How the Martian ice age shaped the red planet
spaceMars was once covered in ice sheets that carved out thousands of giant valleys in the same way as on Earth, challenging previous theories of Mars as a warm, wet planet covered in oceans
Star Wars-inspired AI skin passes touch tests
technologyLuke Skywalker’s robotic hand in Star Wars has inspired scientists to develop “electronic skin” that could allow people with prosthetic limbs to feel texture, temperature and pain
Aussie giraffe takes world height record
animalsAfter a tricky time measuring him, a 12-year-old giraffe called Forest – who lives at Australia Zoo in Queensland – has been confirmed as the world’s tallest giraffe, standing at 5.7m
Dream machine to choose your own adventure
scienceScientists have invented a wearable device that helps you dream about suggested topics then records you talking in your sleep to help you remember your dream when you wake up
How the Martian ice age shaped the red planet
spaceMars was once covered in ice sheets that carved out thousands of giant valleys in the same way as on Earth, challenging previous theories of Mars as a warm, wet planet covered in oceans
Star Wars-inspired AI skin passes touch tests
technologyLuke Skywalker’s robotic hand in Star Wars has inspired scientists to develop “electronic skin” that could allow people with prosthetic limbs to feel texture, temperature and pain
Aussie giraffe takes world height record
animalsAfter a tricky time measuring him, a 12-year-old giraffe called Forest – who lives at Australia Zoo in Queensland – has been confirmed as the world’s tallest giraffe, standing at 5.7m
Dream machine to choose your own adventure
scienceScientists have invented a wearable device that helps you dream about suggested topics then records you talking in your sleep to help you remember your dream when you wake up
The 2020 Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee has been postponed due to the disruption to schools on account of Covid-19. Click here for more details.
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NASA’s Perseverance rover joins race to Mars
spaceThe Perseverance rover has joined spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China on the 480 million kilometre journey to Mars
The history of the Olympic Games
sportWe should have been cheering on our Olympic heroes in Tokyo right now. But with coronavirus putting the Games on hold for another year, it’s a chance to take a look at where the magnificent sporting tradition started
Aussie dogs to train as pandemic sniffer force
healthThe first COVID-sniffing dogs could be on patrol in airports, hospitals or quarantine within months as Australian scientists work to deploy puppy power in the hunt for unidentified patients
Reindeer herders find woolly mammoth
animalsScientists are working to retrieve the skeleton of a woolly mammoth from the shallows of a lake in northern Siberia where reindeer herders discovered it in recent days
‘Karen’s’ mask fight not just about her rights
civicsLike a school essay, a cartoon is a way to compare and contrast two sides to an issue. In this case it’s about someone demanding their rights but forgetting their responsibilities to the vulnerable
Virgin Galactic reveals space cabin design
spaceFor $350,000, passengers flying to space on a 90-minute Virgin Galactic joy ride will be able to see themselves floating weightless against the backdrop of the Earth below
Hole in dam wall saves epic eel journey
environmentEels in Tasmania can now swim through a hole drilled in a dam wall to help them begin their incredible 3000km migration north to breeding grounds in the Coral Sea around New Caledonia
Australia, the land of great ideas
historyWhether you’re in your classroom or reading this story on Kids News from home, you’re most likely using Wi-Fi, an Australian invention and one of a long list of smart ideas we’ve had so far
Solved: the mystery of smelly armpits
scienceScientists now understand the substances that make armpits smell, that they predate Homo sapiens and they may have had an important role in communication between our ancestors
Zoo welcomes southern white rhino calf
animalsUmqali the southern white rhino has given birth to a healthy calf at Monarto Safari Park in South Australia in great news for the efforts to save the species from extinction
Aussie invents paint to beat coronavirus
scienceIn what may be one of the biggest breakthroughs yet in combating COVID-19, a scientist has invented a surface coating that wipes out the virus and may continue working for years
China’s Mars mission blasts off
spaceIt’s getting busy on the way to Mars, with China joining the United Arab Emirates to launch a mission to the red planet and NASA preparing to send off its Perseverance rover
Plan to save Australian honey bees
technologyNew Aussie technology could halt one of the 21st century’s most troubling trends: the sudden decline in bee populations around the world
Last 747 flying kangaroo in the sky
historyAfter 50 years of service, the Qantas 747s — nicknamed the Queen of the Skies — are retiring and the last plane on its last flight traced the shape of a kangaroo in the sky
Awesome iPhone photo award winners
artsIt’s hard to believe the winners from the annual iPhone Photo Awards — described as the ‘Oscars of mobile photography’ — were taken with an iPhone or iPad. Which is your favourite?
