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Written by Beth Askham Imagine if your touchscreen had texture. Pages, pictures and games would all come to life under your fingertips. Researchers are finding out ways that we can trick out brains into thinking a flat touch screen is a world of texture.

A big congratulations to Dhruv Verma from Victoria and Jackson Huang from Queensland, the two winners of this year’s BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards. Dhruv was recognised for his PROTEGO project, and Jackson for his investigation into heartburn medication alternatives.

Written by Beth Askham Researchers have found that whales hear low frequency sounds by amplifying them in their skull bones. Ocean sounds made by humans may be messing with their heads.

Meet the next generation of scientists and engineers – 2015 BHP Billiton science and engineering awards. How much did you love your Bunsen burner time at school? Or were you more of an adoring-algebra type? To us, nothing is more valuable and important than nurturing a love of science and technology in the next generation.

Written by Beth Askham On Monday, the Earth survived a close encounter with a very large asteroid. If you think that a massive rock hurtling through space close to Earth is terrifying, be comforted that in this case, close is still 1.2 million kilometres away.

Written by Julia Cleghorn Turns out we can thank Rihanna and Taylor Swift for more than just catchy songs. Recent research has revealed that for kids, pain from surgery can be reduced by simply listening to their favourite music!

Written by Beth Askham Bacteria living in soil could save our lives – if only we knew they existed. A new way of looking at soil bacteria is helping researchers discover new antibiotics.

Written by Beth Askham Sometimes smelling like your environment is the best way to blend in and hide from predators. On the Great Barrier Reef, the harlequin filefish shelters in coral branches overnight. Researchers have found that these fish not only look like coral, they smell like it too.

Written by Professor Angela Moles A Sydney high school experiment finds that hairspray may be the best way to keep your Christmas tree green. Christmas can be exhausting, presents need to be wrapped, food prepared and cards written. Christmas trees can also find this period a little overwhelming. They are cut from their roots, popped […]

Written by Beth Askham Researchers have made sticky hand pads that let you climb walls like Spiderman. Inspired by gecko feet, a research lab at Stanford University in America developed the climbing device. This technology recently allowed a person weighing 70 kilograms to climb a sheer glass wall. The team have also used the structure […]