Science Media Centre

“Reconsider before it is too late” is the request put forward in an open letter from UK scientists whose field trial of genetically modified  wheat has been threatened by an anti-GM activist group. Protesters from a group called Take the Flour Back have declared their intent to put an end to an trial experiment with [...]

On Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon show Kathry Ryan interviewed paleozoologist Trevor Worthy (AKA ‘Dr Moa’) about New Zealand’s past as told through fossils, and discussed the state of science in New Zealand. You can listen to the interview, embedded below. From Nine to Noon: Trevor Worthy looks back on New Zealand’s fascinating prehistoric [...]

An article by Gareth Morgan and Geoff Simmons in the New Zealand Herald highlights the environmental issues surrounding fishing,  drawing on the research presented in their book ‘Hook, Line & Blinkers: Everything Kiwis Never Wanted to Know About Fishing‘. An excerpt (read in full here): Our oceans can’t survive fishing madness The election is looming, [...]

Prof Christine Winterbourn from the University of Otago, Christchurch, winner of the 2011 Rutherford Medal, was interviewed by Kim Hill (of Radio NZ’s Saturday Morning show). You can listen to the interview below and hear about Prof Winterbourn’s research and her reflections on winning the award.

Science funders need to keep on supporting “blue skies” research — fundamental work that may have no apparent immediate application to industry — says the first woman scientist to take home New Zealand’s most prestigious science medal, biochemist Professor  Christine Winterbourn. The Rutherford Medal — with a $100,000 cheque — was presented to Prof Winterbourn, [...]

The Nelson Mail‘s Sarah Young reports on Professor Glenn McGregor’s presentation at the 34th Annual Meteorological Conference, in which he called on scientists to step up on issues like climate change. An excerpt (read in full here): Scientists urged to be outspoken Society needs to take more responsibility for its effect on the climate – [...]

Two international science communication superstars are in New Zealand this week attending the inaugural ScienceTeller festival in Dunedin. Radio New Zealand manage to catch up with Jay O’Callahan and Robyn Williams for an in depth look into their lives and the art of storytelling (interviews embedded below). Saturday Morning with Kim Hill Jay O’Callahan: stories [...]

At a debate this week in Auckland, candidates from the National, Labour and Green Parties outlined their parties’ plans to meet the challenge of climate change. Debate organizers Oxfam produced the following clip showing highlights from the debate (read more here). Youcan read more analysis of the parties’ debate presentations on Lynda Brendish’s blog at [...]

Media Commentator Russell Brown has provided his summary and analysis of the SMC’s Election 2011 science policy Q&A on his Hard News blog on the Public Address network – where a number of readers have also commented on the latest science policy from political parties. An excerpt (read full post and further comments here): On [...]

In the New Zealand Herald, Auckland based writer Graham Reid uses the release of The Best Australian Science Writing 2011 as an opportunity to look at the difficulties of reporting on science. An excerpt (read in full here): Book Review: The Best Australian Science Writing 2011 Science is a problem for mainstream media. It isn’t [...]

Writing in the Press, Prof John Fairweather of Lincoln University shares some of his insights into how innovation works in New Zealand. Prof Fairweather undertook a Government-funded research programme to identify conditions under which socio-technical networks best foster technology development, adoption and commercialisation. His perspective article in the Press gives an idea of what is [...]

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