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Pluto: 'Something that high is surprising'
Dwarf planet's icy mountains are equivalent of ten-and-a-half Sky Towers stacked on top of one another.

'Another historic leap for humankind'
Nasa release amazingly detailed photos of Pluto - and there's a surprise: youthful mountains rising high above the dwarf planet's icy surface.

New way to stop you lying to the doctor
Ellie is a virtual human created by scientists at the University of Southern California to help patients feel comfortable talking about themselves so they'll be honest with their doctors.

Drones helping conservation
What have drones got to do with native plants? Quite a lot actually. And science reporter Jamie Morton will tell us why.

Has a boy found a test for Alzheimer's?
A 15-year-old British boy has developed a potential test for Alzheimer's disease that could allow the condition to be diagnosed 10 years before first symptoms appear.

Mini ice age on way
Earth is 15 years from a "mini ice age" that will cause bitterly cold winters during which rivers freeze over, scientists have predicted.

Sharks found in underwater volcano
Scientists have discovered at least two species of sharks living in an underwater volcano near the Solomon Islands.

How many friends do you really have?
While we share travel photos and life musings with a long list of virtual friends, the average person still only relies on a few people.

Beer-based fuel for Gull
Kiwis can now use a beer byproduct to fill their cars, with a new biofuel being unveiled at an Auckland service station today.

Chilly winter lures feathered friends
A scientist who has just overseen a sprawling nationwide bird count is keen to find out exactly why a chilly early winter has brought more feathered visitors into our back gardens.

How scientists can pinpoint an exact time of death
Austrian scientists have come up with a method that allows calculation of the time of death even after ten days.

Robot goes rogue, kills man
A rogue robot has killed a technician at a car factory in an accident with chilling overtones of a science fiction movie.

Which eye colour drinks most?
Researchers from the University of Vermont are the first to make a connection between eye colour and alcohol dependence.

Would you buy an electric car?
New research has shown that most Kiwis feel "positive" about electric vehicles and are willing to drive one in the future.

Scientists reveal new orca insights
Scientists have uncovered fascinating new insights about the commuting habits of Antarctic killer whales.

Condom change detects STIs
A condom that changes colour when it comes in to contact with sexually transmitted infections (STI) like chlamydia and herpes has been invented by teenagers.

NZ to offer quick, rare view of Pluto
Our country will next week offer international scientists a unique window to a quick and rare astronomical event that last occurred a decade ago.

GM lamb served for dinner
A lamb genetically modified to contain a jellyfish protein has entered the food chain in France, plunging Europe's top agricultural research institute into crisis.

Climate change a 'medical emergency'
The last 50 years of gains in development and global health could be undone by the “medical emergency” that is the threat of climate change to human health, scientists said today.

When is our next big bang?
When is our next big bang? That's the explosive question a team of scientists are going to try to answer.

Researchers join Ocean Sampling Day
University of Otago researchers joined almost 200 scientists from around the world to head out to take marine samples as part of the second Ocean Sampling Day yesterday.

Racing to mass extinction
Earth has entered its sixth mass extinction with animals dying out at 100 times the normal rate, scientists have warned.

Pig cells give new hope on Parkinson's
Pig cells are behind a new treatment which could help those living with Parkinson's disease combat its dramatic and sometimes debilitating effects.

Scientists 'grow' bones in lab
The ability to grow bones and organs in the lab for transplants has moved a step closer following a major breakthrough.

Steve Maharey: Food awards great chance to showcase innovation
Food is an integral part of life, and New Zealand has carefully cultivated a global reputation for food quality and safety, writes Steve Maharey.

Blood test could give ten year warning of Alzheimer's
In the largest study of its kind, the researchers monitored more than 1,100 proteins in the blood of 106 pairs of twins.