Sharing Stories of Science

  • by National Office
  • 16 August, 2020
Sharing Stories of Science

Who do you see when you look at these images?

The Science Activity Characters show people engaging with a range of science-related activities. Last year, the Australian Academy of Science worked with the Science Week team to share real stories of Australian science to bring these characters to life. For National Science Week 2020, there are three new stories ready to explore.

There’s never a dull moment when you work as a marine biologist. You might come face-to-face with an octopus, a seal, a dolphin—or maybe a predatory sea star that can destroy our coral reefs. Professor Maria Byrne followed a lifelong passion for exploring the underwater world and applies her in-depth knowledge of sea stars to find better ways to manage crown-of-thorns starfish.

What questions do you ask whenever you gaze up at the stars in the night sky? There aren’t too many questions more fundamental to our existence than ‘how did the Universe begin?’. Professor Rachel Webster explores how astrophysicists can get precious glimpses of some of the first moments of our Universe by peering around galaxies, inside black holes and back through time itself.

How do birds see the world—and how do we know? Understanding what a bird’s eye view really looks like helps us understand why different animals perceive the world in different ways. Professor John Endler specialises in understanding the visual systems of birds, and how some of them can even create visual illusions.

You can also explore the ethics of artificial intelligence, how bees help us design better drones, and how virtual reality helps environmental conservation.

How will you science this National Science Week? Share your own stories on social media with the #ScienceWeek, #SolveItWithSTEM and/or #STEMsavinglives and tell us how you use STEM to solve problems or who in STEM inspires you. Make sure to tag National Science Week (@Aus_ScienceWeek) and the Academy (@Science_Academy) so we can hear from you!

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