Dinosaurs, Space And Coding: The Gizmodo Guide To What’s On In August

Dinosaurs, Space And Coding: The Gizmodo Guide To What’s On In August

Wondering what’s happening in your city? Look no further – here’s our guide to everything geeky happening around town.

This is by no means comprehensive. We hope to build on it every month, giving you more and more options. If you spot an event that you believe belongs here, shoot me an email rae@gizmodo.com.au

Sydney

Science in the Swamp

  • What: Family focused, this is the largest single science week event in NSW. Key features include Earth’s roaming dinosaurs, superhero acrobats and 2 metre tall robots.
  • Where: Centennial Park, Sydney
  • When: August 18, 11am-3pm
  • More details: Centential Parklands

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Gondwana Garden Family Day

  • What: A family focused event exploring the prehistoric world of Gondwana, with science stalls and displays throughout the Garden.
  • Where: Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah
  • When: August 18, 9:30am
  • More Details: Blue Mountains Botanic Garden

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Eat Your Heart Out Liverpool

  • What: Taking over Liverpool’s Station Street, Eat Your Heart Out returns for a second year of mouth-watering food trucks, music and arts. Catch food truck fare including Dirty Bird’s Japanese fried chicken delights and Berlin Bangers’ array of wondrous wursts, or check out a pop-up shipping container restaurant and bar from Liverpool’s Macquarie Bistro, showcasing its menu by celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge.
  • Where: Railway Street, Liverpool NSW 2170
  • When: Saturday 25 August, 2 – 9pm
  • More details: Liverpool

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MCA’s GENEXT GOES WEST

  • What: MCA’s GENEXT GOES WEST will transform Casula Powerhouse into a bustling festival-style event of art, live music and performance. The MCA Youth Committee and CPAC Youth have programmed an event exclusively for young people aged 12-18 years featuring live experimental pop queens Kota Banks and Princi, eclectic producer CLYPSO and electro-soul starlet Clarissa Mei, as well as engaging workshops from local artists including Leila El Rayes.
  • When: Saturday 25 August, 5 – 8pm
  • Where: Casula Powerhouse, 1 Powerhouse Road, Casula NSW 2170 (don’t forget, Casula has its own train station!)
  • More Details: MCA

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    Melbourne

    Science on Show

    • What: For one day only, rare and fascinating specimens and objects from Museums Victoria’s Palaeontology collection will be brought out from the vast collection storerooms, giving visitors an exclusive opportunity to view these intriguing items up close. Running all day at Melbourne Museum, Museums Victoria scientists, volunteers and associates will share the stories behind each of the fossils and specimens on display. Visitors can watch fossil preparators excavate fragile bones and teeth from rock, and learn how conservators preserve fossils so that they remain part of the collection for millennia to come.
    • Where: Melbourne Museum
    • When:August 19, 10am-4:30pm
    • Cost: Free with Museum entry

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    Fossil Identification in Curious?

    • What: The expert staff in Melbourne Museum’s Curious? are encouraging members of the public to bring their fossils in for identification all throughout National Science Week. These skilled scientists will be able to ascertain whether it’s important evidence of prehistoric life in Victoria or simply just…a rock. Who knows, by the end of the week it might led to a new discovery about life on Earth thousands of years ago.
    • Where: Melbourne Museum
    • When: August 15-19, 10am-4:30pm
    • Cost: Free

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    Hello Museum Disco

    • What: Dance beneath the dinosaurs with No Lights No Lycra as Melbourne Museum hosts a special dinosaur disco for families. Young ones can dress-up, get their dancing shoes on and dance in the museum at night. More info and tickets
    • Where: Melbourne Museum
    • When: August 17, 6-8pm
    • Cost: Members $16, Non-Members $18. Book here.

