Young STEM Journalism Articles

This article was written by an outstanding participant in Double Helix’s Young STEM Journalism Bootcamp!

This year, Letterly partnered with Double Helix to launch the inaugural 4-week program, inviting students aged 8 to 18 to write science news articles on the topics that matter to them! This article went through multiple rounds of editing with 1-to-1 feedback from Letterly’s highly qualified and passionate writing coaches. 

Students were asked to research topics about the most innovative and world-changing current events in the STEM world, ranging from AI in education, to genetic engineering, to gophers saving volcanic plains!

Articles written by Students

Nora Vastag

Ancient Writing Discovered in Syria

Imagine writing a gift tag, only for it to be discovered and marvelled at thousands of years later. Recently, at the American Society of Overseas Research meeting held in Boston, archaeologists presented evidence for the world's oldest writing on a clay cylinder found in a 4,400-year-old Syrian tomb. The cylinder, described as an ancient gift tag, bore the word “Silanu,” which researchers speculate could be a name. This discovery was revolutionary as it both showed signs of humans experimenting with communication technologies and also showed a different perspective that the word may be alphabetic letters rather than another type of writing system.
Nora Vastag

Life on Mars?

Imagine a secret colony of talking creatures inhabiting Saturn or purple and rose-coloured aliens living on Jupiter. Whether life exists beyond Earth is one of the most intriguing and debated topics in science, and a recent discovery on Mars might answer the debate. A discovery in July of 2024, conducted by NASA scientists, uncovered a vein-filled rock on Mars that featured chemical signatures and structures that could have been formed by microbial life billions of years ago. This discovery suggests that there is a high possibility that life once inhabited Mars.

Old Clothes and Carpet Turning into Concrete: A New Way to Reduce Textile Waste

Textile waste is a large problem, and when items have come to the end of their lives, it can be hard to recycle them, as individual fabrics require different processes to be correctly recycled. A recent project at RMIT University in Melbourne is turning textile waste into concrete sustainability. Engineers have been experimenting with incorporating fibres from old clothes and carpets into the concrete mixes, offering a solution to textile waste.
Nora Vastag

Cool Water Saving a Wonder of the World?

Great Barrier Reef, AUS -- Daddy bear’s porridge was far too hot. Mummy bear's porridge was far too cold. Baby bear’s porridge, however, as just right. This familiar tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a parallel to the current problem of Great Barrier reef coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is a significant problem for the great barrier reef; however, researchers have recently discovered cold patches of water that keep some coral reefs not as badly bleached, due to upwelling.
Nora Vastag

Genetically Engineered Fruits

Genetic Engineering has sparked debates and interests. It has the power to modify the building blocks of life, while also increasing income, agricultural efficiency and potentially even reducing food waste. Technologies for genetically modifying foods offer dramatic responses for meeting some of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. 
Nora Vastag

CSIRO is Shaping Energy’s Future with New Innovations

Australia's national science organisation, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is researching and creating new innovations that are unlocking new possibilities for solar energy. Led by Noel Duffy, head of Solar technology, they are using concentrated solar thermal technologies and tandem solar cells, to convert sunlight into electricity, and solar cells that work at night. All in all, CSIRO is dedefining how Australia generates and uses power (CSIRO).