SciBlogs

Science Communication Conference 2009 Palmerston North 9-10 November Kevin Hicks Sep 23

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Many people will be interested in the Science Communicators Association of New Zealand Annual Conference at Massey University, Palmerston North November 9 – 10. The theme is “SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – BEYOND THE DAILY NEWS”, which is a very commendable goal.

The conference should have wide appeal and there is an interesting line up of speakers including Professor Sir Peter Gluckman (Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor), Andrew Waterworth (Executive Producer from Natural History New Zealand), Barry Fox (former Vice President of CBS), and Dr Brennon Wood from Massey University and Greg Carlyon from Horizons Regional Council. The conference also boasts workshops on communication for scientists, making videos, opportunities for museums, challenges of dealing with IP, blogging, communicating across the sciences and getting science to the public. Peter Griffin from the Science Media Centre (www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz) will also give a presentation on science journalism.

The conference will be held at the Sport and Rugby Institute on the Massey Campus http://www.sportandrugbyinstitute.co.nz and will cost $240 which includes the conference dinner. For more details and to register go to the SCANZ website www.scanz.co.nz or register online http://www.scanz.co.nz/conference.asp.

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Now Someone’s Talking Properly about what Ails NZ Science Kevin Hicks Aug 20

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Finally someone – Professor Sir Peter Gluckman – is saying the right things about science in New Zealand. Even the skeptics are impressed! Basically he’s saying only what the RSNZ should have been saying loud and clear for the last 30 years – science in New Zealand is run by bureaucrats and therefore is doomed to failure. Another point he makes is our lack of support for young upcoming scientists chases them away in their droves. It is certainly worth listening to and I hope he will keep saying it.

Sir Peter Gluckman is founding director of the world-renowned Liggins Institute and one of New Zealand’s best known scientists. Professor Gluckman is the Government’s science adviser, first Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Enjoy……

Ooops I should have said start listening 10 minutes in – his comments on P and folate in my opinion are somewhat less than useful.

Download: Ogg Vorbis MP3

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Finally the Truth about the so called “Unfortunate Experiment” Kevin Hicks Aug 20

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Everyone should listen to this Book Review with Rae McGregor of “A History of the ‘Unfortunate Experiment’ at National Women’s Hospital” by Linda Bryder. Published by Auckland University Press. Finally a comprehensive book outlining the truth about the biggest miscarriage of justice in the history of 20th century New Zealand, where two great New Zealand doctors and research scientists were hung out to dry for ideological and political reasons. Scientists, the University, and NZ Health and Legal systems and the government should hang their heads in shame that this event wasn’t dealt with honestly at the time, and was left to a historian to bring out what the Listener article describes as “finally the truth”. The families and Professional colleagues of Herb Green and Dennis Bonham have had to suffer this injustice for 20 years.

I hope that people will realize the truth is out and some closure can come to the families and colleagues, including my father in law, Dr Graeme Overton, who worked so hard all his life, like they all did, to improve women’s health in this country. Download: Ogg Vorbis MP3

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Nature Magazine’s feature on the moon landing Kevin Hicks Jul 22

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You can view this online. It is especially useful to replect on all the spinoffs from the space program, including encouraging people into science!

Special : Apollo 40 years on
Nature is marking the 40th anniversary of the first Moon landing. We report on a Nature poll that shows how the Apollo programme inspired people to pursue careers in science. Giovanni Bignami reflects on why we need manned missions beyond Earth’s orbit and there are reviews of books on space security, the Apollo missions and NASA’s strategy for returning to the Moon.

Plus there’s an online special that includes interactive timelines, slideshows and selected articles from Nature‘s archive. There’s also an opportunity to relive the first Moon landing, as Nature News twitters the Apollo 11 mission as it happened – 40 years later.

PS: don’t worry, I haven’t lost the plot - a nice cynical article on our abject failure ever since is coming soon….

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A massive cheer for the moon landing Kevin Hicks Jul 21

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I guess a science blog would not be complete without acknowledging the, arguably, greatest event in human history, the moon landing. It certainly does it for me. What more can be said but thank you everyone in the US and around the world who made it possible.

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A Science Manifesto or too little too late? Kevin Hicks Apr 22

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The Science manifesto is an interesting read. Despite my cynicism when it turned up in my inbox I believe that every scientist every New Zealander should read it.

It is apsirational rather than inspirational though. As the last paragraph sums up, the document outlines the problems but offers very little in the way of solutions:

“This manifesto outlines the challenges and opportunities we face with our science system. The issues are well known. What we must now demonstrate is a determined commitment to address them.”

In fact I will go further than that – I would guarantee that I could find a similar document published every year since the late 70s (at which time I gave up on the RSNZ for a long spell) that says pretty much the same thing.

The document speaks of the last 10 years being bad for NZ science, but I’m sorry the writing was on the wall since I was an undergraduate in the 70s and very little has changed. We scientist have given successive governments of all shades a very easy time, as we New Zealanders have.