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    The Giants of Palaeontology

    • What: In this special talk for National Science Week, Dr Erich Fitzgerald and Dr Tom Rich, Senior Curators of Vertebrate Palaeontology at Museums Victoria each talk about significant palaeontological discoveries from Victoria including the extraordinary evolution of whales and Victoria’s polar dinosaurs.
    • Where: Melbourne Museum
    • When: August 19, 2-3pm
    • Cost: Free

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    Jurassic Park 3D + Palaeontology Talk

    • What: This special screening of the original Jurassic Park 3D at IMAX Melbourne includes an introduction to the film from Museums Victoria palaeontologist Dr Erich Fitzgerald and Swinburne University of Technology palaeontologist Dr Stephen Poropat. Dr Erich and Dr Stephen will provide fascinating insight into how our understanding of dinosaurs has changed dramatically from 1993 when Jurassic Park was originally released.
    • Where: IMAX Melbourne
    • When: August 18, 6:30pm
    • Cost: Premium $32, General $20. Book here.

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    Planetarium shows

    • What: The Melbourne Planetarium presents a simulated display of the night sky that allows people to enjoy the wonder of the stars regardless of the time of day—or the weather! Each session involves a half hour feature that explores an astronomical topic from stars to black holes and is followed by a live presentation of what you can see in the night sky in the southern hemisphere and the major planets and constellations that can be seen. More info here
    • Where: Melbourne Planetarium
    • When: August 11-19
    • Cost: Adult $23, Concession $8, Child $8, Members $6 (prices include museum entry). Book here.

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    Lightning Room shows

    • What: The Lightning Room offers 30 minute live shows that are entertaining and electrifying! A highlight of each show is the giant Tesla Coil, capable or generating more than two million volts of electricity to produce three metre lightning bolts. Other displays include an electromagnetic can crusher, a Jacob’s ladder, lightning safety strategies and a high voltage pickle cucumber that can really light up your day!
    • Where: Scienceworks
    • When: August 11-19
    • Cost Adult $23, Concession $8, Child $8, Members $6 (prices include museum entry). Book here.

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    Beginners Robotics for Adults

    • What: Visitors can come and find out what the fuss (and, arguably, the future) of robots is at this robotics and coding workshop. This 90-minute robotics workshop is for adults and is aimed at absolute beginners with no prior coding experience. Using supplied robots, iPads and teamwork visitors will learn how robots move and sense their environment, and how to program their way out of challenges.
    • Where: Scienceworks
    • When: Sunday 19 August, 10:30am – 12noon
    • Cost: Adult $30, Concession $25, Member adult $20. Book here.

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    Brisbane

    QUT: The Cube

    • What: A 48 Touch panel interactive display featuring several exhibits: Dino Zoo where you can interact with Australian and Internationally famous dinosaurs, Code-A-Bot where you can program a robot virtually to sort through recycling and the Virtual Reef which showcases the beauty and ecology of the Great Barrier Reef.
    • Where: P block, QUT Gardens Point campus (2 George St, Brisbane).
    • When: 10am – 4pm every day.
    • Cost: free.

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    Perth

    MathsAlive!

    • What: In this exhibition that spans 465 m2, you’ll ride a snowboard in a 3D experience, capture your 360-degree image in a unique interactive environment, jump into a fractal dance party, even design a custom skateboard for “pop”: the quick, snapping motion that allows a board to do the best tricks. Through dozens of unique, interactive experiences, the exhibit takes math from its native form into the applied worlds of design, engineering, technology and science.

      You will explore and operate simulations of NASA’s latest robotics, including Curiosity Rover. Around a large-scale supertall design interactive, learn how engineers work to make a city hum while taking on different engineering roles to design a more sustainable infrastructure.

    • Where: Gravity Discover Centre, 1098 Military Road, Gingin WA
    • When: Tues, Wed, Thurs – 10am to 4pm, Friday and Saturday – 10.00 am to 8.00 pm, Sunday – 10.00 am to 4.00 pm
    • More details: Gravity Discovery Centre

    Got a cool geeky event coming up? Email me rae@gizmodo.com.au and I’ll pop in in the guide.