Aug
13
to 23 Aug

National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip

Now in its fifth year, the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip aims to ignite an interest in STEM, inspire a future generation of scientists and engineers, and highlight the potential of quantum technologies and dark matter discovery for the benefit of our society. 

This year the event is organised by the Australian Research Council Centres of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (CDM) and Quantum Biotechnology (QUBIC) and supported by the Australian Institute of Physics.

Dark Matter and QUBIC scientists Eleanor Trimby, Zuzana Leova, Michael Jones, Galya Haim, Amelie Read, Amrita Banerjee, Maaz Hayat and Robert James will travel across Tasmania from 14-22 August visiting schools, delivering interactive demonstrations, talks and quizzes to engage students and communities with quantum and dark matter science.

In addition to the Tassie events there are plenty of public talks, pub quizzes and events happening in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane throughout the Road Trip, so register now:

We look forward to sharing the cutting-edge science behind two of the most fascinating frontiers in physics!

Stay up to date via the Road Trip website: National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip
Come along to an event near you: National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip
Follow along on Instagram: @qdmroadtrip

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Aug
22
7:00 pm19:00

Pub trivia: Melbourne

Join the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip in Melbourne for an evening of pub trivia, with a twist of science!

Will you be the champions of the Clyde Hotel Pub Trivia? Gather your friends and family, get a team together, and come along to the Hotel Central Riverton for a bit of trivia, with a twist of science.

Date: Friday 22nd August 2025
Time: 7–9 pm
Venue: The Clyde Hotel, 385 Cardigan St, Carlton

Don’t stress, our pub trivia won’t bring back nightmares of science exams past!  Expect regular pub trivia, but with a science-y vibe, including topics like sport, movies, music, geography, pop culture and general knowledge, and a bonus ‘tomorrow’s science headlines’ activity.

  • FREE entry, with optional donation to DeadlyScience

  • Max. team size: 6 people (if you have more people, why not split into two teams and battle it out!)

  • Win prizes, but more importantly the sweet, sweet feeling of victory!

Many thanks to the Clyde Hotel for hosting us!

To find out more about the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip, visit https://www.qdmroadtrip.org.

Register your team

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Aug
13
6:30 pm18:30

Public talk: Perth

Join the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip in Melbourne for a public talk from William Campbell

Date: Wednesday, 13th August 2025
Time: 6.30–8.00 pm
Venue: The University of Western Australia, Perth

Yes, We're Still Looking! - Find Out How Exactly We Plan to Search for Dark Matter Using Quantum Physics

From dark matter to gravitational waves, some of the most fascinating mysteries in physics lie far beyond the reach of conventional tools. But recent advances in quantum technology, especially in quantum sensing, are opening new windows into these hidden realms.

In this talk, I’ll explore how we use quantum technologies to detect subtle, elusive signals from the universe, and why we’re looking in the first place. Together, we’ll walk through the working principles of advanced devices that harness quantum effects to make ultra-sensitive measurements, enabling researchers around the world to search for gravitational waves, dark matter, and other signatures of new physics.

Along the way, I’ll explain what makes a technology “quantum,” why it matters, and how Australia, including researchers right here in Western Australia, is playing a leading role in this global effort. Whether you’re a curious high school student or an experienced professional, there will be something of interest in discovering the world-class research happening right here in your own backyard.

About Dr William Campbell:
A research associate in experimental physics at the University of Western Australia. Having completed an honours in physics as well as his PhD with the Quantum Technologies and Dark Matter Research Labs at UWA, he specialises in the study and application of hybrid quantum acoustic systems for fundamental physics. As well as pure scientific research Will’s interests also lie in the education of quantum physics in schools and increasing the general take-up of STEM-based careers.

This is a FREE event, with optional donation to DeadlyScience.

Many thanks to the University of Western Australia for hosting us!

To find out more about the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip, visit https://www.qdmroadtrip.org.

