As two trusted groups go into battle on SPF ratings, microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles explains what the numbers mean, and how they’re measured The Cancer Society and Consumer NZ recently got in to a bit of a fight after Consumer NZ tested the SPF of a whole bunch of sunscreens and found that the Cancer Society’s … Read more
Contrary to popular belief, there is no biological evidence for “giving your body a break” from the pill. More than half of 18- to 19-year-old women in a recent survey agreed that “women should ‘take a break’ from oral contraceptive pills every couple of years”. You may be surprised to know there is no biological … Read more
Increasingly sophisticated analysis of samples means perpetrators from historic cases can be identified – and the technology is just as important in proving accused people’s innocence, writes ESR’s Sarah Cockerton The ability to use DNA to secure a conviction in an historical crime has made headlines recently with the sentencing of a man in Auckland … Read more
As the Australian heatwave spills across the Tasman pushing up temperatures in New Zealand, we take a look at the conditions that caused a similar event last year and the impacts it had. Last summer’s heatwave gave New Zealand its warmest summer and the warmest January on record. It covered an area of four million square … Read more
The astonishing decision by the West Coast Regional Council to refuse to back major climate change legislation shows there are still major communication hurdles to be overcome, even when the science is settled. One of the first things to understand about the science of climate change is that it’s actually quite simple. The projected effects … Read more
A study showing a link between nitrate levels in drinking water and rates of bowel cancer should concern people living in areas of New Zealand where nitrates are high, write Mike Joy and Michael Baker. Last year, a Danish study reported a link between nitrate in drinking water and the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) … Read more
Signs of another marine heat wave should direct attention to the serious impact of warming oceans, write Craig Stevens and Ben Noll of Niwa As New Zealanders are enjoying their days at the beach, unusually warm ocean temperatures look to be a harbinger of another marine heatwave. Despite the exceptional conditions during last year’s heatwave in … Read more
MDMA pills can kill. But most fatalities are a result of a combination of factors, not just the drug itself. Nicole Lee explains MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), commonly referred to as ecstasy, was manufactured as a potential pharmaceutical early last century. It had some limited use in the 1970s as a therapeutic aid in trauma treatment and … Read more
Scientists predict that by 2060 there will be a shortage of one vital element: Phosphorous. Petr Kilian, a senior lecturer in chemistry, explains why. It’s time to buy a lot of candles. And if we light them with matches, it will only be possible because of the anniversary in question. It’s happy 350th birthday to … Read more
Banning 1080 would lead to the annihilation of nearly all New Zealand’s native land animals and birds, writes Forest & Bird’s Kevin Hague. Is this really what our leading animal welfare organisation wants? On Monday morning the SPCA posted an article in which they called for a ban on 1080, suggested that introduced predators could … Read more
While your chances of being attacked by a shark are tiny, the risks of an injury from beach litter and marine debris are surprisingly high – and growing every year. Our beaches are our summer playgrounds, yet beach litter and marine debris injures one-fifth of beach users, particularly children and older people. Our research, published … Read more
Women have been doing groundbreaking science for centuries. So why don’t students learn more about them? Can you name a female scientist from history? Chances are you are shouting out Marie Curie. The twice Nobel Prize-winning Curie and mathematician Ada Lovelace are two of the few women within Western science to receive lasting popular recognition. … Read more
Summer reissue: Misleading remarks in the media erode public confidence in a pest-control tool we urgently need to save species, writes Nicola Toki, the threatened species ambassador for the Department of Conservation. This post was first published July 17 2018 Last Thursday night, Newshub led the 6pm news with a report about 75 kilograms of … Read more
The new chief science adviser to the prime minister, Professor Juliet Gerrard, talks about diversity in science, the political hot potatoes, and what constitutes science. This post was first published Nov 13 2018 The biggest splash out of the office of chief science advisor to the NZ prime minister came in the final days of … Read more
