Thanks to the University of Queensland School of Jouralism and Communication team:

Presenter/interviewer: Carl Smith

Editor: Alexander Campbell

Camera: Jackson Scott & Pete de Kruijff

Australia's Dinosaur Trail website

 

by Lisa Yallamas

Visit National Science Week at the Ekka where you have the chance to touch the fossils of real Queensland dinosaurs from Australia's world famous Dinosaur Trail in outback Queensland.

Marathon Station owner and Richmond Shire Councillor, Rob Ievers, gives short talks on the dinosaurs that were found on his property. Hear about the first stage of a multi-million dollar Natural Histiry Museum, Australian Age of Dinosaurs which is built on the picturesque "jump-up". See a Natureworks model of one of the dinosaurs. Grab a show bag with a dinosaur egg, a skeleton and a shark tooth for $28.

And best of all, you get to help prepare real dinosaur bones in the Prep Lab at the National Science Week Pavilion.

Jump and play on QUT's Interactive Floor! Hundreds of kids are mesmerized as they play musical instruments, run races, play Space Invaders and more by jumping on this wonderful educational interactive game mat.

The Geological Society of Australia reveals all the secrets of earthquakes, tsunamis and our planet. See glowing rocks, shells and fossils. 

Talk to Green TV's Nigel Walker about filming on the Great Barrier Reef or at the top of New Zealand's Mt Cook. Watch Green TV documentaries or see yourself on TV.

You may even see an Ekka fairy or two...

When you are a scientist you get to the very core of learning the very nature of things.

 

Hey, I’m Cameron Sunderland, a Year 12 student at Kingaroy State High School.

 

I’ve been conducting an investigation on the local Stuart River system of the South Burnett region in cooperation with Mr. Rod Cheetham from the local DPI & F.

This study was conducted to test the local migration patterns, numbers and seasonal variation of small fish and the macro-invertebrates (big water bugs) of the river system.

It was conducted over a two and a half year period from the 16th of August 2008 till the 12th of February 2011. 

This long period of time is something that has not been done on this section of river system due to the insufficient numbers of fisheries staff (and the fact that it is far too bloody boring for any scientist, even if they were to be paid double the salary of poor, old Mr Cheetham, so they decided to find some poor young enthusiastic Year Nine science student to do the tiring job ... HA-HA-HA!

 

My study is thought to be highly important to the fisheries staff as it gives them ideas on the finer movements of small invertebrates in the river system and as they say ‘where there are a little fish there will always be a big one’ meaning that this will also give an indication of where the predatory fish will be. 

I also found supporting evidence that fresh water prawns migrate in a hurry during the night hours and during flow events.

 

During the 2011 floods I was off on a science intervention called NYSF and I missed much of the action that took place in Kingaroy, from accounts from my family and friend it was a pretty stressful time and the evidence of the destruction is still evident at the river where there is debris still in the very tops of four to five-metre trees where the floods covered them and left debris in their canopy. (Watch for the flood debris in the video)

 

At that time, there was no option to access the river sites because of the extreme height and power of the river, this was unfortunate as this was a major part of my investigation and in hind site I should have utilised my resources (the DPI) far more efficiently. 

 

For me this was my first real step into the science world and I absolutely love what I’ve been doing with the DPI & F and this study helped seal my ambition to peruse a career in science. 

My love of helping and making a difference of in this world has lead me away from field science and toward a career in Biomedical science.

This study has been such an influence on my life that I don’t know where I would be today if it weren’t for the support that Mr Cheetham gave me in the early days of this study and I am so grateful to him and all that I achieve in this life is because of his belief in me.

 

This study was full of inaccuracies and things that could be improved but it was my starting point and I am grateful to the naive boy that decided to take on such a mammoth task that to any other person would sound crazy and boring.  I loved it and it was the best thing I ever did. 

 

If anyone was to be given a similar chance and who has a love of science, I say take it you will never know where it might take you.

 

I would like to also make a mention my dad who consistently took me down to the river each a month to retrieve my data, and Mr Langton and Mr Cheetham for the trust and belief in me; and the fact, that even though you didn’t think that I would complete it, thanks for the support (and yes I know that).   

