Decoding the universe: exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden languages
This year’s theme invited us to delve into the mysteries of the universe by exploring the fundamental languages of nature, mathematics and quantum science that underpin both the natural world and many of the modern technologies we use every day.
The desire to ‘decode’ or explain the world around us seems almost universal and begins with the question ‘why?’. This question and the joy of discovery drives the world of science and education. First Nations cultures have been decoding the world for millennia as evidenced in their cultural knowledge of seasonal calendars and astronomy, which are just some examples of ‘decoding’ through the investigation of patterns.
As a team of enthusiastic science teachers we are constantly looking for ways to share our passion with others and to open the eyes of our students to the wonder of the world in which they live. Additionally, providing insights into, and building greater awareness of, the applications of science beyond the classroom allows us to demonstrate the value of scientific knowledge.
This year the science staff celebrated Science Week by wearing science themed t-shirts and holding sessions at lunchtime in the Lumination Labs. Students engaged in virtual experiences including explorations of the solar system, space walks from the International Space Station, observations of volcanic eruptions, the vast array of marine life underwater, frog dissections, and journeys inside a cell.
The highlight of the week was once again the Santa Science Showcase evening featuring a diverse range of topics from our wonderful presenters. These included Year 5 Gioia House student Mia Bogovic who shared her experience as an entrant in the Young Scientist Competition; Beatriz Estrada, a Geological Engineer who spoke about the science of earthquakes and geologically-sensitive design; Anthony Cheong, a Genetic Pathologist, who explained how mysteries of trait inheritance can be unravelled; Paddy Hore, a Technical Sales Manager at ANSTO, who discussed isotopes and innovations in nuclear technology, and Rebecca Agius, an ex-student and Archaeologist who revealed the science that drives her work to uncover the past.
Our Santa Science Showcase presenters
On behalf of the Science Department I would like to thank all of our presenters who willingly gave up their time to share their knowledge with us and all of the students who visited the Lumination Labs to embrace the natural world from a different perspective.
