Jan 18, 2022 | Science & Technology
By Cate Macinnis-Ng New Zealand summers are getting hotter – and humans aren’t the only ones feeling the effects. It’s not a mirage, our summers are getting hotter on average and we are experiencing more extremely hot days. News from NIWA that 2021 was New...
Sep 22, 2021 | Science & Technology
Are we ready for human genome editing? In this talk, Senior Lecturer Hilary Sheppard illustrates how CRISPR can be used to fix disease-causing broken genes in adult cells. This talk was part of the 2021 home edition of the Raising the Bar series, where academics talk...
May 18, 2021 | Science & Technology
Biodiversity loss and climate change are paramount global existential threats. A conservation scientist must wield a scientific Swiss army knife to successfully undertake research in these topics that informs policy. James Russell has been researching conservation and...
Apr 12, 2021 | Science & Technology
By Gilbert Wong Professor Merryn Tawhai’s work on the virtual lung has led to a vital new tool for medical staff caring for patients hospitalised with serious Covid-related illness. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught humanity a lesson in the cruelty of numbers. At...
Oct 27, 2020 | Science & Technology
Listen to a conversation between Cate Macinnis-Ng, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, and Niki Harre, professor in the School of Psychology on how trees respond to climate-related stress. Cate’s speciality is kauri and drought, so this...
Jun 5, 2019 | Science & Technology
Why are the numbers of insects in fast decline? What does it mean for our food supply and our long term survival? Scientists say climate change is not the only reason. Maria Armoudian speaks with Andrew Dopheide about the current plight of our insect population....
May 20, 2019 | Science & Technology
By Wendy Nelson The recently released Global Assessment from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is a wake-up call to all of us. The report presents overwhelming evidence of deteriorating conditions in...
Nov 14, 2018 | Science & Technology
Birds, bees, whales, and turtles all use the Earth’s magnetic field to guide their behaviour. Now scientists have learned much more about how. Maria Armoudian speaks with Andres Vidal-Gadea about what has been discovered. Andres Vidal-Gadea is an Assistant Professor...
Aug 23, 2018 | Science & Technology
What are the hidden costs of civilisation? Could civilisation be behind disease, mental illness, climate change, and religious fundamentalism? Spencer Wells thinks it might just be. Maria Armoudian speaks to Wells about his book Pandora’s Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of...
Feb 13, 2018 | Science & Technology
For many years geneticists and psychologists have worked in separate labs on factors such as our genetic codes and our experiences that they each thought were affecting our physical and mental health, respectively. But it may be that our experiences are affecting our...