SCIENCE

Medical science has unlocked new traits of the virus that causes AIDS and allows new ways to create better future treatment that may lead to the much waited cure or vaccine. Here are the three key traits characterising resistance of HIV against the immune system.

Our sun has fired an X3.3-graded solar flare recently, which is the most powerful of the year. Mayan's doomsday prophecy includes solar flares, strong typhoons, deadly earthquakes, massive volcanic eruptions and bashing celestial bodies to Earth.

New Zealand researchers will play a starring role in the construction of the largest radio telescope in the world, one of the biggest and most ambitious scientific projects of all time.

The question on whether the 2013 Comet ISON survives its closest approach to the Sun on Thursday, November 28, currently has the sky watchers excitedly waiting to get the answer as the preparations begin in viewing the rare celestial display. In the Live Science report, the general public is given some tips on where to best view the “Comet of the Century.”

The Crambione Cookii jellyfish found on Nov. 14, 2013 off the coast of Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland (QLD), Australia could very well be the real life “Cookii Monster.” It is like a monster because its sting is said to be so powerful that it can be felt in the surrounding water. However, unlike Cookie Monster from the popular TV show Sesame Street, this one isn’t blue and obviously, doesn’t eat cookies. On the contrary the Crambione Cookii jellyfish is pink, measures about 50 c...

A tiger at the Australia Zoo bit its trainer on the neck and shoulder on Tuesday, injuring the 30-year-old zoo employee. David Styles was rushed to a Melbourne hospital with two puncture wounds, but he is now in stable condition at the Royal Brisbane Hospital where he was subsequently flown.

The close flyby of the 2013 Comet ISON to the Sun on Thursday, November 28, brings a viewing problem where the eyes could be damaged when people stare too closely at the celestial display. Given below are some safe tips on how to best view the “Comet of the Century” on perihelion day.

The deadly earthquakes that shook New Zealand in 2010 and 2011 may have caused a part of the Earth's crust to weaken. According to researchers, New Zealand is in the Ring of Fire which is a narrow zone in the Pacific Ocean in which 80 per cent of the biggest earthquakes in the world happen.

Comet Ison will be passing through the sun's corona Nov. 28 and set to be visible to the naked eye Dec. 3. This is a very rare occurrence as many comets pass through the solar system but only a few grazes the corona.

Since 1980s, HIV has caused an alarming epidemic without any functional cure up to this date. It is highly feared by many and claimed millions of lives across the world. However, such virus may be Mother Nature's gift to mankind as a possible potent weapon for medical breakthrough.

Saturday, Nov 23, was an explosive day on earth as seven volcanoes erupted hours apart from each other on the same day.

Time Magazine has noted an invention is great if it "sometimes solves a problem you didn't think could be solved."

New herbal remedy available in Zimbabwean market called Topvein believed to provide cure with 99 per cent success rate against HIV/AIDS. In addition, the drug features no side effects on the blood chemistry, lung and kidney functions based on their official report.

German and Tanzanian product researchers discovered HIV/AIDS curing properties in orange fleshed sweet potatoes which are grown across the Lake Zone regions.

Ian Somerhalder of “Vampire Diaries” is inviting people to join the CrowdRise Holiday Challenge 2013 fundraiser to support his beloved Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF) which aims to “empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures.”

Alien abductions are a popular subject in films but in real life, a person allegedly abducted by aliens is rarely believed by the public. While many do not believe in extraterrestrial life, the mystery of the unknown and the mystery of the universe itself keeps many, believers and non-believers alike, strangely attracted to stories of UFOs and alien beings.

In October 2013, it was reported that there is a probability that an asteroid will hit the Earth in 2032. Though the chances of that happening is one in 63,000, many are still fretting about it. Could it be the end of civilization? Some Perth scientists say not exactly.

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) has put forth its recommendations regarding how Australians as a nation consume alcohol and the findings are not good in the least.

With Independent MP Bob Such's Ending Life with Dignity bill creating such a huge discussion in parliament, it's only timely that Australia's first euthanasia clinic should also be discussed. Dr Philip Nitschke, voluntary euthanasia campaigner and Exit International director, confirmed that by November 24 the clinic and laboratory will be open.

Australia's reputation as a valuable force in developing an international climate policy has been trashed largely due to its poor ranking in the recent climate change performance index and its inability to send a representative for the United Nations' climate change talks in Warsaw, Poland. Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott has refused to support the green climate fund supported by the United Nations.

The Great Barrier Reef is featured in Hotels.com mobile app and scientists’ high resolution digital map

Indonesia has been hit by a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No immediate reports of fatalities and damages have so far been reported on the temblor that struck off eastern Indonesia. The Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency ruled out any potential tsunami occurrence.

Super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which battered the Philippines on Nov 8 and took more than 4,000 lives as well as destroy billions of dollars worth of properties, is the best argument being cited at the ongoing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) MESSENGER spacecraft has been positioned to make an up-close observation and collect data during Comet ISON and Encke’s close flyby to planet Mercury. The robotic spacecraft’s Mercury Dual Instrument System (MDIS) was able to detect and capture the first images of the comets on November 9 to November 11.

The 2013 Leonid meteor shower peak occurred over the weekend but the display is expected to still continue tonight, according to the Examiner report. The University of Texas McDonald Observatory suggests that the best time viewing the sky display will be several hours before daylight.

For some people, brilliance may come with a steep price - debilitating depression, hopelessness and gloom. But when individuals suffering from bipolar disorder are not in a depressive mood, they are penning a novel or painting or doing a number of other things that are usually just brilliant.

In a scientific research said to be the first of its kind, researchers in Sydney have discovered that Australia will experience stronger El Nino weather patterns leading to severe drought. Sydney scientists said that human activities causing global warming can cause future droughts.

Comet ISON is getting visible each day as it nears towards the sun but if you desire to set ISON on its most spectacular angle, here are some pointers you should note to the best view ever.

Oftentimes, even the best of the human race can be dumbfounded by how much we still don't know about our own bodies. In current scientific studies, discovery of a new layer in the cornea and a previously unknown ligament in the knee have been humbling reminders of how complex our anatomy is.