Festival of Bright Ideas a scientific spectacular

SCIENCE is for everyone, not just the geek in the lab coat.

That was the message yesterday at the opening of the Festival of Bright Ideas on Hobart’s waterfront, held as part of National Science Week.

Hundreds of students attended the event at Princes Wharf Shed No. 1, engaging with hands-on activities, performances, workshops and explosive experiments.

National Science Week events this weekend will also include an exhibition and an opportunity to meet a marine scientist at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and free access to Inala Jurassic Garden on Bruny Island.

“[Science Week] is bigger than ever, with over 200 events across all regions around the state, most of which have free public entry,” Information Technology and Innovation Minister Michael Ferguson said.

National Science Week chairman Andy Baird said the annual event was “about bringing the wonder and inspiration of the science method and discovery to everybody, not just the geek in the lab coat.”

The Festival of Bright Ideas continues today from 9-4pm.

A full program of National Science Week — which runs through to August 20 — can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au

Also opening yesterday were nominations for the Tasmanian STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — excellence awards.

Six awards are on offer to local science practitioners, researchers, students and teachers, who will share in a prize pool of $30,000.