Using 'satnav' switches off brain, say scientists
If you have long feared that using a satnav navigation system is making you worse at finding the way alone, research suggests you may be right.
Latest science news
Funnel-web spider venom could prove a lifesaver
Funnel-web spider venom could one day be used to save the lives of stroke patients, new research shows.
The Australian helping a computer giant with its next big leap
Microsoft is so serious about building its quantum computer that it has put the Xbox guy in charge.
The orphaned pup that could put Darwin's theory to the test
A dingo pup found close to death on a outback track could help answer "ground-breaking" scientific questions.
From a lab to your plate: Test-tube chicken meat may soon be on the menu
Chicken meat grown in test tubes could be in supermarkets within four years.
Venom warning found in cobra's striking colour
Think red means danger? Good, because so do cobras.
Brain stimulation for Alzheimer's disease patients shows promise
A small clinical trial using brain stimulation to fire up the neurons in Alzheimer's patients is showing promise. Jo Duff was one of those who experienced marked improvement.
The star travelling at an astonishing 12 million km/h
Evidence has been discovered of a star orbiting a black hole at just 2½ times the distance between the Earth and moon.
Scientists 'switch on' the devil's immune system to kill deadly tumour
Tasmanian devils with tumours the size of golf balls have had their cancerous growths disappear, after scientists successfully trialled a new way to kick-start the animals' immune system.
UNSW team chase $6.6 million prizemoney in robotics competition
The Mohamed Bin Zayed challenge is the world's richest robotics competition.
Neanderthals used primitive versions of penicillin, aspirin for pain: scientists
Scientists have got a sneak peek into the kitchen and medicine cabinets of Neanderthals by examining the DNA of the stuff stuck on and between their teeth. What they found smashes common misconceptions of the cavemen.
You would probably die instantly on the newly discovered 'habitable' planets
Don't get your hopes up that astronomers will find new home planets in case we continue to screw up our own.
The bone marrow blood test that is saving lives
A new blood test which enables doctors to more accurately and rapidly assess the success of a bone marrow transplant has been hailed a lifesaver.
Prospects for life on TRAPPIST-1 keep getting better
New findings suggest the habitable zone is wider than previously thought, meaning more of the seven Earth-sized exoplanets in the system could qualify.
Embryo breakthrough a step towards artificial life
Artificial human life could soon be grown in a laboratory, scientists believe, after they successfully created an embryo using only stem cells for the first time.
'Oldest fossils' claim challenged by leading experts
Claims published in Nature that the world's oldest fossils have been discovered have been challenged by leading experts in the field.
Pincer movement brings crab crowd to Blairgowrie before moulting moment
Giant spider crabs are gathering in their thousands at Blairgowrie for an annual event so impressive it's drawn David Attenborough and a Japanese film crew to document it. But few Victorians know about it.
Women aren't failing at science - science is failing women
Female research scientists are more productive than their male colleagues, are rewarded less for their scientific achievements.
Body's 'clever' protein could stop HIV in its tracks, scientists find
The body produces its own natural defence against HIV, scientists have found, and harnessing this under-used weapon could change the way we treat the virus and prevent it from spreading.
Putting cane-toad sausages on the menu
You're not likely to find them at your cafe alongside your smashed avocado.