Questacon in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Science museum

Questacon

Locality: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Phone: +61 2 6270 2800

Address: King Edward Terrace, Parkes 2600 Canberra, ACT, Australia

Website: http://questacon.edu.au

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25.01.2022 OH NO! When the Questacon dinosaurs woke up this morning, they were faced with a terrible surprise... Their dear friend Mutty the Muttaburrasaurus was ! of this Choose Your Own Adventure series has launched in today's Instagram stories! The Questacon dinosaurs NEED YOUR HELP if they're to find where Mutty has gone... This adventure is happening only on Instagram Stories, so make sure you head over to our Instagram Page to get involved: https://www.instagram.com/questacon/

25.01.2022 The Questacon robots had the perfect idea for how to make a white Christmas for their dinosaur friends. They rushed downstairs to where the was kept! With their scientific knowledge, they calculated that they could use the carbon dioxide gas to make freezing cold dry ice at -78 degrees Celsius! But alas... After labouring away with the carbon dioxide, they only ended up with the tiniest little pile of dry ice. Not nearly enough for the winter wonderl...and they were hoping for! But the robots weren't disheartened... They had another idea! [...to be continued!]

25.01.2022 Here is another #QuestaconAtHome activity for National Science Week - a DIY Weather Station from recycled materials! You can find this activity (and others!) on the Resources page of the National Science Week website: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/diy-science/ And follow National Science Week for more! ... MATERIALS: - Milk bottle (empty!) - Wooden skewer or a chopstick - Plastic bottle - Water in a measuring jug - Glass or wide-mouthed jar - Elastic band - (Another) wooden skewer - Paper or cardboard - Balloon - Scissors - Permanent marker - Sticky tape METHOD: Part 1 Weathervane - Cut out a flat rectangle from the milk bottle. - Fold the plastic in half. - Draw an animal on both sides! A rooster? A platypus? Up to you! - Make a little hole in the middle of the fold to help balance the skewer. - Affix the skewer somewhere you want to measure the wind! - Mark north so you know which way the wind is blowing! (You can find north using a compass, a phone app or the DIY compass from our last #QuestaconAtHome activity!) Part 2 - Barometer - Cut the nozzle off the balloon so you can stretch it taut over the mouth of the jar (secure tightly with a rubber band) - Rest the flat end of the skewer on the middle of the taut balloon and secure with sticky tape - Move your barometer so the pointy end of the skewer is pointing at some paper or cardboard taped to a wall - Mark a line labelled ‘normal’, with ‘high’ above and ‘low’ below - Watch to see if the pointy end of the skewer moves as the weather changes! Part 3 - Rain gauge - Cut the nozzle off the bottle - Using the measuring jug, pour water into the bottle and write on volume measurements - Place the bottle somewhere outdoors and wait for the rain! ASK YOURSELF: How could you alter your weathervane design to stop it blowing away in extra windy weather? What is happening to change the height of the barometer skewer? How might the placement of the rain gauge affect your measurements?

25.01.2022 Are you fascinated by space? There’s something about the great, starry beyond that intrigues and inspires us. In this video from our & : series we ask experts in the space industry: why are we so fascinated by space? We’re releasing this series on Facebook and Instagram over the next few weeks, but you can watch the whole series right now on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3jeL5Pe

24.01.2022 The crew of Questacon have been working hard to set up a Satellite Selfie for National Science Week! There was some early conflict when the robots decided to make a giant 'AI' for Artificial Intelligence, while the dinosaurs adamantly wanted a 'P' for Palaeontology. But after a bit of negotiation, they settled on a big 'Q' for Questacon as a comfortable middle ground. The weather has been challenging for satellite visibility over Canberra this week, and tomorrow's fl...yover is sadly cancelled due to rain forecasts. But there is still ONE MORE chance for a #SatelliteSelfie - the new ACT flyover will be on Tuesday 25th August between 10-11am. The exact times will be confirmed on the The Australian National University and National Science Week Facebook pages. Check out the National Science Week pages to learn more and to see some of the other amazing #satelliteselfie setups! And, if you haven't already, check out the National Science Week website to discover more amazing events happening online and across Australia this week. #nationalscienceweek

