Everyone procrastinates. I became somewhat distracted by completely irrelevant websites while preparing this article, for instance, writes Reichelt.

It's been one of the mildest flu seasons in 20 years, but the young, elderly and Pacific Island and Maori people are still at serious risk from the flu.

Picture a car you can drive for as long as you like without ever having to fill it up or plug it in.

Scientists say they have made a breakthrough on possible treatments for diabetes and pancreatic problems.

Scientists studying North Island robins, bowel bacteria and condensed matter physics are among the winners of prestigious research fellowships announced this morning.

Sportsmen who wear bright trainers are signalling that they are masculine, cocky and excellent at their sport, a new study claims.

We are usually told that daydreaming is a waste of time and mental power, but the ability to daydream offers us tremendous flexibility in our daily lives.

New Zealand scientists have unearthed what may be a main reason nicotine replacement therapy is not a failsafe cure for tobacco addiction.

Scientists found that men with masculine, low-pitched voices are better at attracting women - at least those looking for short-term flings.

One in six of us is genetically disposed to gain little or no benefit from exercise. Still waiting for his six-pack, Patrick Strudwick took a test to find out if he's among them.

A Chinese man has had a new nose grown on his forehead. The man, who has only been named as Xiaolian, had the treatment to create a replacement for his original nose which was infected and deformed.

New research suggests people sick of waiting to be served at a bar can speed things up with their body language and by looking directly at serving staff.

Human trials of a locally developed Parkinson's disease treatment have begun in New Zealand after the first round yielded promising results.

Kimberley Jane Dark has made it clear that she doesn't want to be kept alive with a feeding tube.

Scientists are preparing to test a potential therapy for Huntington's disease in sheep that have been genetically modified to carry the mutation that causes the disease.

When patients have a certain kind of brain surgery to treat epilepsy at Auckland City Hospital is sent over the road to the Auckland University for research.

British business executives, sports stars, celebrities and anyone else with £38,400 ($75,300) to spare will be able to freeze a backup of their adult selves for potential use decades later.

Australian doctors have achieved a world first by helping a woman become pregnant from ovarian tissue grafted into her abdomen.

There's a saying in autism circles that a worried mother does better research than the FBI.

Science writer Matt Ridley once described the human mating system as "monogamy plagued by adultery," which sounds a little judgmental.

Kiwi scientists have proven there's a reason why some people enjoy the smell of things that others might retch at.

A New Zealand-born archaeologist involved in the discovery of a new species of people, known as "hobbits'', has died.

Judy-Anne Osborn asks "Could a dire new infection sweep the world in a matter of weeks? Might the disease be so strange it alters the behaviour of people beyond recognition, making them predatory and fearless?"

A US scientist is convinced that it's possible for us to to become younger and live to be much older than we do now.

Parents can help boost their children's language skills by teaching babies to talk from birth, a new books claims - and local experts say the advice is sound.

University of Otago microbiologist Prof Greg Cook and the university's new infectious disease containment laboratory have found themselves in the research front line in the international war against tuberculosis.

A pathology service has become the first in New Zealand to use a a high-tech barcode tracking system to help eliminate the risk of laboratory botch-ups.

Nasa's Mars rover Curiosity finally caused some real curiosity last week with a photo of what appeared to be a "rat" on Mars, writes Rhys Darby.

The use of twins to reveal the genetic roots of human attributes has had a mixed history, though the technique offers rich scientific pickings.

Barbara Oliver has had an intriguing relationship with her identical twin sister, Christine, over the decades. Throughout their childhoods they were treated as two versions of the one person: they were dressed the same and given the same hairstyles.