Looking for something to entertain the kids these school holidays? From 13 to 24 July 2009, take the kids on one of ANSTO’s free nuclear science tours and check out Australia’s only nuclear reactor – OPAL.
Children and their parents are invited to come on a school holiday tour of the reactor and other exciting science facilities at ANSTO1 in Lucas Heights, on New Illawarra Road in southern Sydney.
Come and find out how radiation works and how it is an essential part of our everyday lives.
Learn about climate change research using nuclear techniques to determine rainfall patterns and greenhouse gas levels going back many hundreds of thousands of years.
See the OPAL reactor which is used to produce nuclear medicines and to irradiate products such as silicon used in electronic equipment. The neutrons it produces are also used for research into structures (eg aeroplanes and turbines), medical treatments and plastics.
Learn about the many other applications of nuclear science including:
- Reducing the need for pesticides by controlling fruit fly larvae population
- Checking metal structures to ensure longevity and safety
- Carbon dating ancient artefacts and old bones for forensic purposes
- Tracing air and water pollution and identifying its sources
- Understanding what happens to food when it’s processed
- Medical imaging to better understand disease and treatment
ANSTO is Australia’s’ centre of nuclear excellence and innovation, managing a 70 hectare campus at Lucas Heights and employing around 900 staff. As the primary supplier of life-saving nuclear medicines, ANSTO makes over half a million doses every year.