Science Media Centre

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Sir Peter Gluckman, outlines the important role Auckland will play in the future of New Zealand’s science and technology sector. An excerpt (read in full here): Science key to richer country New Zealand’s export economy has been dominated by its primary industries, commodities [...]

UPDATED: Bill English unveiled the Budget for 2011-12 this afternoon with no new funding for science, but a reprioritisation of funding in some areas. Overall, core science and innovation remains relatively flat at $773.7 million (down $13.9 million year on year) for the next financial year. A spokesperson for science and innovation minister Dr Wayne [...]

Following the release of Sir Peter Gluckman’s report on evidence in policy making, Tim Watkin from TVNZ’s Q+A show has taken a closer look at how science operates in the political sphere. An excerpt (read in full here): Tim Watkin: Politics needs science Politics is often described as a contest of ideas, and so it [...]

Why do some people staunchly maintain their beliefs in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary? Journalist Chris Mooney investigates this question in an excellent article written for the magazine/website Mother Jones. His piece, titled “The Science of Why We Don’t Believe Science“, covers issues such as climate change, the vaccine debate and creationism. [...]

Anthony Doesburg writes about a recent Auckland event bringing universities and businesspeople together to showcase university R&D. Sir Ray Avery, a scientist and former New Zealander of the Year, also suggests that another way to bring New Zealand up the International Innovation Index rankings, is to start with a real world problem and then use [...]

At this morning’s SCANZ conference in Auckland, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, gave a speech about the ever-increasing importance (and difficulty) of the interaction between scientists, media, policy makers, politicians and the public. The full transcript is available below. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you. I want to [...]

Two new, independent boards which will be responsible for science and innovation funding, have been set up and their members announced. They will be chaired by Dr William Rolleston and Professor Sir David Skegg, respectively. An excerpt: (read in full) Research, Science & Technology Minister Wayne Mapp says the boards will be key players in [...]

NASA researchers have discovered a strain of bacteria in a lake in California that uses arsenic as one of its nutrients, increasing the potential for finding new forms of life on Earth and beyond. The scientists, who today published their research in the journal Science, say the discovery shows the potential for life beyond the [...]

The SMC Desktop Guide for Covering Science is out now! Designed with busy journalists in mind, the Guide is aimed both at the reporters on science, health and environment rounds, and also at general reporters who’d like to get the science right. The Guide covers everything from how to properly communicate statistics and risk, to [...]

Airing a range of ideas on how to move the New Zealand science system forwards, prominent speakers gathered today in Wellington for the 2010 conference of New Zealand Association of Scientists (NZAS). ‘Re-setting science and innovation for the next 20 years’ was the theme of the one-day event, co-hosted with the Institute of Policy Studies, [...]