Belinda Smith

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

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.

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.

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. 

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?

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

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.

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 

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.

Clinical trial to test engineered skin for severe burns starts in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital

As millions of migratory birds wing their way to our shores, avian influenza surveillance is ramping up. Here's how teams of scientists and volunteers keep tabs on wild bird health.

Forks, corkscrews and spikes: The science behind some of the animal world’s weirdest penises

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are approaching, but even elite sportspeople can find themselves unable to perform. Why do athletes "choke" under pressure, and how can they reduce the likelihood of it happening again?

Remnants of fireplaces and burnt, fat-smeared sticks excavated in a secluded cave in Victoria point to an ancient ritual where a powerful Gunaikurnai doctor, known as a mulla-mullung, cast a spell.

Scientists are piecing together a picture of how Australia's extinct giant kangaroos moved.

Scientists have discovered that the landscape around the Pyramids of Giza may have been substantially different when they were built.. And in other news, scientists have discovered what might have turned dinosaurs into warm-blooded creatures. Brainteaser (answer in the audio): Which is the odd word out? LOLLIPOP, MILK, OIL, ONION, PLUM, WATERCRESS

Girls who go through puberty early are at higher risk of anxiety and depression than their later-developing counterparts. Why does this happen, and how can parents help kids through this time?

For decades, we’ve known sunscreen dramatically lowers a person’s risk of developing skin cancer, with some of the first evidence coming from (aptly) the Sunshine State. This is how it works.

Scientists report cloning a monkey using a technique that most famously gave us Dolly the sheep in 1996. So what’s new about this study, and what does it mean for humans?

For two million years, Gigantopithecus blacki roamed the forests of what is now southern China. A new study claims to discover when — and why — it went extinct.