Curious and Curiouser

We live in Wonderland. Let’s keep ourselves curious and explore it. Image Source: Flickr Commons uploaded by cea +. Recently I took Miss6 to watch the new Alice movie –Through the Looking Glass. I got a special thrill when Alice said “Curiouser and Curiouser”, as this famous line provided inspiration for the name of this blog ‘ … Read More

These are exciting times for public science engagement in New Zealand. Last week 44 projects were successful in receiving a total of $2 million in the 2016 funding round for Unlocking Curious Minds. The Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund in official language: supports innovative projects that will excite and engage New Zealanders, particularly young people (aged 18 years and under), … Read More

In this guest post by Thea DePetris, a Masters student at the University of Waikato, she outlines why the world’s wicked problems demand a transformation of our teaching systems and showcases one example, the Kids Greening Taupō community restoration education programme. The issues of the modern world aren’t getting any simpler as ‘wicked’ problems pervade our societal structure and environment. In response, educational … Read More

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We have a plethora of talented women in diverse STEM-related careers within New Zealand. Profiling some of these incredible women on the web is one aspect of the Curious Minds initiative. Supporting those women who enter into a science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM career is just as important as using those same women as positive role models for … Read More

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Science engagement is currently a hot socio-political issue with extensive Government investment and interest. But it is not a new issue, and there is a lot that has been done in the past that we should be learning from and building on. A guest post by Dr Cathy Buntting, Senior Research Fellow, University Waikato. This is an educator’s perspective on the … Read More

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If you were in Christchurch anytime over the last few weeks you would have probably noticed posters advertising the Big Science Day. This event, run by Science Alive and with funding from the Unlocking Curious Minds fund, an initiative within the government-led “A Nation of Curious Minds” programme, took place on a stunningly fine day, Saturday … Read More

The power of curiosity One of my beliefs is that everyone has curiosity programmed into them. Sometimes as people progress from childhood wonder into adulthood that curiousness becomes dulled, covered in layers, just like the clouds I am viewing from my plane window at the precise moment I write this. A moment spent looking and thinking might lead to consideration … Read More