Latest from Science

Comet probe 'will wake up' - scientists

'We're confident at some stage it'll wake up again.' The Philae lander has been quiet since sending back initial photos, but sunshine could revive it.

NZ's R&D spend among world's lowest

NZ's world ranking for R&D spending continues to drop, according to a report by Grant Thornton, which puts NZ near the bottom of the table.

Can we bring the huia back to life?

A symposium being held today at Massey University will discuss the potential "de-extinction" of NZ birds, with the huia sitting at the top of the list.

Eye for a great shot

Snow-capped Mt Taranaki stands out in this view from space in a new book.

Funding NZ with science

The Government is pouring $139m into 48 of NZ's most promising research programmes. The projects, if successful, will benefit a range of NZ businesses.

Mammoth cloning dilemma

DNA samples from an exceptionally well-preserved extinct Mammuthus found in Siberia, have raised the prospect of cloning.

The hunt for NZ's mega-shark

It’s pitch black and Kina Scollay is in a cage at the bottom of the ocean as huge shapes emerge from the darkness.

Philae probe's power may revive

Kiwis work on smart arm brace

An intelligent arm brace adding extra muscle by flexing, as we do, will be created in a landmark German-Kiwi collaboration.

LanzaTech the world's hottest bioenergy firm

New Zealand-founded LanzaTech has been named the world’s hottest bioenergy company in a prestigious annual list.

Wonder protein behind newborns' brain sex

Kisspeptin has now been found by New Zealand researchers to play a key role in moulding the male brain just hours after birth.

Eat, drink + be merry! Memorable meals

The maxim that it's not what you eat for dinner, but who you share it with, now has scientific credence.

Laser goes skin deep for 3D picture

Imagine being able to peer deep below your own skin in 3D - and without even having to break the surface.

Harsh times created judgmental gods

People living in hardship are more likely to believe in moralising, high gods, according to a major new study co-authored by New Zealand researchers.

Hitching a ride on a comet

Within a few days, scientists will manoeuvre Europe's £1 billion ($2.1 billion) Rosetta spacecraft directly above a massive ball of ice, dust and organic chemicals called Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Yes, ghosts and hauntings do exist ... but only in our minds

Ghostly apparitions have been produced by scientists in a mind experiment so disconcerting for participants that two begged for it to be stopped.

Crack Ebola team in race to find cure

Scientists from one of the world's leading institutes of tropical medicine, which first discovered the Ebola virus in the 1970s, flew out to Guinea yesterday to begin ground-breaking research into a possible cure.

Dita De Boni: Govt loath to let facts come between friends

Science = good (very good, if supporting the government = political point-scoring). Annoying science with expensive ramifications = bad, writes Dita De Boni.