By popular demand, the Barker Institute will be hosting the 2026 edition of the free Science Extension Public Lectures. This year it will be all on the one evening to assist with those travelling greater distances. Staff, students and parents from all schools are invited to join Barker staff, students and parents for an exciting evening.

2026 Students are invited to submit a poster for our dinner/poster session.

This event is for:

- 2026 Year 12 Students doing final revision of Module 1 before the HSC exam on Monday 26 October (one week later).

- 2027 Year 12 Students seeking to cover Module 1 dot-points and developing project ideas as they begin the course.

- Parents of 2026 or 2027 students interested in what the students have been learning and keen to see examples of their work.

- Teachers and Leaders seeking to network, collaborate, or gain new ideas about content or projects.

2026 Program:

6:00pm - Lecture 1 - Philosophy of Science

Dr Matthew Hill is Director Barker Institute and has been involved in the Science Extension course for many years. He loves reflecting on the impact of the underlying philosophies of science on modern Science Education and will be exploring syllabus content of epistemology, empericism, induction and deduction and more, and wrestling with what this means for the question of "What makes Science, Science?".

6:50pm - Dinner | Networking | Poster Session | Project Discussions

This year, the two lectures will be divided by a 45 minute break for dinner, networking, and collaboration.

A delicious stand-up dinner option of Chicken Tandoori served with rice, flatbread, and a drink available for purchase on the night for $10. (Special diet options available with notice).**

Staff, students and parents will then be able to explore the poster hall featuring 2026 student research projects. This will be an amazing opportunity for new students to explore ideas for their own upcoming research. Posters from students of any school are most welcome, please notify mhill@barker.nsw.edu.au if you intend on adding a poster for display.

7:40pm - Lecture 2 - You've heard of AI, but what about FI - Fish Intelligence

We spend a lot of time talking about artificial intelligence, but what can we learn from a natural intelligence developed underwater? Join fish cognition reseracher Professor Culum Brown from Macquarie University for a fascinating exploration of FI: Fish Intelligence. With over 180+ publications and over 12,000 citations on the topic, Culum will provide scientific insight into the learning, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, and social behaviour of fish - challenging the traditional assumption that sophisticated intelligence is largely the preserve of mammals and birds. The Science Extension community will also benefit from his personal insights into the processes and reality of doing scientific research.

**Pre-booking dinner boxes is essential. If you wish to book a meal for a non-Science Extension Barker student (e.g. a sibling, friend, or interested student for another grade) you must also email slayton@barker.nsw.edu.au with their details so we can arrange prior to the event for a meal to be provided with their student's current medical records on file. No Barker student will be served a meal without this prior arrangement. This has already been organised for the Barker students in the 2026 and 2027 Science Extension cohorts automatically.