 

 

Here's a take on ART & PSYCHOLOGY from Erin Hannan-Jones, a Year 12 art student at Mt Alvernia College, Brisbane. Her work, Iconic Heart, is about celebrity, symbolism and media influence. Each image represents about four hours work: drawing, scanning and Photoshopping. She researched the semiotics in the work of self-made icons, celebrated artists, such as Roy Lichtenstein, and the ideas of media theorists, such as Marshall McLuhan. 

As a high school art student living in a world dominated by mass media and technology, it is unsurprising that for me, both provide profound inspiration for artistic ideas and play a vital role towards the creation of artworks.

For my semester one art project at school, we were set the task of creating a body of word under the title of semiotics, which would convey a specific meaning to an audience. 

I decided to explore the socio-cultural, religious and political symbolism behind images frequently seen through mass media, in order to make a statement about how films, photography, posters and celebrities have the ability to connect with diverse audiences on personal levels.

I began the body of work by researching semiotics, mass media and artists who were interested in conveying similar ideas.

I was heavily influenced by Masami Teraoka's McDonald's Hamburgers Invading Japan series and the Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, as each artist had a distinct ability to capture the social relevance pop culture and its place at the heart of modern society.

Being somebody who is often inspired by contemporary art, movies, music videos, fashion, magazines, comedy and the idea of celebrity, the process of researching mass media made me aware of the extent to which these things directly influence my perspective on life and self image.

I decided to take this notion of media influence over individual perspective futher by compiling a list of pictures and quotations which i found intriguing. I began experimenting with the medium of digital artwork and found that it is a useful medium for transforming physical drawings.

I created a process in which i would begin to draw an A4 sized picture and then scan it into the computer before finishing it on Photoshop. I found using pencils, pens and inks and textas most effective when beginning an artwork, as it allowed me to create dramatic lines and bold blocks of colour which could be refined in Photoshop.

 National Science Week on Vimeo.

Being able to change brightness and contrast, recolouring, collaging and layering drawings were the main advantages of using Photoshop, and the overall effect of applying it to sketches was to give them a more flat appealing look. This process was mostly inspired by the way fashion magazines frequently use Photoshop to distort the way models look.

An advantage of using technology to create art is that it is easy to document the process of creating an image, and infact the documentation process can be seen as art in itself. Art can be replicated and distributed in a unique way which is not possible using other mediums.

I believe that technology is the future of modern art, because you get as much room for creativity as you would with painting or sculpture, whilst the accessibility of being able to display it on the internet in its entirety.

My final product, entitled Iconic Heart was a 2X2 metre, portable, wall installation. It consists of 18 Photographic prints of photo-shopped drawings, repeated and copied in order to make an overall installation of 92 images arranged in the shape of a heart.

Many pop culture artworks and images are intentionally referenced and redrawn in this work. Including a French vouge cover, Coca-Cola advertisement, an iconic photograph of Audrey Hepburn and the album cover of Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster.

However, many original drawings were included also. After completing each separate piece of work, I searched for a quote that would either complement or contrast with the message of the work, and layer it on top in order to enhance the context of the work. My work aims to, through the use of semiotics convey that same meaning. The images used all have a personal relevance to the artist whilst at the same time retain meaning within a wider social context.

Ultimately this artwork makes a statement about the role of iconic images and figures portrayed in the media as being at the heart of contemporary society Each small artwork took between 4 hours to a few days to complete and I would often work on a few at once.

I wouldn't say that the process was daunting, however I did spent a huge amount of time developing the idea and creating the image. I keep a visual diary which i use to write and sketch my ideas as they come to me so that i can develop them futher later. This is a useful way to document the entire artistic process.

I have been constantly drawing and painting ever since I was small, and throughout high school I have been trying to develop my own unique way of creating art. In the future I am interested in perusing a career in the creative in music, film production or design and hope to be able to travel overseas during the course of my studies. I believe that computer technology is going to play a huge role in the future of contemporary art, not only as a means of creating it, but as a way to express the creative impact it has had on society.