The secrets of old, old age

It’s the 28th century BC. Stonehenge is being built, Ancient Egypt is still new, and in California, a bristlecone pine tree has just started to grow. Fast-forward almost five thousand years, and that tree, nicknamed ‘Methuselah’, is still alive today. It might be the world’s most ancient living organism – but whether it is or … Continue reading The secrets of old, old age →

From space to schools – What’ll Happen to the Wattle??!

All across Australia, thousands of school students are growing space wattles. They’re doing the What’ll Happen to The Wattle??! program, run by the One Giant Leap Australia Foundation. One Giant Leap director Jackie Carpenter organised for hundreds of wattle seeds to travel to the International Space Station for six months. Now they’re back on Earth, … Continue reading From space to schools – What’ll Happen to the Wattle??! →

Cats sit in imaginary boxes

If you own a cat (or have ever been on the internet) you probably how much they love to sit in boxes. This also applies to squares drawn on the ground – even if it’s only an illusion. The Kanizsa illusion uses Pacman-like shapes to form the corners of a shape such as a square. … Continue reading Cats sit in imaginary boxes →

Why brazil nuts always come out on top

Have you ever opened a bag of mixed snacks to find that all the biggest items are all on the top? This is called the ‘brazil-nut effect’, and it’s taken a surprisingly long time to figure out how it happens. The brazil-nut effect occurs in granular solids - collections of solid objects that can pour … Continue reading Why brazil nuts always come out on top →

Octopuses throw punches at fish

Nature contains many examples of animals working together, but things doesn’t always go smoothly. Over the last few years, scientists have watched several octopuses try and hunt with fish, get annoyed, and punch them. The big blue octopus (which isn’t actually blue) will sometimes team up with fish to catch prey. The octopus hunts through … Continue reading Octopuses throw punches at fish →

Orb weavers know what’s up

Which direction is ‘up’ in space? Without gravity, there’s no real answer, but some spiders have invented a solution. When golden silk orb weavers create their webs, they place the ‘hub’ (the web’s central point) towards the top, instead of in the exact middle. This is where they sit to hunt, facing downwards and ready … Continue reading Orb weavers know what’s up →

Illusions in Nature

Humans love to fool each other with optical illusions, but we aren’t the only species that falls for these tricks. Several famous illusions can be found in nature, each helping animals and plants to survive and reproduce. The Ebbinghaus Illusion Which orange circle is bigger? While they don’t look like it, they’re actually both the … Continue reading Illusions in Nature →

Why is the moon rusting?

Rust is the result of a chemical reaction between iron, water and oxygen. The Moon only has the first ingredient, which is why scientists were surprised to find haematite [hee-mah-tite; a type of rust] in the lunar soil. As well as having no oxygen or liquid water, hydrogen coming from the Sun makes the Moon’s … Continue reading Why is the moon rusting? →

When bodies swap, minds soon follow

Many stories have been based on the idea of two (or more) characters getting their minds and bodies swapped. Often these involve comedic sequences as the pair try and fail to act like each other, but a new study suggests this may not be so difficult after all. Swedish researchers used virtual reality to make … Continue reading When bodies swap, minds soon follow →

Sparrow’s tweet goes viral

You know that feeling when you discover a new song, and suddenly everyone’s playing it? Turns out, this doesn’t just happen for humans – a new tune is currently sweeping across the sparrow colonies of Canada. Like many birds, white-throated sparrows sing to attract a mate. Generally, all males in a particular area will sing … Continue reading Sparrow’s tweet goes viral →