What linguists call prosody describes the variations in timing, pitch and stress patterns in speech that help people convey meaning and emotion.

Numerous studies now show the risk of many different cancers is undoubtedly influenced by diet.

Vision problems in young children could be picked up years earlier with technology being developed by University of Auckland researchers.

If the vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet melted, oceans would rise by 50 metres. This week, new scientific evidence will be presented that shows it's at risk.

Scientists have looked at the issue of dairy and inflammation and have recently published a systematic review of the issue, writes Niki Bezzant.

Scientists are using the same mathematical concept that explains why we all keep left on footpaths to tackle some of New Zealand's biggest issues.

For victims of traumatic brain injuries is hyperbaric oxygen therapy hope, or is it all in their heads?

It's been a great week for New Zealand women in science.

A deprived childhood was the making of the inventive doer who now wants to improve lives in the Third World.

Whale specimens with long surfboard-like snouts have been identified by University of Otago palaeontology researchers.

When the midwife handed me my newborn son, my first thought was that this hideous homunculus could surely not be mine. He was bald and jaundice-yellow, his little features squashed into an expression of profound dismay at finding himself in the world.

A report revealing the extent of bullying among surgeons has shocked the profession, and it is vowing to change.

In vitro fertilisation cycles using thawed frozen embryos have been shown to be just as successful as fresh ones in a report today.

As it gets harder to tear our eyes away from smartphones, TV sets, tablets and computers, concerns are growing over a blue light emitted by their screens, blamed for harming the retina and causing interrupted sleep.

An invasive species of ants has been discovered to carry a virus linked to the deaths of honey bees.

A Rotorua geyser which has been dormant for more than 35 years has caught locals off guard after suddenly erupting.

Scientists discover new species of deadly spider burrowed in rotting log in NSW.

A British developer has come up with an ingenious way of getting rid of annoying spam emails and getting revenge on the people sending them in one fell swoop.

Wanted: Right-handed, English-speaking male dope smokers aged between 18 and 45 for a university study on brain activity.

Using modern smartphone applications to keep track of your vital signs can be a good thing ... as long as you don't read too much into tiny data anomalies.

Cancer treatments could be more effective when they are combined with aspirin, a British study has suggested.

New Zealand scientist Jilly Evans will have you believe it was luck that made her one of the world's leading researchers in the development of therapies for cancer and arthritis.

Dr Michelle Dickinson, also known as Nanogirl, is an Auckland University nanotechnologist who is passionate about getting Kiwis hooked on science. Tweet her your science questions @medickinson.

With Herald science writer Jamie Morton @jamienzherald.

Research shows that people who grow up on farms have way fewer allergy and asthma problems than the rest of us.

Almost three years ago, Nobel Prize- winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman penned an open letter to researchers working on social priming.

A breakfast treat once thought to be bad for your health has now been shown be part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Humans are responsible for having wiped out nearly half of the trees on earth, according to new research co-authored by a Kiwi scientist.

What goes on beneath Earth's crust is one of the biggest mysteries facing geophysicists.

The 'love hormone' shows promise as a tool for treating children with autism, says a United States scientist visiting the country.