By ANGELICA SNOWDEN,
education editor
Remember the white dress/blue dress internet phenomenon of 2015?
Some people swore they saw a blue dress, and others a white one. Same picture. Not a hoax.
As part of National Science week, Monash University’s Brian Oakley will explain why we are so susceptible to visual illusions in Is Your Brain Lying To You?, a free talk today (Thursday) at Glen Waverley Library.
National Science Week will feature a range of talks, exhibitions and workshops that cater to non-scientists and scientists alike this week to celebrate Game Changers and Change Makers in science.
The week's Victorian coordinator, Renee Beale, said there were a number of events that would be of interest to students and it was a chance for people who might not normally be interested in science to engage in the field.
“It’s very much a festival that is open for everyone to participate,” Dr Beale said.
NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK EVENTS – TODAY AND TOMORROWIs your brain lying to you?Brian Oakley from Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute will discuss how our brains learn about the world around us through our senses and how they sometimes cannot be trusted.7pm today, August 16Glen Waverley Library, 112 Kingsway, Glen WaverleyRevealing the invisible universeEnjoy delicious craft beers? Ever wondered about the universe and space? Join Professor Alan Duffy and Dr Rebecca Allen at Mt Goat Brewery to explore the microscopic universe through ground-breaking virtual reality technology.6.30 pm today, August 16Mountain Goat Brewery, North St, Richmond Waste Away: The Future of GarbageFan of the ABC’s The War on Waste? Come along to this session and consider how our waste could be considered a resource.12 noon today, August 16Melbourne Museum, Nicholson St, Carlton Why You're Not Dead YetDid you miss out on this year’s international comedy festival? Have no fear! Come along to this infotainment/storytelling/comedy mash about the subconscious functions of the brain stem performed by neuroscientist David Farmer and comedian Jackson Voorhaar, a Melbourne International Comedy Festival and two-time Edinburgh Fringe veteran.7pm tomorrow, August 17Loop Project Space & Bar, Meyers Place, Melbourne
A citizen science project is run every year for National Science Week to encourage more lay people to get involved.
“I think there is a growing appetite for people wanting to become involved in science… in real life, it’s difficult because you can’t have lots of people come through a lab,” Dr Beale said.
This year’s citizen science project, Virtual Reef Diver, asks people to go online to categorise different types of coral in images taken of the Great Barrier Reef.
“Human eyes are much better at recognising what’s in an image than computers are,” Dr Beale said.
Future National Science Week celebrations will feature more Indigenous Australian perspectives.
“That's one area that we have identified that we need to work on over the next couple of years,” Dr Beale said.
“We have started some work through a broader Inspiring Australia program around Indigenous astronomy.”
“[We are] really looking at that old knowledge of how to take care of the environment […] and how to actually grow things in the environment in which you are living more effectively,” she said.
As part of that, the event 65,000+ years of science – which explores indigenous astronomy – will be held by the Monash Public Library service on August 29 at 7pm. It will be led by Monash University astrophysics student and Kamilaroi woman Krystal De Napoli.
For more details and further events in Victoria, visit the National Science Week website. National Science week runs until August 19.