Guest Work

Secondhand clothing sales are booming – and may help solve the sustainability crisis in the fashion industry

Guest Author • Nov 17, 2020

• clothing,
• fashion,
• second-hand clothing,
• Sustainability

Hyejune Park and Cosette Marie Joyner Armstrong, Oklahoma State University A massive force is reshaping the fashion industry: secondhand clothing. According to a new report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years – from US$28 billion in 2019 to US$80 billion in 2029 – in a U.S. Read More

New data privacy rules are coming in NZ — businesses and other organisations will have to lift their games

Guest Author • Nov 17, 2020

• Data,
• privacy

Anca C. Yallop, Auckland University of Technology Most people these days are aware that what they share online is both valuable and vulnerable. Data privacy has become a major concern for consumers and corporations alike. The issue will come to a head when New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 comes into force on December 1. The legislation replaces and updates … Read More

New cyclone forecasts: why impacts should be the focus of hazardous weather warnings

Guest Author • Nov 11, 2020

• cyclone,
• forecasting,
• natural disasters,
• Pacific islands,
• weather

Sally Potter, GNS Science November 12 marks the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Bhola, the deadliest weather event on modern record. When this storm made landfall over Bangladesh, it coincided with a lunar high tide. The subsequent storm surge killed at least 300,000 people. This month also marks the start of the cyclone season in the Pacific. The outlook … Read More

How we discovered three new species of penguin in the Southern Ocean

Guest Author • Nov 07, 2020

• DNA,
• penguins,
• species

Jane Younger, University of Bath When you think of scientists discovering new species, you might imagine searching the Amazon rainforest for new types of insect or the depths of the ocean for undiscovered crustaceans. But these days most new species we discover are found hiding in plain sight. Such “hidden” species can look so similar to … Read More

How to live in space: what we’ve learned from 20 years of the International Space Station

Guest Author • Nov 03, 2020

• International Space Station,
• Manned spacecraft,
• space

Alice Gorman, Flinders University and Justin St. P. Walsh, Chapman University The fictional ‘Brick Moon’ was constructed from bricks because they are heat-resistant. NASA November 2 marks 20 years since the first residents arrived on the International Space Station (ISS). The orbiting habitat has been continuously occupied ever since. Twenty straight years of life in space makes the ISS … Read More

Genome and satellite technology reveal recovery rates and impacts of climate change on southern right whales

Guest Author • Oct 31, 2020

• Auckland Islands,
• Southern right whale,
• subantarctic islands,
• tohorā,
• whales

Emma Carroll After close to a decade of globe-spanning effort, the genome of the southern right whale has been released this week, giving us deeper insights into the histories and recovery of whale populations across the southern hemisphere. Up to 150,000 southern right whales were killed between 1790 and 1980. This whaling drove the global population from perhaps 100,000 … Read More

The SMC Video Competition: Ecological Cluedo

Guest Author • Oct 30, 2020

• conservation,
• invasive species,
• kākahi,
• Mussels,
• science communication,
• video competition

Recently, the Science Media Centre ran the third round of its 2020 SAVVY Video Competition for science researchers. With entries ranging from kea tracking to Beethoven’s piano pieces, we judges were incredibly impressed by the creativity and quality of submissions. This week, we’re featuring the work of the winner, conservation biologist Bridgette Farnworth. Our streams and lakebeds host … Read More

Which ‘milk’ is best for the environment? We compared dairy, nut, soy, hemp and grain milks

Guest Author • Oct 15, 2020

• almond milk,
• environmental footprint,
• milk,
• nut milk,
• soy milk

Making eco-conscious choices at the shops can be tricky when we’re presented with so many options, especially when it comes to milk. Should we buy plant-based milk, or dairy? We’ve looked at the evidence to help you choose. Dora Marinova, Curtin University and Diana Bogueva, Curtin University Dairy has the biggest environmental footprint, by far Any plant-based milk, be it … Read More

The SMC Video Competition: The Tītipounamu Project

Guest Author • Oct 09, 2020

• early career researcher,
• science communication,
• Tītipounamu,
• video competition

Recently, the Science Media Centre ran the third round of its 2020 SAVVY Video Competition for science researchers. With entries ranging from kea tracking to Beethoven’s piano pieces, we judges were incredibly impressed by the creativity and quality of submissions. This week, we’re featuring the work of runner-up, PhD candidate Yen Yi Loo. When I introduce myself … Read More

Rocky icebergs and deep anchors – new research on how planetary forces shape the Earth’s surface

Guest Author • Sep 29, 2020

• continental drift,
• continents,
• oceans,
• plate tectonics

Simon Lamb, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Have you ever wondered why the Earth’s surface is separated into two distinct worlds – the oceans and large tracts of land? Why aren’t land and water more mixed up, forming a landscape of lakes? And why is most of the land relatively low and close to sea level, making … Read More