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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 […]

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 […]

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?

After a rainstorm, doesn’t the world seem so clean? You might think of storms washing the earth – but they’re cleaning the air too!

Black holes have such strong gravity that nothing, not even light can escape its clutches. We like to imagine that they are far away, like the supermassive black hole in the heart of our galaxy. But there may be black holes much closer to home. We’re just not very good at seeing them – after […]

Do you like eating red lollies or drinking strawberry milk? If so, there’s a good chance you’ve been eating insects! But soon there might be a new way to make these treats red.

Australia has some of the coolest, cutest and strangest animals in the world. It’s not all kangaroos, crocodiles and cassowaries, though – our insects are amazing too!

If you journeyed to the centre of the Earth, what would you see on the way down? After breaking through the crust there’s the mantle, a layer of mostly solid rock that constantly flows like a glacier. Below that, there’s the outer core made of liquid iron and nickel. Then you come to the inner […]

If you showed a movie to Nemo the clownfish, he wouldn’t be very impressed. The problem is, clownfish see colours differently to us humans. But worry not! Scientists from the University of Queensland have a TV for clownfish eyes.

Imagine you’re a tangle-web spider, and you’ve just snared a nice big critter for dinner. Sounds great, huh? Except there’s a problem. Dinner is 50 times heavier than you, and it’s trying to escape. What’s a spider to do?