We asked a bunch of smart people in NZ science and technology to tell us their revelation of 2018. Whether in the field of science or something else altogether, what blew them away? See also, Nicola Gaston on science, optimism and cynicism Richard Easther: The climate change brain-trap The biggest revelation to me this year? … Read more
But what I’m grappling with, writes Nicola Gaston, is how optimistic we can afford to be about human behaviour For more 2018 revelations from New Zealanders in science and technology go here It’s been a slow realisation; I think it may have been creeping up on me for a while. But somewhere in late 2018 … Read more
If you’ve felt like this year has been one bad news story after another then you’re not alone. Let’s face it, things have not been great for the environment and the many species that live on this planet for a while now, writes Waikato University researcher Raven Cretney. Over the past year I have collated … Read more
Are mental health issues the same as mental disorders? And how can better understanding mental disorders help us treat people with them? Every second article on my newsfeed at the moment seems to be about the mental health crisis and how the New Zealand health system is struggling to manage it (see articles X, Y, … Read more
Want to feel smart but also read something snackable? Check out the Science Media Centre’s top 10 NZ science stories for the year. From finding the alleged Golden State Killer to ‘gene-edited babies’ – it’s time to take a look at the issues that shook the science world over the past 12 months. In New … Read more
Tired of the procrastination and timidity of government-led change, climate rage is now ripe for rebellion. Cordelia Lockett explains why. All mouth and no trousers. That pretty much sums up New Zealand’s response to climate change. A lot of words but little demonstrable action. Remember Alister Barry and Abi King-Jones’ excellent documentary on the history … Read more
Eight hours a night, every night, has become received wisdom – but how true is it? Alexandra Hansen of The Conversation decided to find out. Many of us try to live by the mantra eight hours of work, eight hours of leisure, eight hours of rest. Conventional wisdom has long told us we need eight … Read more
With no new classes of antibiotics for decades and resistance to all antimicrobial drugs on the rise, an urgent search is under way to develop innovative new biological alternatives, explains Craig Billington of ESR The growing concern around the world about the emergence of bacterial strains showing resistance to all classes of antibiotics, highlights the … Read more
The renewal of the takahē population is one of the most remarkable stories of survival in New Zealand’s conservation history. Alison Ballance was there for the 70th anniversary of their rediscovery. This piece was originally published on RNZ. It can be listened to as an Insight documentary here. Seventy years ago, takahē – thought to … Read more
New research has revealed the real reason why cat tongues are so damn rough. Have you ever been licked by a cat? If so you’ll know the feline tongue feels more like sandpaper than satin. A cat’s tongue is covered in hundreds of sharp, scoop-shaped spines made of keratin that spring into action during grooming. … Read more
Today the government announced a $13.75 million funding boost for research to combat the spread of kauri dieback and myrtle rust. Could microfluidics be the solutions we are looking for? Here in New Zealand, our native trees are currently under threat from two pathogens – an oomycete (water mould) called Phytophthora agathidicida, which causes Kauri … Read more
Trees with red trunks and apples that are red right the way through and flower all year round. Should we back or block the genetically changed plants New Zealand scientists are growing? Charlie Dreaver reports for RNZ. At a Plant and Food Research greenhouse in Auckland, one of the sections is filled with $300 apple trees, … Read more
It seemed like a good idea at the time. But a few drinks with friends turned into a few more, and the next morning you’re not feeling so crash hot. Is there anything you can take to help? Ken Harvey of Monash University and Paulina Stehlik of Bond University look at the evidence Over recent years, a number of products … Read more
Women have made a massive impact on scientific research in Antarctica, but they don’t get remotely the recognition they deserve. Science-celebrator Steph Green wants to do something about that. Antarctica, the edge of the world – a seemingly endless expanse of glacial and sea ice, with no indigenous human population and an inhospitable climate. If … Read more
The new chief science adviser to the prime minister, Professor Juliet Gerrard, talks about diversity in science, the political hot potatoes, and what constitutes science. The biggest splash out of the office of chief science advisor to the NZ prime minister came in the final days of its first occupant’s tenure. A report overseen by … Read more