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Ever since I began as a lecturer at Flinders University in 1985, I have been heavily involved in bringing different aspects of science to the wider public. Here is a list of some of them:
Science vs Creationism
For some reason, I ended up being one of the main voices for science against a rise in the public profile of Creationists in South Australia. I appeared on radio and public debates and was interviewed for the local newspaper. Some of these activities were sponsored by the Humanists and the Sceptics associations. I remained independent of them, however.
Flinders Medical Centre Research Foundation
The FMC Research Foundation often held open days or tours of the facilities for the public, patients, and supporters. We regualrly had to explain what we were doing in our laboratories in plain language in a short amount of time.
Arts in Health
FMC was one of the first hospitals in the world to have a full time Arts in Health program, in this case led by Sally Francis. I became regularly involved in their projects and events. An all-day event in 2007, With Body In Mind, ended up being a critical step in my move to art-science practice: I composed music and poetry especially for the event, and I met, Catherine Truman for the first time, with whom I’ve been collaborating on a wide range of creative projects ever since.
WEA course – The Human Machine
WEA is a long-standing organisation supporting adult education in South Australia. For about five years in the 1990s, I ran a WEA course with Marcello Costa and Judy Morris called The Human Machine. The theme of the course was the structure and function of the human body with a focus on its evolutionary origins and underlying microscopic organisation. The course was popular but the logistics became too complex to manage given our other commitments.
Science Outside the Square
In the early-mid 2000s, the South Australian government supported a wide range of public science programs. One of these was Science Outside the Square, a series of events that brought together scientists and artists to address topics of wide general interest in popular venues. With Marcello Costa, we did two of these events at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel: one about the brain, music and theatre with director Teresa Crea, and one about the brain and dance with choreographer, Leigh Warren. These events led me on to many other collaborations with artists, including two projects with the Australian Dance Theatre. Marcello and I did many more events about music and the brain, in addition to presentations I did myself.
RiAus
Graduate Certificate in Neuroscience (Learning)
University of the Third Age
CSIRO Siemens Summer School
Australian Science and Mathematics School (ASMS)
South Australian Neuroscience Institute (SANI)
Adelaide Festival of Ideas
Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT)