Q+A with Science Communicator
IRELAND JACOBS
What is your role and how long have you worked at Otago Museum? I started as a Casual Communicator in February of this year working various Front of House roles all over the Museum. I have just started a full-time position as a Science Communicator with one day a week of Outreach work funded by the MacDiarmid Institute. What do you love about your job? I grew up as a child who loved science and loved to talk - now I get paid to talk to people about science! It's really rewarding to interact with children (and adults) who have a genuine interest in learning more about the world around them. I love the huge and varied knowledge I've gained here that I'm able to share with others. What’s your favourite part of your job? Anything involving the Tropical Forest! From feeding Shelley the terrapin, to presenting First Flight, to bird watching on a quiet afternoon. It's my favourite place to be.
What’s the most common question you get asked by visitors? How long do butterflies live for? The answer is longer than you think! While some small species may only live for a few weeks, larger ones such as the Blue Morpho can live for several months. If you could make any collection item come to life, what would it be and why? The ceramic cat in Southern Land, Southern People (made by Jim Cooper), I think it would have some interesting things to say - assuming it could speak if it was alive!
Ireland Jacobs
Science Communicator |
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JAMES CAMERON – CHALLENGING THE DEEP
James Cameron – Challenging the Deep takes you to an underworld; an eerie, mysterious abyss where the only light comes from flashes of bioluminescent creatures. Join Cameron as he explores the most isolated places on earth. Climb inside a pilot sphere and experience the isolation of Cameron’s record-making dive in his DEEPSEA CHALLENGER to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. See the deep-sea specimens he collected there under a microscope, watch rusticles grow, and be intrigued by the effect water pressure has on a polystyrene cup. James Cameron – Challenging the Deep
$9.50 Children | $14 Concession | $17.50 Adults | $45 Families | Combo tickets available
Open until 9 February 2020 |
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 MUSEUM OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS // SUBMISSIONS CLOSE 1 NOVEMBERHave you ever had your heart broken?
Do you own an object that won’t let you forget?
Give it to us, and join a global exhibition of loss and healing. Museum of Broken Relationships is open for submissions for its next community-sourced exhibition right here in Dunedin! Otago Museum is coordinating the collection of objects for this highly anticipated exhibition and would love your story.
Selected objects will be on display from 21 December 2019 to 15 March 2020. Museum of Broken Relationships
Submissions open until 1 November 2019
Exhibition open from 21 December 2019 – 15 March 2020
If you have any questions, please contact us at brokenrelationships@otagomuseum.nz |
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CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE
Dunedin is stepping up to the climate crisis, and preparing to tackle the challenges our city will face in the coming years. In June this year, Dunedin City Council declared a climate emergency, joining communities, and governments around the world in recognising the urgency of this threat. But what action is actually happening here in Dunedin? A panel of speakers will present four talks, followed by an open Q&A session.
Arrive early as seating in the Barclay Theatre is limited. 5.30pm, Tuesday 22 October
Barclay Theatre
More information here |
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THE SKY TONIGHT (BABY ON BOARD)
We know it can be tricky to get out and about with little ones, so come to one of our 'Baby on Board' sessions in the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium. Enjoy a film with the entire family – no need to worry about the noisier ones, and you’re welcome to duck in and out as needed. The Sky Tonight is a live presentation exploring how the sky over Otago will look on the night of your visit. Learn about stars, constellations, deep sky objects, and how to view them that very evening. Tickets from $7 (under threes free)
11.30am, Wednesday 23 October
Perpetual Guardian Planetarium
Book your tickets here |
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DIWALI @ OTAGO MUSEUMGet your hand painted with henna (mehendi), have your forehead adorned with a bindhi, sample an Indian delicacy, and take part in a Bollywood dance workshop. Come dressed in Indian attire, and then continue the festivities later at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Octagon from 2pm–5pm. 11am–1pm, Saturday 26 October
Atrium Level 1
More information here |
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THE WORLD AT NIGHT
Join Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic photographer and science journalist, as he presents a talk about astrophotography, accompanied by stunning imagery.
Bridging science, art, and culture, Babak Tafreshi spent the past two decades capturing surreal scenes of the night sky on an adventurous journey to the world at night, where the wonders of earth and sky merge. 4pm, Monday 28 October
Hutton Theatre
More information here |
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SPACETRONAUTSHitch a ride with our planetarium pilots through the solar system. Take a close-up look at the Sun, fly through the rings of Saturn, and hold on to your helmets as we do some amazing science experiments to learn about the planets in our solar system.
WE ARE STARS 3DConnect life on Earth to the evolution of the Universe by following the formation of the earliest Hydrogen atoms into the molecules for life today. With expert input from leading cosmologists, astrophysicists, astrochemists, planetary scientists, and astrobiologists, We Are Stars present's humanity's current understanding of where everything, the Sun, stars, and even people, came from.
ZEALANDIA: LIFE ON THE HIDDEN CONTINENTIn 2017, a team of researchers announced the greatest geological discovery of our time: the existence of an eighth continent, almost completely submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean. They called their discovery Zealandia.
...and more!
Perpetual Guardian Planetarium
$7–$12 | Films run hourly from 12.30pm weekdays and 10.30am weekends
Book tickets here |
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