24.01.2022 We recently visited Government House to chat with His Excellency the Governor-General of Australia and Her Excellency Mrs Hurley about National Science Week. During the visit we tested a fun science experiment you can do at home, inspired by the Australian Science Teachers Association teacher resource book. Check out the video to see how this went! While the Governor-General’s Design Challenge can’t go ahead this year, there’s more than 1,000 National Science Week activit...ies and events online you can get involved with wherever you are. Visit www.scienceweek.net.au for all the details. You can find the Australian Science Teachers’ Association resource book of ideas 'Deep Blue: Innovation for the future of our oceans' resource here - https://asta.edu.au///national_science_week_2020_resources #scienceweek #stemlearning #STEM #scienceathome

24.01.2022 Welcome to the final chapter of & : ! For our last question, we asked experts in the space industry: if you could travel anywhere in the Universe, where would you go? We hope you've enjoyed this series! You can watch the whole thing via Facebook videos, Instagram IGTV, or our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3jeL5Pe A huge thanks to the space industry experts who featured in this video series:... Karlie Noon Astronomy ambassador, Sydney Observatory Dr Cassandra Steer Space Lawyer (ANU Institute for Space ANU College of Law) Prof. Brian Schmidt Vice-Chancellor of The Australian National University Prof. Fred Watson Australia’s Astronomer-At-Large Anthony Murfett Deputy Head of the Australian Space Agency Prof Alan Duffy Lead Scientist of the Royal Institution of Australia (Australia's Science Channel) See more

23.01.2022 Get excited for our Christmas shopping day at Questacon! Join us tomorrow, Saturday 5 December 2020, and give the gift of science this Christmas! We have big discounts on a range of products plus a further % . With a huge range of stocking fillers, board games, STEM activity kits, homewares and more, we have a gift idea to suit everyone in the family. While Questacon’s galleries will be closed, the Questacon Shop will be open to the public from 10am 4...pm, with entry monitored by staff to ensure COVID safety. Alternatively, shop online and enjoy 15% off with code CHRISTMAS15, along with FREE delivery or click and collect! https://shop.questacon.edu.au/

22.01.2022 Happy Wear it Purple Day! #WearItPurpleDay is an annual day focusing on creating safe and inclusive spaces in schools, universities, workplaces and public spaces, showing LGBTIQ+ young people they are seen and supported. To acknowledge this important day, our two buildings in Canberra will light up to celebrate from 5pm tonight. The Questacon Centre will glow with purple light and The Ian Potter Foundation Technology Learning Centre in Deakin will shine with a rainbow of mul...ti-coloured light To find out more about Wear it Purple visit www.wearitpurple.org #WearItPurple #WearItPurpleDay2020

22.01.2022 Next up in our Your Energy video series is a video about where energy comes from. While you watch it, think about where you get your energy from If you’d like to see more, check out the full video series here https://bit.ly/3fZEz0q

21.01.2022 It's time for the second #solveitwithSTEM post for National Science Week, celebrating the stories of how our Questacon family have adapted creatively to the challenges of 2020. This is Joe! Joe is a geologist and Tour Coordinator for the Shell Questacon Science Circus, and has been with Questacon since 2018. "Before working with Questacon, I was using my STEM skills to decipher the history of our planet," Joe says. Now he’s using these skills to help inspire a new generatio...n of science communicators. Usually, the Science Circus travels across Australia providing hands-on science activities for schools and community centres, but this year the team changed focus to instead deliver interactive virtual workshops for school classrooms or for students learning remotely. "We tasked our talented presenters with creating their own home studios to present virtual workshops, Joe says. Many of these home studios used simple materials to create the virtual productions. A favourite of mine was a tablet holder constructed from gaffer tape and cardboard to allow a bird's-eye view of the experiments!" "The most rewarding part of this year has been seeing the exceptional resilience and creativity of my team of presenters, Joe says. They’ve banded together as a community to support each other and develop a new but valuable set of skills to work in a new digital age. Despite being unable to travel, the Science Circus have used their creativity, problem-solving and innovative applications of technology to reach students and communities across the country. You can see everything The Shell Questacon Science Circus has been up to this year on their Facebook page. And check out the #solveitwithSTEM and #STEMsavinglives National Science Week hashtags to discover more stories of STEM skills helping us through the challenges of 2020!

