Aug 20, 2020 | Science & Technology
The natural sciences that allow us to understand the environment are at the heart of developing strategies to adapt to, survive, and thrive as climate changes. Water is at the heart of many of the most complex problems in climate sciences: understanding the behavior...
Aug 19, 2020 | Science & Technology
By David Welch Genetic surveillance — a technology that uses the genetic fingerprint of a virus to track its spread — is part of the public health response to New Zealand’s new COVID-19 community outbreak and could help pinpoint its source. There are now 17 cases of...
Aug 18, 2020 | Politics & Society
Social media has become a key feature in politics and communication and will likely play a significant role in the 2020 US election. The Trump administration has threatened sanctions against social media sites TikTok and WeChat, a move which...
Aug 17, 2020 | Politics & Society
The Democrat nominee for US President Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris to run with him on the national ticket as vice president. Harris is the first woman of colour to run on a major national party ticket in the United States. What is the impact of a...
Aug 17, 2020 | Politics & Society
By Ian Scoones & Andrew Stirling Governments haven’t found the magic formula for predicting the way people and diseases will interact with each other. Are you getting used to uncertainty? The feeling that things are uncertain – in financial markets, cities, the...
Aug 13, 2020 | Politics & Society
By Jennifer Lees-Marshment Politicians are doing the dance of political management ahead of the 19 September election, writes Associate Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment. Given the close election result in 2017, no party has a safe path to victory in September. Each...
Aug 12, 2020 | Politics & Society, Science & Technology
By Michael Plank, Alex James & Shaun Hendy New Zealand is on alert as COVID-19 returns. This is what we need to stamp it out again. Auckland, and possibly other parts of New Zealand, almost certainly have more cases of COVID-19 in the community than the four new...
Aug 11, 2020 | Politics & Society
By Ben Goldson Once capable of taking a leading role in the fight against disease, the World Health Organization has struggled to replicate its early successes in recent decades, including in its response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, following...
Aug 10, 2020 | Politics & Society
Lebanon has experienced warfare, economic hardship, and terrorism throughout its recent history. From the war that raged in the country from 1975 to 1990, when an estimated 120,000 people were killed, to foreign occupation, to instability, Lebanon has had a difficult...
Aug 10, 2020 | Business & Economics, Politics & Society
By Craig Elliffe The recent announcement by the Green Party of a proposed wealth tax raises many important questions about the taxation system in New Zealand. The recent announcement by the Green Party[1] of a proposed wealth tax raises many important questions about...