STEM Hub

18/08/2026

It sounds completely wrong. And most of the time, it is. But under certain conditions, initially hot water can begin or finish freezing before colder water.

It is called the MPEMBA EFFECT, and scientists are still arguing about exactly when it occurs, why it occurs and even what we should mean by “freezes first.”

Possible culprits include evaporation, convection, dissolved gases and supercooling—the strange ability of water to remain liquid even after dropping below its normal freezing point.

Because freezing is not simply:

WATER REACHES 0°C.
WATER BECOMES ICE.
SCIENCE GOES HOME.

Ice crystals first need somewhere to nucleate. The water must then release substantial energy as it changes from liquid to solid. Tiny differences in the container, water, airflow and cooling conditions can change the result.

And that is the point of science.

Define it.
Control the variables.
Test it.
Then try to prove yourself wrong.

That is exactly the kind of thinking behind The Next Lap Challenge—where students use STEM to design one innovation that could improve future racing at Albert Park. Open to all school grades from 4 to 12. To get involved go to www.stemhub.com.au/next-lap-challenge

Question the obvious. Test the impossible. Design what comes next.

16/08/2026

🍌 FUN FACT: Bananas are radioactive.

Yep. Actually radioactive.

Bananas are rich in potassium, and a tiny fraction of that potassium is a naturally occurring radioactive isotope called potassium-40.

A single banana gives off such a tiny amount of radiation that it’s completely harmless, but technically, it is radioactive.

Could you detect it with a Geiger counter? Maybe. One banana is usually too weak to stand out clearly from normal background radiation, but a whole bunch gives you a better chance.

Science is awesome. We love it. 🔬🍌

11/08/2026

Magnetism had a soundtrack!

Cassette tapes store sound as magnetic patterns on iron oxide-coated tape. Your tape deck's playhead reads those patterns and converts them back to audio.

No electricity needed to store the data. Just magnetism and time.

Eventually the magnetic charge degrades. The sound fades. That's why your 80s mixtape sounds worse than it did in 1985.

This is analog technology. Physical. Real. Imperfect.

Now compare it to your phone. Digital. Binary. Infinite copies, zero degradation.

Technology isn't progress. It's trade-offs. We gained precision. We lost the romance of something that could literally fade away.

Cassettes: a lesson in physics and nostalgia.

08/08/2026

Happy International Cat Day.

Cats teach STEM!
Physics: How they always land on their feet (rotational mechanics).
Biology: Why their eyes see 6x better in darkness (rod cells vs cone cells).
Neuroscience: How their brains process motion 3x faster than ours.
Engineering: Their spine's flexibility (230 bones vs our 206).

Your cat isn't just a pet. It's a walking science lesson.

Use it. Show your students. Cats make science stick.

06/08/2026

Look what Glen Waverley Secondary College is doing.

The Next Lap Challenge: students redesigning the future of racing.

This is STEM with purpose. Not worksheets. Real problem-solving. Real stakes.

Students apply aerodynamics, forces, motion, safety engineering, actual F1 concepts, to design their own innovation.

Victorian finalists get to showcase their work live at the Australian Grand Prix.

Get your school on board. Deadline: Friday, 12 February 2027.

National winners announced: 26 February 2027.

This is how you teach STEM: make it matter. Make it fast. Make it real.

Who's next?

16/05/2026

🐝 Calling all teachers and home educators!

If Term 3 STEM planning is on your to-do list - we've just made it a whole lot easier.

The Bee's Knees: Building Buzzing Gardens is a complete, curriculum-aligned STEM resource kit for Years 3–6, designed to connect students to something that genuinely matters - the conservation of Australia's native bees.

What's inside:
📓 Student Workbook - 6 scaffolded activities
🐝 Science of Bees Guide - rich science content written for students
📐 Judging Rubric - assessment ready
📚 Australian Curriculum v9.0 Alignment - all the hard work done
🎨 Fun Activity Sheets - 5 printable bonus activities
👩‍🏫 Teacher & Educator Guide - timing, facilitation notes, differentiation

✅ Instant download
✅ Fits within a single term
✅ Classroom AND home education ready

🌸 Winter is the perfect time to plan your spring garden unit - and this one is ready to go.

𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥: $𝟑𝟒.𝟗𝟓𝐀𝐔𝐃

👉 bit.ly/beesknees-stemhub

15/05/2026

Your Term 3 STEM unit is ready to go. 🐝

The Bee's Knees: Building Buzzing Gardens is a complete, curriculum-aligned STEM resource for Years 3–6, and it's just landed.

Students research real Australian bee species, design a bee-friendly garden, and present their findings with genuine purpose. The kind of project they're still talking about in Term 4.

What's included:
📓 Student Workbook
🐝 Science of Bees Guide
📐 Judging Rubric
📚 Australian Curriculum v9.0 Alignment
🎨 Fun Activity Sheets
👩‍🏫 Teacher & Educator Guide

Early bird price: $49 AUD - ends Sunday 17 May (then $65)

👉 bit.ly/beesknees-stemhub

06/05/2026

𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤.
𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞.
𝐒𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐭-𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

This is where engineering wins races. Now bring it into your classroom.

STEM on Track is live.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐩 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 is now open. 🏁🏎️

Inspired by the engineering that drives Formula 1® at the Australian Grand Prix, this challenge puts students in the role of real motorsport teams.

They work under pressure.
They think in systems.
They design, test, refine, and go again.

→ performance
→ precision
→ problem-solving

This isn’t theory. This is how engineering actually works. If you want your students thinking like the teams at Albert Park, this is it.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬:
• Submissions due: Friday, 12 February 2027
• National winners announced: 26 February 2027
• Victorian live finals: TBC

👉 View the challenge and get involved: https://www.stemhub.com.au/next-lap-challenge

Bring F1® inspired STEM into your classroom. A national challenge for schools where students design, test and compete using real science from the Australian Grand Prix.