Latest Sci-Tech Headlines
There Are No Bystanders When Evolution Is Demanding A Revolution In Consciousness
Friday, 29 March 2024, 5:47 pm | Martin LeFevre - Meditations
Given that nature unfolds in a dynamic & holistic order, & humans evolved along with all other creatures on earth, how & why did man become such a factor of fragmentation and disorder on this planet? More >>
NZDF Tests Space Hardware After Successful Satellite Launch
Thursday, 28 March 2024, 12:16 pm | New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has successfully launched an experimental satellite payload into orbit on a United States satellite, which will allow defence scientists to conduct space communications research. The “Korimako” payload was attached ... More >>
Advisory Groups Light On Detail And Heavy On Ideology
Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 3:49 pm | Tertiary Education Union
Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union says the government’s announcement today of two advisory groups to “explore issues facing the science sector” and “consider the effectiveness of the current university system” is light on details ... More >>
UNZ Welcomes Government’s Plans To Address University And Science System Challenges
Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 2:45 pm | Universities New Zealand - Te Pokai Tara
Universities New Zealand – Te Pokāi Tara welcomes the Government’s announcement that two advisory groups will oversee an exploration of the challenges and opportunities facing both our universities and our science system. Professor Cheryl de la Rey, ... More >>
Wind And Rain More Likely Across North Island This Long Weekend
Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 2:33 pm | MetService
MetService is predicting the South Island to have sunnier weather across the long weekend compared to the North Island. However, they will not be immune to the cold temperatures which will be felt nationwide in the first half of Easter weekend. Leading ... More >>
More Than Half Of Highly Erodible Land Located In The North Island In 2022
Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 11:47 am | Statistics New Zealand
Sixty percent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s highly erodible land was in the North Island in 2022, according to data released by Stats NZ today. This is despite the North Island comprising only 43 percent of New Zealand's total land area. “New ... More >>
New Zealand Plant-based Packing Technology To Be Sold Globally
Tuesday, 26 March 2024, 12:31 pm | Plant and Food Research
A new company has been established to market a sustainable plant-based alternative to polystyrene, developed through a government-funded Crown Research Institute collaboration. The new company, ZealaFoam Holdings Limited, will focus on commercial opportunities ... More >>
Researchers Reveal New Method For Calculating Mechanical Pro
Monday, 25 March 2024, 11:34 pm | Skoltech
A research team from Skoltech introduced a new method which takes advantage of machine learning for studying the properties of polycrystals, composites, and multiphase systems. More >>
Researchers Reveal New Method For Calculating Mechanical Properties Of Solids Using Machine Learning
Monday, 25 March 2024, 11:16 pm | Skoltech
A research team from Skoltech introduced a new method which takes advantage of machine learning for studying the properties of polycrystals, composites, and multiphase systems. More >>
Unsettled Weather In The Run-up To Easter
Monday, 25 March 2024, 2:32 pm | MetService
MetService is forecasting a series of fronts which will make their way over the country this week, bringing strong northwesterly winds and periods of rain, particularly for the South Island. On Thursday, a cold southwesterly flow takes over, and while ... More >>
Sparks Set To Fly In Regional Robot Rumble!