20.01.2022 Teaching engineering is possible at any age Teaching engineering isn’t as difficult as I first thought Teachers keep telling us how much they are learning during Engineering is Elementary professional development workshops. Find out for yourself just how easy it is to introduce engineering in your classrooms! ... In Term 4 we are delivering workshops to NSW, Victoria, ACT, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Explore the engineering design process and get hands-on with water filters, while bringing #engineering into your classroom. Register now for FREE online workshops, taking place over three after school sessions: bit.ly/EiE_Digi_2020 Participants receive a free resource booklet and class set of materials to implement a STEM unit! Engineering is Elementary was developed by EiE - Museum of Science, Boston and is delivered in Australia by Questacon, supported by Principal Partner Defence Australia #PrimarySTEMChat #STEMlearning #Engineering #EiEAustralia #STEMeducation #STEMteacher #inquirylearning

20.01.2022 Our apologies! Due to technical issues on our end, the will have to be rescheduled for another day. We sincerely apologise for the delay, but we can't wait to present this soon. We will advise on the new date and time as soon as we can.

20.01.2022 The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an important call to action for all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet That’s why energy literacy is on our agenda SDG7 recognises the need for affordable and clean energy. Working towards this goal is important as it highlights the essential need for universal access to energy and the importance of energy efficiency for our future. As we approach the year 2030, access to affordable and... clean energy will play a key role in creating more sustainable, inclusive and resilient communities. Next month we mark World Energy Week from 5-9 October. We are excited to share more about energy with you during this special event. Find out more about SDG7 at www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy #EnergyLiteracy #SDG7 #WorldEnergyWeek

19.01.2022 Determined to make snow for their dinosaur friends, the robots rushed up to . Liquid nitrogen was -196 degrees Celsius... Surely this would be cold enough to make a white Christmas! They POURED liquid nitrogen all over the floor... But, disappointingly, it evaporated in moments, leaving no trace. (It also had the unexpected consequence of some of the robots...) It seemed liquid nitrogen wouldn't help the robots create a white Christmas...... And they were quickly running out of ideas! [...to be continued]

19.01.2022 : If you have pre-booked tickets to visit Questacon and are no longer able to attend due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the greater Sydney region please email [email protected] with a copy of your Ticketek booking confirmation to request a refund of your tickets. Please note that we are currently experiencing a large volume of emails and we will reply to each request as soon as we can. We ask that you do not attend Questacon if you are from, or ...have been in, a current COVID-19 affected area. For information about current Public Health Directions in the ACT visit www.covid19.act.gov.au

18.01.2022 FLOWERS have been popping up all around Questacon this week! For the first time in 33 years, Canberra's Floriade Festival is being reimagined this year. The annual spring celebration is moving from its traditional home in Commonwealth Park to bloom all across Canberra instead! One million bulbs and annuals are creating a 'tulip trail' through ACT's suburbs and city - with Questacon hosting its own little piece of Floriade. Check out the Floriade page and website to disc...over the tulip trail, and a whole range of online events and activities. Thank you Floriade for these beautiful planters! We love them (and they're also a huge hit with our bees).

18.01.2022 ! When the Questacon dinosaurs heard a commotion coming from the gallery, they wandered over to investigate... And stumbled across the most wonderful surprise - a wintery wonderland, just for them! Together, the dinosaurs and robots played in the 'snow'! They sledded! They frolicked in their scarves and beanies! And because Questacon is closed for Christmas Day, the dinosaurs and robots had Questacon all to themselves. ... Happy holidays everyone!

18.01.2022 Are you ready for our cake demo happening this afternoon at 3.30pm? Get your ingredients ready and meet us here on Facebook for a half hour cooking demo LIVE from Questacon’s kitchen! Watch out for the secret ingredient (Hint: the secret ingredients around here are always SCIENCE and FUN!) ' ... Ingredients: A cake or cupcake mix (vanilla will work best for this experiment). Gluten free and vegan alternatives will also work! A cake recipe! Follow your favourite recipe if you're making the cake from scratch, or just use the instructions on your cake mix box. Small marshmallows (or bigger marshmallows cut into small pieces - be very careful if you're using a knife). Milo/cocoa/cinnamon. Additional colours, toppings and edible decorations to experiment with! Think about how you can make your experiment as much like a Martian surface as possible... Equipment: A microwave A microwave-safe mug or bowl. A utensil to mix your ingredients together. A spoon or chopstick. ...get your materials ready, and we'll see you at 3:30pm!