Cartoonist says sorry for taking the mickey
newsWe all know when you try to do something in front of a camera, things don’t turn out quite as you would like them to. This was the case with the Health Minister and his face mask
KFC plans to 3D print chicken nuggets
scienceA fast-food chicken chain is creating lab-grown meat made from stem cells to create a “meat for the future”, as a burger chain feeds cattle lemongrass to try to cut methane emissions
Scientists find active volcanoes on Venus
spaceNew research has discovered 37 active or recently active volcanic structures on Venus, evidence that our hot, toxic neighbour isn’t the dormant planet we thought it was
Bushfires threaten 49 Australian species
animalsScientists are just beginning to understand how the bushfires devastated populations of native animals. See the full list of species that are now – suddenly – under threat
‘Whisper-quiet’ hybrid jet design revealed
technologyAeroplane designers are working on projects that could have us flying around in eco-friendly, almost-silent, battery-powered jets or sleek blended-wing aircraft like military stealth bombers
Mars mission headlines big week in space news
spaceUAE launched its first mission to Mars on Monday as it strives to reduce the country’s reliance on selling oil. On the ISS, NASA astronauts complete a space walk and prepare to head home
World’s pile of electronic waste grows
environmentMassive mountains of discarded TVs, phones and computers around the world grew to a record high in 2019, but in Australia, the precious resources in your old devices can be recycled
Uncomfortable uniforms could force girls out of sport
sportGirls are dropping out of sport at high rates as they move from tweens to teens and a new study is looking to see if uniforms are part of the problem
What does it feel like to touch a cloud?
weatherYou might already know how it feels to touch a cloud without realising it. We explain what a cloud is and why they sometimes turn into rain, snow and hail
Qld set to be Australia’s sporting capital
sportAll Victorian AFL clubs and Victorian and NSW-based Supercars racing teams will move to Qld in a big win for the Sunshine State, with the location of the 2020 AFL Grand Final to be confirmed
Calls to change cheese health star rating
healthDespite more than 90 per cent of Australians not eating enough dairy, cheese is being overlooked as a source of calcium and “good” fats, with some cheeses only rating 1.5 health stars
Roadblock stops Premier’s getaway
newsCartoonist Mark Knight discusses Victoria’s change of circumstances as coronavirus case numbers increase, and whether Premier Daniel Andrews is running away from responsibility
Tassie time lapse of our Milky Way galaxy
spaceA beginner astrophotographer has braved Tasmania’s freezing winter nights to capture the Milky Way’s dance across the night sky in some of the state’s most picturesque locations
Dog becomes essential worker during pandemic
animalsA chocolate Labrador has been doing an important job to help people stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering food in a straw basket around his neighbourhood
Race is on to reach the Red Planet
spaceTraffic is about to get busy on the interplanetary route between Earth and Mars as three rival missions leave Earth during July in time for the next Earth-Mars Close Approach in October
Big bird flies without flapping
animalsScientists have observed an Andean condor — the world’s largest soaring bird — riding air currents to fly more than 160km over five hours without flapping its wings
Meet ‘tiny bug slayer’, the ideal pet
animalsA pre-dinosaur-era creature that would have made a great pet and fitted in the palm of your hand has been discovered. Meet Kongonaphon kely, whose name means “tiny bug slayer”
