Toddlers (1-4 years)
Forces & Light
Cornflour Slime: With cornflour and water you can make slime! Go!
Mirror Fun: With two mirrors, you can make lots of silly faces. Go!
Shadow Puppets: Make shadow puppets with your hands, cardboard cut outs, toys and other objects. Go!
Window Colours: Place coloured cellophane on a window and experiment with mixing colours. Go!
Ball Run: Turn your fridge door into a giant ball track. Go!
Coat-Hanger Scales: Hang various things on coat-hangers to experiment with balance. Go!
Spinning Things: Explore items around the home that turn or spin. Go!
Air Play: Empty sauce bottles are great for making puffs of air! Go!
Static Balloons: Blow up a balloon and rub it on your hair to explore static electricity. Go!
Wobbly Balloon or Ball: Create a funny, wobbly ball. Go!
Box Guitar: Check out the sound that different rubber bands make when stretched around a lunch box. Go!
Maraca Shakers: Make shakers with uncooked rice or beans and practise some rhythms. Go!
Mini Drums: Stretch a balloon to make a drum and take turns tapping out a rhythm. Go!
Mooing Bucket: The larger an object (of similar material and shape) the louder the sound. Go!
Sound Quiz: Can your child guess what sound you are making when they cover their ears? Go!
Bottles in the Bath: Use bottles of various size and see which ones are easier or harder to sink. Go!
The Plug: Take the plug out of the bath and watch how the water moves as it goes down the plughole. Go!
Making Big Soap Bubbles: Make bubbles using your hands or objects you have found. Go!
Sound Under Water: Put one ear under water and listen when you tap the side of the bath. Go!
'Squidy' the Diver: Explore how air can be 'squashed' with this fun project. Go!
Humans
Scented Balloons: Can you smell the difference between a rose and some mint? Go!
Mirror Fun: With two mirrors, you can make lots of silly faces. Go!
Shadow Puppets: Make shadow puppets with your hands, cardboard cut outs, toys and other objects. Go!
Window Colours: Place coloured cellophane on a window and experiment with mixing colours. Go!
Measure Up: Try measuring hands and feet and see how they compare to the rest of the family. Go!
Mystery Box: Can your child figure out what's in the box? No peeking! Go!
Measuring Things: Measure the size, weight and volume of different things, including your own body. Go!
Sort It Out: Challenge your child to match a range of containers with their lids. Go!
Exploring Textures: Babies learn through all their senses, including touch. Go!
Maths
Measuring Things: Measure the size, weight and volume of different things, including your own body. Go!
Bubbles: Test out the properties of bubbles with these experiments. Go!
Bubble Mix Recipe: Here's a recipe using ingredients available in Australia. Go!
Nature
Flower Fun: Can you see where the coloured water goes? Go!
Ant Farm: Make your own ant farm using plastic bottles. Go!
Growing Things: Place the top of a carrot in water and watch it grow. Go!
Live Insects: Search your backyard for insects and observe what they look like and how they move. Go!
Terrarium: Build a small indoor garden and watch the seeds grow! Go!
Watering the Garden: Use a kitchen sieve to turn your garden hose into a shower. Go!
Reactions
Helping with Cooking: Bake a cake or cook some pancakes to explore volume, weight, texture and time. Go!
Cornflour Slime: With cornflour and water you can make slime! Go!
Bubble mix recipe: The best bubble mix recipe ever! Make your own bounty of beautiful bubbles. Go!
Bubbles: Test out the properties of bubbles with these experiments. Go!
Bubble Mix Recipe: Here's a recipe using ingredients available in Australia. Go!
Kids (5-11 years)
Featured
Can words be shaped?: Check out how the ‘sound’ of a word can influence your perception of shape. Go!
Corrugated paper: Triangles are strong shapes, so structures that use these shapes are very stable. Go!
Stop the rot: How did people keep food from going off before they had fridges? Go!
Nature's Balance: Can you add up the animals to balance the massive monkey? Go!
Wine Casks, Eskys and Lamingtons: We've always been innovative when it comes to transporting a packed lunch. Go!
Forces & Light
Make Tracks: Build - and ride - a roller coaster in your web browser! Go!
Curve Ball: It seems hard to throw a ball in a straight line when you're spinning in a circle! Go!
Make your own antibubbles: You’ve probably made regular bubbles before, but have you ever made antibubbles? Go!
Balloon kebab: Proof that you can skewer a balloon without popping it. Go!
Balloon-powered car: Who needs horsepower? Here's a car driven by balloon power! Go!
Balloons in bottles: Race a friend to blow up balloons in a bottle and you are guaranteed to win! Go!
Model of a lung: Explore how your body uses air pressure to inflate and deflate your lungs. Go!
