Science writer Matt Ridley once described the human mating system as "monogamy plagued by adultery," which sounds a little judgmental.

Oops, I seem to have accidentally joined a cult. This is disturbing. I don't go to church.

The Saturn moons Mimas and Pandora remind us of how different they are when they appear together, as in this image taken by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft.

Kiwi scientists have proven there's a reason why some people enjoy the smell of things that others might retch at.

A New Zealand-born archaeologist involved in the discovery of a new species of people, known as "hobbits'', has died.

We are not alone. Scientists have discovered a second blue planet in the Universe, although this one is decidedly inhospitable and unlikely to support life.

A prominent agricultural scientist says New Zealand deserves only a half-mark for its biosecurity efforts - and warns that new free-trade agreements and increased tourism could pose a threat at the border.

While sharks are usually feared more for their fangs, researchers have captured video footage of thresher sharks which use their tails as a weapon to stun or kill prey.

Act Party leader John Banks will make a rare vote against his coalition partner National this week to maintain his passionate defence of animal rights.

Scientist, engineer and Rocketlab founder Peter Beck wants to make reaching space as easy as buying a new car. And with many powerful international backers, he just may achieve his mission, discovers Alan Perrott.

For one of the harshest places on the planet, Antarctica in the winter does have its delights.

Te Tamaki Paenga Hira (Auckland War Memorial Museum) has visitors journeying into the unknown in a major new marine exhibition, Moana - My Ocean. Scientists from across New Zealand have contributed to the new, free marine exhibition which opened Friday 21 June and will run until 28th October 2013. Spanning everything from rare deep sea marine specimens to massively magnified phytoplankton to a Hauraki Gulf boil-up that brings a mid-ocean feeding frenzy to life with artificial intelligence, the exhibition has been two years in the making.

Judy-Anne Osborn asks "Could a dire new infection sweep the world in a matter of weeks? Might the disease be so strange it alters the behaviour of people beyond recognition, making them predatory and fearless?"

The young cyclist pumps her legs upon the pedals of the ergometer, her face turning red and wet within a few short seconds.

Scientists in Australia are using 3D printing to create monstrous bugs up to 50 times their original size. But doesn't Australia have enough creepy crawlies already?

I was born in Kent, England and self-educated by reading Encyclopedia Britannica in public libraries, while living rough on the streets of London.

The US space agency NASA has come up with a startling image of an eclipse.

The closest most of us will get to Antarctica is nature documentaries like Frozen Planet - but the white continent's relevance to us and our future is far greater than we think.

University of Otago microbiologist Prof Greg Cook and the university's new infectious disease containment laboratory have found themselves in the research front line in the international war against tuberculosis.

A climate change campaigner says he is hopeful that the world can avert a catastrophic global warming scenario.

A pathology service has become the first in New Zealand to use a a high-tech barcode tracking system to help eliminate the risk of laboratory botch-ups.

Nasa's Mars rover Curiosity finally caused some real curiosity last week with a photo of what appeared to be a "rat" on Mars, writes Rhys Darby.

The use of twins to reveal the genetic roots of human attributes has had a mixed history, though the technique offers rich scientific pickings.