The University of Auckland is joining one of the most ambitious astronomy projects ever to scour the southern skies for extrasolar planets – while testing theories about the origins of the universe and probing for dark energy.

The kaka, or forest parrot, has had its IQ tested for the first time - and in some experiments young naive birds were better problem solvers than older birds that were stuck in their ways.

The ocean is becoming more acidic, and this change is most pronounced in coastal seas. Marine scientists have received $4.9 million to work out what is going on and how this affects marine life along the coast.

Virus hunter and botanist Paul Guy has been called in to help threatened native cress plants that are being infected by three different brassica viruses.

NIWA marine ecologist Kim Goetz is setting up acoustic monitoring stations in Cook Strait to eavesdrop on whales and dolphins as they migrate through New Zealand waters.

Veronika Meduna joins BRANZ physicist Manfred Plagmann as he equips a home with sensors that track how heat and moisture move through the rooms.

Craig Rodger explains how large solar storms can overwhelm the protective shield of the earth's magnetic field and disrupt national power grids.

University of Waikato professor of environmental planning Iain White argues that our 'same again' response to flooding is hindering our ability to plan more effectively.

Why are some male birds brighter and showier than females of the same species, and sometimes both are bright? Sexual selection, size and living in the tropics are all part of the answer.

Auckland diabetes specialist Robyn Toomath argues that society is to blame for the rise in obesity, and Massey University sociologist and runner Andrew Dickson shares his experience of being a big athlete.