Stop the pop: A battle arises between an air-filled balloon and a flame! Go!
Pop-top fountain: Create an explosive fountain of foam and gas! Go!
Soap boat: Sail the soapy seas with this activity full of high and low surface tension. Go!
Solar-powered oven: Create a solar-powered oven that uses light from the sun to warm food. Go!
Aluminium can static roll: Learn how you can create static electricity. Go!
Balloon compass: Pack a balloon, a magnet and a bucket of water, and you'll never get lost! Go!
Floating octopus: Watch as negative charges repel to suspend an octopus in mid–air! Go!
Pop fuse: How long will the balloon fuse last? Go!
Solenoid chute: Experiment with wire and a battery to create a magnetic field. Go!
Wired for sound: Build a small circuit to experiment with electric current. Go!
Cornflour slime: Explore how cornflour becomes thicker when pressure is applied. Go!
Falling marbles: Different fluids flow at different rates. Go!
Bottle accelerometer: Create a gadget that indicates the direction of acceleration. Go!
Bouncing with energy: How high will the smaller of two balls bounce? Go!
CD balloon hovercraft: A flying gliding hover craft – your very own compact mode of transportation! Go!
Corrugated paper: Triangles are strong shapes, so structures that use these shapes are very stable. Go!
Count the drops: Drip, drip, drip. How many drops can you place on a 20 cent coin? Go!
Knock down clown: Make a toy that refuses to be pushed around and always comes back for more. Go!
Pop rocket: Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda produces enough gas to power this small rocket! Go!
Ruler break: See the amazing hands of fury break a ruler! Go!
Steam powered can: With the steam from boiling water you can make a can spin around. Go!
Suspended egg: See how layers of salt water and fresh water can keep an egg suspended in a glass. Go!
Glass bottle orchestra: They sound pretty too! What songs can you play? Go!
Handmade honker: Here's a way to make some good vibrations - and produce sound! Go!
Humming hangers: Explore how sound is made and how it travels. Go!
Weird whirring widget: Feel some good vibrations and become a noisy nuisance with this wacky instrument. Go!
Cool crush: Watch out as this plastic bottle gets crushed! Go!
Temperature layers: Are your feelings for science a bit hot and cold? We have the perfect activity for you! Go!
Mentos fountain: Get set for a dynamite result in this experiment of heat production, change of state and pressure! Go!
Teabag rocket: Create a ‘rocket’ using an empty teabag and a flame. Go!
Cams: Cams can help make your machine follow a sequence of action. Go!
Gears: Gears can transfer motion energy and even magnify movement! Go!
Levers: Levers can be very handy if you need to open a door or swing a cricket bat. Go!
Pistons: Pistons are what let you stop a heavy car with just the strength of your foot. Go!
Pulleys: More pulleys give you more pulling power - enough to lift some incredible weights! Go!
Wheels: Wheels help objects move more easily by reducing friction between them and the ground. Go!
Coconut High: Can you figure out the right angle and power to launch the coconut into the target? Go!
Balloon Surprise: Can you make a balloon kebab? Go!
Echo in my Head: Be in your very own rubber band! Go!
Musical Coathanger: Turn an ordinary metal coathanger into a (very quiet) musical instrument. Go!
Pepper Scatter: What happens if you add some detergent to a tray of pepper? Go!
Shadow Shapes: Discover what shadows can tell us about light. Go!
Sink or Swim: Find out how fish can sink or swim by changing their buoyancy. Go!
A Stirring Sight: Have you ever seen a whirlpool change direction? Go!
Up, Up and Away with Bottles: Let's make water rockets! For science! Go!
Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes - how does Australia fair? Go!
Rocket Science 101: What is a rocket? And how do they fly so high? Go!
The 10 Rockets of Dr Yuri: Can you figure out which are rockets and which are projectiles? Go!
Collisions: What happens when two things bump into each other? Go!
Tornadoes: Did you know tornadoes have caused it to rain fish and frogs? Go!
Polar Wanderers or Continental Drifting?: Years ago, it was controversial to think that the Earth's continents constantly move! Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Humans
Can you saturate your eyes?: Can you fool your eyes into seeing opposite colours? Go!
Do you see raised bumps or dents?: Your brain uses the position and darkness of shadows to figure out shapes. Can you be tricked? Go!
Does brightness change how you see speed?: Do things appear to move faster depending on the colour of the background? Go!
Does the red spot shrink or change colour?: Your visual system ‘fills in’ the gaps with surrounding textures and views when the borders of an object are fuzzy. Go!
Male or female?: Do you see these faces as the same gender as others do? Go!
Which face is normal?: When a face is turned upside down, do you lose the ability to judge it? Go!
