Latest from Science

Meet the Carolina Butcher
Newly discovered ancestor of modern crocodiles may have been one the world's top predators before dinosaurs arrived.

More work on case for AgResearch restructure
Auditor-General Lyn Provost says more work needs to be done on the business case for a $100 million restructuring of AgResearch, the country's largest Crown Research Institute.

Twelve Questions: Dr Michelle Dickinson
Dr Michelle Dickinson, aka ‘Nanogirl’, who runs New Zealand's only nanomechanical lab, talks about science on TV, radio, social media and in schools.

Is love really all in the mind?
We may now be a step closer to discovering what love is, thanks to a scientific study that has obtained the first empirical evidence of love-related alterations in the brain.

Kerre McIvor: Maybe science is right
Kerre McIvor writes: This week, an Aussie medical council made public a report concluding homeopathy is not effective for treating any medical condition. In effect, it's bunkum.

Lobster 'as big as a human'
A filter-feeding ''lobster'' as big as a human took the place of whales 480 million years ago, a new fossil find has shown.

Science gets explosive
An Auckland Arts Festival show doesn't just blow things up, blow things over, and blow people's minds, it proves that science isn't just for boys.

How fruit fly brains could one day cure jet lag
A bizarre experiment which saw scientists keep the brains of fruit flies alive in a dish for six days may hold the key to explaining - and eventually treating - jet lag.

Are smiling men more sexist?
Benevolent sexism makes men more smiley when they interact with women, and that's bad news.

Company to develop new screening system
A Christchurch start-up is developing a radiation-free breast cancer screening system that will perform better in hard-to-diagnose cases.

A $20 gadget that can save 70,000 mothers a year
The lives of tens of thousands of new mothers around the world could be saved by a simple, hand-held, British-made device.

Son and mum conceive baby
The first case of a mother acting as a surrogate to help her son become a parent raises deep questions about the changing nature of families, says Cristina Odone.

Expect photos as Dawn alights on exotic dwarf planet
Nasa was last night celebrating the arrival of its space probe into the orbit of dwarf planet Ceres but Kiwi stargazers will have to wait several weeks to see any fresh footage from the Dawn probe.

Menopause treatment cancer link has women worried
New British research linking hormone replacement therapy to ovarian cancer has caused Australian women to become concerned about the treatment, health experts say.

Is coffee good for you?
There's still a lot of work that needs to be done to make the leap between coffee not being bad for you and coffee being the cause of better health.

These are twins... believe it?
With such opposing looks it's hard to believe this striking pair are sisters. But they are much more than that - they are twins.

Breast milk research could help cure cancer
Research into how breast milk is produced could help in the search for a breast cancer cure.

Hunting with wolves survival key
Dogs are humanity's oldest friends, renowned for their loyalty and abilities to guard, hunt and chase.

Leonard Nimoy: The Jewish story of Spock
In this video, Nimoy describes the origin of his famous Star Trek hand greeting: The Jewish priestly blessing.

Stay awake listening to whales
Some of us listen to whale sounds to relax or sleep - but for Rosalyn Putland, it's serious science.

The great dress debate
Experts say there appears to be no right answer, regardless of the colour of the real dress.

Too much TV raises blood pressure in kids - study
Watching TV for more than two hours a day increases the risk of raised blood pressure in children, a study has found.

Full body transplant in 2 years
The world's first full-body transplant - in which someone's head would be sewn on to a donor body - could take place in just two years.

New HIV pill a 'game changer'
A game-changing trial has shown that rates of HIV infection can be slashed by treating actively gay men with an anti-viral drug when they are healthy.

Black Death: Don't blame the rats
Researchers say gerbils, not rats, should be blamed for wiping out millions during the Black Plague.

Big science projects fuelling data boom
Huge data-hungry science projects are fuelling a boom in New Zealand’s data industry, says the director of a company which has just launched the country’s first fully-automated cloud service.

NZ sunset out of this world
Photo taken from International Space Station shows the Cook Strait and North and South Islands in glorious detail as they are caught by glint of the setting sun.

Plastic-pollution battlers back on water
A group of young adventurers are taking to the water in some unusual kayaks in a bid to battle plastic pollution.

Monkey vaccine big step in Aids fight
A new kind of vaccine has shown "striking" results in tests against HIV, raising hopes of a therapy to protect people from Aids.