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Nuclear reactor turns 20. Ginger the giant dinosaur. Toddler thinking. Queer code-breaking math hero. Science Week in NSW

National Science Week

Scientists, experts and event organisers are available for interview before and throughout the ‘week’.

Here NSW highlights from the national festival that reaches more than 3 million people through 2,500+ events. National Science Week will run 15 to 23 August 2026.

Direct contact details for each event listed below and online.

Contact national publicist Tanya Ha for contacts and tips: [email protected] or 0404 083 863.

New South Wales highlights:

• Science across Sydney:

four huge family-friendly events at four different days and locations.

• Sydney bird connections:

theatre and art installation explore survival and extinction

• The origin of everything
• Art and science explore Antarctica
• Australia’s nuclear reactor:

20 years of supporting nuclear medicine, instruments, and materials research

• Queer eye for AI:

modern mathematician explores Alan Turing’s legacy

• A food farm under Sydney’s CBD
• Beyond baby brains:

can toddlers think about thinking? – online, with Sydney talent

• Quantum careers:

working tech’s weirdest frontier – Chatswood

• Bees, seaweed, and other lessons from 60,000 years of First Nations knowledge – Redfern
• Glowing ghost mushrooms – Newcastle
• Art, science, culture and chemistry – Bundanon
• The sound of cosmic collisions: a musical exploration of space-time
• Flower power: what is Australia’s most amazing wildflower?
• TONIGHT: NSW launch event with Indigenous researchers in Wollongong.

More on these below including contact details for interview.

See more highlights from in and around Sydney or regional NSW.

Or find more stories in your area at ScienceWeek.net.au/events.

Visit the Media Centre for all media releases and images.

 

NSW state launch

Science and Country. Weaving Knowledge Together

Tuesday 11 August in Wollongong

6pm launch event at the University of Wollongong Science Space with:

• Gundungurra woman and human geographer Dr Crystal Arnold, who investigates land care and weed management through the perspective of healing Country.
• Jerrinja/Yuin man, artist and Aboriginal education lecturer Peter Hewitt whose work focuses on embedding Country and Indigenous knowledge within research and education.
• Awabakal and Gamilaraay academic A/Prof Anthony McKnight, Director of Culture and Community at Early Start and Associate Professor within UOW's Indigenous Strategy Unit.
• Anatomist A/Prof Theresa Larkin from the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, whose research focuses on clinical anatomy, hormones and health.
• Cancer geneticist and NSW Deputy Chief Scientist and Engineer Dr Darren Saunders.

Where: Science Space, Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong, Innovation Way, North Wollongong

Media enquiries: Meredith Hall, [email protected] or 0421 614 145.

Science across Sydney: four huge family-friendly events across two weekends – Darlinghurst, Centennial Park, Mount Annan and Abbotsbury

Giant dinosaur puppets, liquid nitrogen science shows, animals, scientists, and crowds of kids having fun – great filming and photo opportunities in four different locations.

Saturday 15 August at Australian Museum, Darlinghurst

Sydney Science Trail at Australian Museum features the Museum’s resident dinosaur Winny, Research Institute scientists and their favourite museum objects, science shows with liquid nitrogen, and hands-on activities for kids, all hosted by The Surfing Scientist Ruben Meerman.

www.scienceweek.net.au/event/sydney-science-trail-community-day-3/darlinghurst

Media enquiries: [email protected]

50 stalls, wildlife encounters and a giant ginger dinosaur: Sunday 16 August at Centennial Park

Science in the Swamp transforms Centennial Park into a large-scale, hands-on, outdoor science experience with more than 50 stalls, workshops and activity zones. Highlights include the life-sized roaming Australoventor Ginger, wildlife, interactive robotics, virtual reality experiences, and dozens of scientists to talk to.

www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-in-the-swamp-2025-2/centennial-park

Media enquiries: Jemma Pepper [email protected] or 0417 740 789.

Frogs, bugs and a botanical insurance policy: Saturday 22 August at Mount Annan

Sydney Science Trail at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan features behind-the-scenes tours of the National Herbarium of New South Wales and PlantBank, where plants are studies and seeds are saved and stored as a vitally important ‘insurance policy’ against the extinction of native flora. The Gardens team are joined by invertebrate experts who can talk about the importance of creepy crawlies, and the FrogID team who are working to spot and save frogs and other amphibians.

www.scienceweek.net.au/event/sydney-science-trail-community-day/mount-annan

Media enquiries: 02 9231 8122 or to [email protected]

Native animals, Indigenous science, and a pop-up Ocean Lab in Western Sydney: Sunday 23 August

Science in the Scrub at Lizard Log also has dozens of stalls, scientists, activities and Ginger, the giant puppet dinosaur. It also features a First Nations Science Village, the pop-up Ocean Lab, robotics and engineering challenges, native animals, frogs and insects up close, and other activities.

www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-in-the-scrub-2025-2/abbotsbury

Media enquiries: Jemma Pepper [email protected] or 0417 740 789.