Who said that?: As we grow up, we meet people from lots of different backgrounds. Try matching voices to faces! Go!
Can words be shaped?: Check out how the ‘sound’ of a word can influence your perception of shape. Go!
Can you make up a memory?: Does your brain invent details that weren't there? Go!
Can you see what I'm saying?: What you see can influence what you hear! Go!
Curve Ball: It seems hard to throw a ball in a straight line when you're spinning in a circle! Go!
Flashing envelopes: This is an interesting effect best observed in low light (or better yet, utter darkness!) Go!
Disgustoscope: A normal kaleidoscope makes beautiful patterns by reflecting beads or coloured paper into symmetrical patterns. The disgustoscope’s angled walls cause the reflections to form a sphere shape. Go!
The Questacon Polar Challenge: Do you have what it takes to survive at the Poles? Go!
Model of a lung: Explore how your body uses air pressure to inflate and deflate your lungs. Go!
A test of nerve: Show your friends just how much nerve they have with this cool test. Go!
Scented balloons: Test your friends’ sense of smell with this crazy scented balloon experiment! Go!
Shake a box: Can you locate the wooden blocks inside a closed box? Go!
Taste test: Did you know your nose helps you to taste food? Go!
Tricky pictures: Ever wanted to lock-up your brother? Here's how you can! Go!
Blubber hand: Try your hand at this icy experience. Go!
Are You Eagle-Eyed?: Print out this test and see if you have the eyesight of an eagle. Go!
Hoopla: Would you rather be accurate or precise? Try this experiment and see which one you are. Go!
Monkey See: It's hard to pick things out in low contrast. Can you see the monkeys? Go!
Camouflage: Can you find the hidden shape? Go!
Herring Illusion: Can you see straight? Go!
Horse's Tail Illusion: How can the same colour look different? Go!
Moving Lines Illusion: Everything is shifting around! Go!
Müller-Lyer Illusion: How long is the line? Go!
Poggendorff Illusion: Can you make a straight line? Go!
Titchener Illusion: How large are they? Go!
Two Grey Steps Illusion: Grey is not always grey! Go!
Unreal Triangles: See the invisible. Go!
Zollner Illusion: See a new slant on parallel lines. Go!
Which is which, this or that?: Ambiguity and instability in images Go!
Picture This: Landscapes, background and camouflage. Go!
Delayed Telecasts: After-effects in colour and black and white. Go!
Ghost Busters: Movement, colours and shapes that aren't really there. Go!
Mission Impossible: Impossible figures, 3D interpretations. Go!
The Distorted Top Ten: Mind-tricks with shapes, colours, sizes and patterns. Go!
Far and Away: Depth perception and judging distance. Go!
Atten-shun!: Visual organisation and the role of visual attention. Go!
Word Perfect: Language illusions. Go!
Taste Test: Sensory illusions with the taste buds. Go!
Listen Up: Try these sound illusions! Go!
Heavy, Man: Power of past experience. Go!
Echo in my Head: Be in your very own rubber band! Go!
Musical Coathanger: Turn an ordinary metal coathanger into a (very quiet) musical instrument. Go!
Questacon Cards: Test yourself with this crazy optical illusion. Go!
The Emu: Do you know where to look to find the enormous emu in the night sky? Go!
The Sun: Aborigines in northern Australia tell the story to explain why there is night and day. Go!
The Seven Sisters: The stars we now call the Pleiades were once seven beautiful sisters. Go!
Tagai: The story of Tagai, as told by the people of the Torres Strait. Go!
The Seasons: The traditional story of the star Arcturus. Go!
The Moon: The story of how the Moon got into the sky, from Cape York. Go!
The Morning Star: The story of the Morning Star, as told in parts of the Northern Territory. Go!
The Southern Cross: Learn an Aboriginal story behind the best known of our constellations. Go!
Innovative People: How many Australians have won a Nobel Prize in science? Go!
School of the Air: We were the first to use School of the Air to educate isolated children. Go!
Gene Shears: An Australian technique to selectively cut out bits of unwanted or harmful DNA. Go!
Royal Flying Doctor Service: This wide brown land seems smaller thanks to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Go!
CSIRO: CSIRO is the largest scientific organisation in Australia. Go!
Human Cloning: You might be surprised to learn that human clones already exist! Go!
Arguments For Cloning: Some of the benefits in carrying out cloning research. Go!
Arguments Against Cloning: The cloning debate attracts quite passionate objections. Go!
Piecing Together the Puzzle of DNA: Three men were awarded the Nobel Prize, but what about the woman who worked with them? Go!
Einstein: The Man of the Century: Did you know Einstein was expelled from school at the age of 15? Go!
