Science and Society

Bringing woolly mammoths back from extinction might not be such a bad idea — ethicists explain - News

Guest Author • Sep 16, 2021 •

• climate change,
• de-extinction,
• ethics,
• woolly mammoths

Julian Koplin, The University of Melbourne and Christopher Gyngell, The University of Melbourne   US startup Colossal Biosciences has announced plans to bring woolly mammoths, or animals like them, back from extinction and into the frosty landscape of the Siberian tundra. Colossal has received US$15 million in initial funds to support research conducted by Harvard geneticist George … Read More

Lessons learned from a remote blood pressure lowering trial in Aotearoa - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Sep 16, 2021 •

• blood pressure,
• New Zealand stories,
• salt,
• smartphones

Helen Eyles, Jacqui Grey, Elaine Umali, Cliona Ni Mhurchu Technologies such as smartphone apps, Wi-Fi-enabled data collection devices, and web-based data management systems offer the opportunity to deliver and assess the impact of clinical trials remotely, something which researchers are becoming increasingly drawn to.  However, there are drawbacks, and even experienced teams will encounter challenges.  In this blog we share … Read More

Why a domestic NZ COVID ‘passport’ raises hard questions about discrimination, inequality and coercion - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 16, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• New Zealand stories,
• vaccination,
• vaccine passports

Tim Dare, University of Auckland and Justine Kingsbury, University of Waikato   With COVID-19 causing extraordinarily intrusive and expensive lockdowns, vaccine “passports” or certificates are increasingly seen as key to getting out of them. Decision-makers and gatekeepers – from border guards to maître d’s – will have a means of knowing who can safely engage with others. To that end, … Read More

We managed to toilet train cows (and they learned faster than a toddler). It could help combat climate change - Hot off the press

Guest Author • Sep 14, 2021 •

• carbon emissions,
• cows,
• farming,
• moo loo,
• New Zealand stories,
• nitrogen,
• water pollution

Douglas Elliffe, University of Auckland and Lindsay Matthews, University of Auckland   Can we toilet train cattle? Would we want to? The answer to both of these questions is yes — and doing so could help us address issues of water contamination and climate change. Cattle urine is high in nitrogen, and this contributes to a range of environmental problems. Read More

Ngā āhuatanga ka akona mai ki a tātou e te ao Māori, mō te ao pakihi o āpōpō - News

Guest Author • Sep 14, 2021 •

• New Zealand stories,
• Sustainability,
• te ao māori

Ben Walker, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Erin Roxburgh-Makea, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Jesse Pirini, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Stephen Cummings, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Mai i te ētita: Nā Piripi Walker i whakamāori tēnei tuhinga mō Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Read More

Putting the community back into business: what te ao Māori can teach us about sustainable management - News

Guest Author • Sep 14, 2021 •

• New Zealand stories,
• Sustainability,
• te ao māori

Ben Walker, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Erin Roxburgh-Makea, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Jesse Pirini, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Stephen Cummings, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington   Editor’s note: This article has been translated by Piripi Walker for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori/Māori Language … Read More

Packaging generates a lot of waste – now Maine and Oregon want manufacturers to foot the bill for getting rid of it - News

Guest Author • Sep 10, 2021 •

• packaging,
• recycling,
• waste

Jessica Heiges, University of California, Berkeley and Kate O’Neill, University of California, Berkeley   Most consumers don’t pay much attention to the packaging that their purchases come in, unless it’s hard to open or the item is really over-wrapped. But packaging accounts for about 28% of U.S. municipal solid waste. Only some 53% of it ends up … Read More

The world is desperate for new antibiotics, and New Zealand’s unique fungi are a source of promising compounds - Hot off the press

Guest Author • Sep 10, 2021 •

• antibacterial,
• antibiotics,
• fungi,
• New Zealand stories

Siouxsie Wiles, University of Auckland   While we’re all rightly focused on the COVID-19 pandemic at the moment, the SARS-CoV-2 virus isn’t the only microbial threat we face. Back in 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that within a decade, antibiotic-resistant bacteria could make routine surgery, organ transplantation and cancer treatment life-threateningly risky — and spell the … Read More

Musicians are urging us to vaccinate: the Australian federal government should learn from these moving, hopeful ads - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 08, 2021 •

• advertising,
• Australia,
• COVID-19,
• vaccination

Andrea Fenton, Swinburne University of Technology   A new ad has been released from the LIVE Alliance (Live Industry Venues + Entertainment) a music industry collective, under the guidance of advertising veteran Russel Howcroft. The campaign, Vax the Nation, is set to Powderfinger’s My Happiness. Here, the lyrics take on new meaning as we watch scenes of live music … Read More

With lockdowns easing for the rest of New Zealand, Auckland becomes the elimination frontline - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 07, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• delta,
• elimination,
• New Zealand stories

Michael Plank, University of Canterbury and Shaun Hendy, University of Auckland   The number of new cases in New Zealand’s Delta outbreak is now on a downward trend and we have a good chance of eliminating it, even as lockdown restrictions ease for most of the country from tomorrow. After a peak in case numbers during the weekend of August … Read More