17.01.2022 Save on science with the End of Year Sale! You can grab a bargain on a range of books, clothing, homewares, science kits, teaching resources and more Shop now at: https://shop.questacon.edu.au/sale/

16.01.2022 Our guided Questacon Mission to Mars tours are currently the only way to see Questacon. Tickets have sold out for the spring school holidays until Sunday 11 October. We're pleased to announce the release of tickets for additional Mission to Mars sessions from Monday 12 October until Sunday 1 November 2020 A reminder that all tickets must be pre-booked online at least the day prior to your visit. Advance bookings are recommended as tickets are limited. Tickets are no...t available at the door. More information and bookings www.questacon.edu.au/tickets

15.01.2022 Dejected, the Questacon robots rolled back downstairs to tell the dinosaurs that there was no possible way they could have a white Christmas. But on their way, they bumped into another robot: the ! The Insight Lander asked what they were up to, and the robots explained they were trying to make snow for Christmas... But the warm weather was making it impossible. "Have you tried visiting Mars?" The Insight Lander beeped, "Today it's -115 degrees Celsius...... and there's definitely ice on the Martian poles!" This was the perfect solution! The robots were delighted! They rushed to the gallery armed with mountains of white fabric and started decorating for their friends... [...to be continued]

14.01.2022 Today Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador was at Questacon for the ‘Future You 2 You’ virtual event, where schools across Australia shared how they are approaching challenges using STEM. Future You is an online platform which showcases exciting and diverse STEM careers to kids aged 8-12. At Questacon, we love seeing people excited about STEM. As part of the event, Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, launched the two new Future You characters Molly and Pathma. You can meet them and learn more about them on the Future You site. So, what is the future YOU going to do? #FutureYouSTEM

13.01.2022 Today we celebrate International Day of People with Disability, which aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions. We are committed to ensuring Questacon is safe, accessible and inclusive for all, as a place to visit and a workplace of choice. As a disability confident organisation we seek to remove barriers, prioritise better ways of working and develop a supportive and positive ...work environment. We recognise creativity, problem solving, imagination and innovation are core skills in today’s workforce and we value and promote the contributions of our diverse staff. Check out this video to hear from one of our staff members, Shane Haby. #IDPD #IDPD2020 www.idpwd.com.au

13.01.2022 The summer holidays are not far away and we’re looking forward to welcoming even more visitors back to Questacon soon. We are making plans to progressively reopen a few more of our galleries with COVID safety in mind We are working on finalising details for a new way to safely experience some more of Questacon beyond Mission to Mars and will share information about this soon As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the safety for our visitors, staff and volunteers remain...s our priority. Timed sessions will continue to be in place for all of our current and future planned activities, and pre-booking your tickets online will be essential. Tickets will not be available at the door. Please keep an eye on our social media pages and website for updates In the meantime, if you haven’t been to Mars yet, time is starting to run out! Get in quick and book your tickets to experience the Questacon Mission to Mars guided tour! www.questacon.edu.au/tickets

11.01.2022 Don't miss out on the ultimate photo opportunity tomorrow... A selfie from space! At 10-11am on August 17th, 19th and 21st, a satellite will be flying over the ACT to snap selfies from the sky. Check out the link below to see how you can get involved. And don't forget to visit the National Science Week website and follow their socials to discover more amazing events like this happening online and across Australia this week!

11.01.2022 Here is a special #QuestaconAtHome activity straight from the National Science Week website! This is one of many great activities in the Teaching Resource Book all about the National Science Week 2020 Theme - Deep Oceans: innovations for the future of our oceans. Don't forget to follow National Science Week for ongoing updates, events, and DIY activities for National Science Week 2020! --- DIY COMPASS EXPERIMENT ---... MATERIALS: - Water - A strong magnet - A long pin or sewing needle - Two plastic bottle caps (one smaller than the other) METHOD: - Fill the larger bottle cap with water - Magnetise the needle by stroking it 50 times with one end of the magnet. (Make sure you lift the magnet up and away from the needle between strokes.) - Thread the needle through the diameter of the smaller bottlecap (an adult's help might be needed - be careful not to stab your finger!) - Float the small bottle cap on the water in the larger cap. - Observe! ASK YOURSELF: - Which direction is the needle pointing? Why might that be...? - Did you magnetize the needle with the north or south end of the magnet? What happens if you try the opposite end...? - Do you think this experiment would work with a plastic needle? What about the graphite from a pencil?

