Science of Sci-Fi

We all suspend a certain amount of disbelief when we immerse ourselves in a blockbuster movie. But for a geek like astrophysicist Alan Duffy, it’s particularly annoying how the elegance and beauty of physics is routinely spurned by Hollywood filmmakers … Continued

Explainer: Landing Rovers With Newton’s Laws

How to land a Mars rover when you’re many, many millions of kilometres away. This resource explains each of Newton's laws and how they are used to land rovers, like Perseverance, on Mars. It is best suited to Year 7 … Continued

Using a pocket rocket to explore distant planets

Researchers have adapted a miniature rocket, called the Pocket Rocket, to replicate the conditions of distant planets’ atmospheres. This article could be used with students in years 8, 9, and 10 who are studying Physical, Chemical or Earth and Space … Continued

Best of: Gravity

Our best of series, published each week, collates our favourite and most popular resources for a particular topic. This week: Gravity for year 7 and 10 students studying Physical Sciences. Australian Curriculum Codes: ACSSU117, ACSSU229 Year 7: "Change to an … Continued

New ‘law’ could inform glacier-flow models

Equation designed to measure glacier movement over soft ground. This article and associated student activity is suited to students in years 4, 6, 7, and 10 studying Physical and Earth and Space Sciences. They focus on the practical application of … Continued

Why the next generation of rockets will be powered by methane

Topics: Chemical Sciences - Mixtures and Separations, Chemical Reactions Earth and Space Sciences - The Solar System, Renewable/Non-Renewable Resources, The Changing Earth Physical Sciences - Forces, Energy Additional: Careers, Maths, Technology, Engineering Concepts (South Australia): Chemical Sciences - Properties of … Continued