‘Wings’: Sydney’s birds take flight in science, music and art – Waverton

Step inside an immersive installation exploring the birdlife of North Sydney in the century old tunnels at The Coal Loader in Waverton.

Wings is a multi-sensory event that brings science and creativity together. Wings features sculpture from Tom Buckland, video and photography from Anne Morphett, music from Narelle Yeo, Sarah Levins, Jerome Blazé and Alexis Weaver, science installs from Alice Motion, costume from Brendan De La Hay and actor/musicians from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Friday 7 August to Wednesday 19 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/wings/waverton/

Media enquiries: Narelle Yeo, [email protected] or 0411 104 905; or Alice Motion, [email protected] or 0431 318 280.

Assets: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vbBP6Zy-JucrEuptAPmXuWWBXwauvjmo?usp=sharing

Extinction and connectedness as a science theatre experience – Waverton

The Theory of Relativity (Neil Bartram and Brian Hill, 2014) is a live theatre and music experience, employing dance, acting, and song to explore how scientists respond to mass bird extinction events. 

Join the innovative Sydney based production company Wherenext for an expressive exploration of future possibilities in conservation, and the urgent need for change and creativity in our relationship with the natural world. 

Thursday 13 August to Sunday 16 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/wings-2/waverton/

Media enquiries: Narelle Yeo, [email protected] or 0411 104 905; or Alice Motion, [email protected] or 0431 318 280.

The origin of everything – Chippendale

How did we get here? How was our Universe formed? And how did life on Earth begin? Ask University of Sydney researchers, astrophysicist Professor Geraint Lewis and chemist Dr Haihui Joy Jiang, as they tackle some of humanity's biggest questions.

Through stories of cosmic evolution, lightning-powered chemistry and world-leading research, they will share how understanding our past could help shape our future.

Hosted by academic and science communicator Professor Alice Motion.

Thursday 20 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-impact-factor-matter-of-origin/chippendale/

Media enquiries: Cassandra Chester, [email protected] or 0418 245 139.

Antarctica through the eyes of Homeward Bound scientists and an artist and filmmaker – Camperdown, NSW

Canadian multimedia artist, filmmaker and researcher Peter McLeish reflects on how his creative practice responds to scientific exploration and the polar landscape and seeking to make complex scientific ideas accessible through visual storytelling.

He will present an immersive lecture, with vision from his documentary and short film work, alongside ‘Postcards from Antarctica’ events, featuring talks and artworks drawn from the 124 women and non-binary researchers who have taken part in Homeward Bound voyages to Antarctica.

Tuesday 18 August to Friday 21 August: multiple events and dates.

Media enquiries: Yasmina Chotchova, [email protected] or 02 9036 5409.

Australia’s nuclear reactor is 20 this year – online

OPAL, at Lucas Heights in Sydney, is Australia’s only nuclear reactor – built, commissioned and operating within six years. Two decades on it makes the nuclear medicine used in Australian hospitals, drives research instruments, and irradiates materials such as silicon to improve their properties.

An ANSTO Disruptive Science webinar marks the anniversary with ANSTO CEO Shaun Jenkinson, Australia’s Ambassador to Austria Ian Biggs – who chairs the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors – and Rear Admiral Katherine Biggs AM CSC, Chief Engineer of Engineers Australia.

An open pool light water reactor designed by Argentina’s INVAP with ANSTO, and running on low enriched uranium only, OPAL is considered one of the best reactors of its type in the world.

Wednesday 19 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/webinar-20-years-of-the-peaceful-uses-of-nuclear-technology

Media enquiries: Kaz Taylor-Brown, Refraction Media, [email protected] or 0414 218 575.

See Promotional video for last year’s event: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAAAsLRJkxc

Queer eye for AI: modern mathematician explores Alan Turing’s legacy – Sydney

Alan Turing (1912-1954) was a brilliant mathematician, World War II code-breaker, founder of computer science, philosopher and theoretical biologist. Turing’s mathematical legacy continues to shape computing, codebreaking, AI and mathematical logic – much of it completed before the first programmable computer existed.

