Cutting edge science visits remote Queensland for Science Week
Rural and remote students will come face-to-face with Australian researchers at the forefront of scientific exploration when the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip arrives in Queensland for National Science Week 2023.
The Queensland leg of the road trip will kick off with a free public lecture titled ‘Enlightening the search for dark matter’ on Monday, 21 August at 6.30-8pm at The University of Queensland in Brisbane.
A team of scientists from across Australia will then visit Redlynch, Atherton, Dimbulah, Winton, Emerald, Gordonvale, Coorparoo, Townsville, Tully, Hughenden and Cairns between 21 and 26 August.
The National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip aims to introduce students and communities in regional and rural Australia to quantum and dark matter science, and to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers in Australia.
It will visit 24 cities and towns across the country between 7 and 26 August, where it will deliver school visits and public events including lectures and pub trivia.
Queensland events will include a session with the Brisbane School of Distance Education and independent Indigenous school, Djarragun College in Gordonvale, south of Cairns.
The road trip is organised by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (CDM) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS), which have bases in many of Australia’s capital cities.
Road trip organiser and physicist Dr Ben McAllister, from CDM and EQUS, said the event aimed to provide rural and regional students with access to cutting edge science.
“The National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip brings the excitement of science to students who live outside capital cities,” Dr McAllister said.
“During our sessions we will introduce secondary school students to the mystery of dark matter and the impact of quantum technologies.
“We hope that by visiting these schools in northern Queensland we can show students the diversity, creativity and exciting potential of a career in science.”
The road trip is funded by a Federal Government National Science Week grant, with contributions from the CDM and EQUS.
BACKGROUND NOTES
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics was established in 2020 to bring together physicists from across Australia, in partnership with key international researchers and institutions, to pursue the discovery of Dark Matter.
Dark matter it is a mysterious substance that holds galaxies together and constitutes 80 per cent of the matter of the Universe. Its existence is inferred from its gravitational interaction and the exploration of the nature of dark matter is considered science’s next frontier.
The Centre’s researchers aim to make discoveries that could change our understanding of the universe.
Some of its research will be carried out in a laboratory located 1km underground in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory in Stawell Gold Mine. It is the first laboratory of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
The underground location of the mine aims to reduce interference from cosmic rays, the high-energy particles that constantly rain down on Earth.
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) aims to engineer the quantum future by building quantum machines that harness the quantum world for practical applications.
Quantum technology is here. It’s used in smart phones and cars, medical imaging, manufacturing and engineering, navigation and much more. But today’s technology captures only a small fraction of the potential of quantum physics. New developments in research and engineeringmean a new generation of technologies.
EQUS is solving the most challenging research problems at the interface of basic quantum physics and engineering, working with partners in industry to translate our discoveries into practical applications and devices, and training a new generation of scientists in cutting-edge research, innovation and entrepreneurialism.
EQUS engages the community in quantum and its potential for our future through public events, competitions and outreach activities. By engaging with schools and communities, we hope to inspire future quantum scientists and engineers.
Contact Fleur Morrison on 0421 118 233 or email fleur.morrison@unimelb.edu.au to arrange an interview or photo opportunity.