World Science Festival 2021 – Girls, Science, Open Day & Regional Dates

 

Girls love science too

When I was a girl I loved anything to do with science. I preserved various sea creatures  found amongst the rocks at the beach in sealed glass jars full of formalin, namely hermit crabs and blue-ringed octopus. With my big brother, we captured tadpoles from the local creek and watched them turn into frogs. In the bush I collected shiny rocks from old slag heaps that looked like gold (pyrite or iron sulphide) in the hope, I would make millions hence the name fools gold. 

I cleaned hundreds of chickens we grew for selling or eating, to the point I was super-efficient at removing their feathers and could identify every part of their intestines as well as the bits suitable for making chicken soup.

 I kept plants and flowers squashed in between book pages, read stories about dinosaurs and lost worlds, dreamed about discovering hidden tombs in unknown lands, and stared into space wondering if I could fly to the moon or if people existed on Mars. Little did I know back then that girls could make a career out of all this.  All was not lost though, finally in my adult years I managed to dissect a human brain as part of my degree and conduct numerous experiements in psychophisiology.

So for someone like me who loves science that wasn’t for girls back then, it has been almost impossible for me to know where to begin when asked if I would like to attend the World Science Festival 2021 in Brisbane. 

And for the girls, you are missing out on an amazing adventure if you overlook the incredible opportunities available in the world of science. It is a smorgasbord of awesome fun and discovery where education never stops. Topics like sustainability, recycling, global warming, stem cells, transplants, landing on the moon were never formally considered when I was a young girl. I wonder what direction my career would have taken. Can you imagine how, Polish-born Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist in the early 1900s would be today, she would be speechless.  

Opening of the World Science Festival 2021 

I began by accepting an invitation to the opening day held at the Queensland Museum this week. Opening addresses by The Honourable Leeanne Enoch MP, Minister for Communities and Housing, Minister for Digital Economy, and Minister for the Arts. Chief Executive Officer, Queensland Museum Network Dr. Jim Thompson and Cathy James, Executive Producer World Science Festival Brisbane were full of positivity and excitement.

Dr. Johnson in his opening remarks said science has never been more important and the festival has grown since it began in 2016. Hon Leeanne Enoch MP said it is bigger and better than ever and they are spot on. 

Today science is so much more than preserving things in glass jars, it’s for everyone and about everything, the festival organisers have made an enormous effort to reveal a broad spectrum to the public. 

The Hatchery – hatchlings (baby turtles) 

Before opening, I couldn’t help but have a quick peek at the popular area called The Hatchery. I had heard so much about it and what an opportunity! 

It was such a delight to see a rare glimpse of turtles hatching in their incubation chambers to see these beautiful tiny babies paddle around their specially designed tanks.

 I wanted to take them home with me but when you see how large they become, you soon realise they need to be in their natural environment for more reasons than one. 

Sadly, one of the displays was a collection of a conglomerate of discarded plastic items, ingested from the sea by innocent turtles thinking it is food. It was enough to make one feel guilty about our selfish human habits. 

I noticed the small groups of school children that ranged from kindergarten to secondary school age were in awe of the display and were truly enjoying themselves. I felt like a big kid it was a week full of fun and education.

Although Brisbane completed its final events on Sunday there are still opportunities to attend in other Queensland regions.  http://www.worldsciencefestival.com.au 

REGIONAL OPPORTUNITY program for the  World Science Festival Queensland2021:

Townsville 7 –8 May 18 September –4 October (School holiday program) 

Chinchilla 6 and 7 June

Gladstone 29 and 30 August 10 and 11 October 26 June–11 July (School holiday program)

Toowoomba 10 and 11 October 26 June–11 July (School holiday program)

Ipswich7 and 8 November 18 September-4 October (School holiday program)

https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/  #thisisqueensland  #qldmuseum