It may be a rainy, blustery day in Tāmaki, but the vibe at the 50th anniversary of ASB Polyfest is still unbeatable! Find us in Lab in a Box with our partners from @tuhura.bsky.social near the Kuki Airani stage for some crazy cool quantum experiments! #asbpolyfest2025 #iyq2025

“It took me 10 years to achieve. Every step was a big challenge. Two years ago, I finally fulfilled my dream. Now I am working on one of the hottest topics in the world: quantum optics.” 3/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“My world was shut down by the Iranian regime, and their religious rules. Female scientists were not taken seriously in Iran and women's rights were compromised. I forged a new dream: becoming a physicist in a free country.” 2/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

Sonia M. shares “When I was a little girl, I was ambitious & adventurous. I grew up in a very small town in Iran. I was fascinated by science: by 16 I knew I wanted to be a scientist. However, while growing up everything changed for me.” 1/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“Many years down the line, I often find strength in those words when someone challenges my ideas and approach for being different.” 3/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“…The way you have approached the problems is very original and impressive. You have a gift, one day you will achieve big things, but remember to ignore the noise from society.’” 2/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

Madhuri K remembers “One afternoon my physics teacher summoned me to the lab to discuss my test scores. He said, ‘Your score is good, but I can tell that you haven’t been paying attention in the class or reading much from the textbook…” 1/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“It has also allowed me to meet many people with diverse backgrounds…which I have found to be a particularly valuable experience. A supportive network has been an integral part of my STEM journey – my thanks goes to all those involved.” 3/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“I have had the opportunity to explore and solve questions for a range of samples, from pharmaceuticals to traditional textiles, geological and bio-minerals to diseased tissue, and even a 100-year-old dog biscuit from Antarctica.” 2/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

From Sara M: “It has been amazing to discover the variety of different samples that can be investigated by light/lasers.” 1/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“This is especially true for physics–the king of the sciences! Physics…allowed me to restart my life – to move to New Zealand and go to the University of Otago, all while still struggling to learn English. So, can you speak physics?” 3/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“I decided to concentrate on science, as the language of science is the same wherever you go, and if you understand how things work, expressing this in different spoken languages is not too difficult.” 2/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

Next is Emese T: “When I was growing up in Hungary, I asked myself, what will give me the most choices later in life?” 1/3 #WomenInSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone

“The reality is that the frontiers of modern physics govern the frontiers of modern technology. Often the fields with the most active research have very accessible applications and generate the biggest impact.” 3/3 #WomenInSTEM

“Now, I am doing my PhD in quantum computing which is a research area that is expected to transform how we compute and communicate. The reality is that the frontiers of modern physics govern the frontiers of modern technology.” 2/3 #WomenInSTEM

First up is Georgia N: “When I first decided to major in physics at the University of Otago, I thought I would be spending most of my time writing equations on chalkboards and thinking about intangible things like the early universe or super string theory.” 1/3 #WomenInStem

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!! To celebrate, we’d like to share some highlights from an exhibition we sponsored back in 2020 - but do check out all the subjects here: infinitepossibilities.otagomuseum.nz #WomeninSTEM #ScienceIsEverywhere #ScienceIsForEveryone