As stories of sinister clown encounters surface in NZ and around the world, sociologists talk to Russell Blackstock about what is driving this dark fad.

COMMENT: How on earth do these findings translate to people who drink gin, coffee or beer being probable psychopaths? Quite simply, they don't.

COMMENT: This week I ate a 3D printed pancake. The printer used standard pancake batter as its "ink" and printed it on to a non-stick hot-plate.

Outgoing US President Barack Obama has revived calls to send humans to Mars by 2030s - but even if astronauts get there, would they remember much of it?

Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck has been crowned EY New Zealand entrepreneur of the year.

"Somebody was walking through this exact spot, at this moment in time, thousands of years ago," said scientist Kevin Hatala.

This bizarre virus infects bacteria that infect spiders. It makes a spider-bacteria-virus-spider turducken.

VILLAGE SCIENCE: Te Whakarewarewa Village Charitable Trust chairman James Warbrick with an air sampling cartridge, along with village

Collating data on eruptions, earthquakes and gas emissions promise new predictive tools.

Sarah Kessans spent the "best week of her life" at a Nasa training centre in Texas.

COMMENT: Following the recall of faulty airbags by Japanese manufacturer Takata, it's timely to look at the science behind these livesaving devices.

Scientists have just discovered a new species of heavyweight shark - but we're 20 million years too late to have seen it.

A visiting world-renowned expert on childhood behavioural disorders is set to share insights into how kids' sleep problems can hurt their academic performance and later success in life.

Kiwi food company's product range includes wild ants, huhu grubs, locusts and cricket powder.

A new million-dollar study could deliver the key to the Government's bold bid to clear the nation of pest predators by 2050.

Huge dinosaur footprint discovered in Gobi Desert is possibly largest ever.

Will we get arthritis like our parents used to tell us?

Scientists have revealed new insights into the ancestors of Maori, confirming that the first people to settle in Pacific were from Asian farming groups.

COMMENT: For the past several months, creepy clowns have been terrorising America, with sightings of actual clowns in at least 10 different states.

One hundred thousand kiwi could be scratching around our bush by 2030, under plans unveiled by the Government today.

The Rosetta spacecraft has crashed into Comet 67P, ending a 12-year mission and providing unique close ups of the surface.

Most of us are confused about diet because we're always trying to pin the blame on one nutrient, says an expert.

The idea of aliens having already visited Earth is "improbable, impossible, mind boggling" for many. That's why these guys stick together.

Smoking is now much more of a rarity thanks to amendments in the smoke-free Environments Act and new 10 per cent a year tax rise.

Researchers mapped out the homicidal histories of over 1000 mammals - and found NZ's sea lion among the most murderous.

It's well known that Kiwis have a love affair with caffeine - but how many of us know about the potential hidden harm it could be causing us?

A renowned visiting psychologist is set to delve into why most of us put up with social inequality.

It's a real thing: Attractiveness is boosted by appearing next to those less good-looking

Two New Zealand universities are among the top 100 in the world for these subjects...

COMMENT: While some news stories tell us NZ bee numbers are plummeting, others say hive numbers have doubled. Which are correct?