Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre, is located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Australia. It is a large centre with more than 200 interactive exhibits relating to science and technology. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 682 pixel, file size: 355 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Questacon and the Questacon Balloon. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Categories: Suburbs of Canberra (incomplete) | Suburbs of Canberra ... Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006)  - Product ($m)  $19,167 (6th)  - Product per capita  $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  333,667 (7th)  - Density  137. ... Sunset over Lake Burley Griffin, viewed from the Commonwealth Bridge Lake Burley Griffin is a lake in the centre of Canberra, Australias federal capital city. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

History

"The Questacon" opened in 1980 at Ainslie Primary School. Questacon was the first interactive science centre in Australia. It was developed by Profesor Mike Gore, a physics lecturer from the Australian National University. Professor Gore went on to become the founding Director of Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre, when it was established by the Australian Government in 1986. A typical street in Ainslie Ainslie (postcode: 2602) is a leafy suburb in the Inner North of Canberra, Australia. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ...

Questacon's current building was Japan's gift to Australia for the 1988 Bicentenary and it was opened on the 23rd of November, 1988. Japanese government and business contributed ¥1 billion, half of the capital cost of A$19.64 million.^[1] Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... The Skyneedle at Expo88, as part of the celebrations for the 1988 Bicentenary Australian Bicentenary usually describes two events: The Bicentenary of Captain James Cooks arrival and discovery of the east coast of Australia in 1770. ...

Governance

Questacon is a part of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). The director is Professor Graham Durant.

Questacon's vision is "a better future for all Australians through engagement with science and innovation".^[2]

Exhibitions

The Tesla coil in the exhibition Awesome Earth at Questacon

A tornado simulator using steam in the same exhibition

The centre is split up into seven galleries on different floors, accessed by a spiral ramp around the 'drum'. As of September 2007, the seven galleries are: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 207 KB) Lightning simulator - Questacon, Canberra File links The following pages link to this file: Tesla coil Questacon — the National Science and Technology Centre ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 207 KB) Lightning simulator - Questacon, Canberra File links The following pages link to this file: Tesla coil Questacon — the National Science and Technology Centre ... Tesla Coil at Questacon, the Australian National Science Centre museum A Tesla coil (also teslacoil) is a type of resonant transformer, named after its inventor, Nikola Tesla. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1067x1600, 216 KB) Tornado simulator - Questacon, Canberra File links The following pages link to this file: Questacon — the National Science and Technology Centre ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1067x1600, 216 KB) Tornado simulator - Questacon, Canberra File links The following pages link to this file: Questacon — the National Science and Technology Centre ... A tornado in central Oklahoma. ...

1. Sports Quest, with some intriguing physical challenges.
2. Sideshow, perhaps the most popular exhibition, looking at the science of the circus. Several popular exhibits include Free Fall, a giant slide with a six metre and seventy centimetre drop, and Track Attack, a simulated roller-coaster.
3. MiniQ, an exhibition designed for children between the ages of 0 and 6. Exhibits include a water play area, a sensory space, and a quiet area.
4. Wavelength, looking at light and sound. The exhibitions features displays on Polarised light, Fresnel lenses, and holograms.
5. Awesome Earth, looking at natural disasters and geology. Features a Tesla coil and an earthquake simulator.
6. Top Secret, the science behind spies.
7. Imagination Factory, Invent and Play.

The galleries are staffed by paid staff, as well as a team of about 60 volunteers. The volunteers occasionally will make use of Discovery Trolleys, featuring smaller, hands-on exhibits related to the gallery. For other uses, see Roller coaster (disambiguation). ... This article treats polarization in electrodynamics. ... Fresnel Lens displayed in the Musée national de la marine in Paris, France A Fresnel lens is a type of lens invented by Augustin-Jean Fresnel (pronounced fre-NELL in scientific and lighting applications, although often incorrectly pronounced FREZ-nell). ... Holography (from the Greek, Όλος-holos whole + γραφή-graphe writing) is the science of producing holograms, an advanced form of photography that allows an image to be recorded in three dimensions. ... Mount Pinatubo eruption, 1991 A natural disaster is the consequence of a natural hazard (e. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Tesla Coil at Questacon, the Australian National Science Centre museum A Tesla coil (also teslacoil) is a type of resonant transformer, named after its inventor, Nikola Tesla. ... An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ...