However, in 1952 Turing was prosecuted for homosexual acts and was given a hormone treatment, commonly referred to as chemical castration, as an alternative to prison. He died aged 41 in 1954 from cyanide poisoning but posthumously received an official public apology from the British Prime Minister in 2009 for “the appalling way [Turing] was treated”.

Prof Benjamin Burton is a software developer, University of Queensland mathematician, and a Queensland representative of Queers in Science. In a National Science Week lecture, he explores Turing's life, some of his most important and surprising results, and discuss how they continue to influence mathematics and computing today.

Friday 21 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/alan-turings-legacy-computers-ai-and-some-very-queer-mathematics-national-science-week-public-lecture-by-benjamin-burton

Media enquiries: Susanna Smith, Sydney Mathematical Research Institute, University of Sydney, [email protected] or 0431 878 114.

Watch a recording of ben speaking on this topic.

A food farm under the CBD - Barangaroo

Sydney’s CBD has a secret underground indoor farm, right next to Darling Harbour.

Urban Green Sydney will open the doors to its hidden hydroponic farm in Barangaroo. Set in an underground carpark, it demonstrates how cities can strengthen food security by growing food in small or underused spaces through innovation, smart design, and simple growing systems.

Owner and founder Noah Verin can talk about the use of growing mediums like coconut coir instead of soil, transforming what would otherwise be a waste product, like coconut husk, into a valuable resource for growing plants. It’s a simple example of circular farming in action, where waste is reduced and materials are reused in smarter ways.

Visitors will explore how plants grow, how modern food systems work and how simple hydroponic methods can be used at home. And they can taste a range of the most popular greens.

A live hydroponic Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system will be on display, giving people the chance to see how water, nutrients, and lighting work together to support healthy plant growth in compact urban setups.

Schools, offices, community groups and other organisations can also take part in a nationwide microgreens growing experiment by ordering and using Seed to STEM Grow Kits.

Underground farm tours: Monday 17 August to Friday 21 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/under-the-pavement-farming-solutions-to-the-future-of-food/barangaroo

Sydney CBD pop-up: Wednesday 19 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/seed-to-stem-urban-farm-pop-up/sydney-cbd

Media enquiries: Rebecka Walter, [email protected] or 0421 241 456.

Urban Green Sydney owner Noah Verin and client chefs are available for media interviews. Noah is a former chef and studied environmental science while at university.

Can toddlers think about thinking? – online, via Sydney

Early childhood educators can learn how to deepen children’s critical thinking and metacognition through STEM in a two-hour interactive online workshop run by Little Scientists Australia.

The session moves beyond simply engaging children’s curiosity, giving educators practical strategies and open-ended questions to help infants, toddlers and preschoolers reflect, predict and reason – from documenting learning with photos and floor books to embedding critical thinking into everyday play.

Tickets include access to a recording for anyone who can’t tune in live.

Thursday 20 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/little-scientists-online-educator-workshop-strategies-to-deepen-childrens-critical-thinking-metacognition-through-stem

Media enquiries: Emma or Lara, [email protected] or 02 8080 0065

A Little Scientists trainer/educator is available for media interviews about the workshop, early STEM education and Little Scientists more broadly. Photo and video opportunities can also be arranged.

Quantum leap: careers on tech’s weirdest frontier – Chatswood

Are there jobs in quantum? Students in Years 8 to 12 can get hands-on with quantum technology and hear directly from people working in the field at ‘Quantum Future Talent: From Curiosity to Career’, hosted by the Sydney Quantum Academy.

The event gives an accessible introduction to quantum computing and cybersecurity, career talks from industry professionals, and interactive demonstrations – including quantum devices, VR experiences and explainer presentations that use skipping ropes and giant balls to demystify the science.

Attendees can also connect with NSW universities including Macquarie, UNSW, the University of Sydney and UTS to explore study pathways into the growing field.

Tuesday 18 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/quantum-futures-curiosity-to-career/chatswood

Media enquiries: Emily Cook, [email protected] or 0403 907 098

Professor Peter Turner, Director of Sydney Quantum Academy, is available for media interviews.

Photo/filming opportunities: hands-on quantum demos including VR experiences (sample footage on SQA's YouTube). Additional accredited-media images/footage available.

