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SMC Heads-Up: TIN 100, Marsden Grants & Italian quake trial
Issue 204
26 October - 1 November
In This
Issue
TIN 100
Marsden Grants
L'Aquila
Trial
Smoking Apps
New from the SMC
Sciblogs
highlights
Research highlights
Policy News
Sci-tech
events
Modest growth from hi-tech
sector
New Zealand's hi-tech sector
battled tough economic conditions in key markets and the
impact of a strong Kiwi dollar to increase overall revenue
by $154 million in the last year.
The TIN100 report, which benchmarks the 100
largest companies in a sector spanning appliances and
healthcare to software and electronics, was launched in
Auckland last night, by the Minister of Science and
Innovation, Steven Joyce.
The report reveals a snapshot
of an industry with a more diverse range of companies than
ever before and employing more skilled workers. However,
international growth was dominated by opportunities in
Australia and Asia as export revenue from the key North
American and European markets fell.
"There are larger
companies in record numbers." said TIN100 report publisher,
Greg Shanahan, of the TIN100 players.
"An all-time high
of 34 with revenues over $50 million and a record number of
18 with revenues of over $100 million, up by 4 and 2
respectively."
The strongest growth came from the minor
league TIN100 players, who have annual revenue of $20
million or less.
Joyce said finding skilled staff in
appropriate numbers remained a big challenge to the sector,
with the Government having this year increased funding of
tertiary-level science and engineering courses to produce
more graduates in these areas. He said the government may
consider further increasing funding, particularly in the
engineering space.
TIN100 companies were bought in record
numbers this year, with foreign companies picking up some of
our most promising tech companies, something Shanahan put
down to "a growing level of founder and investor fatigue
after several tough years of business
conditions".
TIN100 headline
results:
- TIN100 revenue up 2.2% to $7.3
billion
- Export revenue up 2.3% to $5.2 billion
-
TIN100 companies increased staff numbers by 5% to
28,800
- Sales into Australia grew 7%, while North
America sales fell 5% and European sales fell 3.5%
TIN100 top 10
$55 million in grants carved
up
Every year the announcement of the
Marsden Fund winners generates a buzz of media coverage -
and this year is no exception.
Among the headline-generating projects to be
funded in this years round of grants is research which could
support the development of invisibility devices, analysis of
how best generate electricity from tidal energy and
investigations into how the changing atmosphere could affect
New Zealand weather.
Announced yesterday, a total of 86 research projects have been allocated $54.6 million of funding in this year's Marsden Fund grants.
A full list of the grants and their recipients is available here.
The Marsden fund, administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the government, is the hallmark of excellence in research.
As described on the Royal Society website: "Marsden Fund research benefits society as a whole by contributing to the development of researchers with knowledge, skills and ideas. The research is not subject to government's socio-economic priorities, but is investigator initiated. The Fund supports research excellence in science, engineering and maths, social sciences and the humanities."
Of the 1113 preliminary proposals received, 229 were asked to submit a full proposal with 86 ultimately funded, giving a success rate of 7.7%. All of the funded proposals are for three years.
Marsden Fund Council chairperson Professor Juliet Gerrard was impressed at the quality of the applicants and the proposals.
"Marsden lets our brightest investigators work on their best ideas, without worrying about short term priorities. Many of these ideas are high risk, but potentially very high gain," she said.
"In the long term, we expect some of these projects to make a big difference to New Zealand, in terms of economic growth, social issues, and a wider understanding of who we are as New Zealanders."
Read a round up coverage on the
Science Media Centre website.
L'Aquila
verdict spurs reaction
The guilty
verdict handed down to six Italian semiologists charged with
manslaughter - for providing misleading information ahead of
a deadly earthquake - highlights the critical role science
communication must play in informing the wider public.
