Belinda Smith

Scientists have discovered why those mass produced tomatoes tend to be tasteless, and found a way to grow big tomatoes that are actually quite sweet and the process involves gene editing. So, what are the laws and ethics of the process - and could we see such crops in Australia? Guest: Dr Jonathan Webb, ABC Science Editor Brainteaser (answer in the audio): There are three in this sentence. This brainteaser contains six. How many can you find in this sentence?   For more of the latest science news, look for the science section on the ABC News website and sign up to a weekly email newsletter.

Robert F Kennedy Jr is tipped to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. Over the years, RFK Jr has repeatedly pushed the claim that childhood vaccines cause autism spectrum disorder — a theory that's been well and truly debunked. So where did this idea come from? What's bowel disease got to do with it? And what might the US expect with an anti-vaxxer at the helm of health and human services? Learn more on Lab Notes, the new show that brings you the science of new discoveries and current events. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au 

If you think the Australian summer sun feels harsher than a summer in the Northern Hemisphere, you're not wrong. But why that's the case may surprise you.

While honey producers and beekeepers have ways to treat varroa-infested hives, the bees themselves also have a few tricks up their sleeve.

A weekly injection that stops that hankering for hot chips and donuts? Many people on Ozempic and similar medications report this phenomenon, saying they no longer have incessant thoughts about sweets and fried food. So how do these drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, work in the brain to dial down "food noise" and help people lose weight?

For women who get bacterial vaginosis or BV, a common condition that can cause a fishy-smelling discharge, many will get it again (and again). Why some people were prone to recurrent BV was a mystery … until now.  Australian researchers have shown that BV-related bugs can be sexually transmitted, and treating male partners significantly cuts recurrence rates. 

Planets don't get much more iconic than Saturn. But if you managed to see it through a backyard telescope right now, you wouldn't see its rings.

Hearts, kidneys and now livers — over the past couple of years, surgeons have taken all these from gene-edited pigs and put them in people.

Hate getting needles? You're in good company — one in five people in Australia have needle fear.

While the health effects of inhaling and consuming microplastics are not yet fully known, we asked a microplastics researcher how they minimise contact with them.