by Peter Buchanan What value can be put on an accurate scientific name? How about the “value” of the bacterial names Clostridium sporogenes vs. Clostridium botulinum? In the latter case, the estimates begin upwards of NZ$100 million. There is an important branch of science called Systematics that often slips below the radar until critical issues […]
MoreA lot of people in the scientific community are struggling to come to terms with the death of Antarctic historian and museum curator Natalie Cadenhead, who died at Christchurch Hospital on July 24 of influenza. Natalie was only 47, a fit and healthy tramper as this report from The Press explains. She didn’t get the […]
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 […]
MoreNIWA’s research ship Tangaroa has spent the last few weeks in dry dock at the Devonport Naval Base where it is receiving an overhaul that will set it up well for many more voyages of discovery. But the inclement weather in Auckland has hampered efforts to get a fresh coat of paint onto Tangaroa’s bottom. […]
MoreThis is fascinating… AUT researchers examining a giant squid… live streaming now! http://new.livestream.com/accounts/5183627/events/3069649/player?width=560&height=315&autoPlay=true&mute=false
MoreA couple of days ago, I received a flurry of LinkedIn messages – people congratulating me on six years managing the New Zealand Science Media Centre. Some automated LinkedIn alert had flagged an anniversary I had overlooked. Well, those six years have flown by in what has amounted to the most productive, rewarding and interesting […]
MoreUPDATED: We all know that our Crown Research Institutes carry out a lot of commercial work for clients, in fact they are encouraged to do so in the interests of returning a dividend to the Crown which funds them. But are those commercial relationships influencing the scientific advice that scientists give? Back in April, Massey […]
MoreMystery still surrounds exactly how a group of renegade farmers imported the calicivirus into New Zealand in 1997 and spread it around the South Island in a bid to kill the rabbits that were destroying their land. But 17 years later, scientists have been able to give some indication of the impact the illicit introduction […]
MoreNews on and reaction to Budget 2014 will be featured here this afternoon, as our Sciblogs and Science Media Centre experts and contributors offer their take on the state of the Government’s finances and its funding priorities. Follow the Storify our feed to get the latest updates in one place… Live updates on Storify below… […]
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PETER GRIFFIN 
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