Secret Life of STEM University of Melbourne

We're back for a final bonus episode! In 2018, Secret Life of STEM visited two events: the Spaghetti Machine competition, and the Endeavour exhibition.
Both events encompass Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, and are hosted at the University of Melbourne for different age groups.

If you're in Year 10, the Spaghetti Machine competition is for you - by participating you'll join a team of fellow students and build an overly complex machine that performs a simple task.

If you're a masters student, you might enter the Endeavor exhibition - a contest for innovations and inventions in STEM. We spoke to two groups who invented new ways to guide the blind, and new ways to keep homes cool in scorching heat.

Produced by Silvi Vann-Wall.
Executive producer was Andi Horvath.
Editing by Silvi Vann-Wall and Arch Cuthbertson.
Secret Life of STEM is a University of Melbourne podcast.

We’re back! After a brief hiatus, we’re proud to unleash our series finale: A STEM of Advice. It’s our most jam-packed episode yet, featuring tips and tricks from almost every guest we’ve interviewed so far.

Our guests will take you through their greatest STEM achievements - and their greatest failings - in order to prepare you for your own upcoming adventures. Still unsure about a career in STEM? Feeling worried about your studies? Fear not - these reactions are normal, and will soon pass. If you don’t believe us, just listen to Amy Shepherd, or Grace McKee, or Ellen Sandell...well, you get the picture.

Then, three of our reverse-engineers are back to dish out the FYIs for your future STEM-studying self.

This episode’s reverse engineering is presented by Erin Grant, who will uplift you with her high-flying facts on helium.

GUESTS:


Chloe Stuart - In@Science Mentor, University of Melbourne.


Josh Cake - Comedian, musician and recent science graduate, University of Melbourne.


Erin Grant - PhD candidate in biosensing, School of Physics, University of Melbourne.


Rebecca Vincent - an engineering student at the University of Melbourne.


Amy Shepherd - Neuroscientist and PhD graduate, University of Melbourne.


Grace McKee - Founder of Sisters in Science.


Ellen Sandell - Australian politician, State Member of Parliament, Melbourne.


Dr Georgia Aitken-Smith - a.k.a Some Blonde Scientist, science communicator.


Sarah Hanieh - Paediatrician working in global health and for Médecins Sans Frontières.


Mary Mathias - Community Manager for EngineerGirl and the Online Ethics Center, National Academy of Engineering, USA.


Dr. Leah Heiss - Designer and Academic, Wearable Health Technology & Human Centred Design, RMIT University.


LINKS:

WISE - Women in Science and Engineering - https://www.wiseunimelb.com/

The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - https://www.doherty.edu.au/

Indigenous STEM Education Project - https://www.csiro.au/en/Education/Programs/Indigenous-STEM

Sisters in Science - https://www.sistersinscience.net/


Careers and Employability at the University of Melbourne https://students.unimelb.edu.au/careers


University of Melbourne Open Day: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/openday


study.unimelb.edu.au


CREDITS:
Guest Host: Catriona Nguyen-Robertson
Episode Host/Supervising Producer/Science Advisor: Dr. Andi Horvath
Producer/Editor: Silvi Vann-Wall
Assistant Producer: Buffy Gorrilla
Additional Editing: Arch Cuthbertson

CONTACT:
podcasting-team@unimelb.edu.au

In this special bonus episode of Secret Life of STEM, our resident Science Advisor Dr Andi Horvath speaks to Australia’s Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel.

Listen in as Alan Finkel talks about his inspirations and biggest tips for aspiring scientists, and answers year 10’s burning STEM questions. That’s right, you submitted your questions, and now Alan Finkel has the answers.

What is Alan Finkel’s earliest ‘STEMmory’? What challenges has he overcome in his career? What advice would he give his year 10 self? Find out in this bonus episode of Secret Life of STEM!

GUESTS:
Alan Finkel, Chief Scientist of Australia

LINKS:
Alan Finkel’s Biography

CREDITS:
Episode Host/Supervising Producer/Science Advisor: Dr. Andi Horvath
Producer: Buffy Gorrilla
Assistant Producer/Editor: Silvi Vann-Wall
Additional Editing: Arch Cuthbertson

CONTACT:
podcasting-team@unimelb.edu.au

Futurists often use popular science-fiction stories to predict future STEM trends. Many technologies previously seen only on Star Trek and similar shows have now become everyday objects, like the iPad. Can you think of something you use today that might have come out of a sci-fi movie in the past?

Also in this episode, we ask who or what inspired you to undertake STEM studies - did you have
a favourite science character growing up? Or perhaps it was your teacher! We brought in the
hosts of sci-fi radio program Zero G to help us look at the sci-fi movies that inspire people in
STEM. We also went to a student BBQ to survey today’s undergrads about who inspired them -
and their answers may surprise you!

This episode’s reverse engineering is presented by Henry Duffield, who deep dives into AI and
machine learning

GUESTS:


Rob Jan, presenter and co-producer of ‘Zero G’, fiction, fantasy and historical radio on 3RRR FM.


