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A stagnant effort to save the Hauraki Gulf - now to be salvaged with a Government intervention - could have been done better, an official inquiry has found. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Stagnant master plan to save gulf 'could have been done better'

12 Dec, 2018 4:34pm
5 minutes to read

Failings of a plan to save Hauraki Gulf should be lesson for future efforts, report finds.

Overseer could provided farmers with estimates of what nutrients were lacking and could be supplemented through fertiliser to maintain growth and production. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Enviro watchdog: Farm tool Overseer needs oversight

12 Dec, 2018 2:27pm
5 minutes to read

Tool used to calculate farm run-off into waterways needs greater scrutiny, watchdog says.

The National Geohazards Monitoring Centre, based at GNS Science's Lower Hutt campus, will be manned 24 hours a day by a team of geohazard analysts. Photo / Margaret Low / GNS Science

NEW ZEALAND

New centre to keep 24/7 watch on quakes, tsunami

12 Dec, 2018 12:10pm
2 minutes to read

A state-of-the-art centre will keep a constant watch on NZ's biggest geological threats.

Weather forecasters are picking unsettled weather in the run up to Christmas. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Mixed bag of weather in run-up to Christmas

11 Dec, 2018 10:02am
2 minutes to read

Forecasters are picking unsettled weather in the run up to Christmas.

A recent surge in threats against DoC has centred around its use of 1080 poison to rid conservation land of the rats, stoats and possums decimating our native bird species. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

1080 madness: DoC ranger slept with gun under his bed

11 Dec, 2018 7:59am
6 minutes to read

A DoC ranger slept with a gun for weeks after getting death threats from 1080 activists.

The team will use an underwater robot called the Icefin. Photo / RISEUP/Justin Lawrence

NEW ZEALAND

Secrets beneath Antarctica's ice shelves

10 Dec, 2018 5:00am
3 minutes to read

We know less about what's beneath Antarctic ice shelves than we do about Mars' surface.

Metal-organic frameworks are a new class of synthetic materials made up of metal clusters that act as molecular-scale sponges due to the dense networks of tiny pores within them. Image / Shane Telfer

NEW ZEALAND

New wonder material: A rugby field packed in a teaspoon

10 Dec, 2018 5:00am
3 minutes to read

Scientists are excited at the carbon-capturing potential of a new class of compounds.

Nearly 13 million tonnes of plastic waste ended up in the world's marine environment every year. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

How we're eating the plastic we put in the ocean

10 Dec, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

We're likely consuming the plastics we put in the ocean. And there's even worse news.

As couples age, they show more humour and tenderness towards another, researchers have found. Photo / 123RF

LIFESTYLE

Weird Science: Marriage really does improve with age

8 Dec, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Honeymoon long over? Hang in there, researchers say.

Of all the creatures that inhabit our waterways, the tadpole shrimp might be among the most intriguing. Photo / Landcare Research

NEW ZEALAND

Why this weird, ancient native critter is closer to the brink

7 Dec, 2018 5:00am
3 minutes to read

Of all the critters living in our waterways, the tadpole shrimp is among the strangest.

A just-issued report indicates that if all farmers operated using today's best practice, the country might be able to slash emissions by up to 10 per cent. Photo / DairyNZ

NEW ZEALAND

How NZ could cut ag emissions by to 10 per cent

6 Dec, 2018 2:00pm
7 minutes to read

Many farmers want to cut their greenhouse gas emissions - but nearly half don't know how.

NEW ZEALAND

Hottest summer drove alps' biggest ever ice loss - scientist

6 Dec, 2018 1:00pm
7 minutes to read

Our hottest ever summer drove the Southern Alps' biggest seasonal melt, scientist says.

Gravitational waves are cosmic ripples that travel through the universe at the speed of light. Image / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

NZ study could help the hunt for Einstein's cosmic ripples

6 Dec, 2018 9:45am
4 minutes to read

NZ study could tell us more about mysterious gravitational waves - and what causes them.

NEW ZEALAND

Have we forgotten NZ's violent colonial past?

6 Dec, 2018 9:44am
4 minutes to read

We commemorate Anzac Day. So why have we forgotten conflicts fought on our own soil?

They're sometimes friendly, yet as far as singing prowess goes, the myna is the Bon Scott to our tui's Beyonce. But why? Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Myna offence: Why do these birds sound so annoying?

6 Dec, 2018 8:14am
3 minutes to read

As far as singing prowess goes, the myna is the Bon Scott to our tui's Beyonce. But why?