On Monday night (NZ time) six Italian
scientists and a government official were found guilty of manslaughter for
providing "inaccurate, incomplete and contradictory" advice
to the public ahead of the 2009 earthquake which struck the
city of L'Aquila, killing 309 people. All seven were members
of the Major Risks Committee and were sentenced to six years
in prison and barred from holding official positions in the
future.
It is likely that the defendants will appeal the sentence.
Decision shakes up scientists
In September last year, several New Zealand scientists
commented on the case in its early
stages and signed a letter in support of the Italian
scientists.Now, the UK and Australian SMCs have collected
fresh commentary from scientists (available here) and New Zealand scientists have
been quick to respond to local media (see a roundup here and also a statement from GNS Science).
In particular Mark Quigley, Senior Lecturer in tectonics and geomorphology at the University of Canterbury, has written extensive commentary articles, which ran in The Press and New Zealand Herald newspapers, stressing the importance of accurately conveying risks and probabilities to the public.
Italian-born quake engineer Stefano Pampanin, who also lectures at Canterbury University, told the Press he was ''disappointed and frustrated'' to hear of the court's verdict.
''If you were asking these questions here [in New Zealand], people would almost laugh at you.''
Not all commentators were as quick to condemn the ruling. Northland-based Dr Chris Buckley, formerly of California State University's seismic laboratory, backed the verdict, saying to Radio NZ, "To my mind, they made a big mistake: claiming they could use the information available and say there would be no earthquake."
There has also been extensive
commentary provided by scientists writing on the
SciBlogs.co.nz website, which has been collated in
the 'SciBlogs highlights' section below.
On the science
radar...
Talking whales, men challenge multitasking stereotype changing the colour of gold, the Archer Fish's water
'arrows' and busting the Ghostbusters.
Smoking? There's an app for
that
Whether you're with Android or
Apple, big tobacco is trying to sneak its influence onto
your phone via apps, according to a new
study.
Australian public
health researchers have reviewed two of the largest
smartphone app stores (Apple and Android Market; both used
extensively by NZ smartphone users) for the availability of
English language pro-smoking apps.
The researchers found 107 pro-smoking apps. Some contained explicit images of cigarette brands; others images that resembled existing brands. Some allowed the user to simulate smoking.
Their findings were published this week in the BMJ journal Tobacco Control.
"Pro-smoking content, including explicit cigarette brand images, is promoted in smartphone apps, which are reaching millions of users, including teenagers and children. App stores need to explore ways of regulating this content," say the authors.
And they add: "App stores have a moral (and arguably) a legal responsibility to ensure they have the infrastructure to comply with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and other laws restricting advertising of tobacco to minors."
Read more coverage from TVNZ and the ODT (via AAP)
Quoted: The Press
"The consequences of this indictment on the
scientific community remain to be seen, but a clear lesson
is that the public needs to be made aware of
'low-probability, high-consequence' events regardless of how
unpopular and/or distressing these sentiments might be.
"That said, it takes a ton of courage for scientists to
speak openly about low probability scenarios, particularly
if these comments are used to accuse scientists of
scare-mongering, and/or have detrimental impacts on
earthquake recovery, such as decreasing investor and
re-insurer confidence and increasing stress levels of local
residents."
Dr Mark Quigley, University of
Canterbury, on the manslaughter charges against L'Aquila
semiologists in Italy
New from the
SMC
Experts Respond: International
reaction to quake trial:
Marsden Fund: The Royal Society of New Zealand has announced this year's recipients of Marsden Fund research grants.
DNA Diversity: Researchers have
sequenced the mitochondrial DNA from several human samples
extracted from the Wairau Bar burial site, shedding light on the ancestry of the
first New Zealanders.
Biofuel futures:
NZ Herald feature writer Chris Barton looks at the
scientific efforts underway in New Zealand to yield biofuel from
forestry.
L'Aquila reaction: The manslaughter conviction of six Italian scientists and a government official for underestimating the risks of an earthquake has sparked a range of reactions from experts in the New Zealand media.
