Shooting stars are not stars at all. They are tiny space adventurers who accidentally wander into our sky and get sucked toward us by Earth’s gravity. Here’s the story of a shooting star’s journey.
Tech companies portray virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri as our helpers. In reality, we’re helping them gather the behavioural data they need to turn a profit.
A study or more than 500,000 surveys shows university students demonstrate bias against women teachers, and particularly women from non-English speaking backgrounds.
We have robots that can walk and run but still a long way to go before the technology matches the cybernetic skills in the new science fiction film Alita: Battle Angel.
If dogs are bred with known health disorders, what role should vets play in discouraging potential owners from animals that could cost them both financially and emotionally?
Optical illusions appear when our brains have trouble moulding raw sensory data into shapes and patterns. Designers have been exploiting this process for centuries.
Be careful before you rush your kids into so-called “talent identification” sports programs – you might be putting a whole lifetime of enjoyable exercise at risk.
When you click on unverified links or download suspicious apps you increase the risk of exposure to malware. Here’s what could happen if you do – and how you can minimise your risk.
A website for the parliamentary inquiry into Labor’s policy to end franking credit cash rebates contains no privacy policy, or details of who the data will be shared with and how it will be used.
Alex Taylor, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
New Caledonian crows are famous for using tools to reach a reward. Now scientists have confirmed they can plan several steps ahead, like a chess player contemplating a series of moves.
Bee brains contain less than one million neurons. Despite this, new research shows the honeybee can use symbols to perform basic maths, including addition and subtraction.
Genetic information extracted from fossil bones of two extinct penguin species shows the geological emergence of islands plays a role in penguin evolution.
International standards ban publication of research that involves any biological material from executed prisoners, that lacks human research ethics committee approval and that lacks consent of donors.
The outcry over allegations that electronic devices may have been used in Australian racehorse training highlights inconsistencies in our attitudes to the use of such devices on animals in general.
Bees need flowers to live, and we need bees to pollinate our crops. Understanding bee vision can help us better support our buzzy friends and the critical pollination services they provide.
On average, important new lab techniques like CRISPR take 23 years to develop – but there is a public expectation that scientific breakthroughs occur quickly and efficiently.
Some people still think “trolling” refers to harmless fun. If we want to reduce abusive online behaviour, let’s start by getting our definitions right.
Researchers in China have produce a world first: gene edited, cloned macaque monkeys. They say such animals will be vital for research on human health – but ethical concerns remain.