Australia's best science writing is showcased in this collection drawn from some of this the nation's best publications. Questions such as these are addressed: How were Ned Kelly's bones finally identified? What makes cockroaches some of the most successful creatures on the planet? Could some obscure bacteria finally rid the world of dengue fever? and How did infant reflux become the disease of the moment? From the furthest reaches of the universe to the microscopic world of our genes, science offers writers the kind of scope other subjects simply can't match. Good writing about science can be moving, funny, exhilarating, or poetic, but these essays are honest, rigorous, and true to the research that underlies it.