Reflections on Science: More
L'Aquila:
Sciblogs
highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's posts:
L'Aquila verdict roundup - Several SciBloggers have covered the manslaughter conviction of seismologists in L'Aquila. Check out the reaction from Physics Stop, Molecular Matters, Griffins Gadgets, Code for Life & Kidney Punch.
Dopey Physics: can bio-mechanics help point
the finger at Armstrong? - Guest Blogger Dr Paul Behrens
highlights how physics can uncover a disgraced cyclist's
'enhanced performance'.
Guest Work
Marsden 2012: Success rate continues to
fall - Shaun Hendy crunches the numbers on the success
and significance of the Marsden research grants.
A
Measure of Science
Let's accept now that the ATI will find it
very difficult to kick off by February next year - The
government's new tech institute might have a few stumbling
blocks, writes Peter Kerr.
sticK
Research
highlights
Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.
DNA diversity in early New
Zealanders: University of Otago researchers have
uncovered the complete mitochondrial genome sequences from
the remains of ancient Polynesian voyagers excavated from
the Wairau Bar on the northeast coast of the South Island,
revealing significant genetic diversity within what is
believed to be the founding population of New Zealand. The
data could shed light on the Pacific origins of the first
New Zealanders.
PNAS
String
theory: For over 400 years it has been a mystery
how birds spontaneously solve the 'string pulling problem'.
A select number of clever bird species (including Kea) are
able to rapidly gain access to food hung on the end of a
long string by repeatedly pulling and then stepping on the
string. New University of Auckland research suggests that in
crows such problem solving is not created by the birds first
solving the problem in their heads, but actually done 'on
the fly' whilst pulling the string.
Proceedings of the Royal Society
B
The smoking app: A review of
the Apple and Android smartphone app markets has revealed
that there are numerous 'Pro-smoking' apps available. Pro
Smoking was defined as any app that explicitly provided
information about brands of tobacco, where to buy products,
images of brands and cigarettes, and any trigger cues for
smoking. 107 such apps were identified. "Pro-smoking
content, including explicit cigarette brand images, is
promoted in smartphone apps, which are reaching millions of
users, including teenagers and children" say the Australian
authors.
Tobacco Control
Microbes
aid moss survival: Bioinformatic analyses suggest
that moss, one of the first plants to grow on land, was able
to survive by 'stealing' genes from microorganisms.
Researchers found evidence of 'horizontal gene transfer' of
genes from bacteria, fungi or viruses. Although it is
unclear how the transfer occurred, the authors hypothesise
that intense UV radiation on land challenged early plants as
they first emerged from the sea, and the plants thrived by
obtaining useful genes from microorganisms.
Nature
Communications
Bipedal ancestor a tree
climber: An analysis of the shoulder bones of
Australopithecus afarensis suggests that these early
human ancestors, although bipedal, were also very active
climbers. Apparently, tree-climbing continued to be
important for this group of hominins, which includes the
famed Lucy, even though they walked upright. These findings
indicate that the overhead use of upper limbs for climbing
and balancing in trees remained an important part of the
A. afarensis survival strategy.
Science
Policy updates
Some of the policy highlights
from this week: PCE annual report:
Reducing bird
catch: MPI and DoC are seeking feedback on the
draft of a new National Plan of Action to reduce the
incidental catch of seabirds in New Zealand
fisheries.
PCE down on ETS
Bill: Parliamentary Commissioner for the
Environment, Dr Jan Wright, has labelled failure to fix the
ETS bill, a 'disappointing and costly decision' ahead
of its third reading.
Upcoming sci-tech events
• Wellington Rocks! Earthquake briefings for
Wellington residents - a joint project from GNS Science
and the Wellington City Council - At various locations
throughout Wellington, September - October.
• GoTrace - Food forensics conference - 31
October, Napier.
• Brain Matters - Neurological
Foundation's 40th anniversary public event - 30 October,
Auckland; 31 October, Dunedin.
For these and
more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the
SMC's Events Calendar.
ENDS
Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
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