Monday, 25 March 2024, 12:22 pm | Techweek
This year, Techweek24 brings cutting-edge competition to Blenheim! Marlborough Youth Trust, with support from Innovate Marlborough, Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, and Whiringa Ltd, is hosting Igniting Innovation: Corporate Combat. This thrilling event ... More >>
Snowline Survey Reveals Continued Shrinkage Of NZ Glaciers
Monday, 25 March 2024, 11:13 am | NIWA
New Zealand’s glaciers appear "smashed and shattered" due to enduring ice loss, says NIWA. Since the 1970s, NIWA has been flying over Aotearoa New Zealand’s mountain ranges to conduct their end of summer snowline survey, observing the state ... More >>
ClimSystems’ Review Highlights Readiness To Assist Reporting Entities With Mandatory Climate-related Disclosures
Monday, 25 March 2024, 10:35 am | ClimSystems
ClimSystems meets or exceeds the quality standards required to support Climate Reporting Entities (CREs) in complying with the new laws on climate-related disclosures (CRD) in New Zealand. The company, operating in New Zealand for over twenty years, implemented ... More >>
Orcas Are Very Smart, But They Don’t Construct Separate Selves
Monday, 25 March 2024, 9:43 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations
Orcas, projectively called Killer Whales, are the top predators of the sea. Different “cultures” of orcas use different strategies to hunt everything from manta rays to Great White sharks. There is no recorded instance of orcas killing a human in ... More >>
General Assembly Adopts Landmark Resolution On Artificial Intelligence
Saturday, 23 March 2024, 9:09 am | UN News
It represents the first time the Assembly has adopted a resolution on regulating the emerging field. More >>
Kiwi Research Soars To International Space Station
Friday, 22 March 2024, 1:24 pm | New Zealand Government
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. More >>
Tao Climate Propels Sustainable Aviation: Airline CO2 Emissions Transformed Into Sustainable Housing
Thursday, 21 March 2024, 6:24 am | Tao Climate
Unique Model Uses Hemp to Remove CO2 from the Air, Hempcrete to Sequester the Carbon in Sustainable Housing Dublin, Ireland - March 20, 2024 – In a groundbreaking endeavour poised to redefine the relationship between aviation emissions and sustainable living, ... More >>
Study Into New Zealand-first For End-of-life Plastic Recycling
Wednesday, 20 March 2024, 9:41 am | Joint Press Release
A new collaboration between industry and Government marks the first step towards a circular economy for soft plastic packaging in New Zealand. Technology developer Licella, cardboard packaging and paper recycler Oji Fibre Solutions, on-farm plastic ... More >>
Innovative New Model To Safeguard Urban Planning From Natural Hazards
Tuesday, 19 March 2024, 12:14 pm | Earthquake Commission
Urban planning experts at the University of Waikato are developing a new model to support the translation of natural hazard science and planning of future cities. “New Zealand has all this amazing knowledge about our natural hazards, but we need ... More >>
Alcohol Consumption Tracked Via Wastewater In First Big NZ Trial
Tuesday, 19 March 2024, 9:59 am | University of Auckland
Scientists at the University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau have carried out the country’s first large scale trial of using wastewater to monitor alcohol consumption. The trial was successful and the technique of testing wastewater, already used for ... More >>
Auckland Geeks Lead The Charge In Saving Your Wallet And The Planet
Tuesday, 19 March 2024, 9:55 am | Fabric Digital
Today, the lifespan of computers, both desktops and laptops, is getting shorter due to rapid technological advancements. This trend is tough on our wallets and has a negative impact on the environment through the increase of electronic waste (e-waste). ... More >>
A Meditation On Collective Consciousness
Monday, 18 March 2024, 12:08 pm | Martin LeFevre - Meditations
In a wide-ranging conversation about consciousness yesterday, my friend made a provocative comment that raises a compelling question. He said, “Consciousness is an inter-subjective field,” adding, “consciousness is not individual.” If consciousness is not ... More >>
University of Otago and Methane Mavericks Win Grand Prizes at Space for Planet Earth Challenge
Saturday, 16 March 2024, 12:22 pm | SpaceBase
The team “Methane Mavericks” from Newham, Australia, and the University of Otago team from Dunedin, New Zealand, have been awarded the Grand Prizes in the Space for Planet Earth Challenge, an innovative competition focused on leveraging space technologies ... More >>
When Thought Falls Silent There Is Harmony
Friday, 15 March 2024, 11:57 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations
The afternoon was gray and chilly, with only the saddle-shaped opening to the canyon visible in the hills beyond town. Suddenly the sun broke through near the horizon in the western sky. For some timeless minutes, sunlight flooded the land and illuminated ... More >>
Govt Signals Pause On Significant Natural Areas – Expert Reaction
Friday, 15 March 2024, 10:56 am | Science Media Centre
The government is signalling councils don't need to comply with their legal obligations around Significant Natural Areas, i.e., mapping out areas with threatened native plants or wildlife for protection. While SNAs were first introduced in 1991, last ... More >>
Blue Cod - The Kittens Of The Sea?
