Frogs at science show
By Benyardo Rodriguez
MELBOURNE — The Great Australian Science Show will be held at the Science Museum at Spotswood between June 3 and 5. Unlike other science shows, it boasts that it provides a forum for "working scientists to meet the public".
More than 100 exhibits are planned addressing a broad range of scientific endeavour. Universities, research institutions and other bodies will all be represented, as well as organisations such as the Australian Sceptics, dedicated to "separating fact from fantasy in the flood of pseudoscience and occultism that infests the world today".
A special exhibit will address the problem of Australia's declining frog population. Researchers such as Michael Mahoney of Newcastle University, have proposed a number of hypotheses to explain this, all of which point to environmental degradation as a primary cause.
The seriousness of frog decline has been made evident by Michael Taylor's study of their use in other societies as a source of medicine.
These and other issues will feature prominently at the conference. More information is available by contacting Kathryn Ross on (03) 527 8565.