SMC Heads-Up: Drought outlook, GM fungus and upskilling
science communicators
Issue 223
22 - 28 March 2013
Experts
discuss 'Big Dry'
NIWA scientists said
today that the outlook for the next few months is likely to
be 'near normal' rainfall, but it will take some time for
the land to recover from the current drought
conditions.
The Science Media Centre held an online background briefing for journalists with scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) to share recent data and answer questions about the current drought conditions.
You can listen to the briefing and view presenter slides on the Science Media Centre website.
Speaking at this briefing, Climate Scientist Dr Andrew Tait explained the drought in terms of soil moisture.
"We've had a little bit of help from the recent rain," he said.
"But there are still a lot of areas that are particularly dry and it will take quite some time to get soil moistures back to where they would normally at this time.
"That's a key consideration when thinking about
how long this drought is going to last."
Hydrologist Roddy Henderson also noted that
river levels had also suffered with much of the country
recording river flow values that are in the lowest 10 per
cent ever recorded.
Climate scientist, Dr Brett Mullan, placed the current drought in a historical context, saying it appears to be the worst or worst equal in 70 years for large parts of the North Island.
Looking forward he noted, "in terms of the outlook, no immediate prospects of relief in the North Island for the next ten days but longer term we're expecting things to get back to normal."
Finally, Chief Scientist Dr David Wratt spoke about the link between climate change and dry conditions.
"Overall we do expect drought to become more frequent as the century progresses," he said.
"We are going to have some years that are wetter than normal and others that are drier than normal, but the chances of drought are going to go up."
Auckland SAVVY
success
Twelve keen scientists were put
through their paces in Auckland in mid-March in the latest
of the Science Media Centre's national series of media skills
workshops. Over two full days, the
scientists had the chance to improve their on-camera
presence, learn how enthusiastic they can be without losing
credibility, brainstorm compelling ways to explain tough
concepts, and practice saying what they really mean to
say.
At the end of the intensive media training programme,
scientists got to hone their best science story pitches
before a panel of senior journalists from TVNZ, TV3, New
Zealand Geographic and the New Zealand Herald.
Feedback from participants in the
course:
"What sets this
experience apart is in-depth information regarding how the
news process works and real reporters/professionals'
feedback. The practice pitch to news reporters was
fantastic!" "I honestly thought
this was an amazing course. We had just enough time to cover
the important things, were exposed to some great people and
got a real insight into the media world with hands-on
experience."
Read more about the Auckland SAVVY workshop and check out photos here. Science Media SAVVY got off the ground last year with a very successful workshop in Christchurch and a Wellington work shop is currently being planned for mid-2013.
'Icing sugar fungus'
GM concern
Lincoln University
researchers were in the media spotlight this week when news
broke that a fungus used in their research and assumed to be
a naturally occurring variety was in fact likely a
genetically modified strain.
The fungus was
found outside labs designed to handle GM
material.
Lincoln University
informed authorities on 7 March that it had evidence to
suggest a fungus (Beauveria bassiana, also
known as Icing Sugar Fungus) that had been supplied to the
University for research, was potentially a strain modified
genetically to include a marker so it could be traced in
plants.
The fungus was believed to have been a wild strain that is already present in the environment and so was being researched in restricted laboratories but outside approved GM containment facilities.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is working with Lincoln University to make sure that all of the known samples and plant materials containing the fungus have been contained or destroyed.
The Environmental Protection Agency's principal scientist, Dr Geoff Ridley, says the potential risk to humans or animals is very low.
"There is no evidence to suggest that genetic modifications that may have been made to the fungus in these labs have increased any health or environmental risk."
B. bassiana is a fungus that occurs naturally in soils throughout the world (including New Zealand) and infects a wide range of insect species. I is used as a biological insecticide to control a number of insect pests.
You can read news
coverage of the investigation and media statements from the
organisations involved on the Science Media Centre website.
On the science radar...
Skinny microscopes get inside the body, Voyager
and the verge of the solar system, a tough landing on Europa, deep sea microbes and rusty rockets resurface.
Single species for giant squid
A new study comparing the DNA of a
giant squid held at Te Papa with samples from 42 of
its relatives from around the globe has revealed that
mysterious sea creatures comprise a single, yet extremely
spread out, species.An international team of
researchers has determined that all giant squid are members
of the same species, Architeuthis dux, refuting
previous arguments that there were more than 20 different
species in the giant squid family. The findings were published in
Proceedings of the Royal Society B this week.
