Speaking, natural-sounding machines which can interact with humans using normal conversational patterns are still in the realm of science fiction – or are they?
Speaking, natural-sounding machines which can interact with humans using normal conversational patterns are still in the realm of science fiction – or are they?
Dr. Lisa Harvey-Smith is an astronomer at CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science. Her research into the birth and death of stars in our Galaxy and the nature of cosmic magnetic fields is published in leading international journals.
Climate change has spawned its very own science-fiction sub-genre - cli-fi - which explores techno-fixes as much as doomsday scenarios. Some of the imagined solutions are seriously off the planet, but not all techno-fixes are purely fictional.
It sounds like something out of CSI but these days the common blowfly is helping investigators to fight crime, in more ways the one. Everything from helping to establish time since death to providing human DNA at the crime scene, the common blowfly is providing the missing clues to modern crimes.
The ability to control physical objects with the power of thought – telekinesis – has been the stuff of fantasy, until now.
Tan Le's astonishing new computer interface reads its user's brainwaves, making it possible to control virtual objects, and even physical electronics, with mere thoughts (and a little concentration).
Join us to see a demonstration of this remarkable technology, and hear about the science that has made it possible.
In the world of science fiction, nanotechnology is often shown as swarms of micro-machines that act without the need for human supervision. Much like their biological counterparts, these imagined devices even sometimes possess their own intelligence.
The Australian Academy of Science is proud to co-host with the Department of the Environment and the Office of the Chief Scientist, a presentation from Australia's Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb AC FTSE and the Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Dr Gordon de Brouwer, on the role that science plays in the formulation, implementation and review of Australia's environmental policy.
Program Recommendations Group A Group B Group C Group D
International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies
Today, lasers are everywhere: in factories and hospitals, at home, up in space and in the ground powering the internet.
This is an exciting show with fun demonstrations about the invention of the laser. Explore how lasers work and how they improve our lives.
A show for curious people: students, teachers, parents and grandparents.
© 2025 Australian Academy of Science