Science busking at Circular Quay

Soapbox Science, a UK-based science program for women achievers in STEM, will bring science busking to Australia in National Science Week. Twelve scientists from all over the country have been carefully selected from a large bag of 72 applications. They and will share their knowledge and play their innovative science like buskers in Circular Quay, against the background of the iconic Sydney Opera House on 10 August.

The Soapbox team all over the world want to make sure that people get the opportunity to enjoy, learn from, heckle, question, probe, interact with and be inspired by leading female scientists.

Before the internet was invented, one of the best ways to convey innovation and science to the public was to turn up to a busy street, stand on a box and tell people what you thought they needed to know. Harking back to that time, these super women will be sharing their work in science, technology, engineering and medicine, are set to take to the very small ‘soapbox’.

Participating scientists

12-1pm Session:

• Dr Gal Winter (@GalWinter2), University of New England, “The gut microbiome: Ask not what you can do for your microbes but what they can do for YOU”
• Dr Paola A. Magni (@doc_magni), Murdoch University, “Crimes, Critters & Clues”
• Dr Jessica Borger (@jessborger), Monash University, “Designing superior killers of cancers“.
  Read the blog: We need to return the ‘S’ to STEM with the very important ‘women’ prefix
• Dr Dominique Tanner (@DrDomTanner), University of Wollongong, “Where do precious metals come from? The story of how magmas and volcanoes can make a gold mine… and more!”

1-2pm session:

• Riddhi Gupta (@riddhisw), The University of Sydney, “Machine Learning and Quantum Control Using our engineering past to navigate a quantum future”.
  Read the blog: A quantum leap for diversity
• Hasti Hayati, University of Technology Sydney, “Dynamics of running dogs.”
• Dr Emi Tanaka (@statsgen), The University of Sydney, “Is diversity important? What we can learn from plant breeding.”
• Dr Emma Camp (@emmafcamp), University of Technology Sydney, “Can Super Corals really be Super Heroes for the Great Barrier Reef?”

2-3pm session:

• Associate Professor Anne Tiedemann (@AnneTiedemann1), The University of Sydney, “Physical activity: the elixir of health and wellbeing.”
• Dr Yee Lian Chew (@WormyChew), University of Wollongong, “What can worms teach us about the brain?”
• Associate Professor Arti Agarwal, University of Technology Sydney, “Optics in life: internet and other things…”
• Dr Lisa A. Williams (@williamslisaphd), University of New South Wales, “Is the pursuit of happiness shortsighted?”

Event details

This one-day event on 10 August will take place at Circular Quay from 12-3 pm in front of the MCA (harbourside) as part of the Sydney Science Festival during the National Science Week 2019.

Photo by Dr Astha Singh. Find out more about Soapbox Science 2019 Sydney, Sydney Science Festival and National Science Week.