My ideal weekend in Canberra would be: Sleeping in, past 7am. (You see, I have a four-year-old whose ideal weekend may slightly differ from mine.) Getting out of the house and walking up Mount Majura or any of the nice local bush walks, and just having a relaxed family weekend; seeing a few friends and cooking nice meals.

My favourite place to eat out in Canberra is: Our local café Wilbur’s; the food is great, the ambience is nice and it’s close to home.

The highlight of working at Questacon is: Presenting science shows and demonstrations that engage and inspire people. I have been fortunate to present to and with the general public, schoolkids and their parents, teachers, professors, Nobel laureates, governors-general and prime ministers, both here in Australia and overseas. It doesn’t matter the age, social status, or if there is a language barrier, when I see the look of wonderment and joy at witnessing something new, or the ‘aha!’ moment shared by a parent and a child at the same time, that’s when I feel I have done my job.

The biggest challenge of working at Questacon has been: All of the above, along with staying relevant and keeping up with the science - it’s always moving forward.

Science education is important because: We as humans ask questions about our world and the universe around us and the best answers are provided - not in English, French or any national language - they are answered in a universal language, science. I am not saying that everyone should be a scientist but it helps to have an understanding and appreciation of science. I have to stress that I am not a teacher or an educator. If I am doing my job, I am inspiring people of all ages to pursue science education, either formally or informally.

The difference between amateur theatre in the US and Australia is: The delineation between professional and amateur productions. Here the difference is harder to spot. We are lucky to have such a variety of talented people giving up evenings and weekends for our entertainment.