Friday, 15 March 2024, 10:38 am | NIWA
Strange fish behaviour has been captured by NIWA scientists working in New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds. They were looking at the abundance and anatomy of blue cod ( Parapercis colias), research that involved using lasers attached to underwater cameras ... More >>
Layer Up For The Weekend
Thursday, 14 March 2024, 2:25 pm | MetService
With a forecast of rain, southerly winds, and snow for this weekend, the advice from MetService is to layer up, especially if you are spending time outdoors. The blast of cold air reaches the far south of Aotearoa New Zealand Thursday afternoon, ... More >>
Rare Smeagol Sea Slug Population Discovered South Of Dunedin
Thursday, 14 March 2024, 9:14 am | Otago Regional Council
Otago can now lay claim to its own population of the rare and nationally threatened Smeagol sea slug following an ORC discovery in January in the Akatore Creek estuary - 50 kilometres south of Dunedin. <img src="https://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/2403/8552210ca1beaaed706d.jpeg" ... More >>
VAST Data And Supermicro Partner To Simplify And Accelerate AI Pipelines
Wednesday, 13 March 2024, 6:08 pm | VAST Data
New collaboration combines VAST Data software, Supermicro hardware and NVIDIA technologies to simplify deployment of hyperscale AI infrastructure AUCKLAND – March 13, 2024 – VAST Data , the AI data platform company, and Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), a Total ... More >>
VAST Data Unveils New Data Centre Architecture For The AI Factory
Wednesday, 13 March 2024, 5:52 pm | VAST Data
Designed in collaboration with NVIDIA and being deployed at CoreWeave, the new infrastructure unleashes VAST’s parallel data services architecture on NVIDIA BlueField DPUs to simplify and scale AI AUCKLAND – March 13, 2024 – VAST Data , the AI data platform ... More >>
Black Box To Be Inspected After LATAM Flight Incident – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 13 March 2024, 2:57 pm | Science Media Centre
Authorities are investigating the black box of a plane that plummeted from the skies before landing in Auckland on Monday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a LATAM flight starting from Sydney, suddenly lost altitude over the Tasman Sea, injuring 50 passengers as ... More >>
New Zealanders More Concerned Than Excited By AI
Wednesday, 13 March 2024, 10:59 am | Office of the Privacy Commissioner
New research shows that New Zealanders have privacy concerns about the use of AI, especially because it’s seen as unregulated and can be used for malicious purposes. In the research, almost half of respondents were more concerned than excited about ... More >>
Eyesea And Aurora Expeditions Record First Pollution Data FromAntarctica
Monday, 11 March 2024, 7:04 pm | Eyesea
In a groundbreaking collaboration, Eyesea, a global maritime pollution mapping initiative, and Aurora Expeditions, a leading expedition travel company, have successfully recorded Eyesea’s first in-app marine pollution data reports from Antarctica. This effort ... More >>
Passionate About Fruit – Plant & Food Research Launches New Project In Viet Nam
Monday, 11 March 2024, 3:09 pm | Plant and Food Research
A five-year New Zealand Government-funded project to help Viet Nam build a more lucrative passionfruit export industry was formally launched by the Prime Ministers of Viet Nam and New Zealand in Wellington today. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher ... More >>
Genomics Research To Boost Aotearoa New Zealand’s Defences Against Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu
Monday, 11 March 2024, 8:59 am | Te Niwha
Scientists are collecting environmental samples such as bird faeces in a research project aimed at understanding how and where avian influenza and other potentially devastating viruses could impact Aotearoa New Zealand as the highly infectious H5N1 ... More >>
NZ’s Great Meteorite Hunt
Monday, 11 March 2024, 8:45 am | Fireballs Aotearoa
<img src="https://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/2403/5b8fa99bf4a566539c80.jpeg" width="720" height="405"> Green Fireball A meteorite came through the roof of a house in Ellerslie back in 2004. It bounced off the couch, ... More >>
Want To Make Your AI Content Undetectable? There’s An App For That
Saturday, 9 March 2024, 2:26 pm | Hugh Grant
