Science related stories and commentary
The big science story of the week is undoubtably the remarkable results from US researchers who have successfully silenced the extra chromosome responsible for Down’s syndrome. The scientists, who published their results in Nature, took cells from people with Down’s and were able to silence the extra chromosome 21 responsible for the traits that lead […]
MoreOkay, that’s a rather unfair headline, but Australians’ grasp of scientific concepts is certainly slipping according to a new survey from the Australian Academy of Science. The online survey of 1515 Australians selected by a market research company and weighted to reflect gender, age and residential location, found that a number of fundamental scientific facts […]
MoreIt has taken nearly two months, but Food Standards Australia and New Zealand has finally responded to criticisms of its regulation of GM foods after it was accused of “systemic neglect” in its regulatory regime by Canterbury University’s Professor Jack Heinemann. The response is well worth a read for Sciblogs regulars who have followed the […]
MoreBudget 2013 saw a net increase of around $50 million in science and innovation funding, according to Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce who tweeted the factoid in response to Sciblogger Siouxsie Wiles. $130 million of funding has been committed to boosting R&D efforts in companies and start-ups, $107m of which will come from the […]
MoreBritish fertility expert and science communicator Lord Robert Winston has introduced a Bill in the House of Lords that would require all medicines that have utilised animal testing in their development to be labelled as such. Previous attempts to introduce labelling have failed in the face of strong opposition from the UK Department of Health […]
MoreWhat do jury members ultimately base their decisions on when the evidence is laid out in court? Charlotte Shipman That depends on how compellingly the evidence has been presented says Charlotte Shipman, a Wellington-based 3 News reporter who covered the murder of Scott Guy and the subsequent trial of accused Ewen Macdonald, who in July […]
MoreThe Government has announced the National Science Challenges – 10 areas of focus over the next four years – $73.5 million in new funding to address them ($133.5 million in total to be spent on research addressing them). The areas of focus are: 1. Aging well 2. A better start 3. Healthier lives 4. High […]
MoreBy Ahmad Samarji, Victoria University [Ed: Note – I’ll be moderating a panel discussion in Wellington tonight featuring a scientist, criminologist, journalist and policeman talking about the science of crime – details here] You’ve heard of the so-called CSI effect – the manner in which the exaggerated portrayal of forensic science on crime television shows […]
MoreBy Tony Press, University of Tasmania With the global population now well over seven billion there are few remaining parts of the world relatively untouched by human activity. We assess the current state and future prospects of five final frontiers: rainforests, Antarctica, the Arctic, the deep sea and space. Antarctica is the coldest, highest, driest […]
MoreWho produced the most significant science in 2012 worldwide? Any top-10 list would be hotly contested – and the one below will be no different. It was put together as one of those pleasant-looking infographics designed to lure you to one of those dubious advertising websites – in this case “Best College Reviews”. So don’t […]
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PETER GRIFFIN 
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