Sydney Science Festival 2023: Research Symposium

Join talks, presentations, conversations, and creative work on inter-disciplinary aspects of our earthly and non-earthly atmospheres.

9:00am – Registration

9:30am – Welcome

Opening remarks by Dr Deborah Lawler-Dormer and Professor Juan Salazar.

9:45am – Opening address

Finding Connections: Memory, and Storytelling within the Sensorial Realm. Gamilaraay, Waliwan and Biripi experimental new media artist r e a will explore how the Western application of astronomy and Indigenous Knowledges coalesce or diverge in the night sky.

Moderated by Dr Deborah Lawler-Dormer.

10:35am – Space and Future Atmospheres

Prominent scientists will discuss in a conversation about climate models, Mars and planetary atmospheres, artificial atmospheres, Earth’s future atmosphere, and the need to decarbonise the economy.

Panellists: Professor David Karoly, internationally acclaimed Australian atmospheric scientist and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. Dr Priscilla Nowajewsi Chilean planetary scientist and President of the Mars Society (Chile) and Dr Devika Kamath, a senior lecturer in Astronomy and Astrophysics at Macquarie University.

Moderated by Professor Juan Salazar.

11:25am – Break

11:45am – Opening Access to Space

Astrophysicist Dr Erika Nesvold, co-founder of The Just Space Alliance, discusses her passion for a more inclusive and ethical future in space, and to harness visions of tomorrow for a more just and equitable world today. In this talk she also talks about her work as astrophysics engineer behind Universe Sandbox, an all-in-one astrophysics simulator, artistic medium, educational software and video game. The conversation will include stories about Making New Worlds, the successful podcast series Erika produced and hosted.

Following this presentation, scientist and future astronaut Dr Meganne Christian and Dwayne Fernandes will share their experiences as pioneers in broadening the accessibility of space training and exploration.

Moderated by Professor Juan Salazar.

12:40pm – Lunch

1:30pm – Climate and Social Justice

A conversation between Dr Jason De Santolo, a Garrwa/Barunggan man, Professor of First Nations Land Justice, and Associate Dean (Indigenous Research) at the University of Technology, Sydney; and Dr Jason Reynolds, an earth scientist at Western Sydney and Powerhouse Scholar-in-Residence. They will be exploring ideas related to social and climate justice issues.

Moderated by Professor Juan Salazar.

2:15pm – Atmospheric Memory exhibition tour

Visit the Atmospheric Memory exhibition. Inspired by computing pioneer Charles Babbage’s proposal that the air is a ‘vast library’ storing every word ever spoken, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s breathtaking immersive art environment invites audiences to celebrate the turbulence and tumult of the atmosphere: invisible but precious, filled with voices and history.

3pm – Curating the Atmosphere

José Luis de Vicente researches the current and future impact of social and technological innovation and will discuss the historical precedents of immersion and his exhibitions on Buckminster Fuller, Tomas Saraceno, Holy Herndon, and Maria Arnal.

Moderated by Dr Deborah Lawler-Dormer.

3:45pm – Closing Talk: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

A conversation with Rafael Lozano-Hemmer on the current Powerhouse exhibition, Atmospheric Memory.

Introduced by Matthew Connell, Director Curatorial, Collections and Programs.

4:45pm – Panel: Ways of Connecting in Space and book launch

Book launch of The Handbook of Social Studies of Outer Space edited by Juan Francisco Salazar and Alice Gorman.

5:15pm – Networking reception

6pm – End