Conditions in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys are so hostile they've been compared with those found on Mars. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Into the ice world: A DNA miracle in Antarctica's 'Martian' Dry Valleys

6 Dec, 2018 5:00am
8 minutes to read

Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys are among the most inhospitable places on Earth.

Professor Gary Wilson, pictured at the summit of Castle Rock in Antarctica, is currently on the ice for an expedition at the Siple Coast, 850km from Scott Base. Photo / Alan Gibson

NEW ZEALAND

Into the ice world: Why we should all care about Antarctica

6 Dec, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Why care about Antarctica? what happens there, matters here, Jamie Morton explains.

Instead of being turned into something useful, most of our plastic ended up in landfill, incinerated, or in our ocean, cities and countryside. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Is this how we solve NZ's growing plastic problem?

3 Dec, 2018 6:00am
4 minutes to read

NZ must swap its plastic packaging system to one where nothing gets wasted, report says.

Harry Shepherd helped stranded motorists on a flooded road near Kawakawa in July 2014. It was among few storms scientists have studied for direct links to climate change. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Climate change: Revealing its hand in today's extreme weather

2 Dec, 2018 12:57pm
5 minutes to read

We'll soon be able to reveal climate change's hand in extreme weather - and in real time.

Bitterness evolved as a natural warning system to protect the body from harmful substances - and by that logic, we should want to spit it out. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Weird Science: Why do we like the taste of coffee?

1 Dec, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Scientists explain why we shouldn't like the taste of coffee, yet we do.

White Island's rising crater lake could overflow mid-way through next year. Photo / GNS Science

NEW ZEALAND

White Island's crater lake could soon overflow

30 Nov, 2018 10:03am
4 minutes to read

White Island's rising crater lake could overflow midway through next year, scientists say.

A sweeping new report has highlighted the enormous impact climate change is already having on the world's health and wellbeing. Photo / AP

NEW ZEALAND

Report: Climate change already a global health emergency

29 Nov, 2018 3:18pm
4 minutes to read

A major report has highlighted the enormous impact climate change is having on our health.

Extreme weather that has forced thousands of Queensland residents to flee their homes should give people a wake-up call over climate change, a New Zealand scientist says. Photo / AP

NZ scientist: Oz fires a climate change wake-up call

29 Nov, 2018 9:57am
2 minutes to read

Fires raging in Queensland are a wake-up call over climate change, NZ scientist says.

The terraces, at Lake Rotomahana near Rotorua, were sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world and attracted tourists from across the globe. Image / File

NEW ZEALAND

Scientists certain Pink and White Terraces buried under lake

29 Nov, 2018 7:00am
4 minutes to read

Scientists say they're settled on the long-lost Pink and White Terraces' former location.

Coastal waters are already warmer than normal - especially around the northern South Island, where sea surface temperatures are now more than 1C higher than usual. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Typical or tropical? NZ's forecast for summer is in

28 Nov, 2018 4:40pm
3 minutes to read

There's a 50/50 chance of a typical NZ summer – or one even balmier than normal.

After years of quakes and drought, the Hurunui district was rocked again by the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake that brought down this landslide. Photo / Kurt Bayer

NEW ZEALAND

Study explores stress in district rocked by quakes, drought

28 Nov, 2018 12:47pm
3 minutes to read

Researchers exploring stress in Canterbury district rocked by quakes, drought and storms.

Carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales, or CPE, is found in the gut bacteria of a carrier. Photo / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NEW ZEALAND

Growing worry over bugs that beat even last-resort antibiotics

27 Nov, 2018 11:18am
3 minutes to read

Researchers concerned over rising number of NZ cases of anti-microbial resistant bug CPE.

Seven years after the researchers unveiled their first-generation android, Affetto, they've now found a system to make it more expressive. Photo / Osaka University

NEW ZEALAND

Weird Science: Meet Affetto, the expressive android

24 Nov, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

We're now closer to giving androids greater facial expressions to communicate with.

Estimates suggest the Hauraki Gulf today supports less than 45 per cent of the fish

NEW ZEALAND

Govt offers hope in master plan to save Hauraki Gulf

22 Nov, 2018 9:03am
3 minutes to read

The Government has stepped in to salvage a master plan to save the Hauraki Gulf.

It's estimated an annual eight million tonnes of plastics enter oceans, where they eventually break down into microplastics. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Auckland's microplastic scourge under the microscope

21 Nov, 2018 6:17pm
3 minutes to read

A new study aims to trace Auckland's microplastic pollution back to their source.