Einstein's Scientific Achievements: Trying to understand the laws of the Universe, here's some of what Einstein discovered. Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Burarra Gathering: Take a virtual trip to northern Australia to learn about the Burarra way of life. Go!
Innovation Showcase: Discover how talented minds in two nations are working together to advance science and technology. Go!
Inventions
The Questacon Polar Challenge: Do you have what it takes to survive at the Poles? Go!
Solar-powered oven: Create a solar-powered oven that uses light from the sun to warm food. Go!
Solenoid chute: Experiment with wire and a battery to create a magnetic field. Go!
Nappy soak: Dobbers might wear nappies but scientists can use them to experiment with polymers! Go!
Bottle accelerometer: Create a gadget that indicates the direction of acceleration. Go!
Cams: Cams can help make your machine follow a sequence of action. Go!
Gears: Gears can transfer motion energy and even magnify movement! Go!
Levers: Levers can be very handy if you need to open a door or swing a cricket bat. Go!
Pistons: Pistons are what let you stop a heavy car with just the strength of your foot. Go!
Pulleys: More pulleys give you more pulling power - enough to lift some incredible weights! Go!
Wheels: Wheels help objects move more easily by reducing friction between them and the ground. Go!
Decimal Sand Glass: Do you know whether your internal clock is running slow or fast? Go!
Spirit on the Level: Is the Earth really flat? If you had a gigantic spirit level, maybe you could check! Go!
Dividing Time: What would a clock look like if the day was divided into only 10 hours? Go!
Rocket Science 101: What is a rocket? And how do they fly so high? Go!
The 10 Rockets of Dr Yuri: Can you figure out which are rockets and which are projectiles? Go!
Innovative People: How many Australians have won a Nobel Prize in science? Go!
Wine Casks, Eskys and Lamingtons: We've always been innovative when it comes to transporting a packed lunch. Go!
Plastic Banknotes: Plastic solves the problem of banknotes that wear out quickly. Go!
Gene Shears: An Australian technique to selectively cut out bits of unwanted or harmful DNA. Go!
Bionic Ear: Great Australian science is helping deaf people to hear. Go!
Microsurgery: An Australian surgeon has pioneered microscopic surgery techniques. Go!
SolarScan: The Australian SolarScan will greatly improve early detection of skin cancer. Go!
VentrAssist: A smaller, safer, more reliable, less expensive, and Australian artificial heart. Go!
Black Box Recorder: A clever Australian invention takes the mystery out of air disasters. Go!
Aboriginal Technology: Aboriginal technology takes some effort out of hunting. Go!
Parkes Radio Telescope: Australia shows the world the first steps on the Moon. Go!
True Blue Loo: An Australian designed, environmentally friendly toilet. Go!
Improved Solar Cells: Australian scientists have reduced the cost of solar cells. Go!
Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch: A torch that can burn in rain, hail and shine, even underwater. Go!
100 Years of Innovation: Here's some of the greatest Australian innovations of the past 100 years. Go!
Applications of Photonics: Besides keychains and pointers, what are lasers good for? Go!
The History of Hot Air Balloons: Can you believe that the hot air balloon began with a sheep, a duck and a rooster? Go!
Science and Hot Air Balloons: Hot air balloons are fun to ride in, but do they have any useful purpose? Go!
All About Photography: When were photographs invented? How does a camera work? Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
World Community Grid: Use your home computer to help tackle some big problems! Go!
Burarra Gathering: Take a virtual trip to northern Australia to learn about the Burarra way of life. Go!
Innovation Showcase: Discover how talented minds in two nations are working together to advance science and technology. Go!
Maths
Make Tracks: Build - and ride - a roller coaster in your web browser! Go!
The Handcuffs Puzzle: Try getting out of these rope handcuffs (without cutting them)! Go!
Möbius Strip: Turn an ordinary piece of paper into a piece with only one side. Go!
Linking Paperclips: Here's a neat trick you can do with two paperclips and a strip of paper. Go!
Magic Numbers: Knowing mathematics can make you seem to have psychic powers. Go!
Magic Square: When adding numbers, it does not matter what order you add in. Go!
Impossible Hole: Can you cut a hole in a piece of A4 paper large enough to fit a person through? Go!
Bubbles: Test out the properties of bubbles with these experiments. Go!
Bubble Mix Recipe: Here's a recipe using ingredients available in Australia. Go!
Hoopla: Would you rather be accurate or precise? Try this experiment and see which one you are. Go!
Dividing Time: What would a clock look like if the day was divided into only 10 hours? Go!
Nature's Balance: Can you add up the animals to balance the massive monkey? Go!
