BioBlog

Thoughts on the proposed changes to NCEA

Alison Campbell • Feb 28, 2020

• NCEA,
• science education

Many readers will probably have read this RNZ article (or heard the related interview), or seen calls for consultation on the Ministry of Education’s suggested changes to the number of subjects – and achievement standards – on offer to year 11 students. I’ve been following (& participating, where I can) all this with colleagues and friends, and … Read More

Why do students need to learn about the nature of science?

Alison Campbell • Feb 25, 2020

• achievement standards,
• NCEA,
• school,
• Science

You’re probably aware that the Achievement Standards used to assess senior school students’ learning are being reviewed. Science is one of the ‘pilot’ subjects in this process, where a ‘Subject Expert Group’ has developed 4 draft Science standards¹ (a significant step away from the current 30+, and a response to advice from several high-level advisory groups). These drafts … Read More

Neandertals’ genetic legacy extends into africa

Alison Campbell • Feb 03, 2020

• Africa,
• human evolution,
• Neandertal,
• neanderthal

For the last few years it’s been pretty much received wisdom that African populations shared only a tiny proportion of their genes, if any, with Neanderthals. In contrast, other non-African sapiens populations had a small but significant admixture of Neanderthal genes. The underlying reason for this, it’s been assumed, is that Homo sapiens and neandertalensis only bred with each other in Europe … Read More

Controversy? Or Manufactroversy?

Alison Campbell • Jan 22, 2020

• climate change,
• curiculum,
• education,
• schools

A few days ago, New Zealand’s Minister of Education announced the wider release of a resource on climate change, which was initially trialled at a Christchurch school during 2018. According to the Minister, children will learn about “the role science plays in understanding climate change, aids understanding of both the response to it and its impacts – globally, nationally … Read More

Ignorance of basic science isn’t a virtue

Alison Campbell • Dec 17, 2019

• measles,
• Samoa,
• science literarcy,
• Social media,
• vaccination

I’d intended to write a post about science literacy (& its lack). And I still will. But first, I’m going to address the claims made by a commenter on a post that shared advice and commentary by the Samoan ombudsman. (Yes, a post related to that country’s measles epidemic.) Why? Because it demonstrates what we get when … Read More

anti-vaxxers in a measles epidemic: so many ways to be untruthful

Alison Campbell • Dec 02, 2019

• critical thinking,
• Health,
• Health and Medicine,
• pseudoscience,
• science and society,
• vaccination

“Anti-vaxers are a pro-death movement,” those comments from Dr Helen Petousis-Harris speaking about six more Measles related deaths in Samoa over the past twenty-four hours. “Anti-vaxers are a pro-death movement,” those comments from Dr Helen Petousis-Harris speaking about six more Measles related deaths in Samoa over the past twenty-four hours. The fight to vaccinate continues with the Nation’s health … Read More

Advice about measles: when ignorance is definitely not a virtue

Alison Campbell • Nov 28, 2019

• anti-vaccination,
• immunisation,
• measles,
• science and society

As the rate of measles infection, and of deaths, continues to climb in Samoa, antivaccination activists infectious disease proponents seem intent on doubling down on their claims about vaccination. (Check pretty much any news-media FB post about measles & you’ll see exactly what I mean.) Unfortunately, some of them have a greater reach than others. On a global level … Read More

Measles deaths and antivax misinformation

Alison Campbell • Nov 26, 2019

• Anti-Vax,
• measles,
• misinformation,
• outbreak,
• Samoa,
• science and society

Today the death toll from measles in Samoa rose to 32. All but four of the dead were less than 5 years old. Absolutely terrible, heartbreaking, news. That statistic alone should be enough to give the lie to the common claim by antivaccination activists plague enthusiasts that “measles is a benign childhood disease”. Clearly, it is not. (And never … Read More

Measles: the quackery that is homeopathic “vaccination”

Alison Campbell • Oct 22, 2019

• Homeopathy,
• measles,
• vaccination

A few days ago, a friend sent me a link to a health-related FB page that had published a post from a homeopathist, offering homeopathic “vaccination”¹ against measles (using something called a “Morbillinum nosode” at a “potency” of 200C, which I’ll explain shortly). I followed the link, left a comment asking for evidence that this actually, you know, works, & … Read More

Zombie ants, updated

Alison Campbell • Oct 22, 2019

• ants,
• host,
• parasite

Back in 2010, I wrote about the strange tale of the zombie ants, which do the bidding of their fungal overlords. (They’re not an isolated example; a range of parasites change their hosts’ behaviour. See here and here for example – though as you’ll find, the toxoplasmosis story may be even more complex than first thought.) There’s … Read More