New Zealand’s leading ‘blue skies’ research fund boosts Kiwi science, but could be tweaked for greater efficiency, says a new study. An evaluation conducted by researchers at Motu Economic and Public Policy Research institute has found that Marsden funding increases the scientific output of the funded researchers. Compared to similar groups that do not receive funding, a team that […]
MoreSciblogs editor and Science Media Centre director Peter Griffin spent a week in Israel attending the World Science Conference and visiting some of the country’s most innovative technology startups. Check back here for new posts documenting the insights he gained from the ‘startup nation’. Also check out Peter Griffin’s interview with Radio New Zealand about […]
MoreWhen you drink from a tap in Israel, chances are that you are taking a mouthful of the Mediterranean. As I explained in my last water-themed post, around 60 per cent of Israel is desert and the rest of it is pretty dry too. The Dead Sea on the east border of the country is […]
MoreA group of scientific institutions in the UK and Europe have today sent an open letter to Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, expressing dismay at Scotland’s proposal to ban GM crops in the country. Here’s the letter in full… 17th August 2015 Dear Mr Lochhead Your announcement that the […]
MoreA look at a map of the Middle East confirms that Israel is a tiny country relative to its neighbours. But consider the fact that 60 per cent of its landmass is also covered in desert, an arid expanse to the south of the country – the Negev. Yesterday I ventured into the blistering heat […]
MoreAfter nearly six years wearing the same shoes, Sciblogs is getting a new set of trainers! From Monday, our new website will feature the work of 30 or so scientists, researchers and writers, with guest contributions from many more. We’ll have some new bloggers coming onboard over the next couple of months and a focus […]
MoreIt was another big year for science capped off with the successful Rosetta mission to land a probe on a comet. But as usual, there were also plenty of quirky science stories that captured our attention too. My colleagues at the Australian Science Media Centre rounded up a list of the some of the quirkiest. […]
MoreNicky Hager’s new book Dirty Politics appears set to colour the whole tone of the current election campaign and have some impact on the election’s outcome. It has also given us a window into the tactics of rightwing bloggers, lobbyists and political strategists intent on discrediting scientists who present evidence that conflicts with their political […]
MoreA few weeks ago I headed up the hill to Victoria University to hear science and innovation minister Steven Joyce launch a document called the “Draft National Statement of Science Investment 2014 – 2024“. If you are a scientist in New Zealand, or involved in the science system, this should be very important to you. […]
MoreWhen it comes to industries that are seen as damaging to the environment, the dairy sector is usually the prime target in New Zealand. And there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the production that powers our largest export industry is having an increasingly apparent impact on the land and our waterways. The scale […]
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PETER GRIFFIN 
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