Book to attend

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Aug
12
7:00 pm19:00

Pub trivia: Broken Hill

Join the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip in Broken Hill for an evening of pub trivia, with a twist of science!

Will you be the champions of the Broken Hill Pub Trivia? Gather your friends and family, get a team together, and come along to the Broken Hill Pub for a bit of trivia, with a twist of science.

Date: Tuesday 12th August 2025
Time: 7–9 pm
Venue: The Broken Hill Pub, 400 Argent St, Broken Hill NSW 2880

Don’t stress, our pub trivia won’t bring back nightmares of science exams past!  Expect regular pub trivia, but with a science-y vibe, including topics like sport, movies, music, geography, pop culture and general knowledge, and a bonus ‘tomorrow’s science headlines’ activity.

  • FREE entry, with optional donation to DeadlyScience

  • Max. team size: 6 people (if you have more people, why not split into two teams and battle it out!)

  • Win prizes, but more importantly the sweet, sweet feeling of victory!

Many thanks to The Broken Hill Pub for hosting us!

To find out more about the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip, visit https://www.qdmroadtrip.org.

Register your team

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Aug
12
6:00 pm18:00

Public talk: Kalgoorlie

Hear about the scientific work happening underground in regional Australia, unlocking the mysteries of the Universe!

Everything we can see — stars, planets, people and even your morning coffee! — make up less than 5% of the total mass of the universe. The rest is made of a mysterious invisible substances called dark matter and dark energy. 

Scientists sometimes need to go to extreme lengths to find answers about the cosmos. Helping to unlock the secrets to these cosmic forces, researchers from the new Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) have built an underground lab, a kilometre underground in regional Victoria. 

Professor Elisabetta Barberio will talk about the exciting new detector in the SUPL lab designed to hunt for interactions between dark matter and ordinary matter; Something that’s never been directly observed!

It’s one of the most ambitious quests ever undertaken, and it’s happening right beneath our feet.

About your presenter 

Professor Elisabetta Barberio is a professor of physics at the University of Melbourne and the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics. She initiated the direct detection dark matter program in Australia, which led to the construction of the first underground laboratory in the South Hemisphere, the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) in Victoria. SUPL will host the SABRE experiment, the first Australian dark matter direct detection experiment led by her. 

She had an important role in the discovery of the Higgs boson particle at the Large Hadron Collider. Professor Barberio was a researcher at CERN, the European laboratory of Particle Physics, where she performed measurements that confirmed the theory describing fundamental particles behaviour to an extraordinary degree of precision. 

She was recently awarded Italy’s highest-ranking honour, the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana), in recognition of her outstanding contributions to experimental particle physics research.

Book at the Museum of the Goldfields

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Aug
11
7:00 pm19:00

Pub trivia: Wagga Wagga

Join the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip in Wagga Wagga for an evening of pub trivia, with a twist of science!

Gather your friends and family, get a team together, and come along to the Hotel Central Riverton for a bit of trivia, with a twist of science.

Date: Monday 11th August 2025
Time: 7–9 pm
Venue: TBC

Don’t stress, our pub trivia won’t bring back nightmares of science exams past!  Expect regular pub trivia, but with a science-y vibe, including topics like sport, movies, music, geography, pop culture and general knowledge, and a bonus ‘tomorrow’s science headlines’ activity.

  • FREE entry, with optional donation to DeadlyScience

  • Max. team size: 6 people (if you have more people, why not split into two teams and battle it out!)

  • Win prizes, but more importantly the sweet, sweet feeling of victory!

To find out more about the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip, visit https://www.qdmroadtrip.org

Register your team

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Aug
10
7:00 pm19:00

Pub trivia: North Adelaide

Join the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip in Adelaide for an evening of pub trivia, with a twist of science!

Will you be the champions of the Royal Oak Hotel Pub Trivia? Gather your friends and family, get a team together, and come along to the Royal Oak Hotel for a bit of trivia, with a twist of science.

