US-based glaciologist Eric Rignot is in New Zealand this week to talk about polar ice sheets and their potential to add to predicted sea level rise. He tells Veronika Meduna that it’s more important than ever to discuss climate science and what it’s like to be a climate scientist during the Trump presidency. Eric Rignot … Read more
We’ve assembled some Valentine’s gift inspiration from the only thing you can rely on in this cruel life: the television. Forgot about Valentine’s Day? Short on time and money to pull off the romantic gesture of your dreams? Never fear, for the path to hell is paved with good intentions and the longest running TV … Read more
Winston Peters is up in arms about fake meat products, accusing them of ‘ripping off’ names traditionally associated with the real thing. Instead of quibbling about labelling, why not seize the opportunity presented by non-meat alternatives, writes Kathryn van Beek. Most of us have our own ways of trying to make the world a better … Read more
Louise O’Brien walks through the gloom of Ali Smith’s latest novel, set in a racist, malicious, post-Brexit England. Ali Smith’s latest novel is a beautifully written and rather glum vision of the state of the world today. The first in a planned seasonal quartet of novels, Autumn was published unusually quickly after the events it … Read more
There are plenty of things that children love and parents hate: Barney the Dinosaur, mud puddles, getting up at the crack of dawn. But that’s nothing compared to the loathing Emily Writes has for those ride-on toy cars for children. Hate is a strong word. But I really feel strong feelings – feelings that are … Read more
Witness the incredible Shortland Street moment in which Chris Warner comes face to face with… his son’s dick pic. It had been a pretty dramatic week in Ferndale last week, from Kylie skinny-dipping with badboy Frank to Drew proposing to Harper (again). But nothing came close to the closing 10 seconds of Friday night’s episode, … Read more
Dr Carla Meledandri promises that the photograph of decaying teeth is the only ‘gross’ one that she will show this morning, reports Charles Anderson in his second blog post from AMN8, the advanced materials and nanotechnology conference hosted by The MacDiarmid Institute, in Queenstown. The first day of AMN8 kicked off with scientists from around … Read more
Charles Anderson is in Queenstown for AMN8 – the advanced materials and nanotechnology conference hosted by The MacDiarmid Institute. In his first blog from the event, he enjoys a heaven-sent introduction to the field from Ben Mallett on the flight south. The flight from Christchurch to Queenstown is full, says the cabin attendant. But as … Read more
The Spinoff watched and listened to the first episode of The AM Show, Three’s new offering to the multi-platform breakfast news buffet. Here’s what we reckon. It’s bright. Maybe too bright. With the telly roaring to life at the fragile time of 5.58am to a visual feast of bright red dresses, searing hot pinks and scorching … Read more
Political internet memes played a controversial role in the US election and now they’re taking hold here, just in time for the election campaign. Carys Goodwin reports on the rise of meme warfare in New Zealand. The NZ election campaign is under way, and Andrew Little is bae, according to this: We’ll return to the … Read more
‘Best Songs Ever’ features various contributors to The Spinoff Music assessing recent songs and singles. SONG OF THE WEEK Fruit Juice Parade – ‘Whaling’ Contemporary indie’s reclamation of late 90s Midwestern emo has locally been inflected by both pop-punk (Carb On Carb) and twee (prizegiving circa ‘Soft’); the first single from Palmerston North duo fruit … Read more
A new book, published today, gives an inside account of the professional arrogance and denial of the tragic “unfortunate experiment” scandal at National Women’s Hospital in Auckland. Our excerpt is from the book’s foreword by Neville Hacker, a past president of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society. Thirty years after the Cartwright Inquiry endorsed the reality of the “unfortunate experiment”, … Read more
The billions being poured into police and prisons would be better spent on demonstrably effective social policies, but the evidence suggests early interventions towards the most vulnerable children may not be in their best interests, writes criminologist Elizabeth Stanley. Prime minister Bill English attached himself to well-trodden law and order election politics earlier this month, … Read more
By embracing the thermoelectric potential of polymers, Rachel Segalman is pursuing a new frontier in the use of power to heat or cool. A speaker at the AMN8 conference in Queenstown, she talks to Charles Anderson Across the world, a huge amount of energy is expended heating and cooling spaces which people do not use. … Read more
