Award-winning science writer Dr Rebecca Priestley's new anthology of Antarctic science, Dispatches from Continent Seven, starts out with her own experience on the ice.

Study finds people more likely to mingle with people with similar physical traits — including levels of attractiveness.

Psychologists reveal why we close our eyes when locking lips.

Kiwi researchers have used an elaborate stadium experiment to show that beautiful people really are the centre of attention when it comes to how we mingle.

The science behind this and five other long-pondered questions.

New findings are being described as a "paradigm shift" in the understanding of diabetes.

A recent breakthrough poses new hope.

We are releasing carbon into the atmosphere at an alarming rate, and we will soon eclipse the only known "thermal maximum".

New Horizons spacecraft has transmitted spectacular images back that reveal surprises. Here's a summary of just a few scientific results to date.

The so-called Tully Monster could be the most repulsive looking creature to ever have roamed the oceans.

British astronomers have discovered a cluster of nine "monster" stars 30 million times brighter than the Sun which could change our understanding of the way stars are formed.

It's one of the most enigmatic specimens ever found. And now, half a century after its discovery, researchers claim to have found its place in the tree of life.

COMMENT: Alan Duff's vitriol and vilification of religion is counter-scientific and unwarranted.

A new drug is being trialled that enables the body's immune system to detect and attack cancer tumours.

Scientists believe by 2045 they will have achieved immortality.

As a daughter who has watched her father lose his battle with cancer, I am empathetic to families who try to access cannabis products illegally, writes Michelle Dickinson.

Pathologists stunned by "staggering" results.

What if we could fight climate change by capturing emissions and locking them away? It sounds good, but the obstacles are huge, reports Chris Mooney.

The "root of all evil" has been discovered by scientists who found that part of the brain fires up before nefarious acts are carried out.

Do you sometimes find yourself losing focus on the job? Is your thinking a little fuzzy? It could be something in the air.

The best things in life are not only free - they also arrive before we hit middle-age, it seems.

Viagra could be given to women in childbirth to reduce complications and save babies' lives.

Crows and parrots have sophisticated thinking skills on a par with those of apes such as chimpanzees, researchers claim.

A device that sends an electric current into nerve fibres found in the ears could help millions of people with depression.

Feeding babies peanuts at least three times a week could protect them from developing nut allergies in later life, a study has found.

Adult play is a booming branch of the wellness industry, but can it really relieve stress? Cherrill Hicks finds out.

A new paper from researchers at Johns Hopkins University suggests that learning to ignore certain things is a powerful tool for helping people focus.

Cancer is an unconventional enemy requiring unconventional ideas to tackle it. Enter Zebra fish embryos.

American Astronaut Scott Kelly returns from space, having grown two inches during his time in orbit. / AP

The science behind why glass gives a better flavour.