Renowned British physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, one of the world's finest scientific minds, has died at the age of 76, a family spokesman said.

Highly-educated people are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, a study shows.

Restaurant goers are less likely to buy sugary soft drinks if they cost around 10p more, a new study in England suggests.

"A precautionary approach is still reasonable, but with luck this should dispel any guilt and anxiety felt by women who have an occasional glass of wine while they are pregnant."

The concept of being “fit but fat” is a myth, researchers have said.

Undo the effects of being deskbound by making this workout part of your daily activities.

The stand and temporary seating were packed and the star attractions didn’t disappoint as Skibbereen’s O’Donovan brothers lit up the 2017 Indoor Rowing Championships at the University of Limerick on Saturday.

E-cigarette advertising may be leading children to believe occasional tobacco smoking is not harmful, and is potentially prompting more young people to experiment with smoking, a study has claimed.

DEPRESSION PAIN: Partners of people with depression are more likely to suffer from chronic pain, a new study suggests.

People are more susceptible to infection at certain times of the day, new research has shown.

Some frequently prescribed antibiotics could be rendered “ineffective”, researchers have warned after finding high rates of resistance to the drugs among children with a common condition.

A two-year feud between Ukraine and Russia is on the verge of being played out in a London courtroom after the government in Kiev defaulted on $3 billion (€2.75bn) in bonds.

Ireland’s top universities have slipped slightly in a major world ranking system but the country still retains four in the top 300.

Gingerism is the last socially acceptable form of discrimination, according to the author of a new book exploring the history of red-headedness.

The world’s first test-tube baby has revealed the “sick” blood-splattered hate mail her parents received after her ground-breaking birth.

Swapping a daily sugary drink for water or unsweetened tea or coffee can lower the risk of diabetes by up to 25%, research has suggested.

Male long-distance runners are not only fitter than most — they may also find it easier to attract women, researchers have said.

The western world’s obsession with thigh gaps, concave stomachs and thinspiration isn’t over yet but there’s a definite more towards exercise and nutrition rather than starvation, writes Suzanne Harrington.

Two bronze sculptures which had languished in obscurity for more than a century may be the work of Michelangelo, researchers have revealed.

Eating less meat is "essential" to ensure future demand for food can be met and "dangerous" climate change avoided, experts have warned.

Physicist Stephen Hawking has become the latest celebrity to take part in the ice bucket challenge craze.

New mothers who successfully breastfeed their babies are less likely to suffer postnatal depression, research suggests.

There’s a glimmer of hope to treating the most common form of brain cancer – in the form of gold dust.

The search to discover planets similar to our own could be hindered by low water levels, scientists have warned.

Thousands of Irish software jobs could be lost abroad unless a skills and investment shortage is addressed, according to a new report published this week.

A world expert in cancer research is adamant that young people will not have to worry about dying from the disease when they are older.

A key account of a battle which came to define Irish identity may have been fabricated, a researcher has claimed as the country marks the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf.

ENGLAND:

New results from a look into the split second after the Big Bang indicate the universe is 80 million years older than previously thought.

A call by a Scottish cardinal for the Catholic Church to end its celibacy rule for the priesthood will “raise some eyebrows” in the Vatican in the run-up to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, historians have said.

Scientists have found nature’s way of creating colour that never fades, a technique they say could replace pigments used in industry with natural plant extracts in products from food colouring to security features in bank notes.

A staggering rise in the number of Irish men taking their own lives is clearly linked to the recession, according to a leading expert on mental health.

In your letters page (May 11) several MBA students from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, made a number of valid points about economic failures spurred on through the Celtic Tiger days and a suggestion for Ireland to get out of our economic mess by raising our corporation tax from 12.5% to 16%.

Tarun Kapoor from the Business School at the University of Cambridge advocates “a 28% increase in the [corporation] tax rate”.

Killing weeds by spraying hot foam onto them was an award-winning innovation at this year’s prestigious Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer’s Association (LAMMA) annual show in England.

The “speed gene” behind Coolmore stud’s renowned racehorse-breeding reputation could trace back to a single mare that lived around 300 years ago, scientists have found.

If it was not for the diminutive Shetland pony, horse racing might well have been a sport for plodders rather than kings, research has revealed.

Professor Stephen Hawking was not well enough to attend an event to celebrate his 70th birthday at the University of Cambridge today.

He may be one of the world’s most eminent scientists but one thing remains a mystery to Professor Stephen Hawking – women.

A SMILE or a frown could hold the key to helping identify families with a higher risk of autism.