based coding platform called Scratch.
The free workshop at Canberra Institute of Technology Tuggeranong offers an introduction to the platform that empowers students to create games, animations, stories, interactive art, and more – simply by moving graphical blocks much like a puzzle.
Saturday 9 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/creative-computing-for-seniors-workshop-using-scratch-9/greenway
Saturday 16 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/creative-computing-for-seniors-workshop-using-scratch-8/greenway
Media enquiries: Thomas McCoy, [email protected] or 0402 050 852.
Thomas McCoy, a CIT teacher who developed the Creative Computing for Seniors workshop, is available for media interviews.
Rainbow roses for people with disability – Farrer
People with disabilities are making rainbow roses to learn about the explosive strength of capillary pressure. The wider community in Canberra are invited to do the same.
Gayana, a 26-year-old woman with Down syndrome who opened her own flower shop, is co-presenting these workshops which are accessible to people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.
Monday 11 – Friday 15 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/rainbow-roses-science-and-disabilty-empowerment/farrer
Media enquiries: Dr Vanessa de Kauwe, Science Alliance, [email protected] or 0416 040 511.
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 registered 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.
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Experiments while shopping at Science in the Centres, this National Science Week
