Double Helix

Looking for seriously fun science, technology, engineering, and maths news for your curious kids or tech-talented teens? We've got you covered! Inside every issue you'll find articles, activities, puzzles, comics, and prizes galore. Perfect reading for enquiring minds, CSIRO's Double Helix magazine is packed with news, features, fun experiments, giveaways and more. Each issue focuses on a different theme, from smells to spaceships and beyond! With clear language and eye-catching design, the content promotes critical thinking, strengthens literacy skills and is the perfect fuel to spark or sustain an interest in STEM. Double Helix is published eight times a year. It is ideal for 8 to 13-year-olds and enjoyed by older readers as well.

ON THE COVER

Double Helix

HELIX HQ

ON THE DOUBLE

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING

STAR SPAGHETTI

LIVING ON AIR

SEARCHING FOR SEADRAGONS

DIAMONDS CREATED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

PETRICHOR AND GEOSMIN

VIBRATING EARTHWORMS

BY THE NUMBERS: PLANT TO PLATE

MAKING CHANGE FROM LITTLE THINGS • Do you love playing in creeks? Finding critters, racing sticks and splashing around? Kate Harriden does too.

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE? • Despite the dazzling array of fruit and vegetables at a greengrocer, it’s pretty easy to tell a brussels sprout from a lychee. But looks can be deceiving. When we dive deeper, fruits aren’t always what they seem. For example, is a tomato a fruit – or a veggie?

HOW TO BE A FOOD ADVENTURER

VANILLA: THE TASTY ORCHID • WHILE MANY ORCHIDS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR BEAUTY, VANILLA FLOWERS ARE HARDLY SHOWSTOPPERS. IT’S THEIR FLAVOURSOME PODS USED TO FLAVOUR ICE-CREAM, MILKSHAKES AND CAKES, THAT MAKE THIS ORCHID SPECIAL.

CHOCOLATE’S SWEET SCIENCE • Chocolate is smooth and creamy, comes in many different shapes and flavour combinations, and is a much-loved treat. So, what is it about chocolate that can send your taste buds into orbit? The secret is chemistry!

A VISIT TO MALENY CHOCOLATE CO • Imagine having a super-cool occupation, such as being a chocolate maker. Every day you are surrounded by chocolate! It’s enough to make your mouth water.

POSTER

OSMO MATH WIZARD

PLANTASTIC! A–Z OF AUSTRALIAN PLANTS

TIME-TRAVELLING SHED

ORCS IN SPACE

ROBOT FARMERS • If you live in a big city, you might imagine farms as rustic and old-fashioned, as they often are in the movies. The reality is different. Farmers are tech savvy, and they have the robots to prove it!

AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS YOU WALKING AWAY • SOMETIMES THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT IS TO GRAB A SCRAP OF PAPER AND DO A QUICK CALCULATION. SCIENTISTS CALL THESE ‘BACK OF THE ENVELOPE’ CALCULATIONS. GET YOUR ENVELOPE READY!

WHAT’S YOUR QUESTION? • Got a weird and wonderful question about science, technology, engineering or maths? If you don’t know who to ask, let us help you out! We’ll find answers to the best questions and publish them here.

SALAD DAYS

MAKE IT COMIC

RAINBOW FLOWERS • HERE’S AN ACTIVITY TO MAKE A CLASSIC FLOWER LOOK EVEN MORE GLAMOUROUS. TRANSFORM PLAIN, WHITE PETALS INTO A TWO-COLOURED CARNATION CREATION!

REGROWING VEGETABLES • GROWING VEGETABLES FROM SEEDS CAN BE FUN, BUT GROWING THEM FROM OLD KITCHEN SCRAPS IS EVEN BETTER. LEARN HOW TO TURN OLD SCRAPS DESTINED FOR THE COMPOST BIN INTO NEW, EDIBLE VEGIES!

A GAME OF MUSHROOMS • CREATE SOME CUTE LITTLE FUNGAL NETWORKS IN THIS MATHEMATICAL, MUSHROOM-DRAWING GAME.

CHOCOLATE-SHARING GAME • HERE’S A CHOCOLATE GAME YOU CAN PLAY AGAINST YOUR FRIENDS. YOU CAN EITHER USE A REAL BAR OF CHOCOLATE, OR DRAW THE GAME OUT ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND COLOUR IN THE SQUARES YOU EAT USING TWO COLOURS.

PUZZLES

PRIZES

ANSWERS