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Written by Sarah Kellett That’s not paint: this is how the rainbow gum, Eucalyptus deglupta, really looks. Sweeping down the trunks of these trees are streaks of red, green and purple.

It’s Australian footy finals season, and millions of eyes around the country are focused on the football field. Now imagine the area of that football field and fold it in half. Keep folding and folding until it’s small enough to sit in a spoon. Sounds impossible, right?

A few months ago, scientists from the Large Hadron Collider announced they had found a new particle, one that could be the Higgs boson. The Higgs particle is thought to have properties explaining how other particles have mass. But the first signs of this new particle were detected over a year ago.

What do the electromagnetic force, rip currents, humpback whales and lizards have in common? They are just some of the subjects of work that won Eureka Prizes this year.

The Olympic Games have finished in London, which means it’s time for the Paralympics to begin. Like their non-disabled counterparts, elite athletes with a disability rely more and more on science and technology for that winning edge. But is it fair for everyone?

Looking for something to do this weekend? Play the time walk board game. You can download and print the instructions, game pieces and  board. Let us know what you think! If you’re after more science fun for kids, subscribe to Double Helix magazine!

At school you receive report cards to keep track of how you’re going and to identify strengths and weaknesses. Report cards are good for students – what about our oceans?

It looks something like beef. It tastes something like beef. It’s made from cow cells, but no animal will die in the making of this beef patty. Biologist Mark Post, from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, plans to eat a lab‑engineered beef burger while appearing on television later this year.

Get ready to build your own paper model of the International Space Station (ISS).

Viruses are the cause of a number of diseases. The flu, chicken pox and most common colds are just a few examples of diseases caused by viral infections.