Science Theatre

The centre also features three theatres, used for performances by Questacon's theatre troupe, The Excited Particles normally targeted at families. The troupe also does puppet shows for young children and more serious talks on science and current events.

Visitation

Each year over 400 000 people visit the centre in Canberra.

Opening hours

Questacon is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm everyday except Christmas Day. Groups can also book special evening sessions.

Promotion

Their slogan often used in advertising is "We always make science fun." You can watch Questacon's TV ads online.

Outreach Programmes

In addition to the exhibitions in Canberra, Questacon also run a large number of outreach programs all over Australia, including the Shell Questacon Science Circus, Tenix Questacon Maths Squad, Questacon Smart Moves and range of activities in remote indigenous communities.

Around 300 000 people participate in Outreach Programs each year.

Shell Questacon Science Circus

The Shell Questacon Science Circus is an outreach program of Questacon and is the most extensive science outreach program of its kind in the world. Each year, the circus sees over 100 000 people, travels 25 000 kilometers, runs professional development courses for 600 teachers and visits about 30 remote aboriginal communities as well as hospitals, nursing homes and special schools. Languages Several hundred indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group names Indigenous... A hospital today is an institution for professional health care provided by physicians and nurses. ... A nursing home is a place of residence for people who require constant medical care, but at a lower level than a hospital. ... A special school is a school catering to students who have special educational needs (SEN), for example, because of learning difficulties or physical disabilities. ...

The circus is a partnership between Questacon, the Shell Oil Company Australia and the Australian National University. It was recently awarded the Australian Financial Review Magazine Corporate Partnership Award. The Shell emblem known as the Pecten Shell Oil Company (SOC) is the Houston, Texas based wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ... The Australian Financial Review is the leading business newspaper in Australia. ...

A graduate demonstrates an exhibit to a visitor.

The Circus tours around regional Australia for 18-20 weeks each year. Sixteen science graduates staff the Circus as it travels, bringing lively presentations of science to towns and schools. The Science Circus also supports the teaching of science and technology by running practical and fun professional development workshops for teachers. Each graduate completes a Graduate Diploma of Science Communication through the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University during the year. Coursework includes studies in print and the electronic media and an applied project. Students also participate in industry work placements through the year. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 400 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (599 × 897 pixel, file size: 206 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Darren Osborne shows a visitor to the Shell Questacon Science Circus how to use the Changing faces exhibit (1993). ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 400 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (599 × 897 pixel, file size: 206 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Darren Osborne shows a visitor to the Shell Questacon Science Circus how to use the Changing faces exhibit (1993). ... The Graduate Diploma or Higher Diploma in Ireland is a postgraduate award taken after a Bachelors degree. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ...

The first group of ten graduates were accepted in 1988. In 1993, the number was increased to 12. There are currently over 200 Science Circus graduates. Graduates have contributed to the Diffusion Science Radio Show, as well as running the Science Talk Australia and Mr Science Show radio and podcast productions. The Diffusion Science Radio Show is a weekly science radio show broadcast on 2SER 107. ... Science Talk Australia is a fortnightly science podcast produced and presented by Darren Osborne. ... The Mr Science Show is a weekly science radio show broadcast on China Radio International across Asia and across and across the world via podcast. ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

National Science and Technology Centre, Canberra

• Official website
• Virtual tour
• Shell Questacon Science Circus Official Site
• Shell Questacon Science Circus Fact Sheet

Coordinates: 35°17′54″S, 149°07′53″E Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...