11.01.2022 Shane, you are a wonderful ambassador!

11.01.2022 ...guess who's back next week? Starting Monday Sept 28th, the Questacon & are embarking on a brand new adventure... and this time it's a CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE! They are going to NEED YOUR HELP for this story, so jump over to the Questacon Instagram page to get involved! And stay tuned for the first chapter...... www.instagram.com/questacon/

11.01.2022 Thank you all for your patience - we're having technical difficulties with our MarsMallow livestream but we'll post an update as soon as we can! Stay tuned

10.01.2022 This week at Questacon, we’re busy getting ready to open our doors again and welcome you back to more of Questacon! From 8 December 2020 we will be offering pre-booked, timed 2-hour ticketed sessions During your visit, explore select galleries (open during set times each session), experience exciting live science demonstrations and see a Spectacular Science Show. There will also be a number of new audio experiences and apps to enhance your Questacon experience!... Tickets must be pre-booked online for all visitors in your group, including babies and children. Book your tickets for December now! January sessions will be on sale soon www.questacon.edu.au/tickets The safety of visitors, staff and the wider community is our top priority. We have a number of safety measures in place, including new safety signage in each gallery that explains how to use the exhibits, limited numbers of visitors per session and enhanced cleaning processes. While Questacon Mission to Mars has now finished, you can still see the 7 metre Mars globe installation in Gallery 8. To our littlest visitors, sadly COVID restrictions still means that Mini Q will remain closed, but stay tuned for some more updates on early childhood offerings coming soon. We look forward to seeing you at Questacon soon, where you can travel from the centre of an Earthquake, to the heart of a beehive, all the way to outer space!

09.01.2022 On this day, 32 years ago, Questacon The National Science and Technology Centre was opened at Parkes in Canberra While this birthday will pass more quietly than in previous years, today we are taking a moment to look back over the past decades, from Questacon’s early beginnings as a project of The Australian National University, when 15 exhibits were installed in a spare space at the Ainslie Public School in Canberra in 1980, staffed only by volunteersto now, with 2 bui...ldings in Canberra, many more exhibits, hundreds of staff and volunteers, and numerous travelling, outreach and education programs. We are also excitedly looking forward, as we continue to spark curiosity, deliver inspiring learning experiences and help to equip tomorrow’s leaders with the skills necessary to flourish in the future world To celebrate Questacon's 32nd birthday, the Questacon Shop is offering a special pack of Questacon-style party favourites! Find out more and purchase online bit.ly/338xp2W

09.01.2022 Q. How do we come up with new exhibits? A. With lots of research, brainstorming, idea refining and teamwork! Earlier this month, we posted about our important work promoting energy literacy, supported by our partner INPEX Australia. One of the energy themed activities we are working on is a suite of interactive exhibits for our Science Circus Japan Tour in 2022. ... Exhibit design is a complicated process, involving many different teams and skill sets to turn ideas into physical exhibits. Our Concepts team kicks off the exhibit design process by researching the topic: in this case energy. The next step is to brainstorm ideas for different exhibitsthe more creative and innovative the better! Each exhibit idea has a key message to communicate. The team whittles down this long list of ideas to a shortlist of exhibits that will create a cohesive, fun and interactive experience for visitors. Then, it’s time to work with other teams (like 3D Design, Graphics and Production) to design and build the exhibits. #Partnership #EnergyLiteracy #SDG7 #DesignProcess #Brainstorming #Innovation #Ideas #Future

09.01.2022 Success! After the stormy skies of last week we're excited that yesterday's #satelliteselfie flyover was a success! With help from both the robots AND the dinosaurs, the Questonauts made a huge multicoloured rocket large enough to be seen from space. Stay tuned for the result - Geoscience Australia will soon get the final image from Maxar and begin processing, to release the final image in early September. The #satelliteselfie has been presented by National Science Week ...ACT and the Where You Are Festival with the support of the ACT Government and co-hosted by The Australian National University. Don't forget to check out the #satelliteselfie hashtag and the National Science Week ACT page to see all the other amazing selfie setups!

