
“People come to Tasmania for scientific reasons, even if they don’t use that word. They want to see an Aurora, or do the Overland Track and see all these incredible species. Those are all scientific reasons.”
You’ll often hear that Hobart has more scientists, per capita, than any other Australian city.
They work in marine biology, Antarctic science, space technologies, dementia research, and a multitude of other specialties. But those recognised by census data are not the only ones drawn to Tasmania by science. Others may not think of themselves as scientifically-minded, but even if they have pursued seemingly unrelated passions, their curiosity and creativity hint at a love for science they may not even realise is there.
“People come to Tasmania for scientific reasons, even if they don’t use that word,” says Dr Margo Adler, founder of Tasmanian cultural organisation Beaker Street. “They come because they want to see an Aurora, or because they want to do the Overland Track and see all these incredible species, these amazing landscapes. Those are all scientific reasons.”
Beaker Street is the ultimate celebration of the sciences, both the obvious and the unseen. Their annual Beaker Street Festival explores the intersection of science and art, facilitating collaborations and enabling meaningful interactions between scientists, artists, and the public. Their pay-it-forward initiative, a Seat at the Table, offers attendees the opportunity to donate towards the cost of a stranger’s ticket when they purchase their own, enabling the organisation to offer free tickets to the Tasmanian community for all their events. Beaker Street exists to bring people together and make science accessible to all — particularly those who wouldn’t typically engage or may have limited opportunity to do so.
“There’s such talent here. That’s really what we’re trying to do — strengthen the community and build pride around science. We live in this capital city, at the bottom of the earth, teeming with scientists. I just think we need to really own it.”

Margo didn’t start her career in science, or in Australia. Growing up in her hometown of New York City, she maintains that she studiously avoided science in school. Instead, Margo aspired to be a magazine editor. She spent her early 20s as a freelancer, writing for magazines and PR companies, before eventually realising it wasn’t quite what she dreamed it would be.
“I decided that I needed to change,” she remembers. “I asked myself, ‘What do I really want to do?’ One night I was lying awake trying to figure it all out, what I should do with my life. Suddenly, I knew. I literally sat up in bed and I said, ‘I know what it is! I want to be a dog psychologist!’”
Margo did not become a dog psychologist, but her late-night ruminations did eventually lead to classes in animal behaviour and neuroscience. She completed a Masters in conservation biology, followed by a PhD in evolutionary biology at UNSW Sydney. For someone who thought she hated science, Margo ended up doing a lot of science.
During her PhD, Margo spent her days looking through microscopes at flies, dissecting out their ovaries to determine the effect of diet on reproductive ageing. In her spare time, she organised events for post grads. Before she knew it, the events were happening every week; students getting together for a drink and a discussion, eventually with some visual aids thrown in for good measure. Margo called it the Big Ideas and Pretty Pictures Series: short, data-free talks that get going when the lights are down and the wine is flowing.
“It was a response to the idea that so many university talks and conferences are just… so boring,” she laughs. “They’re boring for everyone, and nobody ever remembers the boring data that you’re putting up there. Tell me something interesting, show me something! Give me a message that I’ll actually walk away with. There are so many instances in academia where the speakers are put up on a pedestal. They give a talk and then they disappear. There’s no opportunity for the audience to contribute.”
The Big Ideas and Pretty Pictures Series made Margo think about using science as a way to bring people together, a catalyst for social interaction. “I wanted to do something with that,” she says.
“Something” turned out to be a new concept: a science bar. A permanent home for art and science to intertwine, somewhere for scientists and non-scientists to hang out and share a drink, a place that would make science accessible through art. Margo’s partner was from Hobart, and it seemed like the perfect place for this endeavour. “I just thought that Hobart was the right place to start something. The people there were just so much more open and welcoming. It was so appealing.”
To read the full story visit tasmanian.com.au/stories/dr-margo-adler/
Story courtesy of Brand Tasmania