Date: Sunday 10th August 2025
Time: 7–9 pm
Venue: Royal Oak Hotel, 123 O’Connell St, North Adelaide

Don’t stress, our pub trivia won’t bring back nightmares of science exams past!  Expect regular pub trivia, but with a science-y vibe, including topics like sport, movies, music, geography, pop culture and general knowledge, and a bonus ‘tomorrow’s science headlines’ activity.

  • FREE entry, with optional donation to DeadlyScience

  • Max. team size: 6 people (if you have more people, why not split into two teams and battle it out!)

  • Win prizes, but more importantly the sweet, sweet feeling of victory!

Many thanks to the Royal Oak Hotel for hosting us!

To find out more about the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip, visit https://www.qdmroadtrip.org.

Register your team

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Aug
7
6:00 pm18:00

Public talk: Melbourne

Join the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip in Melbourne for a public talk from Ben McAllister

Date: Thursday 7th August 2025
Time: 6–7.30 pm
Venue: Fritz Loewe Theatre, Level 2, McCoy Building, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010

Australian scientists are on the cutting edge of the quest to unravel one of the biggest mysteries in the Universe: the nature of dark matter. This talk will discuss the innovative research being conducted to understand the elusive substance that makes up about 85% of the matter in the universe. Central to these efforts is the development of new technologies - including quantum technologies, which are enhancing our capabilities to search for dark matter with unprecedented precision. We will learn how new technology and new experiments are pushing the boundaries of our knowledge and bringing us closer to uncovering the secrets of the cosmos. This lecture is designed for all audiences, offering a glimpse into the world of Australian and global dark matter research, and the future of quantum science.

About Ben McAllister

A physicist and science communicator who works across dark matter and quantum technology - when he’s not in the lab working on new experiments, he’s usually somewhere else talking about them. Ben works at Swinburne University of Technology, and is a member of the ARC Centres of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, and Dark Matter Particle Physics. He is one of the organisers of the National Quantum and Dark Matter Road Trip, and a lifelong North Melbourne Football Club tragic.

This is a FREE event, with optional donation to DeadlyScience.

Many thanks to the University of Melbourne for hosting us!

To find out more about the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip, visit https://www.qdmroadtrip.org.

Book to attend

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Aug
4
7:00 pm19:00

Pub trivia: Port Hedland

Join the National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip in Melbourne for an evening of pub trivia, with a twist of science!

Will you be the champions of the Esplanade Hotel Pub Trivia?  Gather your friends and family, get a team together, and come along to The Esplanade Hotel for a bit of trivia, with a twist of science.

Date: Monday 4 August 2025
Time: 7:00–9:00 pm
Venue: The Esplanade Hotel, 2 Anderson, Port Hedland WA 6721

Don’t stress, our pub trivia won’t bring back nightmares of science exams past!  Hosted by road-tripper Cyril, expect regular pub trivia, but with a science-y vibe, including topics like sport, movies, geography, pop culture and general knowledge, a music round, and a bonus ‘tomorrow’s science headlines’ activity.

  • FREE entry

  • Max. team size: 6 people (if you have more people, why not split into two teams and battle it out!)

  • Win prizes, but more importantly the sweet, sweet feeling of victory!

Many thanks to The Esplanade Hotel for hosting us!

Register your team

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Aug
24
7:00 pm19:00

Dark Matter in the Pub, Sydney

Sydney, don't miss the darkest night of your life, with secrets unveiled at the "Dark Matter in the Pub" event on Saturday, August 24th!

Eight remarkable local scientists sharing their research and experiences on the mysteries of dark matter.

This "dark" night promises a captivating lineup from dark matter physicists, featuring a mix of creative delights—quizzes, comedy, demos, songs, and much more!

When: 7 PM Saturday 24th August, 2024

Where: Kent St. Hotel, 349 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia

How Much: Free! Thanks to generous sponsorship by:

  •  ARC Centre for Dark Matter Particle Physics

  • Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, School of Physics, ANU

  • Australian National University

But registrations are essential - ie, get a ticket, places are limited!

