Excellence in online content for National Science Week

child with a tablet sitting on grass

If you can’t get to live events for National Science Week, you can still access some excellent talks, workshops and virtual activities online. For teachers and parents there is a wealth of online resources and activities for students available as well. We have some highlights below, or you can browse all online events here, and competitions here.

SciFest 2022 is an innovative virtual excursions festival promoting science and technology. It includes free presentations from leading educational providers for teachers, or parents, as well as afternoon sessions for kids of all ages and their families. Topics include amazing animal adaptations, Australian dinosaurs, science of sea, kitchen chemistry, and careers in STEM, along with trivia and quiz sessions.

From Swamp to Scrub is a fantastic virtual journey into two of Sydney’s most iconic parks – Centennial Parklands and Western Sydney Parklands. It is an interactive, science-packed journey from the wetlands of Centennial Parklands to the woodlands and scrub of Sydney’s biggest backyard, Western Sydney Parklands, with nine science activities, including adventures to complete on screen and away from the computer.

Before Covid-19 most people had never heard of RNA. But RNA technology could also play an important role in how we treat other conditions such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and schizophrenia. UNSW Sydney brings together a panel of experts for their online Sci-Fi Series: Is RNA the answer to cancer?

In Addicted to Dopamine UNSW’s Centre for Ideas hosts psychiatrist Dr Anna Lembke, US author of Dopamine Nation. She will discuss the neuroscience of addiction with the ABC’s Sana Qadar, and share what the latest scientific discoveries can teach us about the relationship between pleasure and pain.

The College of Engineering, Science and Environment at the University of Newcastle hosts some free webinars on a range of glass related topics: Glass in Food Science; What’s in your Glass? Why your drink choices matter in nutrition science; Good Glass: The science of photography and visual perception; as well as a virtual laboratory tour of its Centre for Organic Electronics.

National Science Week includes some great online workshops and discussions from other state and territories that share Indigenous knowledge. You can watch Kakadu National Park and DEMED Rangers from presenting on how and why they harvest crocodile eggs and monitor turtles. Indigenous Rangers in Esperance, WA also present their scientific, research, and culturally sensitive conservation activities.

Indigenous Practices Meet Sustainable Fishing is produced by the Marine Stewardship Council. It explores the science behind what makes the Lakes and Coorong fishery in South Australia sustainable to a world-leading standard, and how indigenous fishing practices continue today and are being safeguarded for the future.

Adam Shipp is a proud Wiradjuri man, passionate about traditional plant use. He showcases this passion in an online workshop Introduction to Aboriginal Plant Use, sharing this knowledge about how Aboriginal people have been using plants for foods, fibres, and medicines for thousands of years.

Women in Nuclear Australia (WiN) provide networking and advocacy. For National Science week they have asked their members for a video on their favourite nuclear or radiological scientific application. You can watch their videos on the WiN social channels. And if you want to know what it is like to work in the Australian nuclear science community, five fabulous WiN members will also showcase what a day in the life of a member of the nuclear science community is like through a Twitter take over.

Do you want to contribute to biodiversity citizen science projects?

Australia’s national biodiversity database, the Atlas of Living Australia aggregates biodiversity data and stores them in a way that is open and accessible. But what does this actually mean, and what can you use the ALA for? Find out in this interactive online workshop Atlas of Living Australia How-to session: Beginner’s guide to using the ALA.

The Great Aussie BioQuest is a citizen science competition where participants use their mobile phones to upload photos of insects, birds, spiders, reptiles, fungi – basically any wild plant or animal they can find — as they compete to help map their local biodiversity for scientific research and conservation.

And lastly, for a bit of fun; 16 scientists and artists from across the country are currently creating super cool science shirt designs for National Science Week. Hosted by Nate Byrne, ABC Breakfast Weather presenter, the scientist and artist pairs will have 60 seconds to pitch their shirt design to a panel of esteemed judges, and the voters at home. Find out more at Shirty Science presents Australia’s Favourite Science Shirt.