By comparing global maps from the present day and the early 1990s, researchers have concluded that a 10th of all the world's wilderness has been lost in just 20 years.

How climate change will affect cherished species like tuatara and takahe - and countless others around the world - urgently needs to be assessed, scientists say.

Spending 2 hours a week walking, gardening or playing golf may offset the deadly impact of drinking too much alcohol, research suggests.

An internationally renowned Kiwi chemistry researcher has been honoured by her fellow scientists with a top medal.

A new innovation that looks like something between a tent and a spacecraft could save the lives of marine species if the country is faced with another major oil spill.

Scientists believe they have found all asteroids near Earth the same size as that which killed the dinosaurs, but many other smaller ones remain undetected.

The Storr Lochs Monster was first discovered in 1966, but scientists couldn't study the fossil until now.

Life on Earth has its challenges but what about life on Mars? Can humans ever survive on our neighbouring red planet?

Strange radio activity picked up from the outer reaches of the universe proved the latest false alarm of finding extra-terrestrial life.

COMMENT: Have you ever been sat on a flight with a crying baby, wondering more and more with each successive wail how much longer you can stand the sound?

A ground-breaking strategy from America is teaching isolated children how to make friends. Tanith Carey finds out how.

As investigators share their latest breakthroughs at Brain Research NZ's annual conference, Jamie Morton took a close look at 10 new Kiwi-led advances.

Could meditating in your lounge be just as good for you as that break in Fiji? Scientists have the answers.

COMMENT: The medical use of microbeads has led to many advances but their cosmetic applications can cause havoc to the marine food chain.

The first drug to combat Alzheimer's disease is on the horizon.

Women who drink a large glass of wine each night may harm their chance of having a baby, a study suggests.

If confirmed, this would push the established fossil record more than 200 million years deeper into the Earth's early history.

A scientific breakthrough could replenish vast expanses of our countryside with lush native forest - and offer a lucrative new forestry industry for New Zealand.

WATCH: Scientists have successfully used drones to capture detailed images of Southern right whales.

Spring arrives tomorrow and with it, generous bundles of warmth and sunshine. But the new season won't be a welcome joy for everyone.

Did we get a message from aliens on HD 164595b? Hold on to your tinfoil hats.

As campaigners hail a High Court ruling allowing regional councils to decide whether GMOs can be banned in their areas, an organisation representing bio-scientists calls for a legislation overhaul.

NZ Cancer Society medical director Dr Christopher Jackson discusses urgent worries around New Zealand's systems for reviewing and funding ground-breaking new cancer drugs.

In this morning's Focus: Could aliens have sent a 'strong message' from space? And Apple gets a massive bill from Ireland.

Watch NZH Focus: Radio signals detected from deep space and kept secret by the Russians are now being investigated by international scientists.

A Nobel Prize-winning scientist visiting New Zealand says the things you learn in school aren't everything.

Dr Helen Taylor, a rising star in the world of science communication, explains why Kiwis need to hear more from our research community.

New Zealand's tuatara has proven itself a treasure trove of genetic surprises - among them its distant DNA link to humans.

The ocean between New Zealand and Australia is one of the fastest-warming ocean regions on the planet, heating up at four times the global average.