Newsletter digest: Earth Observing, Nanotech and Job opening at SMC

We’re hiring!

One of our media advisors has been snapped up by the science sector which means the SMC is looking for new talent.

If you are obsessed with science, news savvy, great with words and interested in how science is communicated, you could well be the perfect person to join our small Wellington-based team.

Ideally, we are looking for someone with a strong journalism or communications background. A science qualification would also be incredibly useful. The SMC covers everything from cancer research to quantum physics, helping the media access research and experts from throughout New Zealand’s scientific institutions. The job offers a huge amount of variety and we are looking for someone who is able to respond quickly when science is in the news to help journalists put stories together.

Further details and a job description for this position will be posted to the Science Media Centre website early next week.

Observing the Earth from above

Next week, top scientists from the European Space Agency will be in New Zealand for the launch of the “Johannes Kepler” unmanned spacecraft, which will be tracked at Awarua Station near Invercargill on 16 Feb (local time)

The new spacecraft, known as an Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV, will carry essential supplies to the International Space Station, as well as lending its thrusters to “reboost” the station in its orbit.

In conjunction with the visit, “What on Earth”, an international colloquium on Earth observation in New Zealand will explore new opportunities for using satellite imagery and data. These include applications in forestry, fishing, conservation, land use change, mineral exploration, and even natural disaster assessment.

The Science Media Centre is organising a media briefing ahead of the launch featuring a selection of visiting scientists. The briefing will take place online at 2:30 pm Tues 15 Feb.

Further details will be sent to journalists early next week.

AusSMC boss to join Climate Commission

Australian Science Media Centre chief executive Dr Susannah Eliott, has been appointed to Australia’s new independent Climate Commission, which will help inform the public about efforts underway in Australia and internationally to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Dr Elliott joins 2007 Australian of the Year and environmentalist Professor Tim Flannery, who will head the commission. Other members include researcher Professor Will Steffen, biologist Professor Lesley Hughes, former BP president Gerry Hueston and economist Roger Beale.

Commenting on her appointment, Dr Elliott said: “My own personal reason for joining the commission is to help provide clear, evidence-based information to the public. I am not an advocate for any particular aspect of climate change science or a low carbon economy, but I am pro-science and I believe the public needs access to the best information possible in order to make informed decisions about Australia’s future.”

New from the SMC

PODCAST: Nanotech conference highlights – A few of the highlights from the The Fifth International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN-5) which took place this week in Wellington. Organised every two years by the MacDiarmid Institute, the conference attracts scientists from over 50 countries to discuss the latest developments in materials science and nanotech.