Life on Mars
Exploring the red planet up close and personal Sure, as they say: it’s just a game. But as PETRA STOCK discovered, the current crop of virtual reality games about life on Mars are informed by real science and real data – … Continued
Model or Monster?
In a two-room laboratory sequestered in a hunkered-down building in Werribee, Victoria, a small but mighty group of baby frogs, some of the last bastions of their embattled species, are patiently waiting to die… In this article Amalyah Hart takes … Continued
School of rocks
How are we here? Why is the Earth the way it is? The way life arose in our solar system remains a fascinating mystery. Beset but not daunted by kangaroo scat, this astrogeologist – an alumna of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute … Continued
Sticky Business
Ever wondered why some things are sticky and others aren’t? Applied mathematician SOPHIE CALABRETTO explains the chemical attraction of garlic and the magic of tackifiers. Apply knowledge of elements, compounds and chemical reactions, and learn about chemical attraction in this … Continued
Supernova Observations of Aboriginal Australians
Aboriginal observations of new stars appearing in the sky are leading to new approaches in astrophysics research, write Pete Swanton and Duane Hamacher. Learn how astrophysicists work with Aboriginal elders to describe thousands of years of celestial events in this … Continued
Toothpaste Truths: the chemistry of toothpaste
What goes into the pea-sized splotch of brush-additive paste with which (most of us) start and end each day? Ellen Phiddian gets up close and personal with the ingredients on the label. Apply knowledge of elements, compounds and chemical reactions, … Continued
Aurora Traditions of the First Australians
The Southern Lights of the Aurora Australis are writ large in the storytelling traditions of Indigenous Australians, write Krystal De Napoli and Duane Hamacher. This article demonstrates real-world applications of magnetism, electrical charge and waves to Physics students, the features … Continued
A short history of light
Rachel Rayner takes us on a tour of the spectrum beyond the visible and explains why dogs help. Explore the frequencies and wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum in a fun way in this resource for Year 5 and 9 Physics … Continued
Dude! Where’s my flying car?
The Jetsons cartoons gave the boomer generation a vision of seemingly magically powered flying vehicles, delivering George Jetson to his office, wife Jane to the mall (no sexism there) and the children to school. It all seemed to work so … Continued
The Chemistry of Soap
A few minor cosmetic tweaks aside, the basic recipe for soap has endured for millennia. Jacinta Bowler looks at its literal love-hate relationship with water, its potency against a planet-busting virus, and why any attempts to improve upon it just … Continued