Share this event with your friends and bring your plus one!

MC’ed by Dr Phil Dooley of Phil Up On Science 

= = = = = =

Click here to register

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Aug
23
7:00 pm19:00

Dark Matter in the Pub, Canberra

Don't miss the darkest night of your life, with secrets unveiled at the "Dark Matter in the Pub" event on Friday, August 23rd!

Eight remarkable local scientists will be sharing their research and experiences on the mysteries of dark matter.

This "dark" night promises a captivating lineup from dark matter physicists, featuring a mix of creative delights—quizzes, comedy, demos, songs, and much more!

When: 7PM Friday August 23rd, 2024

Where: Badger & Co, Kambri, ANU campus; 156-11, Joplin Lane, Kambri Precinct, ACT 0200, Australia

How Much: Free! Thanks to generous sponsorship by:

  •  ARC Centre for Dark Matter Particle Physics

  • ACT National Science Week Grant

  • Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, School of Physics, ANU

  • Australian National University

Share this event with your friends and bring your plus one!

MC’ed by Dr Phil Dooley of Phil Up On Science 
Click here to register

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Aug
14
6:30 pm18:30

What is Dark Matter? An evening with physicist Dr Elisabetta Barberio

Celebrate National Science Week with Merri-Bek Libraries!

Have you ever wondered what dark matter is but were too afraid to ask?

Come along to meet Dr Elisabetta Barberio, the ‘dark matter detective.’ Dr Barberio is a physicist at Melbourne University and the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics. She was also part of the team at the Large Hadron Collider that discovered the Higgs Boson or ‘God Particle’ in 2012.

Dr Barberio will discuss what dark matter is and the role it might play in our universe. She will also chat about why an underground laboratory in the abandoned gold mines of Stawell is the perfect place to discover more about how our universe works.

Dr Barberio’s talk is open to all.

A National Science Week event, presented with the support of the Inspiring Victoria program.

  • Wednesday 14 Aug

  • 6:30pm - 7:30pm (AEST)

  • Brunswick Library
    Corner Sydney Road and Dawson Street, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia

Register for the talk.

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Spooktacular Space - Things That Go Bump in the Dark!
Oct
31
5:30 pm17:30

Spooktacular Space - Things That Go Bump in the Dark!

Join us for an exhilarating journey through the cosmos as we present "Spooktacular Space: Things That Go Bump in the Dark," a Public Lecture co-organised by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, and the Centre of Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University.

📅 Date: October 31, 2023

⏰ Time: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM

📍 Venue: AMDC 301 | AMDC Sky Lounge, Swinburne University

Event Highlights:

  • Panel Discussion on mysterious cosmic phenomena

  • Delectable themed canapés, grazing platters and drinks

  • Dress Up for Halloween (Costumes Optional - but we would love to see them!)

  • Giveaways and a costume contest

  • Stargazing with telescopes on the terrace (if the weather permits)

  • Networking in the Sky Lounge *sort of under the stars

*This is a FREE event, registration is required for catering purposes

Open to all ages - Families are welcome!

🎙️ Meet Our MC, Sara Webb:

Dr. Webb is an Astronomer and Science communicator dedicated to exploring and sharing the cosmos. She is a cosmic detective looking for exploding stars and other mysterious events in the night sky. When she isn't researching, she is either leading the Swinburne payloads for the International Space Station or talking/writing all things space news! 

🌠 Our Panel Speakers:

Professor Matthew Bailes: Professor Matthew Bailes is the co-discoverer of Fast Radio Bursts and the founder of the Swinburne Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing. He has been working on relativistic astrophysics for almost four decades and has a passion for public outreach and building radio astronomy instrumentation.

Yuanming Wang: Yuanming Wang is a PhD graduate of the University of Sydney and a current postdoc researcher at Swinburne University. She is working on finding rapidly changing radio signals in the sky with ASKAP telescope located in Western Australia. Her recent achievements include discovering the most luminous pulsar in the Large Magellanic Cloud. 

