Science related stories and commentary
At first glance it is not very attractive, but this infographic from The Guardian is certainly striking in contrasting the empty skies over Britain due to the volcanic ash against the business as usual previous day’s travel. It is a sight apparently not seen since World War II. And it is pretty staggering to be […]
MoreThe last time I checked in at Heathrow to board NZ38 to Hong Kong I ended up being bumped from the flight and spending a night at an airport hotel. But unlike the stranded passengers at Heathrow today grounded due to volcanic ash wafting over from Iceland, I was happy to stay off the over-sold […]
MoreThis infographic comes from the Health & Science pages of today’s Sydney Morning Herald, which features an interesting feature on pancreatic cancer. Accompanying the story is the infographic below. At first I found it a little confusing as I tried to decode it moving from top to bottom when in fact you need to start […]
MoreLast week, the media was full of stories of the carnage on our roads over Easter and the growing chorus of calls to cut the blood alcohol limit to tackle drunk drivers. MacDoctor is sceptical a cut – from the current limit of 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml, will make any difference. But scientists in an SMC […]
MoreI missed the PublicACTA discussions in Wellington today as I was in Auckland for the day talking to Chiasma bio-tech students about science communication. Ironically, even in my discussion with the students, the vexed issue of copyright came up. The Chiasma members are competing in the Comvita Video Challenge where they are being tasked with […]
MoreIt’s been climate sceptic central in the Timaru Herald’s letter pages this week. Malcolm Rollinson sounds rational enough in this letter published today, but the manipulation of the truth, twisting of facts and plain distortion of what has transpired in the wake of Climategate puts him firmly in the crazy science letter writing category.
MoreI’m all for freedom of speech and diversity of opinion. But some of the letters I read in the letters pages of our newspapers really are written by crazy people. Science-related subjects especially seem to bring out the nutters. I read a lot of letters in the country’s newspapers so I’m beginning a series that […]
MoreThere has been a whirlwind of activity in the science sector with the Government turning around its feedback on the CRI Taskforce report in the space of three weeks and setting out its plan to implement most if not all of the recommendations. The Government response to the taskforce report is below. The bulk of […]
MoreThe journal Nature features a report from Sydney-based New Zealander Branwen Morgan, looking at the implications of the New Zealand Court of Appeal move to quash an earlier High Court decision that saw Agresearch applications to undertake genetic modification research thrown out. I blogged on the Court of Appeal case in February heading the article: […]
MoreJohn Forman is a dedicated if unconventional New Zealand activist, but his cause is one which is putting him at odds with the more vocal and occasionally militant end of the Kiwi activist spectrum – anti-GM campaigners and those who protest against animal testing. Forman, the executive director of the New Zealand Organisation for Rare […]
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PETER GRIFFIN 
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