Native bees and seaweed at Redfern - Redfern

Learn how to care for Country with native bees, seaweed and Indigenous technology developed over thousands of years at the Indigenous Science Experience.
This free event at the Redfern Community Centre celebrates Indigenous knowledge systems through interactive physics and chemistry experiments, yarning with Elders and a VR experience of Torres Strait Islander culture.
Saturday 22 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/indigenous-science-experience-at-redfern-7/redfern

Media enquiries: Joanne Jamie, [email protected], 02 98508283, or 0439 170 683

The Hunter’s ghost mushrooms – Newcastle

Each autumn colourful, short-lived mushrooms pop up across the Hunter region, and a few of them glow. Physicist Karen Livesey explains the physics behind the light, and behind the way fungi fling their spores.

Livesey is NSW Chair of the Australian Institute of Physics and an honorary Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong. She became fascinated by ghost fungi after moving to Newcastle and now runs Glenrock Ghost Fungus Tours. Trivia and time to meet the speaker included.

Monday 17 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/fabulous-fungi-and-hidden-physics

Media enquiries: Christina Robberds, City of Newcastle (Museum), [email protected]

The birds, the bee and good (plant) chemistry – Bundanon - Illaroo

Nature teems with art, science and culture—if only you know how to see it. Walk with native bees, uncover the hidden chemistry of plants, and join First Nations Custodians for an introduction to reading Country at Bundanon this Science Week, while Bill Gammage and other speakers share their unique perspectives on the natural world.

Friday 21 August and Saturday 22 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/national-science-week-at-bundanon/illaroo

Media enquiries: Millie Zerbst, [email protected] or 02 4422 2104.

The sound of cosmic collisions: a musical exploration of space-time – Canberra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle& online

The most violent events in the universe create elements such as gold, platinum and the iodine in human blood. Dr Karelle Siellez is listening to the aftermath of these massive kilonova through electromagnetic radiation ad gamma-ray bursts. She will explore the ‘sound’ of cosmic collisions, and what these signal reveal about the universe, during public talks across the country as part of the 2026 Marie Curie lecture series. 

Karelle is an astrophysicist and lecturer at the University of Tasmania. She contributed to the first detection of a gamma-ray burst and gravitational waves from the same cosmic event, recognised with the 2017 Breakthrough Prize. She is also an award-winning science communicator who integrates art, sound, and storytelling into her work.

Multiple dates and locations

Media enquiries: Dr Karen Livesey and Dr Karen Siu (Marie Curie Tour Co-ordinators), [email protected], 0478 260 533

What do you think is Australia’s most amazing wildflower? – online

ABC Science wants Australians to discover our hidden “flower power”, the kind you find in botanical gardens rather than hippie communes.

With the help of experts, ABC Science has selected ten flowering plants from across the country.

Not just another banksia or waratah, but blooms from the unsung understory that also do something unbelievable. These ten wildflowers are more than just a pretty face; each one hides a surprising superpower. The public will decide which is the most amazing.

Voting to decide Australia’s most amazing wildflower will start just before National Science Week in August, with the winning bloom announced on Friday August 21 in a live broadcast on Radio National.

The shortlist:

• Bladderwort (Utricularia) – Traps and digests insects inside tiny floating “bladders”
• Star flower (Calytrix) – Changes colour like a ‘traffic-light’ to direct pollinators
• Flannel flower (Actinotus) – Blooms from bushfire ashes like a floral phoenix
• Flying duck orchid (Caleana) – Traps insects for pollination and looks like a duck!
• Mulla mulla (Ptilotus) – Thrives, and flowers, in tough, hot arid environments
• Murnong/yam daisy (Microseris) – Provided a significant year-round nutritious food for Indigenous people 
• Richea scoparia – Survives extreme cold and feeds snow skinks
• Creamy candle (Stackhousia) – Looks like a candle and emits a sweet fragrance at night
• Triggerplant (Stylidium) – Hits insects with pollen using a catapult-like trigger
• Underground orchid (Rhizanthella) – Lives underground and looks like a tiny demogorgan.

Wednesday 5 August – Friday 21 August. To find out more and vote, go to www.abc.net.au/wildflowers.

For interviews with Dr Ann Jones, contact Rob Caulley, ABC Publicity, [email protected].

About National Science Week

National Science Week is Australia’s annual opportunity to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its contribution to our lives. Science drives economic and social change – from safe and nutritious food to reducing cancer deaths; from smart phones to AI; from under Antarctica’s ice floes to distant planets.

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 2,500 registered events and activities. 

National Science Week 2026 runs from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.

National Science Week is proudly supported by the Australian Government, alongside key partners Questacon, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and ABC Science.