Jane Goodall is mostly famous for her work with chimpanzees. Her greater feat, writes lifelong admirer Nicola Toki, is showing that we are deeply connected to the living world around us – that through kindness, we can turn things around for our planet. “I have one wish for people in NZ. And that would be that they would be … Read more
With a little help from David Bowie, Craig Stevens, president of the NZ Association of Scientists, surveys the challenges and possibilities of the moment, and the need for science to reach beyond the usual suspects. Five Years I started my schooling in London in the brief four-year space between Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon and … Read more
Gemma Gracewood grew a baby and a placenta and then she gave the placenta away. Here she interviews the scientist she gave it to. Content warning: There are photos of a placenta in this post. These photos are either totally “ewww” or completely effing amazing depending on your opinion of the placenta. Photos provided courtesy … Read more
From optimistic beginnings in 1890, Arbor Day has fallen into semi-obscurity around the country. But there’s a very good reason why New Zealand needs this day, and more native trees, says Trees That Count ambassador Joris De Bres. So, what are you doing for Arbor Day? Yes, Arbor Day. In case the day dedicated to … Read more
The speakers assembled to mark The Royal Society Te Apārangi’s 150th anniversary sends a dismal message about the reality of the organisation’s stated commitment to diversity, writes Kate Hannah With great fanfare, the Royal Society of New Zealand rebranded itself earlier this year, as The Royal Society Te Apārangi. The bilingual name symbolises the work … Read more
Last night Dr Lance O’Sullivan, 2014 New Zealander of the Year for his work bringing health programmes to disadvantaged rural areas, leapt onto the stage to protest a screening of the controversial anti-vaccination movie Vaxxed. He spoke to Don Rowe about why he did it. Why did you get on stage? Look, I was always intending … Read more
Siouxsie Wiles explains why she’s using crowdfunding to bankroll her lab’s effort in response to the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance The crisis is real: we are running out of medicines to treat many of the microbes that cause disease in humans and animals. The crisis will affect us here in New Zealand and the … Read more
We need a new law to plug the big gap in our regulation of health products, argues Mark Hanna Winston Peters has decided that we don’t need an incoming anti-quackery bill. He’s wrong. In a press release earlier this week, Peters called for the poorly named Natural Health Products Bill to be scrapped: “This Bill is regulatory … Read more
Over-the-counter cold-and-flu remedies are mostly useless, says Consumer NZ. The industry strongly disagrees. Siouxsie Wiles takes a look at the studies. Over the last few days a fight has broken out between Consumer NZ and the New Zealand Self Medication Industry over expensive cold and flu products. Consumer NZ says the products are no more … Read more
New Zealanders celebrated the government’s ambitious goal to completely eradicate possums, rats and stoats by 2050 – but according to some scientists, the plan is ill-conceived and unlikely to succeed. Ahead of a major conference on the future of New Zealand biodiversity, Dr Jamie Steer argues that Predator Free 2050 needs an urgent rethink. Last … Read more
A conversation with the Dunedin scientist who stumbled on a way to talk to people about his work, in spite of sniffy colleagues who think his Nessie study is nonsense. Professor Neil Gemmell heads up the University of Otago’s Gemmell Lab at the University of Otago, where he juggles research into ecology, conservation, evolutionary biology … Read more
One of the single biggest health issues facing the planet, antimicrobial resistance, is being tackled by vets in this country. NZ Veterinary Association head Mark Ward explains the steps being taken to severely curtail the use of antibiotics on pets and farm animals. The World Health Organisation has named Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) one of the greatest … Read more
Last night a bright disk-shaped object had New Zealanders craning their necks at the sky. Cosmologist Richard Easther explains what it was. Clue: not Venus. Last night my twitter feed carried a string of “what’s that in the western sky” queries, including this picture from Rachael King: There’s a clear disk showing in this snapshot, … Read more
I’m taking part because I am part of a global community and because Trump’s actions affect us all. And I want New Zealand’s politicians to understand this, too, writes Shaun Hendy. At 1.30pm this afternoon, I will be marching from Britomart up Queen Street to the Band Rotunda in Albert Park, along with many other … Read more
Across New Zealand tomorrow, scientists (and others) will join their peers around the world in a March for Science, calling for ‘science and knowledge to be reaffirmed as fundamental to the democratic decision making that supports society in Aotearoa New Zealand’. Local organisers explain their motivation here; at the Spinoff recently, Nicola Gaston powerfully explained … Read more