Coconut High: Can you figure out the right angle and power to launch the coconut into the target? Go!
Out on the Farm: Can you cut this paddock into smaller ones with only a few straight lines? Go!
Triangle Teaser: Try your totalling on this tricky triangle teaser! Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Nature
Tyrannosaurus: Find out what the name Tyrannosaurus means! Go!
Apatosaurus: The Apatosaurus is a very long dinosaur. Do you know how long? Go!
Stegosaurus: Did Stegosaurus ever battle Tyrannosaurus rex? Go!
Maiasaura: Do you know where the Maiasaura lived? Go!
Triceratops: Find out how much a Triceratops weighs - and more! Go!
Dinosaur FAQs: Here's a few things about dinosaurs every good palaentologist should know. Go!
The Quizasaurus: Test your knowledge of dinosaurs! Go!
Make A Fossil Cast: Here's how to make a copy of an object, such as a bone or shell. Go!
Create Dino Tracks: With some plasticine you can create a realistic scene of dinosaur tracks! Go!
The Questacon Polar Challenge: Do you have what it takes to survive at the Poles? Go!
Model of a lung: Explore how your body uses air pressure to inflate and deflate your lungs. Go!
Pepper scatter: Learn why some animals can walk on water by investigating the surface tension of water. Go!
Bottled clouds: Experiment with making clouds from water droplets and dust. Go!
Mini greenhouse: Create your own mini-environment and grow some alfalfa. Go!
Predator or prey: It’s a race between predator and prey to see who can catch the most food. Go!
Rising water table: How can you help prevent salt from destroying farmland? Go!
Salt, soil and seeds: Find out how salt in the soil affects plant growth. Go!
Sink or Swim: Find out how fish can sink or swim by changing their buoyancy. Go!
Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes - how does Australia fair? Go!
Control of Introduced Species: Using biology, we can control the spread of introduced pests. Go!
Gene Shears: An Australian technique to selectively cut out bits of unwanted or harmful DNA. Go!
Dolly - The Wonder Sheep: Learn more about Dolly, the first cloned mammal. Go!
The Death of Dolly: At the age of six, Dolly was diagnosed with a form of arthritis. Go!
Cc - The Copy Cat: In December 2001, researchers cloned a pet for the first time. Go!
Arguments For Cloning: Some of the benefits in carrying out cloning research. Go!
Arguments Against Cloning: The cloning debate attracts quite passionate objections. Go!
Tornadoes: Did you know tornadoes have caused it to rain fish and frogs? Go!
Polar Wanderers or Continental Drifting?: Years ago, it was controversial to think that the Earth's continents constantly move! Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Burarra Gathering: Take a virtual trip to northern Australia to learn about the Burarra way of life. Go!
Reactions
Make your own antibubbles: You’ve probably made regular bubbles before, but have you ever made antibubbles? Go!
Permanent bubble colours: Here's a way to make a sheet of lasting, bubble-like colours. Go!
Flashing envelopes: This is an interesting effect best observed in low light (or better yet, utter darkness!) Go!
Salty prism: Grow crystals using ordinary salt! Can you make crystals that are shaped like cubes? Go!
Bubble mix recipe: The best bubble mix recipe ever! Make your own bounty of beautiful bubbles. Go!
Oil and water: Help enemies become friends in this colourful experiment. Go!
Pepper scatter: Learn why some animals can walk on water by investigating the surface tension of water. Go!
Pop-top fountain: Create an explosive fountain of foam and gas! Go!
Soap boat: Sail the soapy seas with this activity full of high and low surface tension. Go!
Storm in a Saucer: Oil and water usually don't mix - but they do when you add a bit of detergent! Go!
Bottled clouds: Experiment with making clouds from water droplets and dust. Go!
Borax slime: This non-Newtonian fluid has gooey grossness and a bit of bounce. Go!
Cornflour slime: Explore how cornflour becomes thicker when pressure is applied. Go!
Lava lamp: Get down and boogie with the funky side of science. Go!
Nappy soak: Dobbers might wear nappies but scientists can use them to experiment with polymers! Go!
Pop rocket: Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda produces enough gas to power this small rocket! Go!
Blubber hand: Try your hand at this icy experience. Go!
Science ice-cream: Cold, creamy and scientifically intriguing! Go!
Toilet roll cooler: Create your own refrigerator with the cool power of evaporation! Go!
Chromatography card: Now it's a star. What will change when you add the water? Go!
Colourful chemistry: Cook up a storm in the kitchen... just don’t eat it! Go!
Edible candle: Energy, oxygen and fuel are the three essential ingredients to make fire. Go!
Mentos fountain: Get set for a dynamite result in this experiment of heat production, change of state and pressure! Go!