The findings centre on mitochondria - tiny, specialised sub-units of cells that act as cell

NEW ZEALAND

'Game-changing' study may open door to new cancer therapies

21 Nov, 2018 1:13pm
3 minutes to read

Findings described by a NZ scientist as "game-changing" reveal a new way to attack cancer.

NEW ZEALAND

Govt pledges $13m to fight kauri dieback and myrtle rust

20 Nov, 2018 4:04pm
4 minutes to read

Science efforts to fight rampant kauri dieback and myrtle rust have received a $13m boost.

A grim UN report has prompted 150 NZ academics to call for bolder climate change action. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Call for climate action backed by NZ academics

19 Nov, 2018 3:35pm
4 minutes to read

A grim UN report has prompted 150 NZ academics to call for bolder climate change action.

A bumble bee with a RFID tag attached to its back. The RFID tag allows scientists to keep track of their foraging activity and how well they are supporting their colony. Photo / Brian Cutting

NEW ZEALAND

For our bumblebees, being brighter isn't better

19 Nov, 2018 12:31pm
4 minutes to read

For the humble bumblebee, being a quick learner isn't a blessing but a strange curse.

Dr Mei Peng says the link between smell and people's body-shape was previously a relatively unknown area of scientific study and knowledge. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

NZ study reveals link between smell and obesity

19 Nov, 2018 11:10am
3 minutes to read

The better a person can smell, the more likely they are to be slim, NZ study finds.

A twister captured on camera near Hamilton in 2013. On average, about seven to 10 moderate to strong tornado events are reported each year. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Explained: all you need to know about NZ and twisters

18 Nov, 2018 5:29pm
3 minutes to read

Our tornadoes are small by world standards but have caused deaths and damage.

The twister was captured by local resident Alesha Plew as she and her husband were driving along State Highway 1 north of Ashburton. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Watch: 'Massive' tornado in Canterbury

18 Nov, 2018 4:57pm
4 minutes to read

"It ended up coming about 10m from the car, and there was debris and dirt flying around."

MetService's rain map for the next three days. Most regions are expected to see wet, cold weather. Image / MetService

NEW ZEALAND

Jandal weather? More like Snow-vember

18 Nov, 2018 4:34pm
2 minutes to read

Snow is forecast for areas above 400m in Southland and 500m in Otago and Canterbury.

The Government is considering publicly funding vaccinations against the new strains of meningococcal disease - including MenW. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Fears meningococcal 'super-strain' could become dominant

18 Nov, 2018 4:05pm
5 minutes to read

A meningococcal disease strain that's killed six this year may become dominant form.

Kiwi researchers used the much-debated flag referendum to investigate how partisanship can shape our own attitudes and preferences. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Follow the leader: What the flag debate revealed about our personal politics

18 Nov, 2018 11:45am
4 minutes to read

What our preferred party leaders say can change what we think about issues, study finds.

The Alpine Fault runs about 500km up the western side of the South Island between Milford Sound and Marlborough. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Scientists investigate ruptures along high-risk Alpine Fault

18 Nov, 2018 10:52am
3 minutes to read

Scientists to investigate intriguing "barriers" that can influence Alpine Fault ruptures.

The National Science Challenges are a set of 11 collaborative efforts, bringing together thousands of researchers across different institutions. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Questions over secret review of $1.6b science programme

17 Nov, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Scientists question why Government is keeping review of a $1.6b research programme secret.

Remembering a person's face in this situation relies on recognition - but remembering their name is a matter of recall. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Weird Science: Why we remember names over faces

17 Nov, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Contrary to popular belief, we're actually better at remembering names than faces.

NEW ZEALAND

Top scientist pays tribute to late brother with medal win

15 Nov, 2018 6:55pm
5 minutes to read

A scientist awarded a top medal has paid tribute to his late brother who also once won it.

Two years on from a 7.8 jolt that proved one of the most complex earthquakes ever observed, scientists are still gleaning valuable new insights. Photo / Kate Pedley

NEW ZEALAND

Our most complex quake: Kaikōura two years on

13 Nov, 2018 1:00pm
4 minutes to read

Two years on from the 7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake, rich lessons are still being taught.

Japan plans to kill 333 minke whales in its latest expedition to the Southern Ocean. Photo / Regina Eisert

NEW ZEALAND

NZ slams Japan's latest whaling expedition

13 Nov, 2018 11:28am
2 minutes to read

Japan's latest whaling expedition into the Southern Ocean has again drawn heavy criticism.

A new study will help a new generation of Māori voyagers reconnect with their tupuna and with Polynesian navigators across the Pacific. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Volcanoes, super-glasses and the dark net: Ten of NZ's boldest new research projects

8 Nov, 2018 5:00am
14 minutes to read

$85m will help our researchers investigate everything from volcanoes to youth suicide.

