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Saltwater survival Activity

by Fiona Midson, 23 November 2022 | 1 comments

Snail shaped cookie cutter cutting out 2 slices from a potato.

Animals that live in salty water have to control the amount of salt in their bodies, or they will not survive. But how do they do it? This activity will help show you.

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Decoding tree rings Poem

by Jasmine Fellows, 15 December 2021 | 0 comments

Diagram showing cross section of tree including first year growth, rainy season, dry season, scar from forest fire; spring/early summer growth, late summer/fall growth

By Celia Berrell Cutting through tree trunks from bark to bark, we’ll see lots of circles in light wood and dark.

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Spiders use stretchy silk to lift large loads News

by David Shaw, 12 February 2021 | 0 comments

A redback spider with a small lizard trapped in its web

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?

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15 fabulous science activities to do indoors Activity

by David Shaw, 3 April 2020 | 1 comments

White t-shirt with circular dye patterns

Staying home to slow the spread of COVID-19? We’ve got some ideas to help you pass the time, even if you’re stuck indoors. Time to gather up materials from around the house and do some science!

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Why is CSIRO releasing mosquitoes? News

by David Shaw, 19 July 2018 | 4 comments

Image of two mosquitoes.

There are plenty of reasons to hate mosquitoes. They are annoying, hard to catch, and their bites can itch for days. But they’re not just irritating – in many places they spread diseases such as malaria, Zika and dengue.

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Potpourri preservation Activity

by David Shaw, 8 March 2018 | 3 comments

A bowl filled with dried rose petals, orange peel and cinnamon sticks

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.

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Scientists discover Octlantis News

by David Shaw, 20 November 2017 | 0 comments

A gloomy octopus

It was once thought octopuses were not very social animals. They seem to keep to themselves, only meeting to fight or mate. It turns out that’s not always the case. A social octopus should consider moving to Octlantis.

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Pop goes the bearcat News

by David Shaw, 23 October 2017 | 0 comments

bearcat lying down

Written by Mike McRae An animal that smells of popcorn sounds more like a creature from a fairy tale than from reality. But the bearcat, found in Southeast Asia, is a real-life fantastic beast known for its unusual popcorn scent. The source of its smell, though, is hardly appetising.

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The language of time News

by David Shaw, 5 October 2017 | 0 comments

A sand timer on a road.

How do you imagine time? Is it a road, with the future fading off into the distance? Or is it an ocean, slowly draining as we spend our precious seconds? Surprisingly, the way you imagine time might affect the way you experience it!

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Wild weeds of the subantarctic News

by David Shaw, 22 August 2017 | 0 comments

A scientists studies the ground as pengins walk past

Interview by Nic Gill Double Helix talks to weed hunter and botanist, Laura Williams. Read on to find out about her research on Macquarie Island, a remote subantarctic island fondly referred to as ‘Macca’.

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