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These questions will help you to see the light. Take the quiz and see if you shine brightly.

The votes are in! Here are our most popular posts from 2021, including news, activities and brainteasers. There’s sure to be something here to tickle your fancy!

Written by Sarah Kellett The way a moth’s eyes have adapted to darkness may help us stop glare from the Sun. Despite their tendency to circle light bulbs, moths have eyes that are designed for darkness. Each eye has a bumpy pattern that stops light reflecting off the surface, possibly helping the moth see in…

How many coloured pencils or textas do you really need to own? Can you get away with using just two? Time to get colouring with this maths activity.

On a dark night, far from the Equator, you might be lucky enough to spot an aurora: a shimmering, colourful glow in the sky. This natural light show has captivated people for thousands of years. While it is mostly associated with cold, dark nights near the poles, auroras have a much brighter, warmer origin: the…

Welcome to Double Helix magazine’s Q&A section – Microscope. We take a close look at small questions full of big ideas. Q: What makes some plants have purple leaves? The Helix reader, Sudashree from South Australia

Our eyes play a huge part in helping us explore the world around us, but occasionally they play tricks on us. In this optical illusion, we’re testing your perception of colour by making an after-image optical illusion. In other words, we’re tricking your eyes to see colours that aren’t really there. Check it out!

Laser light is not the same as other kinds of light. In this activity, discover some of the ways it is special, and make a really cool pattern!