Science set to roar, for real

THE nation’s biggest celebration of science is back on this month.

This National Science Week will be celebrated by schools, community groups and discovery centres across the country from 14 to 22 August.

At Bendigo’s Discovery and Technology Centre, two events will be delivered, designed to engage younger and older minds with STEM.

Science communicator at Discovery Brett Hoppenbrouwer said the events will focus on an age-old favourite in dinosaurs, and the emerging technology of virtual reality.

“Dinosaurs are endlessly popular,” they said. “They’re always an absolute hit with young kids and we love getting young ones more involved and engaged with STEM.

Discovery’s Dinosaur Hullaballoo event takes place on 18 August from 10am to 4pm.

Children can learn about palaeontology, fossils and what life might’ve looked like in the distant past, and even get to hang out with a real dinosaur.

The virtual reality event, SciVR, is a collaboration with OzGrav and is angled at an older audience.

“We are going to be linking into a livestream event with a couple of astrophysicist experts,” Mx Hoppenbrouwer said.

“They will be talking participants through an app that they’ve designed that people will be able to explore on their phones here with some virtual reality glasses we’ll provide and experience the universe in virtual reality.”

SciVR will take place on 21 August from 11am to 12pm and Mx Hoppenbrouwer said they are pleased to see these events taking place at Discovery to help garner lifelong interests in science.

“Science Week is all about making sure that everyone across Australia has access to science and can see where science is around the in their day-to-day life to try and help demystify science and help people to connect to science and how it forms the world around them,” Mx Hoppenbrouwer said.

“We are really trying here at Discovery to connect more with new and emerging technologies, they’re a huge part of the growing STEM field and other engagement fields, a lot of art and design are starting to use more of these technologies.

“[Keeping] up the connection and pace helps us to make sure that regional communities like ours aren’t being left behind as technology is developing and advancing.”

For more information on Discovery’s National Science Week events head to discovery.asn.au.