With all due respect these documents are written by people (my self included) who have presided over the demised of science in particular and the academic culture in general. So do we trust that we can be lead out of the wilderness by the same people who have fiddled while….What New Zealand scientists must decide, if they realy think it is not1 too late, is “in thrity years time will our current undegraduates be saying the same thing about science and will our children be saying the same things about New Zealand?

The problems are easy to state, but the challenges in solving them are enormous. A cultural change is needed in New Zealand far greater than the rise of feminism or perhaps even the instituion of the 40 hr week.

Near the end of the document the authors use ecological and mountaineering allegories to reinforce their message. The jury is out whether these – or mine - are the most fitting – of a wheel that is so rusty in can’t even squeak any more. In the country that invented the “the squeaky wheel gets the oil” that is not a good situation to be in.

So will we finally make a difference like we keep saying we are capable of?

One thing is certain if we are to make a difference the basic message of this document is true – we must change for change we must!

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Is the squeaky NZ science wheel finally going to get a bit of oil? Kevin Hicks Apr 22

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Jeff Talon has written to signatories of the letter asking that the Marsden fund attaching the National Science Panel’s Science Manifesto. This is fantastic and I thank Jeff very much for this. His email is reporduced below, I am assuming he will not mind getting it out to as wide an audience as possible.

 

However (and isn’t there always one?) his email also highlights some problems.

 

* despite being a member of RSNZ, subscribing to most of there email lists and blogging on science issues I am curiously unaware of any consultation process going into this manifesto.

* he also mentions we will no doubt have heard of several media events around science funding. Well no, I haven’t. Many a NZ sicientist is in my position of haiving my nose down trying to meet deadlines, put my kids through uni, and pay my onerous taxes with very little spare time for stuff that is not in my face.

 

This is important; it should be in NZ scientists faces. I hope by reproducing it here, and on my email discussion list and NZ Science website (in its infancy, help required) that I have done my little bit to give this very squeaky wheel a bit of oil (I fear it is actually rusted solid, but I will get to that later…).

 

The National Science Panel’s report on the state and future of science in New Zealand entitled “A plan for the recovery of New Zealand Science can also be found at http://www.rsnz.org/advisory/nsp/sciencemanifesto.pdf.

 

Here’s Jeff’s email.

 

Dear signatories to the Marsden Fund Open Letter to the Minister,

 

I am taking the liberty to use your email address to send you a copy of the National Science Panel’s Science Manifesto that was launched last Monday in Wellington and today in Auckland. The NSP has addressed issues around the health of the science system and concluded that there are comprehensive changes that need to take place before we have an effective system which is able to contribute to economic transformation. The Manifesto outlines the issues and a 10 point plan for tackling them. In our supporting documents we do address the Marsden Fund and do recommend a trebling of the fund but it is my impression that most signatories to the Open Letter will also be concerned about the wider issues we have tackled in the NSP. We hope that the research community will engage in wide ranging discussion of these issues and that together we can engage with all stakeholders to achieve better outcomes for NZ. At the end of the day this is not just about better opportunities for scientists but a more prosperous future for all New Zealanders.

 

You may have already seen or heard news releases and discussion groups on TV, radio and the press. We are working through these issues with government and many other stakeholders. Please read the Manifesto.

 

Sincerely

Jeff Tallon

P.S. There will be launch events in a number of other centres through NZ. These are part of the RSNZ “New Horizons” roadshow.

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Open Letter to Science Minister Requests Tripling of Marsden Fund Another Update Kevin Hicks Mar 07

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This is good news! 

Craig Borley, a science reporter at The New Zealand Herald, has been looking at the effects of New Zealand’s low “blue skies” research funding on our science community and economy. He now wants to know of any researchers who have moved offshore as a result of New Zealand’s low funding and also looking for some examples of good research proposals which missed out on Marsden Fund grants. If you know of any people/proposals which fit the bill, or have any opinions you would like to share with him please get in touch. [Craig Borley, Health and Science Reporter, The New Zealand Herald, 46, Albert St, PO Box 32, Auckland, Phone: (09) 373 6400 ext 8543, Fax: (09) 373 6421, ]

 

This is a very worthwhile cause and I thank Craig for taking it up with a passion, even though my own opinion is that the issue for NZ is much wider than the just the lack of blue skies research money. But a start has been made, thanks to Jeff Tallon and others.

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High level support for Australia’s knowledge economy Kevin Hicks Dec 27

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The Licensing Executive Society of Australia and New Zealand considers the Rudd Government’s focus on innovation is a vote for Australia’s economic development. Perhaps the New Zealand members are hoping for a trickle down effect since our goverenment has given up on the idea after it discovered the TEC was an easier way to hide unemployment than knowledge wave conferences.

 

The Licensing Executive Society of Australia and New Zealand

(LESANZ) today congratulated the Federal Government on establishing the nation’s first ever Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and on the appointment of Senator Kim Carr as the department’s new Minister.

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