Megan McKeough, co-presenter of Zero G on 3RRR FM.


Dr Emma Burrows, NHMRC-ARC dementia research development fellow.


Henry Duffield, Bachelor of Science Student at the University of Melbourne.


LINKS:

Zero G on RRR

Spirit and Opportunity - NASA's Mars Exploration Program

An exploratory study of the relationship of Science-Fiction and Human-computer Interaction

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health - Florey

The Draw-A-Scientist-Test (DAST)

Science Students Society


CREDITS:
Guest Host: Danielle Goulopoulos
Episode Host/Supervising Producer/Science Advisor: Dr. Andi Horvath
Producer/Editor: Buffy Gorrilla
Assistant Producer: Silvi Vann-Wall
Additional Editing: Arch Cuthbertson

CONTACT:
podcasting-team@unimelb.edu.au

Want to use STEM to build a better, brighter future? You better listen up! The world of STEM is rapidly changing, just like you will be.

In this episode, we speak to politicians, journalists, researchers, lecturers, event planners, and students about the big picture - that is, how STEM fits into society and the world beyond. So if you’re curious about where STEM research ends up once a paper is published, or how interactive experiments can help make the world smarter, our influential guests have all the answers.

Also in this episode, student Rebecca Vincent reverse engineers sunscreen - perhaps one of the most important STEM contributions to society yet.

GUESTS:


Ellen Sandell, Australian politician, State Member of Parliament, Melbourne


Kate Ravillious, Science journalist from the UK


Dr Emma Burrows, NHMRC-ARC dementia research development fellow


Dominic Hare, Associate Professor at The Florey Institute


Ryan Kelly, Research fellow in the Interaction Design Lab


Rebecca Vincent, an engineering student at the University of Melbourne


Kristian Camilleri, Lecturer in the History and Philosophy of Science


Fiona Fidler, History and Philosophy of Science


Darrin Durrant, Historical and Philosophical Studies


Renee Beale, Victorian Science Week Lead and Engagement Manager


LINKS:

Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Microsoft Research Centre for Social Natural User Interfaces

Biometric Mirror

The History and Philosophy of Science Program

School of BioSciences

The ‘Just Says in Mice’ Twitter account

FactBar

National Science Week

study.unimelb.edu.au


CREDITS:
Guest Host: Catriona Nguyen Robertson
Episode Host/Supervising Producer/Science Advisor: Dr. Andi Horvath
Producer/Editor: Buffy Gorrilla
Assistant Producer: Silvi Vann-Wall
Additional Editing: Arch Cuthbertson

CONTACT:
podcasting-team@unimelb.edu.au

How do you turn your STEM studies into a living wage? Or even better - how do you turn your golden STEM idea into actual gold? You might just find out in this episode of Secret Life of STEM.

We talk to select entrepreneurs from the Melbourne Accelerator Program, a start up fund that helps grow Australian businesses. These people combined their knowledge of STEM and business, and are now using it to improve the world with the companies Beyond Ag and Curvecrete. You’ll also hear from a teacher that turned her STEM skills into an automated roll-marking system. Neat!

Also in this episode, our reverse engineer Danielle Goulopolous discovers what Google knows about you - and how to reduce that secret knowledge.

GUESTS:
● Phoebe Gardner, Co-Founder - Beyond Ag
● Alex Arnold, Co-Founder - Beyond Ag
● Greg Nyilasy, Academic, Management and Marketing, University of Melbourne
● Warren Rudd, Co-Founder - Curvecrete
● Daniel Prohasky, Co-Founder - Curvecrete
● Danielle Goulopolous, Media and Communications Student
● Martin Elhay, Senior Business Development Manager, University of Melbourne
● Zoe Milne, Co-founder - Loop Learn

LINKS:
● The Melbourne Accelerator Program - https://www.themap.co/
● Beyond Ag - https://www.themap.co/portfolio/beyond-ag
● The Wade Institute of Entrepeneurship - https://www.ormond.unimelb.edu.au/about/wade-institute-entrepreneurship/
● Curvecrete - https://curvecrete.com/
● What does Google know about you? - https://medium.com/productivity-in-the-cloud/6-links-that-will-show-you-what-google-knows-about-you-f39b8af9decc
● The Lean Startup - http://theleanstartup.com/
● Study Business and Economics at UniMelb - https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/interests/business-and-economics/
● Loop Learn Automated Roll-Marking - https://www.looplearn.net/
● Walter and Eliza Hall Institute - https://www.wehi.edu.au/
● Find a course - https://study.unimelb.edu.au

CREDITS:
Guest Host: Erin Grant
Episode Host/Producer/Editor: Buffy Gorrilla
Supervising Producer/Science Advisor: Dr. Andi Horvath
Assistant Producer: Silvi Vann-Wall
Additional Editing: Arch Cuthbertson

CONTACT:
podcasting-team@unimelb.edu.au