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Mirage in a cup Activity

by David Shaw, 20 February 2020 | 0 comments

Class of clear liquid with layers between the clear liquids, affecting the image seen through the glass.

If you’re in the desert on a hot day, you might see things that aren’t really there. But that’s not the only way to see a mirage – you can also see them in a glass of sugary water!

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Faintest touch, lightest force News

by David Shaw, 10 May 2018 | 0 comments

Image of the force detector, a metal box with electrodes either end, a lens. Red and orange illustrate the movement of the atom when force is applied.

What’s the faintest touch you can feel? A feather on the back of your hand, a whispered breath in your ear? Scientists from CSIRO and Griffith University just built a device that feels much lighter touches – in fact, it’s the most sensitive force detector on the planet!

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Light’s whispers News

by Jasmine Fellows, 13 June 2014 | 0 comments

Light thermometer

Written by Sarah Kellett A whispering gallery of light has made the world’s most sensitive thermometer yet.

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Mini microscope News

by David Shaw, 2 May 2014 | 0 comments

Light focuses into bright spots through two drops of polymer

Written by Sarah Kellett You can now turn your phone camera into a microscope with a rubbery lens the size of a lentil. Costing only a cent, it could help track skin diseases and farming pests.

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Moth mimic News

by Jasmine Fellows, 11 April 2014 | 0 comments

A man wearing sunglasses. There is a zoom box indicating the sunglasses are covered in tiny cones.

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…

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