Blogs

Four new councillors were elected at the RiAus annual general meeting yesterday. The Royal Institution Australia (RiAus) is pleased to announce incoming councillors Professor Peter Andrews, AO; Dr Gregory Clark; Baroness Professor Susan Greenfield; and Mr David Knox. Full media release: New council members for RiAus (24 November 2010)

Researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders meet at the Science Exchange tomorrow to discuss self harm – and what our society can do. On Tuesday 23 November, the RiAus and SBS present The Silent Epidemic, an exploration of the issues surrounding self harm. Full media release: Overcoming self-harm takes ... Continue Reading »

The Inaugural Director of the RiAus, Professor Gavin Brown has tendered his resignation. The Council of the RiAus is sad to advise that Professor Gavin Brown, AO FAA Corr FRSE FRSN will not be continuing as Director of RiAus due to ongoing recovery and rehabilitation and he has informed the ... Continue Reading »

Interest in the South Australian’s scientific heritage is the basis for a tour on 17 December and a search for descendants. Australia’s first free settlement, South Australia, attracted the best and brightest scientific minds of the times who flocked to Adelaide during the early years of the colony -- many ... Continue Reading »

Have scientists uncovered the secret to immortality? Can meditation stop people wanting to self-harm? And are light-skinned people really the mutants of dark-skinned people? These questions, and many more, will be answered in Secrets of the Human Body, an innovative cross-platform event series being staged by the RiAus and SBS ... Continue Reading »

RiAus invites everyone to help celebrate our first birthday at the Science Exchange with an open-house tonight. RiAus, the Royal Institution of Australia, will be celebrating one year at the Science Exchange this Friday 22 October from 5 to 8pm. We are inviting everyone to drop by and help mark ... Continue Reading »

More than 100 artists and scientists are set to explore new possibilities in understanding, interpreting and internalising the huge challenge of climate change. RiAus is proud to support the first ever TippingPoint Australia, with events planned in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane throughout October and November. Full media release: TippingPoint ... Continue Reading »

The smell of a bad wine can be like sour and decaying rotten cabbage while a good wine can have sweet, truffly aromas, delicately balanced with chocolate, berry, game and cedar fruit. Depending on the grape variety, origin and vineyard, wines can have a wide spectrum of tastes and flavours. ... Continue Reading »

When the Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 swept through the north-eastern towns of Melbourne it was a stark reminder of the sheer destructive power of bushfires and the consequences for life and property. Full media release: Busting bushfire myths (12 October 2010)

Researchers reveal what we have learned from two years of smashing atoms with the Large Hadron Collider. CERN researcher Professor John Ellis, and Adelaide University physicist Professor Anthony Thomas, will be discussing the secrets of the Big Bang and the exciting world of particle physics at the Science Exchange on ... Continue Reading »

The role of nuclear energy in a low-carbon economy will be the subject of a lively discussion at the Science Exchange tonight. Professors Barry Brook, Gus Nathan and Kim Talus will lead a panel discussion on the controversial topic of nuclear energy tonight. Thinking critically about sustainable energy: A nuclear ... Continue Reading »

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Hans Schlegel is in Adelaide to take part in National Space Camp Woomera (NSCW) 2010, and joins is making his only public appearance in Adelaide tonight. Full media release: An evening with astronaut Hans Schlegel (30 September 2010)

Cutting edge green companies will present their ideas at the upcoming Cleantech Network event in Adelaide. Clean technology is the creation of products, services, and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, reduce the use of natural resources, and cut or eliminate emissions and wastes. Full media release: ... Continue Reading »

Have you ever wanted to know where your ancient ancestors came from – dating back 60,000 years? Now Adelaide residents, who make up one of the most diverse populations in Australia have the opportunity to find out their deep migratory history when the University of Adelaide hosts ‘The Genographic Project: ... Continue Reading »

The RiAus Free Range Science program and The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) are bringing the spectacular world of science and natural history to the big screen in Stratford on 10 and 11 September 2010. Full media release: Science films come to Stratford (6 September 2010)

The winners of the inaugural ‘sci-ku’ poetry competition, an initiative of The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) in association with the Friendly Street Poets, have just been announced. With diverse entries coming in from across Australia it was sci-ku’s from South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria that took out ... Continue Reading »

Free Range Science brings ‘Mind Matters’ to Victorian communities. As part of National Science Week, Free Range Science presents two free community events a Casterton and Horsham next week. Comedian Rob Lloyd and neuroscientist Anthony Hannan will entertain and amaze the communities with the wonders of the last great frontier: ... Continue Reading »

The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) welcomes its new Strategic Communications Manager to the team and thanks its former PR agency, Professional Public Relations (PPR) Adelaide, for its commitment and support during the establishment stage of the science hub, including the official opening of the Science Exchange building in October ... Continue Reading »