Waitakere Ranges Regional Park has become a hot-spot for the tree-killing kauri dieback disease. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Kauri dieback: Auckland Council accused of shortcomings

5 Nov, 2018 3:16pm
3 minutes to read

A group has accused authorities of not doing enough to save kauri in the Waitakere Ranges.

Work by Dr Natalie Robinson and her team in Antarctica could aid the search for life in the Solar System - and answer crucial climate change questions here on Earth. Photo / Christian Haas

NEW ZEALAND

Antarctic expedition aid search for life beyond Earth

4 Nov, 2018 4:29pm
3 minutes to read

What does Antarctica have to do with one of Jupiter's moons? More than you might think.

Wave-driven flooding is soon expected to make many of the world's coral-fringed coastlines uninhabitable. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Model reveals islands under threat from climate change

4 Nov, 2018 4:07pm
3 minutes to read

Scientists have found a way to reveal which spots are threatened by wave-driven flooding.

By the start of next month, the surf might be as warm as it would normally be in early January. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Summer explained: Balmy weather and a weird El Nino

4 Nov, 2018 1:59pm
6 minutes to read

We're in for a balmier summer, with a strange El Nino showing up late to the party.

NEW ZEALAND

Store seeds to save our trees? Don't bank on it

4 Nov, 2018 10:39am
4 minutes to read

NZ shouldn't rely on seed-banking to save species like kauri from killer plant diseases.

The proposals included the European Union's 1.8m sq km Weddell Sea marine protected area, covering an area five times greater than that of Germany. Photo / Nasa

NEW ZEALAND

Anger over failed bid to create world's biggest marine reserve

4 Nov, 2018 9:58am
3 minutes to read

Commission couldn't reach unanimous vote without support from Russia, China and Norway.

Being shown a spider at the exact time of your heart beat might ease arachnophobia, scientists say. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Weird Science: The bizarre way to overcome your phobias

3 Nov, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Scared of spiders? Scientists have just found a weird way to treat the phobia.

Today, it's estimated only about 600 rowi exist, most within the Okarito kiwi sanctuary near Franz Josef. Now there are plans to push numbers to nearly 1000. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

The fight for our national bird - and why it matters

2 Nov, 2018 5:00am
9 minutes to read

The kiwi belongs in New Zealand - and arguably more than we do.

Tahi the kiwi chick, just released on Waikato's Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, represents a step-change in kiwi conservation. Photo / Maddox Photography

NEW ZEALAND

Kiwi savers: Can we keep our national bird from extinction?

1 Nov, 2018 5:00am
10 minutes to read

A new effort would see the decline of our kiwi reversed within years. Can it be done?

New findings show a close cousin of the kiwi was more like our national bird than researchers first thought. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Kiwi's giant lost cousin also loved the night-life

31 Oct, 2018 4:35pm
2 minutes to read

The kiwi's long-lost close cousin loved the night-life as much as our national icon does.

This Shake Map, produced by a network of quake-sensing devices, shows ground acceleration caused by yesterday's earthquake. The lighter the green, the weaker the shaking. Image / Jenlogix

NEW ZEALAND

How 6.2 quake was captured by NZ early warning system

31 Oct, 2018 4:00pm
4 minutes to read

A network of quake-sensing devices captured how yesterday's 6.2 shake was felt around NZ.

NEW ZEALAND

6.2 earthquake: 'Bending' Pacific plate likely cause of big shake

30 Oct, 2018 5:25pm
4 minutes to read

Today's 6.2 quake was likely the effect of "contorting" deep within the Pacific plate.

Scientists have used brain imaging to probe how our canine companions process words they have been taught to associate with objects. Photo / 123RF

LIFESTYLE

Weird Science: Inside the mind of a pooch

27 Oct, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

When some dogs hear "ball", they get excited. But what does the word mean to them?

Councils would be required to map hot-spots for native species under recommendations proposed by a cross-sector group. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

'Breakthrough' plan for NZ's vanishing nature

25 Oct, 2018 3:25pm
4 minutes to read

Councils would be required to map hot-spots for native species under new recommendations.

Nasa is currently evaluating a Kiwi-made, wool-based filter system to protect astronauts in its Orion spacecraft designed to explore the moon, Mars and asteroids. Photo / Nasa

BUSINESS

Sheep space: Is NZ wool about to blast off to Mars?

23 Oct, 2018 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

New Zealand wool may be about to go where no human has gone before: deep space.