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Learn about the different parts of plants, as well as the science of preservation, by making your own pretty potpourri. Safety: Vegetable peelers are sharp. Ask an adult to help.

1936 is a square number. That means you can make it by multiplying a whole number by itself: 1936 = 44 x 44

Late last year, Jonathan Pace’s computer found something special. Jonathan is an electrical engineer who also manages computers for charities, so he has a lot of computers, but this one was nothing out of the ordinary. Except for one thing: the computer was running software from the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search

From big cats to tiny sub-atomic particles, this quiz will test your scientific know-how!

Double Helix magazine is excited to announce that we’re merging our newsletters Science by Email and Maths by Email, and adding a splash of technology and engineering news. Keep an eye out for our new look email, called Double Helix Extra!

You’ve heard of rice and wheat. You may have heard of maize and quinoa. But have you heard of teff? This ancient grain has been feeding the people of Ethiopia for thousands of years. And thanks to the work of CSIRO, it might soon be feeding you too!

Blood left at a crime scene can tell you a lot about the events. To rewind the clock and look back in time, you just need a ruler and some trigonometry.

What’s 180 metres long, 30 metres wide, and travels between distant solar systems? No, it’s not a new NASA spacecraft. It’s a space rock known as ‘Oumuamua, and it’s the first known object from outside our solar system that has come to visit!

What’s the coldest thing in the universe? You may have heard of absolute zero, the coldest temperature possible. But a clever bit of mathematics has shown it might not be possible after all!

What kinds of shapes pack a flat surface with no gaps? Squares are great for floor tiles, and bees stick hexagons together. With a bit of work, you can get any triangle, no matter how stretched, to fit together without gaps. But what about pentagons? These five-sided shapes are awkward, but some types fit together.