New jewel in the crown
New jewel in the crown
If you head out after midnight this month, you can’t miss bright orange Arcturus, some 25 degrees above the northern horizon.
Science
Capricious comet to call by
Capricious comet to call by
David H. Levy once wrote, "Comets are like cats: they have tails, and they do precisely what they want."
Now that’s a gadget gift to gladden the heart
Now that’s a gadget gift to gladden the heart
Nothing excites Tūhura Otago Museum's Ian Griffin more than a piece of new scientific kit.
Babies really do smell better than teenagers
Babies really do smell better than teenagers
Babies smell better than teenagers and now researchers have discovered some of the reasons.
Spot the eclipse
Spot the eclipse
This month’s full moon occurs in the constellation of Virgo.
Planet gobblers
Planet gobblers
At least one in a dozen stars show evidence of planetary ingestion according to a paper published in Nature.
Time to enjoy the Leonid meteors
Time to enjoy the Leonid meteors
Early-rising stargazers are in for a treat over the next few mornings.
Halley’s Comet’s telltale tail
Halley’s Comet’s telltale tail
Halley's Comet holds significant importance as one of human history's most famous and well-documented comets.
Bright ideas on a small scale
Bright ideas on a small scale
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov "for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots".
Budding scientists compete, rapping knowledge to the beat
Budding scientists compete, rapping knowledge to the beat
What makes us tick?
Sex-deprived flies go for booze
Sex-deprived flies go for booze
Guys, when your sweetheart says "No thanks" to sex, do you knock back a few stiff drinks to feel better? Turns out fruit flies do pretty much the same thing.
South in line for aurora spectacular
South in line for aurora spectacular
Those in the south of New Zealand should be able to see spectacular aurora lights tonight as the largest solar flare in five years reaches Earth.
Was Einstein wrong, or was cable loose?
Was Einstein wrong, or was cable loose?
The world of science was upended last year when an experiment appeared to show one of Einstein's fundamental theories was wrong - but now the lab behind it says the result could have been caused by a loose cable.
Russian scientists revive Ice Age flower
Russian scientists revive Ice Age flower
It was an Ice Age squirrel's treasure chamber, a burrow containing fruit and seeds that had been stuck in the Siberian permafrost for over 30,000 years.
Moon much younger than thought: report
Moon much younger than thought: report
That old moon might not be as antique as we thought, some scientist think. They say it's possible that it isn't a day over 4.4 billion years old.
Kiwi scientists at forefront of cancer fight
Kiwi scientists at forefront of cancer fight
New Zealand scientists, part of a team which includes researchers at prestigious US university Stanford, today unveiled two advances in the fight against cancer.
Two moon theory not lunacy
Two moon theory not lunacy
In a spectacle that might have beguiled poets, lovers and songwriters if only they had been around to see it, Earth once had two moons, astronomers now think. But the smaller one smashed into the other in what is being called the "big splat."
Scientists to unveil work for MPs
Scientists to unveil work for MPs
Public speakers can sometimes experience such a severe case of nerves they wish they could just disappear.
School to debate science diplomacy
School to debate science diplomacy
Canadian Daryl Copeland, an advocate of "guerrilla diplomacy" - which seeks to resolve international issues by non-traditional means - will be among the leading speakers at the University of Otago's latest Foreign Policy School.
International climate scientists meeting
International climate scientists meeting
International climate scientists from New Zealand, the United States, Europe, Japan and the United Kingdom are meeting in Queenstown this week to discuss implementing a state-of-the-art global network to improve the quality of measurements of upper air climate variables.