The wonders of science to be celebrated during National Science Week

Discover the wonders of maths, science and engineering with Southern Cross University during the 2015 National Science Week from August 15 to 23.

The University is hosting a range of activities as part of Australia’s annual celebration of science, including a talk about career options for women in the fields of engineering, science and information technology, and a marine science exhibition with hands-on activities.

SCU is also a partner in the second annual Arts vs Science Festival in Lismore.

“National Science Week is a fantastic opportunity to experience the wonder and beauty of science and its relevance to everyday life,” said Dr Amanda Reichelt-Brushett, Deputy Head of the School of Environment, Science and Engineering.

“Maths, science and engineering are the source of much of the technology we use every day and solve many of the world’s pressing problems.”

Girls In – Engineering, Science and IT
Thursday, August 20, 5.30pm. Ballina.

Whether you are about to choose school subjects for your senior years or are looking for a career change, GIRLS IN – Engineering, Science and Information Technology is an opportunity to investigate your options. Hear from industry guest speakers and SCU students studying in these fields.

Free event but for catering please RSVP to engineering@scu.edu.au

Thanks to major sponsor, Richmond Valley Council.

2015 Arts v Science Festival
Saturday, August 22, 10am – 4pm. Lismore City Hall.

The Arts vs Science Festival is a celebration of science, creativity and sustainability. SCU contemporary music course coordinator Dr Matt Hill is the curator of the Festival music stage, featuring student bands Sleepy Bear Syndrome, Young Murphies and Nocturnal Tapes.

Solar powers the main stage
Australia's largest solar-powered audiovisual production system, the SCU Sunflower, will be powering the music stage. Be amazed by the genius at work in this cutting-edge solar-powered technology devised by Southern Cross University researcher Dr Barry Hill and the audio production and contemporary music students. With a built-in energy monitoring system, Festivalgoers will see the Sunflower's live data updates on a video screen that shows how much power is used by each band. This year’s Art vs Science Festival will also see Sunflower's debut not only as an electrical generator but also as part of a solar-powered Soundart installation and self-powered music robot controller for a multichannel audio soundscape that will change according to the amount of solar energy produced or consumed.

Poems enmeshed in nature
Poetry has a role to play in the planet's survival. Far from being irrelevant, poetry can claim an engagement with the biosphere's crises. The imagination is as fundamental as scientific research and technology to solving environmental issues. Staff and students of SCU's writing program will present poems enmeshed in nature: nature writing, or what is now known as ecocriticism. From talk of landscapes and surf, to plant specimens from the SCU Medicinal Plant Herbarium and the rain forest, and more. Spoken word performers include academics and student: Moya Costello, Lynda Hawryluk, Josephine Mooney, Kim Satchell, Katinka Smit and Peter Booth.

Environmental Critique through Media Art
Dr Grayson Cooke will present an Environmental Critique through Media Art. In this presentation, Dr Cooke will discuss and screen two of his recent works from an art/science project involving environmental critique and material enquiry. The two works he will screen, Frack and Deforest, reflect on the effects of resource extraction on the environment, and consist of time-lapse photography of film media being chemically degraded. Frack explores ‘virtual fracking’ – it uses chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing to dissolve photographs of sedimentary rock. Deforest uses sulphuric acid (which burns to the touch) to melt photographs of old growth rainforest.

Science Under the Sea
Thursday, August 20 to Saturday August 22. Coffs Harbour.

Ever wondered what a sea cucumber feels like or how a starfish eats? Come and unlock some of the mysteries of the sea at Science Under the Sea, presented by the University’s National Marine Science Centre in Coffs Harbour.

Includes an exhibition at Coffs Central Shopping Centre (August 20) and at Park Beach Plaza Shopping Centre (August 21).

On Saturday August 22, the National Marine Science Centre will have an open day featuring hands-on activities, guest seminars, presentations and tours of the facility.

Free event.

Visit the 2015 National Science Week website for more information.

Science exhibitions in the SCU Libraries
August 15 to 23. Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast and Lismore campuses.

• National Science Week will be celebrated across all campus libraries with an exhibition of 46 Arts vs Science Festival posters created for the Northern Rivers Science Hub by talented SCU students studying the ‘Caught in the Web: Designing for Digital Space’ unit under the guidance of lecturer Donna Crotty.

• ‘Redox Reaction’, an art science installation by Dr Amanda Reichelt-Brushett, will be on display at the Learning Centre at the Lismore campus.

Photo: Screen shot from 'Deforest', an art-science by Dr Grayson Cooke that combines environmental critique with material enquiry. In this project, sulphuric acid – a highly corrosive acid that burns to the touch – is used to dissolve photographs of old growth forest from subtropical Queensland (credit: Grayson Cooke).