08.01.2022 Here at Questacon we believe developing skills in science, technology, engineering and maths will support all Australians to meet the challenges of our future. The Governor-General of Australia is also a strong supporter of STEM learning. Hear why in this short video! National Science Week is a great way for everyone to get involved with STEM, by participating in events and activities, many online, on a huge range of topics from aeronautics to Giant Australian Cuttlefish! ... To find out what happened when we visited Government House in Canberra in celebration of hands-on science and National Science Week, check out our video from Monday Visit the National Science Week website to discover STEM activities and events that you can participate in, wherever you are! 15-23 August 2020. www.scienceweek.net.au #STEMlearning #scienceweek

08.01.2022 This Thursday at 3.30pm, we’re taking #QuestaconAtHome into the kitchen for a LIVE Mars-themed cooking experience! Make your own cake from home and learn science facts while you cook. Here’s your shopping list so you can join our Facebook live demo from the Questacon kitchen: ' ... Ingredients: A cake or cupcake mix (vanilla will work best for this experiment). Gluten free and vegan alternatives will also work! A cake recipe! Follow your favourite recipe if you're making the cake from scratch, or just use the instructions on your cake mix box. Small marshmallows (or bigger marshmallows cut into small pieces - be very careful if you're using a knife). Milo/cocoa/cinnamon. Additional colours, toppings and edible decorations to experiment with! Think about how you can make your experiment as much like a Martian surface as possible... Equipment: A microwave A microwave-safe mug or bowl. A utensil to mix your ingredients together. A spoon or chopstick. ...get your materials ready, and we'll see you on Thursday at 3:30pm! Who says experiments can't be tasty?

07.01.2022 Get in early for Christmas and save your money with our super sale on science! Until 11.59PM AEST, Sunday 8 November 2020, we have huge discounts across a range of amazing products. From quirky socks to dinosaur lamps, coding kits to books, and board games to newspaper building activities, we have something for everyone! Shop now and grab yourself a bargain! https://bit.ly/3oVc9qF

06.01.2022 Ever wondered what it's like to work at Questacon? Do you dream of performing science demonstrations and showing off our cool exhibits? Questacon is calling for high school students to apply for our Work Experience program. If you love engaging with people and are passionate about science, this is the opportunity for you! Head to our website for details on how to apply https://www.questacon.edu.au/science-comm//work-experience

06.01.2022 We're excited to share the results of the #SatelliteSelfie from National Science Week back in August! Check out the giant Q's and a rocket (...which ended up looking a bit more like a Christmas tree... ) we made on the lawns outside the Questacon building and the Ian Potter Foundation Technology Learning Centre! You can explore out the whole Satellite Selfie at: http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/SatelliteSelfie This selfie was taken by a Maxar satellite. The event was part of National Science Week ACT and was presented by the Where You Are Festival with the support of the ACT Government, and co-hosted by The Australian National University.

05.01.2022 Don't miss your chance to blast off into space on our Mission to Mars guided tour experience these school holidays! Join the Questanauts on an exciting 90 minute adventure to the red planet Tickets for Questacon Mission to Mars and the special version of the tour for younger visitors, Questacon Mission to Mars Junior, have now been released for dates until Sunday 11 October Book now! Limited tickets are available for each session and tickets must be pre-booked online www.questacon.edu.au/tickets

05.01.2022 We’re excited to announce that, from 8 December 2020, we will be reopening more of Questacon’s galleries! . Keep an eye on this page and our website, as we announce more details and how to purchase tickets! Pre-booked tickets for 2-hour timed sessions will be essential and will only be available online While tickets to ’ are no longer available, you will still be able to see the impressive 7 metre Mars globe insta...llation during your visit. To our littlest visitors, sadly COVID restrictions mean remains closed, but stay tuned for some more updates on early childhood offerings coming soon. Similarly, @ including Free Fall remain closed for now. Questacon will be closed between 30 November and 7 December 2020 while we get ready to welcome visitors back to the Centre from 8 December. The great news is, you can still enjoy activities from our @ page and stock up on goodies from our online shop. We look forward to seeing you at Questacon soon

