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It’s summer! To a scientist, that means the Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun. And to young Australians, it means lots of school holidays! To celebrate, we’ve hand-picked 20 hands-on STEM activities that go well with lots of sunshine and quality time with family and friends.

Maybe you’ve heard about quantum in science class or maybe in a sci-fi book! No matter where you’ve come across it, you probably know it’s a bit strange, maybe confusing but also possibly an important part of the future. And all these things are true!

Double Helix Extra readers really got busy with brainteasers in 2024! Let’s do a count down of your top 5…

Nathan K. Long is a Participant in the 2024 Quantum Explained Challenge put on by the Australian Institute of Physics, Cosmos and Double Helix Extra. This entry impressed our panel of expert judges for making a quantum concept clear to a middle school audience in less than 250 words.

Our Microscope column answers the most intriguing science, tech, engineering and maths queries you can throw at us. So, why do voices sound so different on voice recordings?

When astronomers first looked at the Moon through telescopes, they thought they were seeing great oceans. They gave the Moon’s big, dark patches names such as Oceanus Procellarum, and the Sea of Tranquillity. Now we know that these ‘seas’ are ancient lava flows, and that the Moon’s surface is very dry. It’s also airless.

A famous person built a square house so that the windows on all four sides look south. Where is this house? (And can you name the famous person?)

This year, we designed and tested a whopping 22 hands-on STEM activities! Here’s a roundup of the five most popular to keep you busy all summer.

How do insects choose their favourite weed? Scientists hoping to control weeds want to know if these insects will eat other plants or only their absolute favourite weed.

Have you ever wondered how water striders can walk on water? Wonder no longer!