Science Media Centre

Massey University’s Associate Professor Ian Fuller says we need to build up knowledge of past flood events so that we can better understand the risk of future events. An excerpt (read in full): So, another “500-year” flood event in the Bay of Plenty. The last was in 2005 at Matata. Of course, this doesn’t mean that […]

Methamphetamine is the most commonly detected illegal drug in Auckland, according to a study that examined drugs flushed into the wastewater. Massey University-led research surveyed two wastewater treatment plants between May and June 2014 and found high levels of methamphetamine, codeine, morphine and methadone in both facilities. MDMA (ecstasy) and cocaine were relatively rare and were […]

Disaster risk is escalating and coastal communities are on the frontline of the Anthropocene, writes Professor Bruce Glavovic – EQC Chair in Resilience and Natural Hazards Planning at Massey University. An excerpt (read in full): Human activities have made such a significant impact on the Earth since the 1800s -and post-World War 2 in particular […]

Scientists have mapped the genome of the bacteria responsible for virulent kiwifruit vine disease Psa, providing evidence for the origins and future biosecurity implications of the ongoing outbreak.  The University of Otago team’s study, preliminary results of which were released last year, are published in final form today in the open access journal PLOS ONE. The researchers analysed […]

Adam Dudding writes in the Sunday Star Times about New Zealand scientist Peter Schwerdtfeger, who was recently awarded the prestigious Humboldt prize, in recognition of his work in theoretical physics and chemistry. Schwerdtfeger, who is currently based at the Auckland campus of Massey University, investigates chemical reactions at the level of individual atoms, and is […]

Deanna Harris reports for 3 News that Massey University is starting research into the mating habits of sea slugs, in an effort to understand why more and more toxic sea slugs are washing up on the beaches around Auckland. The research will look at the DNA of the slugs, in order to understand the migration […]

Jon Morgan writes in the Dominion Post about Massey University’s agriculture director, Jacqueline Rowarth, and her thoughts on Generation X and Y’s engagement with science. Rowarth also has strong views, based on data, on subjects from biological farming to the meat industry. An excerpt: (read in full here) “It’s relevant to a point she returns […]

The Village Press company, which makes olive oils, will be using the waste generated from the process to make kitty litter. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Chief executive Wayne Startup says he got the idea of turning it into kitty litter, after he noticed the stones, skins and flesh, resembled just that. “He then […]

Scientists at Massey University are looking to find out whether it’s better to sit, or stand, when cycling up a hill. The study will also look at to answer other cycling-related questions, such as the influence that saddle height has. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Philip Fink, of the university’s school of sport and […]

Michael Forbes writes in the Dominion Post about Massey University research showing that men who don’t eat breakfast before training see benefits in peak muscle power and experienced prolonged muscle energy. The same benefits did not, however, apply to women, showing that men and women really do burn fat differently. An excerpt: (read in full […]