Undetectable.ai sounds ominous when you first hear it. The new dangerously powerful app which just released last year, lets users remove any and all traces of AI from AI-generated text. Article Key Points Key Point Description Undetectable AI A new ... More >>
Trailblazing Community AI Hub Launches In Nelson
Saturday, 9 March 2024, 2:17 pm | Nelson AI Institute
Today marks the opening of a globally ground-breaking project, the Nelson AI (Artificial Intelligence) Sandbox, which is set to educate, empower and adapt the community of Nelson-Tasman through AI. The AI Sandbox has been created as a not-for-profit subsidiary ... More >>
Nelson Biotech Start-up Kimer Med Signs Contract With Battelle Memorial Institute To Advance Pioneering Antiviral Drugs
Friday, 8 March 2024, 9:02 pm | Kimer Med
12 month contract focused on the development of new antiviral drugs Novel candidates to be produced using Kimer Med's broad-spectrum antiviral platform There are currently no approved antivirals for 95% of viral diseases Kimer Med, a Nelson biotech start-up, ... More >>
Plugging The Knowledge Gap On Costly Pasture Diseases
Friday, 8 March 2024, 1:59 pm | AgResearch
AgResearch scientists want to plug a major knowledge gap on diseases in pasture, and address biosecurity threats, by reaching out to farmers. The pathogens (germs) that cause diseases in pasture plants such as Crown rust and clover rot can have ... More >>
GreenVenus™ (USA) And Plant Research (NZ) LTD Partner To Develop Climate-resilient Field Pea Varieties
Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 9:13 pm | Plant Research
GreenVenus™, a leading agriculture technology firm revolutionary in genomics-based innovation to develop healthy, nutrient-rich specialty vegetables, fruits, and grains, has established a strategic partnership with Plant Research (NZ) LTD. Together, they ... More >>
Hundreds Of Marae Exposed To Natural Hazards
Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 1:02 pm | University of Auckland
New research aims to bolster marae resilience against flooding, landslides and other natural hazards Hundreds of marae around the country are exposed to natural hazards like flooding and landslides, according to new research from Waipapa Taumata Rau, ... More >>
Human Adaptiveness Has Become Maladaptive
Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 11:58 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations
The question of where and how man went wrong has plagued philosophers for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. In modern Western philosophy, the basic view of human nature has alternated between the fatalism of the 17th century English philosopher ... More >>
Many New Zealand Glaciers Are Headed For Extinction
Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 11:05 am | NIWA
WATCH: Glacier Extinction Horizons A culmination of over 45 years of research is painting a grave picture for the state of our iconic glaciers. NIWA’s Dr Andrew Lorrey says that hotter temperatures are to blame. "We’ve had a flurry of ... More >>
ICCA Researcher Of The Year Award For Te Pae Christchurch
Tuesday, 5 March 2024, 10:22 am | Te Pae Christchurch
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is a global community and knowledge hub for the global association and governmental meetings industry. ICCA offers data, education, communication channels to the international meetings ... More >>
The Future Of Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Emerging Applications
Tuesday, 5 March 2024, 9:26 am | Hugh Grant
The vagus nerve is an important part of our nervous system and is responsible for our internal organ functions like heart rate, digestion, and respiration. The nerve runs from the lower part of the brain through the neck and stomach. Scientists are ... More >>
Pandemic Put Antarctic Research On Ice
Monday, 4 March 2024, 3:09 pm | University of Canterbury
Covid-19 had a profound impact on scientific research, tourism and policy-making in Antarctica, new Canterbury-led research has found. Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) School of Earth and Environment Associate Professor ... More >>
26-year-old Bat Could Be New Zealand’s Oldest
Monday, 4 March 2024, 12:43 pm | Department of Conservation
New Zealand’s oldest known long-tailed bat/pekapeka-tou-roa – at 26 years – was recorded this summer as part of a Department of Conservation monitoring programme in Fiordland. Known only as ‘T7787’, the tiny flying mammal was caught in a harp ... More >>
Kiwi Earthquake Innovations Tested On One Of The World’s Largest Shake Tables
