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This month, CSIRO released its latest collection of favourite hands-on activities for kids. The Double Helix editorial team explains the thinking, splashes, scares and surprises they encountered while testing their new book: More Hands-On Science.

Written by Celia Berrell A small steel ball in a short smooth tube held in place by a spring, is the kind of switch that works in a twitch and starts an exploding thing.

Astronauts have nerves of steel. They ride controlled explosions, strapped to giant tanks of rocket fuel. And every now and then, things go wrong. Last Thursday, two space explorers didn’t quite make it to space – but they lived to tell the tale!