Living artists share curiosity about the natural world in new exhibition for SALA festival. Biology and art fuse in an intriguing exhibition to be opened today at the Science Exchange as part of the SALA South Australian Living Artists festival. Host RiAus and SALA reveal surprising perspectives of living, altered ... Continue Reading »

3.14159265...is the number that will be top of mind around the world on the 22nd July, aka 22/7, the date that represents the world’s favourite mathematical constant, Pi! Join the national science hub, The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), as it celebrates the intrigue of mathematics and the deliciousness of ... Continue Reading »

How can algae help us deal with a changing climate? Will capturing carbon dioxide at powerstations make our energy greener? Did you know that a human body contains, on average, ten times the amount of bacterial cells as human cells? We’re inviting anyone with a curious mind to come find ... Continue Reading »

Free Range Science makes its first outing to the Gippsland region this weekend.  Book lovers from the region will get the opportunity to see some of the best minds in science and literature tackling the subject of science fiction to science fact at the Playing With Words festival in Warragul. Full ... Continue Reading »

Renaissance anatomy, modern-day autopsy and the catholic mass for the dead collide in the spectacular piece of choral theatre that is Vesalius: a Requiem, coming to the national RiAus Science Exchange this June. Full media release: Anatomy and autopsy alive at Science Exchange (June, 2010)

In a world first, the national science hub, the RiAus, will explore the not quite human through an art exhibition comprising artists’ works from America, Germany and Australia, in ‘The Uncanny Valley’ of the Science Exchange from Thursday 3rd June 2010. Full media release: Welcome to the Uncanny Valley ... Continue Reading »

Considering there are around 6.6 billion people in the world what exactly are the odds of finding your perfect match? Millions of romantics would tell you true love can happen to anyone, anytime and this month the national science hub is explaining the scientific factors of dating from the biology ... Continue Reading »

New York-based science-fiction author, Scott Westerfeld, will be beamed into the RiAus Science Exchange to discuss his new book for young adults, Leviathan, during the first meeting of the national science hub’s book club for 2010, on Wednesday 27th January. Full media release: Novel Ideas: Leviathan (27 January 2010)

Perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner, cheese is a versatile and staple part of our diets, and as part of its Free Range Science program, the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) will explore the secret to its success at the Ararat December Farmers’ Market, this Sunday 13th December. Full media release: ... Continue Reading »

Learn the chemistry behind the success of medal-winning athletes with the help of sports scientists and a paralympic athlete as Free Range Science comes to Wendouree Family Picnic Day this Saturday 12th December. Full media release: Science behind elite sport success revealed to Victorian public (8 December 2009)

Matters of the heart will be the prime focus of the national science hub this month when the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) hosts George Poonkin Khut as resident artist and presents a series of heart-themed events to the public. Full media release: RiAus gives science some heart (4 ... Continue Reading »

27 November 2009: The new home of the RiAus, the Science Exchange, has been honoured with two awards at the 2009 Australian Civic Trust Awards, held in Adelaide this week. Full media release: RiAus Science Exchange redevelopment wins Civic Trust Awards (27 November 2009)

High school drivers from an Adelaide team involved in the Global Green Challenge will speak about their experience and talk about the cars of the future at the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) during a public event on Thursday 29th October. Full media release: Global Green Challenge comes to ... Continue Reading »

Amongst much fanfare, last week, Australia’s first national science hub, The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) was launched. Today, The RiAus proudly unveils its first-ever regional programme, The Free Range Science project, in Ballarat at the George Hotel on Wednesday, 21st October through support by the Victorian government. Full media release: ... Continue Reading »

Australia’s first national science hub, The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), was today officially opened by HRH The Duke of Kent at an event in Adelaide. Full media release: Australia's new science hub ready to tackle our future challenges (8 October 2009)

Australia’s first national science hub, The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), will lift off over four exciting days of events in Adelaide, from Thursday 8th October. Full media release: Australia's science hub lifts off (7 October 2009)

Science and art will form an integrated series of installations to celebrate the launch of national science hub, the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), on Friday 9th October. Full media release: Science and art entwined in cultural fibre: RiAus (6 October 2009)

The nation’s first science hub, the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), will bring science to the whole family through FREE public events held in Adelaide over three days, culminating in the massive Lift Off to Science family fun day on Sunday October 11th. Full media release: Free public science ... Continue Reading »

The winner of the 2009 Community Science Educator of the Year award is Rona Sakko for her involvement with the CSIRO’s Double Helix Science Club, announced at last night’s Gala Dinner. Full media release: South Australians awarded for excellence in science (21 August 2009)