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Have you ever wondered why there are gaps in footpaths, and at the ends of bridges? Bridges, footpaths and many other structures get bigger when they heat up, and they need gaps so they don’t break on hot days. But Australian scientists have discovered a material that stays the same size over a wide range…

Make a curious device that doesn’t like being put near a candle flame. When it gets hot, it curls away!

Rock on! This quiz is all about metal. From octopus blood to bass guitars, you’ll need to be a metal master to get 5/5.

Difficulty: Tricky Clare and Jeremy just finished a job overseas, on Dough Island. They received the following as payment, in the island’s currency: A $3 coin A $4 coin A $6 note An $8 note and A $9 note. Clare and Jeremy want to share the money so they both get the same number of…

By Mike McRae and David Shaw Attracted to doing some hands-on science? Why not use a magnet to create a ‘reed switch’?

By Mike McRae Double Helix magazine is looking for your questions! Our Microscope column answers the most intriguing science, tech, engineering and maths queries you can throw at us. Comment down below with your question, or email us at Helix.Editor@csiro.au. The best questions will be published in our magazine! Here’s a sample question to get…

Difficulty: Tricky Gordon is trying to make it big with his Minecraft-themed parody song channel. He spends a lot of time working on each video, and he wants as many views as possible. Gordon’s noticed some patterns with his view numbers:

This quiz is all about shiny things. Will there be a glimmer in your eye as you get 5/5?

Are you faster than a Tyrannosaurus rex? Scientists are still arguing about how fast a T. rex could run, if it could run at all. But most animals walk more than they run. So how fast is a tyrannosaur’s walking speed?

Here’s a puzzle that’s easy to set up, but surprisingly tricky to solve. See if you can swap two counters just by sliding them!