Stop the rot: How did people keep food from going off before they had fridges? Go!
Bubbles: Test out the properties of bubbles with these experiments. Go!
Bubble Mix Recipe: Here's a recipe using ingredients available in Australia. Go!
Pepper Scatter: What happens if you add some detergent to a tray of pepper? Go!
Reading With a Candle: People have been reading by candlelight for ages, but this activity is a bit different. Go!
Rocket Science 101: What is a rocket? And how do they fly so high? Go!
The 10 Rockets of Dr Yuri: Can you figure out which are rockets and which are projectiles? Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Space
CD balloon hovercraft: A flying gliding hover craft – your very own compact mode of transportation! Go!
Steam powered can: With the steam from boiling water you can make a can spin around. Go!
Star gazer: Have you ever wanted to see the night sky... when it wasn't night time? Go!
The Emu: Do you know where to look to find the enormous emu in the night sky? Go!
The Sun: Aborigines in northern Australia tell the story to explain why there is night and day. Go!
The Seven Sisters: The stars we now call the Pleiades were once seven beautiful sisters. Go!
Tagai: The story of Tagai, as told by the people of the Torres Strait. Go!
The Seasons: The traditional story of the star Arcturus. Go!
The Moon: The story of how the Moon got into the sky, from Cape York. Go!
The Morning Star: The story of the Morning Star, as told in parts of the Northern Territory. Go!
The Southern Cross: Learn an Aboriginal story behind the best known of our constellations. Go!
Comet Information: Where do comets come from? What are they made of? Go!
Meteor Strike: Find out what might happen if a giant meteor were to hit the Earth! Go!
Weight on different planets: Would you weigh more or less if you were on another planet? Go!
Make a comet: Make your very own comet with some dry ice and a bit of soil. Go!
Leo: Make a paper version of the constellation Leo. Go!
Scorpio: Make a paper version of the constellation Scorpio. Go!
Orion: Make a paper version of the constellation Orion. Go!
Ursa Major: Make a paper version of the constellation Ursa Major. Go!
Southern Cross: Make a paper version of the best known of our constellations. Go!
Between the Orion and Horsehead Nebulae: Check out this wide angle view of of part of Orion. Go!
The Horsehead Nebula: Radiation from Sigma Orionis is enough to light this scene. Go!
The Tarantula Nebula: This is the only extragalactic star-forming nebula that can be seen with the unaided eye. Go!
Antares: Have a look at some of the faintest yet most spectacular nebulae. Go!
Supernova 1987A: Even though it exploded about 170 000 years ago, we can still see its light. Go!
The Cone Nebula: Here's a photo of some distinctive yellow nebulae. Go!
The Helix Nebula: Here's a photo of the nearest of the planetary nebulae. Go!
Toby Jug Nebula: A photo of the Toby Jug Nebula, IC 2220. Go!
Cluster of Galaxies: Check out this group of galaxies in Fornax, 55 million light years away. Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Tweens and Teens (12+ years)
Featured
Can words be shaped?: Check out how the ‘sound’ of a word can influence your perception of shape. Go!
Forces & Light
Make Tracks: Build - and ride - a roller coaster in your web browser! Go!
Curve Ball: It seems hard to throw a ball in a straight line when you're spinning in a circle! Go!
Make your own antibubbles: You’ve probably made regular bubbles before, but have you ever made antibubbles? Go!
Pop-top fountain: Create an explosive fountain of foam and gas! Go!
Balloon compass: Pack a balloon, a magnet and a bucket of water, and you'll never get lost! Go!
Bouncing with energy: How high will the smaller of two balls bounce? Go!
Pop rocket: Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda produces enough gas to power this small rocket! Go!
Steam powered can: With the steam from boiling water you can make a can spin around. Go!
Cool crush: Watch out as this plastic bottle gets crushed! Go!
Mentos fountain: Get set for a dynamite result in this experiment of heat production, change of state and pressure! Go!
The ABCs of Lissajous Patterns: Adjust the speed to see what patterns you can create. Go!
Wave Addition: Twist the knobs and see what happens what shapes result when you combine waves. Go!
Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes - how does Australia fair? Go!
Polar Wanderers or Continental Drifting?: Years ago, it was controversial to think that the Earth's continents constantly move! Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Humans
Can you saturate your eyes?: Can you fool your eyes into seeing opposite colours? Go!
Do you see raised bumps or dents?: Your brain uses the position and darkness of shadows to figure out shapes. Can you be tricked? Go!
Does brightness change how you see speed?: Do things appear to move faster depending on the colour of the background? Go!
Does the red spot shrink or change colour?: Your visual system ‘fills in’ the gaps with surrounding textures and views when the borders of an object are fuzzy. Go!
