Blog

Five winners from this year’s BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards, and an inflatable kangaroo called Kevin, were among just eight Australian students competing at the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) – the ‘world cup’ of student science and engineering competitions.

By Mike McRae This activity uses water and food colouring to explore fluid systems. It’s a good idea to do this activity in a safe place outside, and to wear old clothes while you do it! Safety: This activity uses hot water, so younger scientists should ask an adult to help.  

Try playing the game of Hex, and connect your sides of the board before your opponent cuts you off!

A three metre wide Pac-Man maze with glowing LED ghosts and a robotic Pac-Man will entertain festival goers at Sydney’s Vivid Light festival. An avid student maker group from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), called CREATE, is working hard to make the game in only five weeks.

Five winners from this years’ BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards are representing Australia at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in Pennsylvania, USA from 10 to 15 May.

What is a half-life? grab a handful of lollies and find out!

Make your own piece of non-Euclidean geometry with this hyperbolic paper craft.

It’s a tempting treat and a mathematical conundrum. We’ll show you how to run a jellybean guessing competition, and give you some hints on how to win!

Written by Beth Askham When mysterious lumps of pumice stone washed up on beaches in Tasmania, Australia, Rebecca Carey knew that they must be coming from an underwater volcano. Rebecca is a Tasmanian volcanologist (someone who studies volcanos), and she had been tracking the travelling pumice for more than a year.

Learn the Caesar cipher, one of the oldest codes ever devised!