Hint: Try taking another magnet and moving it slowly over the fridge magnet. Is it all magnetic? What pattern do the ‘magnetic bits’ form?

Solution: The magnetic sections are arranged in strips, with non-magnetic sections in between. When you line up a magnetic section of one magnet with a non-magnetic section on another magnet, the magnetic sections pull together, creating the force you can feel.

Interestingly, fridges are not magnetic if they have no magnets on them. The magnet induces a magnetic field in the fridge, by lining up the magnetic moments in the metal of the fridge wall. This is why fridge magnets are never repelled by any fridges (as you would expect if fridges were naturally magnetic, as eventually you’d be bound to find a magnet that had the same polarity as the fridge, and poles that are alike will repel each other).

The Blue Moon butterfly population on the island had been devastated by a bacterial parasite - in 2001, males of the species made up just 1% of the specimens studied. A gene protecting against the bacteria was developed naturally by the species, and as of 2006 the male population was back up to 40%.

Scientists are astonished at the speed of the organism’s response - rather than thousands of years, the change came about in only 5.

Speedy butterfly evolution astonishes scientists - ABC News

Uncovered in May after nearly 40,000 years, the female mammoth weighs 50kg and is the size of a large dog. It is believed the specimen was about 6 months old at the time of death.

Scientists salivating over baby mammoth find - ABC News

When alive, the squid would have been over seven metres long, weighing around 200 kilograms.

The squid will be taken to Hobart for more investigation.

Scientists ponder giant squid ‘mystery’ - ABC News

The smart bins compact the rubbish in them using solar power, and will send an email or text message to the council when they are full.

Solar ’smart’ bins given email link to garbos - ABC News

The creatures - a type of crustacean known as an isopod - are burrowing into the soft soil and volcanic rock of the island to lay their eggs. The island itself is getting smaller and smaller as every time a typhoon comes through, the loosened soil is washed away.

The highest peak of the island has disappeared completely, as can be seen in the photographs that accompany the article.

Crustaceans eating away island off Hiroshima - Mainichi Daily News via MSN

It is thought that early farming communities were responsible for domesticating the cat, some 100,000 years ago.

DNA traces origin of domestic cat - BBC News

In the study, researchers developed an enzyme which was able to attack the virus and remove it from infected cells.

The scientists warned that while the breakthrough is significant, a viable treatment for humans is still a long way away.

Research breakthrough may lead to HIV cure: study - ABC News

As well as great-tasting fruit, the The Mango Genomics Initiative wants to develop mango plants that produce more fruit on a regular basis, from a smaller plant.

Research under way to grow the ‘perfect’ mango - ABC News

Shifting sand was causing problems with the old jetty, which was hurting the local economy.

90,000 plastic milk containers, as well as other recycled materials, went into the new jetty.

Swansea unveils recycled jetty- ABC News