The Royal Society of Victoria is our State’s scientific society, founded in 1854. The Society convenes an independent community of science practitioners, educators, industrialists and enthusiasts to promote the understanding and utilisation of scientific knowledge for the benefit of the State of Victoria. Membership is open to any individuals or organisations keen to be involved.
We broker engagement between practitioners of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine (STEMM) and the broader Victorian community, seeking to improve general scientific literacy, evidence-based decision making and the translation of scientific knowledge into purposeful actions in our State.
Headquartered on Wurundjeri land in a heritage-listed building at 8 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, the Society provides a statewide program of outreach, partnerships, lectures, forums, programs and projects. A further overview of who we are and what we do is available at our About Us page.
- Striking a balance between employer expectations and employee rights is becoming increasingly complicated due to new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). Businesses are embracing systems that supposedly “boost productivity,” and a parliamentary inquiry into workplace surveillance has heard some are also using them to keep a closer eye on their workers.
- The same properties that make plastics so useful—their durability and resistance to degradation—also make them nearly impossible for nature to completely break down. But we can turn to chemical recycling: breaking down plastics to their molecular components, particularly hydrogen and carbon (the building blocks of fuels), through techniques like depolymerization, pyrolysis, and gasification.
- By combining carbon offsetting with “carbon plus nature” ecological restoration, Greenfleet offers the restoration movement a model to address both climate change and biodiversity loss. Their restoration work is backed by science, not greenwash and disinformation, as 'no amount of assertion will help us if we cannot prove our case scientifically.'
- The manufacturing sector is evolving, and we are producing world-class infrastructure here in Victoria. But for all the resources our mining nation extracts for use in products, the most important element of Industry 4.0 is a STEM-literate workforce. 'Research and Development' must establish a dynamic equilibrium between Australian business and academia.
- Since 2015, science communication company Scientell has worked on over 350 projects for clients including research institutions, all levels of government, and private companies, enhancing the impact of science, research and technology with accessible, evidence-based activities and products. Dr Simon Torok shares his top tips on running a sustainable, science-based business.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- Stricter regulation at the state and federal level can reduce the number of illicit vapes available and the associated toxic chemicals inhaled by users. But e-cigarettes still pose a health risk, as nicotine is inherently addictive and increases the risk of serious health conditions. Some single disposable e-cigarettes for sale in Australia contain as much nicotine as 20 packets of cigarettes.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- Often, very good ideas can float around the government sector for a long time without being taken up and enshrined in legislation or policy. One challenge for science policy professionals is how to present these ideas in a way that is compelling and timely for today’s decision-makers. This can be difficult when there is no good reason that an idea was not adopted in the first place, and its political moment has passed.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- A hundred years ago, a worn shirt would get patched, a blunt saw sharpened, a bottle refilled, a nappy washed, a razor blade changed. Now, the market drives us towards disposal. Those who sell products into the economy must have some level of financial or logistical responsibility for their end-of-life management. The potential for private benefit at public cost justifies government intervention.
- Tuesday, 12 November, 2024
- The voice of scientific expertise was difficult to establish in this emotionally charged Folbigg case. It required a sustained campaign by a team of friends, philanthropists, scientists and legal professionals. The science team worked tirelessly to amass further genetic evidence that explained her children’s deaths and ensure it was, finally, given adequate consideration.