Male or female?: Do you see these faces as the same gender as others do? Go!
Which face is normal?: When a face is turned upside down, do you lose the ability to judge it? Go!
Who said that?: As we grow up, we meet people from lots of different backgrounds. Try matching voices to faces! Go!
Can words be shaped?: Check out how the ‘sound’ of a word can influence your perception of shape. Go!
Can you make up a memory?: Does your brain invent details that weren't there? Go!
Can you see what I'm saying?: What you see can influence what you hear! Go!
Curve Ball: It seems hard to throw a ball in a straight line when you're spinning in a circle! Go!
Flashing envelopes: This is an interesting effect best observed in low light (or better yet, utter darkness!) Go!
The Questacon Polar Challenge: Do you have what it takes to survive at the Poles? Go!
QCSI - Questacon Crime Scene Investigation Go!
Camouflage: Can you find the hidden shape? Go!
Herring Illusion: Can you see straight? Go!
Horse's Tail Illusion: How can the same colour look different? Go!
Moving Lines Illusion: Everything is shifting around! Go!
Müller-Lyer Illusion: How long is the line? Go!
Poggendorff Illusion: Can you make a straight line? Go!
Titchener Illusion: How large are they? Go!
Two Grey Steps Illusion: Grey is not always grey! Go!
Unreal Triangles: See the invisible. Go!
Zollner Illusion: See a new slant on parallel lines. Go!
Which is which, this or that?: Ambiguity and instability in images Go!
Picture This: Landscapes, background and camouflage. Go!
Delayed Telecasts: After-effects in colour and black and white. Go!
Ghost Busters: Movement, colours and shapes that aren't really there. Go!
Mission Impossible: Impossible figures, 3D interpretations. Go!
The Distorted Top Ten: Mind-tricks with shapes, colours, sizes and patterns. Go!
Far and Away: Depth perception and judging distance. Go!
Atten-shun!: Visual organisation and the role of visual attention. Go!
Word Perfect: Language illusions. Go!
Taste Test: Sensory illusions with the taste buds. Go!
Listen Up: Try these sound illusions! Go!
Heavy, Man: Power of past experience. Go!
The Q Mystery: Explore the fascination of overlapping images to create Moiré patterns. Go!
Wave Addition: Twist the knobs and see what happens what shapes result when you combine waves. Go!
The Emu: Do you know where to look to find the enormous emu in the night sky? Go!
The Sun: Aborigines in northern Australia tell the story to explain why there is night and day. Go!
The Seven Sisters: The stars we now call the Pleiades were once seven beautiful sisters. Go!
Tagai: The story of Tagai, as told by the people of the Torres Strait. Go!
The Seasons: The traditional story of the star Arcturus. Go!
The Moon: The story of how the Moon got into the sky, from Cape York. Go!
The Morning Star: The story of the Morning Star, as told in parts of the Northern Territory. Go!
The Southern Cross: Learn an Aboriginal story behind the best known of our constellations. Go!
Human Cloning: You might be surprised to learn that human clones already exist! Go!
Arguments For Cloning: Some of the benefits in carrying out cloning research. Go!
Arguments Against Cloning: The cloning debate attracts quite passionate objections. Go!
Piecing Together the Puzzle of DNA: Three men were awarded the Nobel Prize, but what about the woman who worked with them? Go!
Einstein: The Man of the Century: Did you know Einstein was expelled from school at the age of 15? Go!
Einstein's Scientific Achievements: Trying to understand the laws of the Universe, here's some of what Einstein discovered. Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Burarra Gathering: Take a virtual trip to northern Australia to learn about the Burarra way of life. Go!
Innovation Showcase: Discover how talented minds in two nations are working together to advance science and technology. Go!
Inventions
The Questacon Polar Challenge: Do you have what it takes to survive at the Poles? Go!
Applications of Photonics: Besides keychains and pointers, what are lasers good for? Go!
Binary Code: How do you send information with light? Go!
The History of Hot Air Balloons: Can you believe that the hot air balloon began with a sheep, a duck and a rooster? Go!
Science and Hot Air Balloons: Hot air balloons are fun to ride in, but do they have any useful purpose? Go!
All About Photography: When were photographs invented? How does a camera work? Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
World Community Grid: Use your home computer to help tackle some big problems! Go!
Burarra Gathering: Take a virtual trip to northern Australia to learn about the Burarra way of life. Go!
Innovation Showcase: Discover how talented minds in two nations are working together to advance science and technology. Go!
Maths
Make Tracks: Build - and ride - a roller coaster in your web browser! Go!
Out on the Farm: Can you cut this paddock into smaller ones with only a few straight lines? Go!
