Just So Science

Science and Society dream team?

Elf Eldridge • Oct 04, 2013

With today’s announcement of the first 3 National Science Challenges (NSC’s) and the opening of their request for proposals*, I’m forced to reflect again on the Science and Society challenge. I’m assured that it’s moving forward behind the scenes (and I actually believe it is!) but I’m going to take this opportunity to prompt a little discussion with … Read More

Evaluating Science Outreach?

Elf Eldridge • Sep 24, 2013

Given the audience of Sciblogs.co.nz, I doubt I’ll be going out on a limb by saying that science communication and outreach is important. The issue I’ve been grappling with recently is how effective, and important the outreach we actually do is. Let me set the scene. In Wellington* we have a huge number (circa 70) of different organisations … Read More

Putting science in the ‘too hard’ basket

Elf Eldridge • Sep 23, 2013

A friend put me onto this article that appeared on Stuff this morning. It deals with a warning that the Ministry of education has received from Secondary Principals’ Association about being force to drop Year 11 science as a compulsory subject as students are struggling to achieve NCEA Level 1 by including it. I particularly enjoy the opening … Read More

Ethical Skepticism

Elf Eldridge • Sep 05, 2013

This weekend myself and my fellow scibloggers Siouxie Wiles and aimee whitcroft are privileged enough to be talking at the New Zealand skeptics conference alongside the likes of Pamela Gay and Kylie Sturgess. Needless to say I’m more than a little excited (especially as I get to show off the capabilities of the … Read More

Hope and the Science and Society Challenge

Elf Eldridge • Aug 20, 2013

Is anyone else slightly concerned about the absence of commentary on the Science and Society National Science Challenge? For those who either missed it (or forgot about it in the intervening months since its announcement at the end of April this year) the “Science and Society” challenge was touted as a leadership challenge for the government to: “…take take a … Read More

National Science Challenges – an insider perspective

Elf Eldridge • May 02, 2013

With the announcement yesterday of the national science challenges, it’s a blessing that I can now openly talk about being (partially) involved in the process. I’ve watched the process (and the large amount of cynicism that accompanied it almost every step of the way!) evolve and the response from researchers is, in a word – predictable. The Science … Read More

Predator-Free NZ: Our ‘Space Programme’?

Elf Eldridge • Mar 22, 2013

Last night I attended the “Pesty Science” lecture hosted by Victoria University looking at the issues surrounding the idea of a Predator-Free New Zealand. The lecture was presented by Landcare Research’s Dr Andrea Byrom, and really dug into the nitty-gritty questions we have to ask if we (as a nation) seriously want to consider a predator-free NZ as … Read More

Cross-section of Wellington’s High-Tech Businesses

Elf Eldridge • Sep 05, 2012

In keeping with our aim to connect students with industry, on the 4th August, Chiasma Wellington held our “Introduction to Wellington Industry” at Victoria University. Wait! Before you leave this page thinking this is another shameless self-promotion post that I seem to spew out with unerring regularity, there is a real reason behind me mentioning the content of this. (OK … Read More

Eureka! Symposium synopsis

Elf Eldridge • Jul 20, 2012

Last Thursday I had the honour of attending the first annual Eureka! young science orator’s awards, an event born out of a collaboration between the late great Sir Paul Callaghan and Rotary. The premise is deceptively simple, get 12 young erudite people, passionate about some aspect of science, bring them to Wellington and get them to speak directly … Read More