Double Helix Issue 79

Cover of 'Double Helix' magazine issue 79, showing a kangaroo in a park setting, bending over to peer curiously at the camera.

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Double Helix Issue 79 is all about mammals – jaws, paws and claws!

Put your paws together for our relatives, the mammals! From jaws to bums, learn how Aussie mammals eat and digest so many different things. You can also really dig into claws, the built-in tools for a bunch of mammals with different ways of life. For some science about us humans, check out our student-written story about a newly discovered alphabet. + Full description

We’ve got heaps of fun experiments to bring it all home! Work with your dog or cat to see the teeth that make your pet special. Get a little technical by making a working robot hand. And we’ve got a recipe to make plastic from scratch, out of a surprising ingredient – milk!

- Short description

News

Issue publication date: 15 April 2025

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Details

Magazine | April 2025 | $ 11.99
ISBN: DH10/79 | 40 pages | 297 x 210 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour illustrations, Colour photographs

Features

Looking for science, technology, engineering and maths news? We've got you covered! Inside every issue you'll find articles, activities, puzzles, comics and prizes galore.

Features
THE OLDEST ALPHABET – Student writer Shreyaa Ramaswami shows us the oldest letters ever discovered
VERY IMPORTANT CREATURES – Bundjalung community members share which animals, plants and ecosystems they care about most
MARSUPIAL MARVELS: THE SCIENCE OF KANGAROO HOPPING – Kangaroos are amazing jumpers! Their secret is in the bounce
SUPER-SLURPERS AND CUBE POO-ERS – Don’t be grossed out by these fascinating facts about marsupial digestion
CLAWS: THE BUILT-IN TOOLS FOR LIFE – Digging, climbing, running, hunting … different mammals have different claws for different jobs

Regulars
Snippets
Poster
Reviews
Time-travelling Shed
Planetary Post
Tech Timelines
Back of the Envelope
Microscope
Fiction

Activities
'Meat' the Scissor Teeth
Make A Robot Hand
Mould Milk Into Shapes
Make It Comic
Mammal Unscramble
Puzzles

Competitions
Exploring the Great Outdoors!
Pocket-sized Parachute
Pin It

Authors

The Double Helix team is part of CSIRO Publishing and has a long-standing reputation for delivering expertly written, fascinating and fun science material for young people, with an aim to foster an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).