Panic! At The Disco returned to New Zealand earlier this month, 11 years after their debut concert at Auckland’s St James. Reformed emo Alex Casey was there for both. In 2006, there was nothing I loved more than thrashing Panic! At The Disco’s much-loathed album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, and thinking crushingly earnest … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Simon Wilson: PM Bill English gave two speeches on Waitangi Day. Both were remarkable. Both were almost entirely ignored “English chose not to go to Waitangi, preferring to attend a breakfast hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. When it came his turn to speak during the powhiri, … Read more
In association with our mates Bigpipe Broadband we’re livestreaming a different video game every Wednesday at 7pm on Facebook Live. Join José Barbosa and a cast of roped in innocents for a journey into utter mayhem. This week José is joined by Hayden Donnell and together they navigate the early access online multiplayer game: Conan … Read more
We’ve made the world a cornucopia of distractions and fidgety little things to keep us from achieving our potential as sentient beings. It turns out that the makers of all these doodads are, as expected, pure evil because they love hiding away secret games in software. It’s a double down on mindless game and here … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Kate Robertson and Duncan Greive join host Henry Oliver to talk about pop music in the Trump-era. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to contributing critic Kate Robertson and The Spinoff’s editor and … Read more
Jacinda Ardern, Julie Anne Genter and Geoff Simmons meet to do battle at our special live-streamed debate this Wednesday at 7pm. Will they wave the white flag or fight on to the death? Why vote for Jacinda when you can choose Julie Anne? Or maybe that should be the other way round. Why vote for … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. There’s a question many local businesses face as they scale: how can … Read more
What happens when your little darlings are spending the day at a holiday programme? They lie, they tell your secrets, they hurt themselves and others, says Thom Adams – and he wouldn’t have it any other way. For almost the entirety of my ‘big kid’ life, I’ve worked on school holiday programmes. For two weeks, … Read more
Every Friday, ‘The Album Cycle’ reviews a handful of new releases. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Syd – Fin Last week, Syd – of Odd Future and The Internet fame – released her solo debut, a digestible 12 tracks called Fin. It’s R&B sex-mix fodder in the vein of Aaliyah, D’Angelo and, more recently, Solange – … Read more
A new promo video for The AM Show has unearthed a grisly revelation: Duncan Garner is not only replacing Paul Henry, he is… becoming him. Everyone is talking about +HR=E this week, be it the confronting new rebrand or the inexplicable colonial garb worn strictly by comedians in their bold new channel vision. But there’s … Read more
The Labour Party has been accused of internal bickering and crisis-level disunity this week. Hayden Donnell sets the record straight. Look, there’s no denying it’s been a bumpy week for Labour. After RadioLive maestro Willie Jackson was lured into the party with a promise of a high list spot at the 2017 General Election, web sleuths … Read more
The unique properties of Perovskite provide hope for a wholly sustainable future, ‘propelling the next stage of human advancement’, says Henry Snaith, a guest at next week’s AMN8 conference in Queenstown. Professor Henry Snaith has a vision of the future. Ever growing cities are powered cleanly and efficiently. Third world countries have easy access to … Read more
The weekly Unity Books best-seller chart at their stores in Wellington and Auckland. WELLINGTON STORE 1 Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family & Culture in Crisis (HarperCollins, $35) by JD Vance Number two over at Amazon, behind Orwell’s 1984; Vance’s book about America’s so-called “rust belt” has set the US on fire, and is seen … Read more
New verse by Wellington poet Mary Macpherson Palaces When it became warmer, we mooned over lost flowers Iit again amongst hunks of grass. We found marbles behind the dresser and remembered palaces in distant swirls of colour. Shops meant something too. We love the fierce desire for the things … Read more
On playing fields, in classrooms and at workplaces across the country, the colloquial Kiwi nickname once ruled the roost. But now, writes John ‘Nick’ Harnett, those who go by a nickname are members of a dying breed. What happened to nicknames? Almost everyone had one when I went to school and, most of the time, they … Read more