As the number of cases of typhoid in Auckland approaches 20, some people are asking if the outbreak is related to all the heavy rain and flooding we’ve been having. It’s a good question, and the answer is almost certainly no. Dr Siouxsie Wiles explains why. Typhoid is caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi (or … Read more
Every time celebrity chef Pete Evans talks about his ‘wellness’ beliefs, scientists and doctors line up to counter them with peer-reviewed research and established facts. That’s because Evans’ ‘common sense’ sounds a lot like utter nonsense, writes Dr Siouxsie Wiles. This article was published in April 2017. “What do you need a qualification for to … Read more
At least 10 people in NZ’s biggest city have reportedly been hospitalised with typhoid, and health officials say we can expect more cases. Siouxsie Wiles explains what typhoid is and the ‘super-shedder’ scenario Typhoid is an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi, usually abbreviated to Salmonella Typhi or S. Typhi. Humans are this bacteria’s only known host. The bacteria can … Read more
Don Rowe speaks to Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson, the leading science communicator of our age, about climate change, celebratory ignorance and the rise (or not) of artificial intelligence. Stoners worship him, nerds want to be him, the average person wishes they had just a tenth of his IQ – Neil deGrasse Tyson is the … Read more
There are many victims of the spiralling property market, but the worst by far are those children whose health is wrecked for life by substandard, overcrowded accommodation. In this Rent Week reissue, Dr George Laking explains why the housing crisis should come with a health warning. Warning: contains photos of doctors and gory things. We … Read more
Veronika Meduna watches the gongs get handed out at last night’s big Prime Minister’s Science Prize ceremony. Anybody who thinks of science as the dispassionate study of cold, hard facts would have had their stereotype shattered at last night’s awards ceremony for the 2016 PM’s Science Prizes. Tears rolled and laughter erupted, often at the … Read more
Fresh back from five days in Queenstown for NZ’s nanotechnology and advanced-materials science conference, Dr Ben Mallett reckons AMN8 shows that our stereotypes, of science and scientists, need a bit of nuance. What happens at a science conference? Lots of “talks” (in which scientists speak about their research, with some accompanying pictures); poster sessions; specialised … Read more
We recently asked a class of first-year students, most of them young women, to think of a scientist, writes Siouxsie Wiles. And who do you think they chose? Today was the day to wear red. It’s a colour I mostly avoid because it clashes with my pink hair, but it wasn’t the day for worrying … Read more
The government’s Clean Water package quickly became bogged down in claim and counter-claim. What did it really amount to? Jenny Webster-Brown of the Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management demystifies the policy. Last Friday, Nick Smith revealed a target to make 90% of rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040, the key outcome of the government’s proposed … Read more
As NASA announces the discovery of seven ‘Earth-like’ planets in deep outer space, Don Rowe chats to certified super genius Dr Brian Greene about space, the multiverse and the frontiers of theoretical physics. It took seven and a half minutes before the conversation turned to wizards. Professor Brian Greene, co-founder of the World Science Festival, specialises … Read more
Three women at the forefront of nano science discussed their work and the hurdles they faced during the AMN8 conference this week. The 11-year-old girl in the front row raised her hand. “I have a comment rather than a question,” she told the panel of three women scientists. “I’m really impressed because you followed your … Read more
As the government doubles down on trying to get good science into the marketplace, how are scientists preparing for the commercial world? Do scientists make good businesspeople? Are they able, after a lifetime of studying in institutions to learn how to become a researcher, then turn their attention to putting that research into application? Can … Read more
Bioengineer Albert Folch uses football to kick off children’s scientific curiosity. Charles Anderson watches the AMN8 guest work his magic at a Queenstown primary school. The children don’t seem terrified despite Professor Albert Folch just telling them that their planet will be vaporised. In a billion years or so, the sun will grow into a … Read more
Among the 500 delegates who have descended on the AMN8 conference in Queenstown from around the world are two New Zealand students who have taken their studies abroad. In his third blog post from AMN8, the advanced materials and nanotechnology conference hosted by The MacDiarmid Institute, Charles Anderson talks to them. Rebecca Sutton and Jesse … Read more