From the 20th to the 26th of May, Victorian brains will have some serious neurons firing thanks to Melbourne Knowledge Week.
Want to learn a thing or two? City of Melbourne is making sure you’ve got plenty of opportunity to expand your horizons this May.
Whether it’s in terms of innovation, development or simply existing as Australia’s most liveable city, Melbourne is often ahead of the curve.
It’s a hub of progress so it stands to reason that the city brings together all the development for Knowledge Week, packed with talks, activities and learning experiences for Melburnians (and visitors, of course) of all ages.
This year’s offering is bigger and better than before, with a strong focus on events and activities tackling the future of Melbourne.
There are also some top quality ambassadors for the fiesta of knowledge this year. From Dr. Collette Burke (Victoria’s first Chief Engineer) to Akec Makur Chuot (former AFLW player and Richmond FC VFLW player) to 14-year-old Tamara Baker (a student working on an app for vision-impaired people who can’t identify approaching vehicles when crossing roads), it’s a seriously stacked lineup.
But the main attractions are all the talks and installations, designed to fuel your brain cells and provoke some serious thinking. Here are a few of our picks to showcase the variety of what’s in store:
If you’re into artificial intelligence and the development of mixed reality, this is going to be right up your alley. The University of Melbourne’s Computing and Information Systems team is running a series of talks discussing how your smart devices read your body language and how future systems will change how we interact with technology.
Terrain: Take a walk inside a song
Audio technology has a big focus this year, and this installation is definitely one to watch out for. By popping on a pair of headphones and connecting to the Terrain app, you can navigate the MKW Hub (Meat Market, North Melbourne) in tune with a song designed to insert you into the audio landscape of the area.
So, what if AFL can cure democracy?
It’s a big claim, sure. But when in Victoria, you’re hard pressed not to find someone chatting about the footy – so it might as well make the most of it. Join Akec Makur Chuot and journalist George Megalogenis to discuss whether democracy should take a leaf out of AFL’s rulebook.’
Every year the Melbourne landscape seems to light up with brand new technologies designed to make our lives easier, and with a casual jaunt down Prototype Street you’ll get a glimpse of what it might be like in the future. From drones and driverless transport through to experimenting with lighting designs, you’ll almost feel Cyberpunk-esque.
Melbourne: The world’s most death-able city
This one’s for all the folks out there who (much like myself) are fascinated by all things death and are thoroughly death positive. This experience discusses the meaning of a ‘good death’, and in conjunction with digital design firm Portable, aims to help you design the ideal space to pass on (and improve Melbourne’s deathability score).
Victorian AI and Robotics Showcase
If you’re into all things robotic (and like us, have an unearthly fascination with the Boston Dynamics robot dog – we praise and fear it in equal measure), you’re going to want to have a look at the tech on show here. There’s AI in the form of customer chat bots and biometric mirrors that understand kindness (be nice to them), so there’s something for everyone.
These are just a few of the highly topical activities, talks and tours that will be bustling around the city during Melbourne Knowledge Week – with more available on the program HERE.