National Science Week in NSW is busy with school excursions, daytime lab tours and family fun days over the weekends. However, as the sun goes down, the adults come out to play.
This August, the “Science After Hours” lineup is proving that some of the best breakthrough thinking, universe-painting, and some gut-busting comedy happens well after the traditional 9-to-5. Whether you want to put on your favorite loungewear for trivia, sit in the dark exploring cosmic architecture, or uncover the unexpected science behind Hollywood’s wildest blockbusters, NSW has an after-dark event calling your name.
Grab your calendar, book your tickets, and check out our ultimate curated guide to Science After Hours across the state.
Brains, Bars, and Bedtime Attire
If you prefer your science served alongside a healthy dose of casual fun, these relaxed social nights are perfect.
National Science Week Pub Trivia
Do you love winning prizes and showing off your general knowledge? Are you partial to a chicken schnitty? Well, these weekly trivia might just be thing for you! Find out why Time for Trivia is Sydney’s top-rated trivia company. Join in for 90 minutes of fun with a special science round celebrating National Science Week.
What: Ever wondered what’s happening chemically inside the brain of a social butterfly versus a textbook introvert? This casual evening dissects the biological underpinnings of personality over a glass of something nice.
What: No need to get dressed up or even leave the house. Pour a drink, slide into your comfiest PJs, and log on for a fast-paced, brain-melting trivia night that pits your science trivia knowledge against the rest of the state.
Science meets culture and compelling human stories in these powerful mid-month events.
Daniel Joinbee: Indigenous Aerospace Trailblazer
When: Thursday 13 August | 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm
Where: UNSW Health Translation Hub
What: Hear the incredible story of Daniel Joinbee, a true pioneer bridging the gap between ancient Indigenous knowledge systems and modern aerospace technology.
What: In autumn across the Hunter region, colourful and strange mushrooms pop up, each lasting for a few hours or a few days. Some of them even glow in the dark! The hidden physics behind the glow and the spreading of mushroom spores will be explored in this talk.
Where: Chau Chack Wing Museum, University of Sydney
What: A special evening of conversation, talks and art featuring fantastic scientists, researchers and artists exploring Antarctica! Created aboard the final Homeward Bound voyage to Antarctica in 2025. Postcards from Antarctica is a collaborative artwork developed by 124 women and non-binary people working across science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
Survivors – The Secret Safe Havens of Australia’s Megafires
When: Wednesday 19 August | 6.15 – 7.30pm
Where: Penrith City Library
What: What happens when an entire landscape burns and yet some places survive? Presented by Science at the Local with Eli Bendall from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University. This fascinating Science Week journey takes you into the hidden refuges that help bushland and wildlife persist through some of Australia’s most extreme bushfires.
What: UNSW and SIMS researchers whose work is built on partnerships to share what is possible when we work together. Expect a fast hour: five speed talks from UNSW and SIMS researchers, a brief moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A.
What: Have you ever wondered how we got here? How our Universe formed? And how life on Earth began? Join University of Sydney researchers, astrophysicist Professor Geraint Lewis and chemist Dr Haihui Joy Jiang, as they tackle some of humanity’s biggest questions. The inaugural event of University of Sydney’s new public event series, The Impact Factor! hosted by academic and science communicator Professor Alice Motion.
What: A spectacular touring lecture series that turns physics, light, and the cosmic fabric into a visual masterpiece. Essential viewing if you want to see the universe through a highly creative lens.
If you can’t make the lectures in person, you can also watch them online.
Monday 17 August at 6.00 – 7.00pm AEST – Book here
Friday 21 August at 6.30 – 7.45pm AEST – Book here
Alan Turing’s legacy of Computers, AI and Some Very Queer Mathematics
When: Friday 21 August | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Where: Social Sciences Lecture Theatre University of Sydney NSW
What: Professor Benjamin Burton will explore Turing’s life, some of his most important and surprising results, and discuss how they continue to influence mathematics and computing today.
Wrap up your National Science Week experience with a dose of humour and cinematic skepticism.
Science Stuff Ups Comedy Show
When: Wednesday 19 August | 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Where: Kirrawee Library
What: Science’s Greatest Stuff-Ups (That Helped Save the World) is a delightfully ironic journey into the curious (and often stupid) side of human ingenuity.
What: Can a human actually survive a cinematic building drop? How biologically accurate are movie monsters? Real anatomists take a hilarious, slightly horrified look at Hollywood’s worst medical and anatomical sins.
What: Proof that scientists don’t take themselves too seriously. Local comedians and funny researchers take to the stage to prove that the natural world is full of pure, unadulterated comedy.
Pro-Tip: Most after-hours events sell out fast due to limited venue capacities (especially those offering bar access or intimate museum tours). Head to the official National Science Week event portal to secure your spots!
National Science Week in NSW is busy with school excursions, daytime lab tours and family fun days over the weekends. However, as the sun goes down, the adults come out to play.
This August, the “Science After Hours” lineup is proving that some of the best breakthrough thinking, universe-painting, and some gut-busting comedy happens well after the traditional 9-to-5. Whether you want to put on your favorite loungewear for trivia, sit in the dark exploring cosmic architecture, or uncover the unexpected science behind Hollywood’s wildest blockbusters, NSW has an after-dark event calling your name.
Grab your calendar, book your tickets, and check out our ultimate curated guide to Science After Hours across the state.
Brains, Bars, and Bedtime Attire
If you prefer your science served alongside a healthy dose of casual fun, these relaxed social nights are perfect.
National Science Week Pub Trivia
Do you love winning prizes and showing off your general knowledge? Are you partial to a chicken schnitty? Well, these weekly trivia might just be thing for you! Find out why Time for Trivia is Sydney’s top-rated trivia company. Join in for 90 minutes of fun with a special science round celebrating National Science Week.
Convos with Chordates: Extroverts vs Introverts
Pub Trivia in your Pyjamas
The Science Social
Big Visuals & Deep Conversations
Science meets culture and compelling human stories in these powerful mid-month events.
Daniel Joinbee: Indigenous Aerospace Trailblazer
Fabulous Fungi and Hidden Physics
Postcards from Antarctica
Survivors – The Secret Safe Havens of Australia’s Megafires
Where Marine Science Grows
Matter of Origin
The Marie Curie Lectures: Painting the Universe
If you can’t make the lectures in person, you can also watch them online.
Alan Turing’s legacy of Computers, AI and Some Very Queer Mathematics
Pop Culture & Laughs
Wrap up your National Science Week experience with a dose of humour and cinematic skepticism.
Science Stuff Ups Comedy Show
Anatomy According to Hollywood
Science Comedy Show
Pro-Tip: Most after-hours events sell out fast due to limited venue capacities (especially those offering bar access or intimate museum tours). Head to the official National Science Week event portal to secure your spots!
Share this: