Q & A with Dianne:

 What is your favourite STEM subject/area and why?

My favourite STEMs are Marine Biology and Sustainability and the ways they connect. Our oceans are home to amazing creatures. Some of my favourites are nudibranchs, vampire squid, dugongs and leafy sea dragons. Within the nudibranch family alone there are over 2000 species, with more being identified each week. And sustainability is key to protecting this diversity. 

For all this wonder, the ocean is also home to massive human-made problems like ghost nets, micro plastics, overfishing and increased acidity. Two of my novels (The Shark Caller & Dolphin Song) explore my concern for our oceans. 

If you could invent something, what would it be?

A human-animal translation app. I’d love to understand animals, even though I might not like what they’re saying about humans. Imagine communicating with an orca. Or greeting a bandicoot as it crosses a bush track. Or discussing wind thermals with a pelican. Their ways of experiencing the world would be so interesting, more sensory and organic.

What is favourite science fact?

Octopus have blue blood and three hearts and the ability to solve puzzles and squeeze themselves through tiny spaces. What fabulous creatures! 

What books or series did you love as a child?

The Narnia series; which links to questions one and two… It’s sad to imagine The Dawn Treader sailing through a sea of micro plastic instead of a sea of white flowers. I also loved The Magic Faraway Tree and the achingly beautiful Storm Boy. Maybe my tears for Mr Percival sparked my passion for wildlife protection and conservation.

Why do you think there has been so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools in recent years?

The pace of change in STEM applications is whizzing ahead so quickly. It’s hard to keep up, but we need to be smarter and leave lighter footprints. Our planet needs innovative marine biologists and environmental engineers.

Q & A with Danielle:

What is your favourite STEM subject/area and why? 

I love biology because I love the natural world. I spent a lot of time on boats when I was a kid and this gave me a passion for nature and the animals in it. When I went to university I studied animal behaviour and conservation biology because we desperately need to do more to protect our environment.

If you could invent something, what would it be? 

That’s a bit like only being given one wish! Sticking to feasible and useful things, probably something to break down plastic pollution. It’s going to be with us for such a long time.

What is favourite science fact? 

It’s not quite a fact but I love the possibility that life on earth might have been seeded from life on other planets (or the other way around). Interplanetary nanobacteria is a pretty exciting idea.

What books or series did you love as a child? 

I read a LOT of books as a kid – pretty much everything in my school library. I loved science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, nonfiction and illustrated books. One favourite was Elyne Mitchell’s Silver Brumby series which I loved for its distinctive Australian landscape and that the  story is told from an animals point of view without many humans in it.

Why do you think there has been so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools in recent years? 

Scientific literacy is just as important as reading literacy and numeracy. It’s not just about knowing stuff about science, it’s a way of thinking critically and creatively about the world around us, knowing how to answer questions and challenge our assumptions about the world. We don’t all have to be scientific specialists, but everyone can contribute to scientific advances. Thinking scientifically can really open up new worlds for everyone.  

Q & A with Penny Tangey:

What is your favourite STEM subject/area and why?

I’ve forgotten most of the maths I learned at university and high school but occasionally a situation arises where I can apply some basic algebra or probability and it’s fun.

I’m also very interested in the history and philosophy of science and enjoy reading the stories of how scientific ideas and technology developed.

If you could invent something, what would it be?

Reducing global heating is the most important challenge facing humanity. To a large extent, the technology needed to do this already exists, however, the influence of fossil fuel lobby groups means politicians aren’t taking action. I’d like to invent some kind of mind-control ray to make them see sense. I would only use it for good though, I promise.

What is your favourite science fact?

The cost of energy generated by wind and solar in Australia is now cheaper than coal.

Also, sharks have existed longer than trees.

What books or series did you love as a child?

I loved Robin Klein’s Penny Pollard series. Penny Pollard was my hero and I thought we were exactly the same. This led me to “love” horses when I’m actually scared of them.

Why do you think there has been so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools in recent years?

STEM jobs and industries are growing and changing all the time. The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of STEM and also the limitations of how science and medicine are used. The record-breaking COVID-19 vaccines showed society’s capacity for rapid scientific discovery and advancement. This isn’t enough, however, because unequal vaccine distribution means vaccines aren’t as effective as they could be.

The big challenge is to use science and technology in ways that advance fairness and justice. Kids are very socially and politically aware and I think many are attracted to STEM because they see the power to do good.

Q & A with Dee White:

What is your favourite STEM subject/area and why?

My favourite STEM area is biology because I’ve always loved animals and been interested in how they exist in their surroundings. As a kid we did a lot of bush walking and exploring. My older brother was a keen naturalist and at the end of winter we’d go looking for snakes that were just coming out of hibernation.

If you could invent something, what would it be?

I’d love to somehow make renewable energy accessible to everyone no matter where they lived in the world or how wealthy they were.

What is your favourite science fact?

I love how crocodile mothers look after their babies. They lay 30 to 80 eggs in nests made of vegetation and sealed with mud. When the eggs are ready to hatch, one of the babies calls to the mother who can hear them and feel the heartbeat in her throat.The mother breaks open the nest so that the eggs can hatch. The call of the baby also alerts the siblings that it’s time to hatch. The mother crocodile carries the hatchlings to the water. If an egg doesn’t hatch, she takes it carefully in her mouth and gently manipulates it to crack the shell so the baby can come out.

What books or series did you love as a child?

I loved the Annie with an E books because Anne was feisty and free and very creative.

Why do you think there has been so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools in recent years?

I think there is so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools because with climate change, space exploration and medical issues in the media, people are taking more interest in science and the world around them. STEM is also great for developing creative and analytical thinking and these are assets that contemporary employers seem to want. My son’s a scientist and we were just talking about this the other day, how science is actually very creative because so often you’re venturing into the unknown.

Q & A with Deb Fitzpatrick:

What is your favourite STEM subject or area and why?

Environmental conservation, particularly the protection of Australian fauna and flora. I’m a lifetime member of the Gilbert’s Potoroo Action Group, and the Gilbert’s potoroo is just one of many, many animals that are under serious threat of extinction, largely due to predation by feral cats and foxes. I would do anything to rid our beautiful wild landscapes of feral cats (humanely, of course) and let the bilbies, honey possums and potoroos run free. (If you want to learn more about the Gilbert’s potoroo, check out my book for middle-grade readers, The Spectacular Spencer Gray.)

If you could invent something, what would it be?

A jetpack that works as a reliable form of transport! Seriously, how cool would that be?!! Meet George Jetson …

What is your favourite science fact?

I must admit that I did – very quickly! – google ‘fun science facts’ and made the revolting discovery that a cockroach can live for up to one week without its head. Furthermore, there is enough DNA in the human body to stretch from the sun to Pluto and back – seventeen times! Who knew?!

What books or series did you love as a child?

I was a huge fan of the Australian writer Ivan Southall (Ash Road, Hill’s End), who I discovered in between gobbling up everything that Enid Blyton ever wrote. And I do mean everything. I also munched my way through the Nancy Drew mystery series and the Trixie Beldon books, with a few Hardy Boys mysteries thrown in.

Why do you think there has been so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools in recent years?

I’m not a scientist, but I would say that most of our most serious problems are environmental – with climate change topping the list. These problems are also eminently solvable, thanks to great scientists all over the world working together and citizens embracing change – even before politicians do. I have so much trust and faith in the next generations of young people to finally do what many in my generation have failed to, which is face up to the reality and start making meaningful change. I think this has already begun, and it is so heartening to see. Encouraging STEM in schools is part of this work. Our planet truly is incredibly precious.

Q & A with Julianne

What is your favourite STEM subject or area and why?

Whenever I read a science magazine or book there are two areas that always jump out at me. One is Paleoanthropology, which is the study of human evolution. The idea of deep time is fascinating to me and there have been incredible discoveries that have shifted the narrative about evolution in my lifetime. The other area that has always fascinated me is Quantum Physics because, quite simply, it seems like magic!

If you could invent something, what would it be?

That’s easy! A time machine. I’ve always fancied myself as a Time Lord.

What is your favourite science fact?

Did you know that space tastes like raspberries? In 2009, astronomers studying the Sagittarius B2 dust cloud in the centre of the Milky Way, identified a chemical called ethyl formate which happens to be the chemical responsible for the flavour of raspberries. Mmm. Raspberry space!

What books or series did you love as a child?

We didn’t own many books when I was a child, but a mobile library, a big truck full of books, would come to town every Friday. The Narnia series by C. S. Lewis were the books I loved the best. Those books absorbed me. I remember I bawled my eyes out when I read the last book in the series. They were also special because my best friend read them and loved them too. Sharing books with someone you love always makes them more significant. It's true that I have often tried to find a portal to Narnia, but so far it hasn’t worked. I’m still here!

Why do you think there has been so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools in recent years.

The way STEM is taught has changed so much. When I was young, the emphasis was on methodology, memorising and maths and if you were a creative person, you were directed away from science and towards arts and humanities. Now STEM is taught in a more holistic way that recognises that creative thinking is integral to science! Science communication has changed too – there are a now so many wonderful science communicators engaging children with the wonder and possibilities of science. Of course there are also wonderful publications now – so much gorgeous, fun and mind blowing STEM non-fiction books for kids – including the wonderful Aussie Stem Star series!

Q & A with Nova

What is your favourite STEM subject/area and why?

My favourite STEM subject is physical and environmental geography. I studied Geography as a subject through my VCE and I think it really tapped into my love of place and landscape and soil and rocks. As part of my VCE studies I wrote a paper on the soil composition of the area where I grew up - which was apple orchard country. I always had my hands in dirt as a kid and grew flowers and veggies in our garden. My parents were committed to native plants and so I had a very solid education about native wattles and gums and other trees and soil coverings that my parents planted. 

If you could invent something, what would it be?

I would invent a way to wind back the impacts of climate change. 

What books or series did you love as a child?

I owned all of Harry Butler’s In The Wild series and the Australian children’s books Botternsikes and Gumbles. These books were my favourites. I read and reread them over and over again. Harry Butler taught me about spiders and snakes and as a kid I used to collect dead spiders that I’d find in our house and the garden. 

Why do you think there has been so much interest around STEM pathways and STEM in schools in recent years?

I think we are trying to understand our world. Perhaps climate change has prompted all of us to think more about our impact on the natural environment and that has created a thirst for understanding. I also think as a society we are always looking forwards, possibly detrimentally, and we think that science is our way out, or our way forward. This means there are jobs in STEM, so there is a push on education.  

What did you love most about writing about Michelle Simmons?

Before I started I had no idea about quantum computing - to be honest I’m still not an expert! But I loved the opportunity to try and understand this very different way of thinking. I also really loved Michelle’s frankness and that she could have done so many things with her life and her career and she chose quantum physics. 

What’s your favourite part of the book?

My favourite part is definitely Michelle’s chess career as a child. I write children’s books and so I love the idea of a child who is naturally skilled at something that they decide is not the thing they will follow in life.