Monday, 4 March 2024, 11:04 am | Earthquake Commission
Real-life earthquake testing on three-storey buildings in one of the world’s biggest earthquake laboratories has delivered stunning results and endorsements for New Zealand engineering solutions. With the support of EQC Toka Tū Ake and a number of New Zealand ... More >>
Out Of This World: NZ Research To Fly On ISS For First Time
Monday, 4 March 2024, 10:31 am | University of Canterbury
In a historic first, University of Canterbury research experiments will soon orbit Earth in microgravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS). A research facility small enough to fit in your hand is scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Commercial ... More >>
The Ecological Crisis Is Existential, Not Political
Friday, 1 March 2024, 11:09 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations
The exhausting political analysis of the ecological crisis finds its last gasp in a book by political theorist Ajay Singh Chaudhary, fittingly entitled, “The Exhausted of the Earth.” His core premise manages to be both undeniable and wrongheaded: ... More >>
Study: Bacteria On Roof Of The World Hatch Antibiotics
Thursday, 29 February 2024, 9:51 am | Skoltech
Skoltech researchers and their colleagues from China and Russia have discovered that the waters and soils of the Tibetan Plateau are teeming with bacteria that produce antibiotics. While none of the antimicrobial compounds identified by the team are ... More >>
Bird Flu Arrives In Mainland Antarctica - Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 28 February 2024, 1:06 pm | Science Media Centre
The H5N1 virus continues its global spread, having recently been found for the first time ever in mainland Antarctica. Avian flu reached the wider Antarctic region in October last year when it was reported on sub-Antarctic islands. Since 2021, highly ... More >>
Increase In Toxic Algae In Our Waters This Summer
Wednesday, 28 February 2024, 10:16 am | NIWA
Scientists are seeing more toxic algae in our lakes and rivers compared to previous years, says NIWA. New Zealand’s warm, stable summer has created ideal conditions for the growth of the algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which can be harmful to ... More >>
IEA To Address CEP Conference
Tuesday, 27 February 2024, 12:03 pm | CEPNZ
The head of energy efficiency at the IEA (International Energy Agency), Dr Brian Motherway, will headline the speaker line-up at this year’s CEP conference. The IEA estimates efficiency will deliver 30% of the carbon savings needed worldwide ... More >>
Weather Outlook For The Last Week Of Meteorological Summer
Monday, 26 February 2024, 12:53 pm | MetService
After a dry February so far, the last week of meteorological summer starts off wet for the North Island, with settled weather for the South Island. Heavy Rain Watches are in place for Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty ... More >>
Innovative Pilot Shows Virtual Power Plants Can Play An Important Role In Managing Winter Peaks
Monday, 26 February 2024, 8:43 am | Ara Ake
A collaborative pilot unlocking the potential of residential solar batteries contributing to the national grid during winter peak demand has concluded, marking a technical success with valuable insights gained. In May 2023, Ara Ake teamed up with solar-and-battery-as-a-service ... More >>
EPA Says ‘null Segregants’ Aren’t GMOs – Expert Reaction
Thursday, 22 February 2024, 3:01 pm | Science Media Centre
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has just clarified that certain organisms, known as null segregants, are not considered genetically modified organisms. Null segregants are the offspring of genetically modified organisms, but do not contain ... More >>
Bridging The Digital Gap For Families
Thursday, 22 February 2024, 2:01 pm | SociaLink
Families struggling to connect with the internet are being helped by a group of agencies keen to bridge the gap. Tu Mai Digital was set up after Covid lockdowns when it was realised that families with no internet access were falling behind in ... More >>
Warming Winds Ahead Of Weekend Rain Band
Thursday, 22 February 2024, 1:09 pm | MetService
Continuing settled weather will cap off the working week, then MetService is forecasting rain to move swiftly northwards up the country for the last weekend of meteorological summer. A couple of crisp mornings this week remind us that autumn is just around ... More >>