New Zealand in 2012 – a snapshot
Nice infographic work from Fairfax in today’s Dominion Post showing some key indicators and stats on New Zealand’s population demographics. Who’d have thought the Aussies have a longer life expectancy than us?
MoreScience and Society
Suggestions for better science journalism
The Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking and media standards in the United Kingdom rolls on as a parade of media experts and journalists outline what’s wrong with the media and how the newsgathering process could be improved. My colleagues at the Science Media Centre in London, which celebrates its 10th birthday next April, have used […]
MoreDumped dogs not a good look for vivisectionists
UPDATE: Campbell Live producer Kim Hurring has been in touch to say that the the original beagle piece run by TV3 was in the works well before the news out of Spain and that the fact the two stories broke on the same day was “purely coincidental”. “We had had a team of about three […]
MoreOne of our best science communicators awarded
Let’s face it, finding scientists who can communicate their science effectively, understand the needs of the media and the public and are able to respond in times of crisis are rare. It was pleasing then to last night see the University of Canterbury’s Dr Mark Quigley pick up the New Zealand Association of Scientists’ Science […]
MoreMore science in Election 2011 than you'd think
If you hadn’t noticed, we are less than three week’s out from a general election and while economic and social issues are dominating the agenda, some of the most fundamental questions the political parties are attempting to answer are underpinned by science. You need go no further than the Science Media Centre Election 2011 Science […]
MoreScientists as scapegoats?
Day one of the trial of several Italian seismologists facing manslaughter charges for allegedly failing to predict an earthquake that killed more than 300 people in L’Aquila in April 2009 kicked off today. Nature has been following the situation closely and this piece gives great background on the situation the scientists have found themselves in. […]
MoreChronic fatigue research sparks death threats
Since I’ve been in the science sector, I’ve heard about scientists in the UK involved in animal testing receiving death threats as well as Australian climate scientists being intimidated. I’ve also heard unconfirmed reports that at least one genetic modification scientist in New Zealand left the country a few years ago because of intimidation from […]
MoreWe are satisfied… so why the high suicide rates?
Take a look at the graphs below, from the Mental Health Commission’s National Indicators 2011 report that uses 15 indicators to measure the mental health of the population. The top graph shows the results of a 2006 international Gallop poll that measured life satisfaction among participants in OECD countries. New Zealand came out looking pretty […]
MoreReport reveals New Zealand science's gender gap
The furore over sacked Employers and Manufacturers’ Association boss Alasdair Thompson’s comments about the productivity of working women has receded, but newly collated figures reveal the extent of the gender gap in the New Zealand science system. According to a study released by the Association for Women in Science: When science is compulsory at school, […]
MoreBent spoons galore for coverage of "charlatan" Ring
The Skeptics Society has roasted several media organisations, collectively awarding them its annual Bent Spoon award for “journalistic gullibility” after they gave “Moon Man” Ken Ring largely uncritical coverage in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes. The story is one close to the hearts of Skeptics spokeswoman Vicki Hyde, whose neighbourhood in Redcliffs, Christchurch was […]
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PETER GRIFFIN 
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