Science Illustrated

Editor: Jez Ford editor@scienceillustrated.com.au Art Director: Malcolm Campbell National Account Manager: Amanda Patrick apatrick@nextmedia.com.au ph: 0432 918 235 Production Manager: Peter Ryman Associate Publisher: Daniel Findlay GM Consumer Publi

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ANIMALS New dog owners are often advised to think carefully about the best breed of dog for their situation before letting a new four-legged friend into their homes. There are books and online guides offering a wealth of advice (and prejudices) regar

1: 5. The top number divided by the two bottom ones combined equals 4, 5, 6, 7, and then 8. For instance 52 / (6+ 7) = 4. And 63 / (5+ 4) = 7. 2: 10 of hearts. In the top row, the system is +3, -5, +7, -9. So, the fifth card must be 10. In the bottom

CONSERVATION GENETICS Most Australian emus live in healthy-sized populations, but Northern Rivers emus are endangered, with less than 60 wild emus now remaining around the region east of the 3500-kilometre Great Dividing Range. The geography has kept

TECHNOLOGY If you went to a doctor to get a skin cancer check today, and they found something suspicious, a tissue sample would most likely be collected for analysis using a scalpel. It’s an essential process: two-thirds of Australians will be diagno

ANIMALS Countless studies have demonstrated how alcohol intake affects our brains and bodies. Yet alcohol consumption remains a deeply rooted part of human culture – and has been so for thousands of years. But why are we so keen on fermented liquids?

HUMAN BRAIN If you get lost in a big city, the best person to ask for directions may not be a local urban dweller, but someone who is visiting from the country. That’s the conclusion of a new study which indicates that the place where you grew up is

15.2 metres is the width of the mechanism on John Deere’s X9 1100 combine harvester. The impressive ‘wing span’ allows it to harvest 115 tonnes of wheat per hour. TECHNOLOGY The biggest existing combine harvester is the John Deere X9 1100 made by Dee

1 L1 and L2 have often been used for satellites. L1 allows a constant view of the Sun, while L2 offers an uninterrupted view of the more remote universe. 2 L3 will probably never be used for satellites. The position has no special advantages, and dir

HUMAN BRAIN Possibly yes. According to studies, people with big heads also have big brains. And although intelligence is difficult to define, there is every indication that brain size does influence our IQ. Experiments with siblings who grew up in th

ZOOLOGY Many people think that butterflies lose their ability to fly – and could even die – if you rub the dust off their wings. This is a dramatic and romantic concept, but it has little to do with reality. The dust on the surface of the wings consi

1 When an egg cell divides during the first two weeks after fertilisation, the result is two eggs with identical DNA. Under ordinary circumstances, they will develop into identical twins. 2 For unknown reasons and in rare cases, something goes wrong

1 Tardigrades protect their cells against radiation by means of the protein Dsup. In experiments in which scientists inserted the gene that produces this protective protein into human cells and subjected them to X-raying, DNA damage was reduced by 40

Are you acting in a morally acceptable way when you help your best friend? Most people would say yes, of course. But what if you were helping your friend to spread fake news and conspiracy theories online? Generally, we consider helping each other an

Another early morning jam on the busy radial road to work. Your car has come to a halt amid horns honking from impatient motorists stuck in the ever-extending rush ‘hour’. Then a message appears, projected onto your windscreen: ‘Do you wish to switch

Globally, 420 million people have diabetes, and 1 in 6 of them are treated with insulin. Today, we don’t need dogs or cattle and pigs to make insulin. Instead it is produced using genetically modified bacteria and yeast cells. In spite of these more

The 15cm-long pancreas produces a digestive secretion that is diverted to the food in the duodenum via a duct. The enzymes of the secretion help break down the food in the intestines, allowing the body to absorb the nutrients. In the pancreas, groups

→ In 2007, when scientists examined the mummy of the female Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut, it turned out that she had diabetes. She was obese, which is one of the causes of type 2 diabetes. Hatshepsut died of cancer at the age of approximately 50. → Th

Physiologist August Krogh is invited to the US after having been awarded a Nobel Prize. But he is unable to go, as his wife has been diagnosed with diabetes. The Kroghs finally travel to America to visit Banting’s lab in Canada. There Krogh wins the

1 Wet organic material such as sewage slurry or food scraps is heated to 350°C and subjected to 250 times the pressure at Earth’s surface for a few minutes. Water, gas and dry matter are removed. 2 The substance is treated with hydrogen, which combin

1 Which number replaces the question mark here? 2 Which card replaces the question mark below? 3 What is the logic of this sign, and how far is it to Sydney? 4 How many triangles are in this illustration? A: 28 B: 32 C: 35 D: 37 E: 40 5 You have two

Fear of spiders is known as arachnophobia, and it is one of the most common phobias in the world. Between 3% and 15% of the world population is estimated to suffer arachnophobia. Of course, a fear of tarantulas may not be considered entirely irration