Pan-diagonal Magic Square: Can you arrange the numbers on the magic square following a few simple rules? Go!
Questacon Choo-Choo: Can you calculate how long baby Sylvana will be in the dark? Go!
The Queens: Try and place the queens on the chess board so that every square is under attack. Go!
The Seven Bridges: Is it possible to cross the bridges without crossing the same one twice? Go!
The Triplets Party: Can you arrange the seven sets of triplets around the party tables? Go!
The Williams Family: Can you arrange the family from tallest to shortest? Go!
Tower of Hanoi: Can you move the coloured discs from one peg to another? Go!
Triangle Teaser: Try your totalling on this tricky triangle teaser! Go!
Binary Code: How do you send information with light? Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Nature
The Questacon Polar Challenge: Do you have what it takes to survive at the Poles? Go!
Bottled clouds: Experiment with making clouds from water droplets and dust. Go!
Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes - how does Australia fair? Go!
Dolly - The Wonder Sheep: Learn more about Dolly, the first cloned mammal. Go!
The Death of Dolly: At the age of six, Dolly was diagnosed with a form of arthritis. Go!
Cc - The Copy Cat: In December 2001, researchers cloned a pet for the first time. Go!
Arguments For Cloning: Some of the benefits in carrying out cloning research. Go!
Arguments Against Cloning: The cloning debate attracts quite passionate objections. Go!
Polar Wanderers or Continental Drifting?: Years ago, it was controversial to think that the Earth's continents constantly move! Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Burarra Gathering: Take a virtual trip to northern Australia to learn about the Burarra way of life. Go!
Reactions
Make your own antibubbles: You’ve probably made regular bubbles before, but have you ever made antibubbles? Go!
Flashing envelopes: This is an interesting effect best observed in low light (or better yet, utter darkness!) Go!
Salty prism: Grow crystals using ordinary salt! Can you make crystals that are shaped like cubes? Go!
Pop-top fountain: Create an explosive fountain of foam and gas! Go!
Bottled clouds: Experiment with making clouds from water droplets and dust. Go!
Borax slime: This non-Newtonian fluid has gooey grossness and a bit of bounce. Go!
Pop rocket: Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda produces enough gas to power this small rocket! Go!
Science ice-cream: Cold, creamy and scientifically intriguing! Go!
Toilet roll cooler: Create your own refrigerator with the cool power of evaporation! Go!
Mentos fountain: Get set for a dynamite result in this experiment of heat production, change of state and pressure! Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
Space
Steam powered can: With the steam from boiling water you can make a can spin around. Go!
The Emu: Do you know where to look to find the enormous emu in the night sky? Go!
The Sun: Aborigines in northern Australia tell the story to explain why there is night and day. Go!
The Seven Sisters: The stars we now call the Pleiades were once seven beautiful sisters. Go!
Tagai: The story of Tagai, as told by the people of the Torres Strait. Go!
The Seasons: The traditional story of the star Arcturus. Go!
The Moon: The story of how the Moon got into the sky, from Cape York. Go!
The Morning Star: The story of the Morning Star, as told in parts of the Northern Territory. Go!
The Southern Cross: Learn an Aboriginal story behind the best known of our constellations. Go!
Comet Information: Where do comets come from? What are they made of? Go!
Meteor Strike: Find out what might happen if a giant meteor were to hit the Earth! Go!
Weight on different planets: Would you weigh more or less if you were on another planet? Go!
Make a comet: Make your very own comet with some dry ice and a bit of soil. Go!
Leo: Make a paper version of the constellation Leo. Go!
Scorpio: Make a paper version of the constellation Scorpio. Go!
Orion: Make a paper version of the constellation Orion. Go!
Ursa Major: Make a paper version of the constellation Ursa Major. Go!
Southern Cross: Make a paper version of the best known of our constellations. Go!
Between the Orion and Horsehead Nebulae: Check out this wide angle view of of part of Orion. Go!
The Horsehead Nebula: Radiation from Sigma Orionis is enough to light this scene. Go!
The Tarantula Nebula: This is the only extragalactic star-forming nebula that can be seen with the unaided eye. Go!
Antares: Have a look at some of the faintest yet most spectacular nebulae. Go!
Supernova 1987A: Even though it exploded about 170 000 years ago, we can still see its light. Go!
The Cone Nebula: Here's a photo of some distinctive yellow nebulae. Go!
The Helix Nebula: Here's a photo of the nearest of the planetary nebulae. Go!
Toby Jug Nebula: A photo of the Toby Jug Nebula, IC 2220. Go!
Cluster of Galaxies: Check out this group of galaxies in Fornax, 55 million light years away. Go!
Study Resources: Here's a list of some of our favourite web sites. Go!
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