05.01.2022 We are delighted to hear that Dr Cathy Foley has been appointed to the role of Australia’s Chief Scientist. Amongst her many roles and achievements, Dr Foley has also been a long-standing member of, and advisor to, the Questacon Advisory Council providing expert advice to Questacon on the development of our national programs and activities for many years. Dr Foley is also a founding Board Member of the Q Australia Foundation a philanthropic organisation whose vision is to ...advance education and engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Australia through supporting the work of Questacon. Dr Foley is an accomplished physicist and an inspirational STEM leader who continues to pave the way forward for future leaders in science, technology, engineering and maths. Congratulations Dr Foley on your appointment! We are excited to continue to work with you in our strong tradition of working with Australia’s Chief Scientists to inspire the next generation in STEM.

04.01.2022 Tomorrow the Questacon Dinosaurs & Robots are embarking on a week-long series! Over six days, the dinosaurs & robots will be getting up to all kinds of shenanigans and they're going to need your help - by voting on the outcome at the end of each day, you will determine how the next chapter unfolds! The adventure will be happening only on Instagram Stories, so make sure you head over to our Instagram Page to get involved: https://www.instagram.com/questacon/

04.01.2022 To celebrate NAIDOC Week 2020, we are pleased to share our latest video about Australian legumes from Audrey McInnerney, Wiradjuri woman and molecular plant scientist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pllVcBzJ86w&feature=youtu.be #NAIDOC2020 #NAIDOCWeek #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe

04.01.2022 What does it take to go from an interest in space to a career in space? In our latest video of & : we ask experts in the space industry: what first sparked your interest in space? We're almost at the end of releasing the & series on Facebook and Instagram, but you can watch the whole series right now on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3jeL5Pe

04.01.2022 We are excited to present Questacon STEM Futures in Darwin in March 2021 These FREE and interactive workshops will build your capacity and confidence to teach and assess STEM in your classroom Held at the Darwin Innovation Hub, the two-day workshop for is on 8-9 March, and the two-day workshop for is on 10-11 March. , if you want to plan and embed a STEM culture in your schools through Design Thinking and Systems Think...ing as well as connect with local STEM stakeholders, join us for our school leadership workshop on 12 March. Register online by 19 February 2021: bit.ly/DarwinSTEMFutures Presented in partnership with INPEX. A Questacon STEM Futures professional learning workshop in 2019

02.01.2022 New sessions are now available to book for Questacon Mission to Mars from 1-13 September and Questacon Mission to Mars Junior (3-5 years) from 1-12 September 2020 As the Mission to Mars Junior tour has been so popular, we’ve added additional session times Tickets for Mission to Mars Junior are now available from 1-12 September:... - 9.30am and 11.30am Monday-Friday - 9.30am on Saturday 5 and Saturday 12 September Tickets for Mission to Mars are available daily from 1-13 September Be quick! Limited tickets are available and pre-bookings are essential. For more information and to book, visit: www.questacon.edu.au/tickets

01.01.2022 We are currently reviewing our website with the help of consultants, Paper Giant. As part of our review, we are asking parents and teachers to talk to Paper Giant about their experiences using the Questacon website. If you are a parent, guardian or teacher who has planned a visit or accessed resources on the Questacon website and you have 45 minutes available to speak with the consultants, we’d like to hear from you. Please contact [email protected] with any questions by Thursday 3 June and to register your interest in participating

01.01.2022 And now something for the littlies! Questacon is gearing up for the launch of our new early learning program - , starting Wednesday 9 December. We know you are sad that COVID restrictions mean remains closed, but this new interactive experience for 3-6 year olds and their grown-ups should help put a smile back on your face! On this guided adventure, children will be able to explore the world around them by participating in a live mini show bef...ore jumping into role-play activities and hands-on science experiments. Our first topic will be exploring the world of Fantastic Flowers, so get ready to meet a Sunflower , grow your own plant , and maybe even dance like a Bee ! Sessions will start on 9 December and will run Wednesday to Saturday each week. Tickets are now available for bookings from Wednesday 9 December https://www.questacon.edu.au/tickets