In the new study, researchers analysed a total of 43 samples from individual squid from around the worlds oceans (15 of which came from New Zealand waters) and found that giant squid from all over the globe were remarkably genetically similar, representing one - very spread out - breeding population. The researchers found no substantial genetic differences between samples from regions as far apart as Florida and Japan.
The authors suggest that the global giant squid population may be so similar due to young larval squid drifting throughout the world's oceans currents. The widespread nature of their travels means no geographically distinct populations have become established.
They also note that this planet-wide interbreeding, or panmictic, population is unique among studied marine organisms
You can read a round up of media reports on the research on the Science Media Centre website.
Quoted: 3News
"We're really
at the point where there are enough elephants dying
naturally that you could get tusks from natural deaths to
supply a lot of those Asian markets without pushing prices
higher."
- Dr Brendan
Moyle, Massey University
New from the SMC
Experts Respond:
Anthrax: Experts comment on an outbreak
of anthrax in New South Wales, Australia, which killed up to
40 cattle and resulted in quarantined farms.
Auckland quakes: Read media coverage of the Auckland's weekend shake-up.
GM Fungus:
Authorities are investigating a potential breach of GM
requirements at Lincoln University following the discovery
of a genetically modified fungus
outside of approved containment laboratories.
Reflections on
Science:
Bioethics: We
should challenge boundaries society
takes for granted - but must "tread carefully", writes
bioethics expert Prof Gareth Jones in the Otago Daily Times.
Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's posts:
Valuing Science in New Zealand
- 'How do you put a dollar value on science?', asks Shaun
Hendy ahead of the NZAS conference.
A Measure of
Science
Monday Micro - roller derby
micro! - Siouxsie Wiles highlights recent
research showing donning a pair of roller-skates and
elbowing people is an excellent way to trade skin bacteria.
Infectious Thoughts
Open access good for businesses
too - Grant Jacobs reflects on the benefits of
making research available to independent researchers and
small businesses.
Code for Life
Is maths real? - Marcus Wilson
gets philosophical about maths and physics.
Physics
Stop
Research highlights
Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.
Caffeine curbs crash rate: Long
distance truckies who consume caffeinated substances such as
coffee or energy drinks while driving are significantly less
likely to crash than those who do not, according to a new
Australian study. Researchers found that drivers who
consumed caffeine to help them stay awake were 63% less
likely to crash than drivers who did not take caffeinated
substances.
BMJ
Books getting
less emotional: A linguistic analysis of scanned
novels held in the GoogleBooks database has revealed how the
content of fiction is changing in response to historical and
cultural trends. The study found that while on the whole
books contain less emotional words, there was an increase in
fear-related terms towards the end of the 20th century.
PLOS ONE
3D
displays to go mobile?: A new glasses-free,
three-dimensional (3D) display that is particularly well
suited for mobile devices has been developed. The new
approach uses diffractive optics to produce 3D images, both
static and moving, that can be viewed from multiple angles,
even when the device is tilted. Images and video
available.
Nature
Sandy
robots: Drawing inspiration from desert animals
such as lizards, US military funded scientists have designed
a six-legged robotic device that moves efficiently across a
bed of dry, loose grains, similar to sand. The development
of a robot able move efficiently on sand could have
implications for future robots sent to explore other
planets.
Science
Skim milk
paradox: A longitudinal US study of over 10,000
children has found that normal-weight 2-year olds who drink
low fat milk are 57% more likely to be obese or overweight
by age 4, compared to those who drink full fat milk. The
authors suggest that this could be because fat increases the
feeling of fullness and reduces appetite for other
fatty/calorie dense foods.
Archive of Disease in
Childhood
Policy
updates
Some of the policy highlights from this week:
Court OKs pork imports: The Court of Appeal has dismissed NZ Pork's appeal against MPIs decision to allow pork imports from countries known to harbour certain porcine diseases.
Free vaccine for at-risk kids: The Ministry of Health has announced that children under the age of five with significant respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, will be able to get the influenza vaccine free.
Upcoming sci-tech
events
• What if... Judges could understand forensic
experts? - "What-if Wednesday" lecture from
Professor Joep Sonnemans - 27 March,
Christchurch.
• Mad on radium: New Zealand in the atomic
age - Cafe Scientifique with Rebecca Priestley
- 28 March, lower Hutt.
For these and more
upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the
SMC's Events Calendar.
ENDS