For something completely different, why not bring your kids on a free tour of Australia’s only nuclear research reactor at ANSTO in Lucas Heights these school holidays?
From 11 to 22 January 2010, parents can take their kids on a tour of ANSTO and see its pride and joy, the nuclear research reactor, OPAL as well as an array of other great science facilities.
The tours are designed to entertain scientific novices and give them a better understanding of radiation and the everyday applications of nuclear science.
Amongst other things, visitors will find out how Australian scientists use nuclear techniques to study climate change, how the OPAL research reactor produces nuclear medicines and helps create a key component used in iPods, mobile phones and computers.
Visitors will also learn how ANSTO:
- Controls pests in our orchards by irradiating fruit fly pupae
- Helps keep us safe by checking the structure of metal in aeroplanes, bridges and railways
- Solves historical mysteries, such as the age of the Shroud of Turin, through carbon-dating
- Identifies the sources of pollution in our waterways and in the air
- Provides a better understanding of the make-up of foods and materials
- Helps with research for cancer and other diseases through medical imaging