Latest from Science

Dinosaur-era fossil found in streambed
The fossil of a squid-like creature wiped out with the dinosaurs has been discovered in a Hawkes Bay streambed. What makes it such a 'significant' find for NZ?

How science helped win D-Day
"Sea," said King Canute, the 11th-century Danish King of England, "I command you to come no further!"

Bio-pesticide could stem catastrophic decline in honeybee numbers
A pesticide made from spider venom has been found to kill insects without harming honeybees.

Trip to Mars via Big Brother
The creator of 'Big Brother' is to turn the "world's toughest job interview" - for a one-way ticket to Mars - into the ultimate reality show.

Scholar hits on recipe to train robots
An endless video loop of cooking shows could hold the key to robots that can unstack a dishwasher and play Lego with the kids, a New Zealand student of robotics says.

Scientists 'reactivate' lost memories
Scientists in America are hopeful of a breakthrough in curing Alzheimer's, following a study that shows a way of bringing back the lost memories of dementia patients.

Students get once-in-a-lifetime research opportunity
Six University of Canterbury students are taking part in what has been called a once-in-a-lifetime research opportunity.

Programme turns to Antarctica for climate change answers
Sea ice, winds and invertebrates will go under the microscope in the next stage of a major science programme turning to Antarctica to answer crucial questions about how the Earth will respond to climate change.

Extinct for 4m years, until found here
An animal believed to have been extinct for four million years has been found near Picton.

Monster waves breaking Arctic ice
Large waves are apparently to blame for breaking up sea ice on a larger scale than thought, explaining a rapid decrease in Arctic ice.

Alps mission out to solve gravity puzzle
A sleek Gulfstream V worth nearly $100 million is set to soar into the South Island next month, but it won't be carrying magnates or celebrities.

Breeding stock for a changing climate
American scientists are attempting to breed chickens that can cope with scorching heat as part of a series of government-funded programmes.

Back to basics call to fight bug threat
Hospital wards need to be redesigned to provide urgently needed defences against the spread of deadly, antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Fairyfly Tinkerbell discovery
A "ghost snail", a tiny fringed fairyfly named Tinkerbell and a pale yellow sea anemone that is at home under a glacier are on an international list of the 10 top species discovered last year.

Success: Where science meets commerce
When scientist Dr Kimberlee Jordan returned to New Zealand after 10 years of study abroad, she couldn't face another research paper.

Antarctica losing 159 billion tonnes of ice a year
The Antarctic ice sheet is disappearing at twice the speed of when it was last surveyed, losing 159 billion tonnes of ice to the ocean every year.

Female scientists - invisible?
A quarter of people are unable to name a single famous female scientist, either living or dead, a European-wide study will reveal this week.

Reduce dissections in uni, petition says
Calls are being made to remove dissections from first-year courses as the killing of animals at universities comes under fresh scrutiny.

Start-ups' R&D boost 'fantastic'
Start-ups pouring money into research and development will get a cash-flow boost under a tax measure that is seen as a "great response" to the sector's challenges.

Secret of why lightning strikes
It is said that lightning never strikes twice. But scientists have long been puzzled as to how lightning even strikes at all.

Pre-historic NZ sea lion discovered
Scientists have discovered a pre-historic mainland species of sea lion thought to have been wiped out by Polynesian settlers and replaced by the modern NZ sea lion.

8 giant prehistoric water monsters
Bones discovered over 30 years ago in the Waipara River in Canterbury have now been identified as the elasmosaurs. Here are eight sea monsters that once cruised in the earth's waters.

Moa and kiwi not so close - study
A new study has put even more genetic distance between the extinct moa and their old bush mates, the kiwi, but found similarities with a South American bird.

Sheepskin science to bust low value reputation
A research breakthrough could net our economy $125 million each year by combining cutting-edge technology with something New Zealand famously has in abundance - sheep.