National Science Week 2023

New ways of looking at old things. What roles can science play in museum collections?

For National Science Week 2023 (12 – 20 August) we've partnered with Sydney Analytical on a series of floor talks and lectures based on science in the museum. Find out how science can help build new understanding of cultural and historic artefacts.

Lunchtime talks

Deadly Entertainment

Thursday 17 August, 2 pm: Dr Elizabeth Carter will discuss how a team of conservators, chemists and statisticians worked together to develop a protocol used internationally to identify the dangerous film bases of early cinema and photographic film.

A Splash of Colour - Identification of Pigments in the Collections

Thursday 17 August, 1 pm: join this talk to learn about how we can identify the source pigment of a colour on an ancient artefact with Lorraine Leung and Thérèse Harrison.

Evening talk

Exhibition display with plinths and title text 'Chinese Toggles Culture in Miniature'.

Science and Heritage in Collaboration: Examining the material of Chinese Toggles Together

Thursday 17 August, 6pm: what questions can be answered in collaborations between cultural and scientific institutions? Find out in this panel discussion around the Chinese Toggles exhibition with panellists from Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney Analytical and the Powerhouse.

Free weekend workshops

Photograph of a fish in a jar with a label, a scientific equipment item on the right of the image

Explore Science in the Museum: A free participatory workshop on science and cultural heritage

Free workshops on Saturday and Sunday 12, 13, 19 and 20 August, 1 – 2 pm: Join scientists from Sydney Analytical and the School of Physics for live demonstrations using equipment to analyse materials from the museum.

Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Science Week 2023 Videos

A series of video providing a behind-the-scenes look into the partnership between Sydney Analytical and the Chau Chak Wing Museum in the scientific analysis of cultural materials.

Featured image (top of page): Portable Vibrational Spectroscopy analysis being conducted on the coffin of Mer-Neith-ie-es (NMR.29) by Thérèse Harrison from Sydney Analytical as part of The Mummy Project.

rainbow-coloured fibres against black background

Sydney Analytical

Sydney Analytical is the University’s flagship facility for chemical, biological and materials analysis. We offer high end capability in vibrational spectroscopy, magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and scattering, protein production and characterisation, and drug discovery.

We act as the primary interface between the University and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), supporting neutron and synchrotron research. Sydney Analytical also assists University facilities funded by ARC and NHMRC grants, and it aims to expand its global research support.

a collection of toggles in different stone and bone materials

Chinese Toggles: Culture in Miniature

A microcosm that manifested in a lost Chinese sartorial tradition