The Laborastory

Dr Aaron Wagen and Sarah Nagorcka introduce the Laborastory National Science Week 2015 show.

Dr George Aranda is a Research Fellow at Deakin University, conducting research into science education, science communication and putting 3D printers into primary schools. He is President of the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Science Communicators and curator of the blog Science Book a Day.

The Laborastory is held on the first Wednesday of every month at The Spotted Mallard in Brunswick. http://thelaborastory.com/

Josh Richards is a physicist, spacecraft engineer, comedian, and astronaut candidate to the first human mission to Mars in 2027. He plans to torment the rest of the crew by playing ukulele for the entire 7 month journey.

He tells the story of astronaut Sally Ride.

Bentley is a Vertebrate Collection Manager at the Museum, which means she's like a librarian for the dead things with backbones behind the scenes. She's also an example of ‘nominative determinism’ as she has an affinity for and background in birds; she also stuffs them as part of her job. She has two giant dogs and is an advocate and volunteer for a Greyhound Rescue group.

She tells the story of biologist Meg Lowman.

Jack is an insect geneticist, President of the Young Australian Skeptics, and Editor-in-Chief of the forthcoming science magazine Lateral. He will defend the coolness of wasps to his deathbed: you have been warned.

He tells the story of cytogeneticist Barbara McClintock.

Alanta is a public health nerd with a penchant for parasites. By day she works with Engineers Without Borders, by night she tells jokes about her bees to confused comedy crowds. She once saw a man sneeze inside his helmet while riding his motorbike. It was precarious and hilarious.

She tells the story of Marie Stopes.

Anita is a mathematical physicist and lecturer at the University of Melbourne. She's been told she plays too many computer games, but she doesn't think she plays enough.

She tells the story of Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage and the Analytical Engine.

Dr Padraig Ó Catháin is originally from Ireland and did a PhD in mathematics there before coming to Monash University three years ago. He tells the story of English mathematician James Joseph Sylvester.

Cobi is attempting to finish her PhD in science communication at ANU. She's lived on five continents, worked as a UN consultant inside CERN and as an ABC journalist covering issues ranging from food in the APY lands to the mental health consequences from fatal bushfires on the Eyre Peninsula. She praises the many unnamed public health advocates.

Charlie Marshall is a passionate science teacher and voracious reader of popular science books. He is currently on a mission to establish a new musical genre - poetic scientific rock. He tells the story of American biologist Lyn Margulis.