Renee Key: Renee Key spends her time looking for minuscule black holes born in the very first second of the universe. Her PhD research is to detect the fastest and faintest bumps in the brightness of millions of stars; some of which may be caused by an intervening black hole bending spacetime and stellar light. If many of these mini black holes are found in the outer Milky Way, they may account for Dark Matter.

Secure your spot today and be part of an unforgettable evening of Spooktacular Space exploration! See you under the Halloween skies! 🎃

Acknowledgement & Understanding

*By registering to this event, you acknowledge and give consent that your email address will be added to the OzGrav database. In addition, you acknowledge and consent that photos will be taken on the day and your image may be used in future promotion of OzGrav events. If you do not consent, please let the photographer and event organiser know.

Code of Conduct can be found here: https://www.ozgrav.org/code-of-conduct.html

If you have any questions, please email ozgrav@swin.edu.au

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Aug
8
to 26 Aug

National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip

The National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip is a travelling science show, bringing all things quantum and dark matter to a town near you!  To coincide with National Science Week, a team of scientists and science communicators will travel from Brisbane to Perth, delivering engaging presentations, hands-on activities, pub quizzes and more!

What: The National Quantum & Dark Matter Road Trip
When: 8–26 August 2022
Where: Brisbane to Perth, via 30 cities and towns around southern Australia
Why: To inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, and highlight the potential of quantum technologies and dark matter discovery for the future of our society

The nature of dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries of the Universe, and Australia is a key player in the quest to figure it out.  Dark matter accounts for 85% of all the matter in the Universe, but we don’t yet know what it is.  Quantum technologies are crucial in the hunt for dark matter, and they’re already used in smart phones and cars, medical imaging, manufacturing and navigation.  But today’s technologies capture only a small fraction of the potential of quantum physics.

With thanks to National Science Week grant funding from the Australian Government and Inspiring Australia, scientists from 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 multiple states and territories, will visit community hubs along a route from Brisbane to Perth, connecting their research centres.

Visit the road trip website for more information: www.qdmroadtrip.org

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July
11
to 5 Aug

DARK MATTERS - 2023 exhibition at Science Gallery Melbourne - open call

Science Gallery Melbourne is inviting proposals for projects to be included in their 2023 exhibition ‘Dark Matters’. This open call is extended to everyone, from every level of experience and from every discipline and every culture. First Peoples, Queer, CALD, BIPOC, Neuro-diverse, Disabled People and people from the Deaf community are encouraged to apply.

 This open call invites people to propose projects, tools, scenarios, and relational experiences that enable a deeper exploration of this extraordinary experience we call life and nature and all the dark matter that flows under it, runs through it and collides with it.

 Projects have a chance to be included in the 2023 exhibition DARK MATTERS, curated in collaboration with Mónica Bello, Head of Arts at CERN and a curatorial panel of young people. The exhibition will be developed in collaboration with Arts at CERN and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics with the support of an expert panel.

The Open call closes on 5th August, 2022 11:59 PM AEST.

For more information and how to apply visit https://lnkd.in/dKyR3gMP

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Oct
30
2:00 pm14:00

Join our Dark Matter Day event

DMD and logo.jpg

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Dark Matter Particle Physics is inviting its members and the public to help celebrate Dark Matter Day in a live, all-ages event on Saturday 30th October - 2-4:30pm (AEDT)*.

Activities include:

  • an introduction to dark matter

  • science talks about dark matter

  • a live Q&A with dark matter scientists

  • kids art activities and a competition

  • resources for parents and educators

  • laboratory tours - including the Stawell underground laboratory

Register here to receive a link to Gather town and further instructions about access and the activities.

*the live activities will run between 2-4:30pm on the 30th but Gather town will also be accessible for attendees to explore on Sunday the 31st October.

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