3D printing generally uses metal or plastic, but it isn’t limited to these materials. Chocolate, pasta and ash are among the stranger ingredients that have been printed, but none are as weird as a recent development – 3D printed brain tumours. As anyone who’s gone through treatment can confirm, killing cancer is currently very difficult; … Continue reading Scientists 3D print brain tumours
How to make bendy ice
Imagine bending an icicle. As weird as this sounds, it should be possible, and scientists have just made it happen (on a very small scale). Using simulations, we can calculate how bendy a material should be, but this doesn’t always match what we measure. Normal ice can only bend about 2 percent as much as … Continue reading How to make bendy ice
Fish addicted to drug pollution
Drugs can be very addictive, and not just for the humans who take them. Many chemicals can leave our bodies still-intact, travel through the sewage system and end up entering the food chain in our lakes and rivers. Scientists often check water pollution by measuring levels of different chemicals, including drugs. Recently, a team from … Continue reading Fish addicted to drug pollution
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
Uncovering the secrets of einsteinium
Einsteinium is a radioactive element found at the bottom of the periodic table. It was discovered in 1952 by Albert Ghiorso, who was studying the debris from a nuclear explosion. However, almost seventy years later, we’ve only just learnt some basic information about this rare element. Einsteinium is quite difficult to get, and even harder … Continue reading Uncovering the secrets of einsteinium
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
Tea leaves find space station leak
Astronauts are among the most resourceful people on (or off) the planet. Their isolation means they need to be ready to solve major problems using only the items they have around them – such as tea leaves. Over a year ago, the International Space Station sprung a leak. It’s normal for the station to lose … Continue reading Tea leaves find space station leak
The Ig Nobel Prize round-up 2020
It’s once again time to celebrate the Ig Nobel Prizes, the awards for “achievements that make people laugh, then think”. On the 17th of September, ten prizes were awarded in an online ceremony – here’s who won, and why. Acoustics – Stephan Reber, Takeshi Nishimura, Judith Janisch, Mark Robertson & Tecumseh Fitch Inhaling helium to … Continue reading The Ig Nobel Prize round-up 2020
Lachlan Writes Science 