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.

Well, it was only a matter of time ... but yes, I'm pleased to announce there's been another sighting of the Agogwe in Africa.

University of Otago researchers are pounding the pavement with dog-owners to discover how taking a walk with man's best friend affects a person's wellbeing.

Data from nuclear bomb testing helped New Zealand scientists pinpoint the age of a skeleton found in Australia, leading to a decades-old cold case being reopened.

Scientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes.

Many left-wing thinkers believe we have no "agency" or ability to make conscious choices, writes Deborah Hill Cone. Until we can work this one out we are not going to make much progress with rewiring criminals.

Scientists have uncovered what, for some couples, may be an uncomfortable truth: all people of European descent are related.

Some stroke victims may eventually recover lost hand function thanks to smart new computer system designed to fool the brain.

It is one of the most unusual evolutionary ideas yet proposed: humans are amphibious apes who lost their fur.

The temporary hearing loss from an outing at a noisy nightclub may not indicate damage to our ears as traditionally thought, new research shows.

Melanoma experts from New Zealand and around the world will meet in Wellington tomorrow to discuss latest research and plans to reduce incidence and impact of the cancer.

US President Barack Obama has proposed an effort to map the brain's activity in unprecedented detail, as a step toward finding better ways to treat such conditions as Alzheimer's, autism, stroke and traumatic brain injuries.

The belief that nervous shock can cause you to go grey overnight (medically termed canities subita) is one of those tales that could nearly be true.

The Government's chief pharmaceutical officer, Keith Ridge, said although the control mechanism for prescribing antibiotics had been strengthened in hospitals.

Scientists appear a step closer to conquering the Aids virus after doctors in the United States confirmed they had cured an infant born with HIV for the first time.

The discovery of inaccurate volume markings on baby bottles could save several infants from the serious side effects of having over-concentrated formula, says Plunket.

A Herald editorial has made a case for Labour's new housing policy and the intensification of terraced houses and apartment units in Auckland it will lead to.

The scientist who has given a "sixth sense" to laboratory animals has promised an even bigger revolution in the research field he has pioneered.

Lower Hutt mum Sarah Mahy says the Canterbury University study might clarify for her how concerned she should be about her children's speech.

Even though wheelchairs may fold up for easy transport in a car or plane, their wheels don't get smaller. That's where the Morph Folding Wheelchair Wheel comes in.