Blog

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!

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.

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.

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.

Twinkle, twinkle, giant stars! Pairs of so-called ‘heartbeat’ stars change their brightness like the rhythm of a beating heart. For the first time, new models show that they also create gigantic waves.

Take a look around the zoo and you might spot animals using tools to make their lives easier. Otters use stones to crack into shells, and chimpanzees use sticks to fish up termites. But it’s not just about food. Last week, scientists wrote about a whole new example of tool-use in elephants … and one elephant may be capable of pulling a tool-based prank.

The biggest ever prime number has just been found and it’s absolutely massive. It’s a number with more than 41 million digits. That means, if you were to type it out in size 12 font, it would be more than 8,000km long! That’s about the distance from Melbourne to Tokyo.

Friendly neighbourhood scientists have created their own version of Spider-Man’s webs. Their silk mixture can form a solid string when shot out of a needle and even stick to and lift objects!

Do you laugh or smile when playing around with your friends? It turns out bottlenose dolphins do too! Scientists have found that dolphins “smile” to communicate during playtime. And they probably do it to make sure their pals don’t mistake playfulness for aggression.

When a predator swallows their prey, usually that’s the end of the story. But scientists have discovered an eel that can escape from a fish’s stomach!