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Latest FromJamie Morton

NEW ZEALAND

Q&A: Climate change's challenge for our health system

20 May, 2018 8:53am
3 minutes to read

Global warming isn't just a threat to our coastal communities: but to our health. Why?

Cow's milk remains one of the most common causes of food allergy in infants, affecting one in 50 children. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Scientists can 'knock out' major cow's milk allergen

20 May, 2018 8:51am
2 minutes to read

Genome-editing can eliminate the risk to young children.

Astronomers have been able to peer back 12 billion years into the early dark ages of the universe to discover the fastest-growing black hole yet found. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Weird Science: Black hole's sun sized appetite

19 May, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Think your kids are big eaters? Check out what this monster black hole can wolf down.

Researchers say a group of blue whales found around the South Taranaki Bight are genetically distinct from those in the Pacific and Southern oceans. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Taranaki blue whales endemic to NZ - study

18 May, 2018 7:30am
4 minutes to read

NZ has its very own population of the largest animal in the world: the blue whale.

Dr Demian Saffer, of Pennsylvania State University, and Dr Laura Wallace, of GNS Science, have helped install a sub-seafloor quake observatory off the coast of Gisborne. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

NZ's new under-sea quake lab now in action

18 May, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Two sub-seafloor quake labs begin "listening" to NZ's high-risk Hikurangi Subduction Zone.

New Zealand spends just 1.3 per cent of GDP on R&D, when the OECD average is 2.4 per cent. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Few surprises in science and tech spend

17 May, 2018 5:33pm
5 minutes to read

Can Budget's $1b for tax incentive lift New Zealand's "woeful" spend on business R&D?

More than $600m has been put toward environment-focused projects, including a $181m boost for the Department of Conservation. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Greenest Budget ever, says Greens leader Shaw

17 May, 2018 2:48pm
7 minutes to read

What's touted as the "the greenest Budget ever" puts over $600m toward environment areas.

NEW ZEALAND

Brian Cox: Why anti-science is a threat to our democracy

16 May, 2018 12:46pm
9 minutes to read

The famous thinker discusses black holes - those in space, and those in cyber-space.

The five-storey NZI Centre is one of Auckland's

BUSINESS

Carbon footprint grows for NZ buildings

14 May, 2018 5:00am
3 minutes to read

Buildings could be belching out 20 per cent of NZ's carbon pollution, new report finds.

Modern theories of the big bang predict that our local universe came into existence with a brief burst of inflation. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Hawking's final theory on the universe - why Einstein was wrong

12 May, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

The late cosmologist Stephen Hawking's final theory on the universe has been published.

NEW ZEALAND

Second endangered NZ sea lion killed in squid fishery

10 May, 2018 3:58pm
3 minutes to read

Two critically endangered NZ sea lions accidentally killed by boats this fishing season.

Moeraki's boulders were exposed by erosion of sedimentary rocks laid down from 65 to 13 million years ago. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Scientists shed light on Moeraki's mysterious boulders

10 May, 2018 1:43pm
2 minutes to read

What conditions cause them to form? How long do they take to grow?

NEW ZEALAND

First NZ woman to be elected Royal Society of London fellow

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

Renowned chemist humbled to be joining a fellowship that includes her childhood heroes.

The buoy that picked up the monster wave was deployed near Campbell Island in March by the HMNZS Wellington. Photo / Dean Whaanga

NEW ZEALAND

Record monster wave is biggest recorded in Southern Ocean

9 May, 2018 3:12pm
3 minutes to read

Scientists have just detected a record, seven-storey-high wave in the Southern Ocean.

More exposure to our natural environment could help asthmatic kids like Northland's Zarika Lutske, 7, pictured with mum Nossie. Photo / John Stone

NEW ZEALAND

Nature can help, not hinder, young asthma sufferers

8 May, 2018 3:00am
3 minutes to read

More exposure to our natural environment could help asthmatic kids like Zarika Lutske.

NEW ZEALAND

Climate change spells trouble for NZ's crops

7 May, 2018 4:52pm
4 minutes to read

Harsher droughts under climate change could threaten our crops with serious diseases.

Research shows nine out of 10 Kiwi kids aged between 10 and 14 gaze at screens for longer than the recommended two hours each day. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Clever app limits kids' screen time

7 May, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

This Kiwi family found their own answer to screen addiction, reports Jamie Morton.

The University of Auckland's Morgane Merien has been working with the Clitarchus hookeri - possibly our most common stick insect, and one of our strangest species. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

A bug's life: avoid sex, live longer

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

Abstinence is the key to old age. At least if you're a female smooth stick insect.

The Chatham Rise is home to an abundance of seafloor species. Trawling operations and seabed mining proposals there have been controversial. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Sea mining effects to be simulated

7 May, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Niwa is about to attempt one of the most challenging underwater experiments ever.

A major report, released today, has found community conservation is in trouble - and says there's a risk volunteers could walk away from the country's war against pests. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

NZ in danger of losing more endangered species

7 May, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

We could lose more of our cherished native species if groups don't get the help they need.

The Brothers submarine volcano features striking, five-metre-tall metal-rich

NEW ZEALAND

Scientists set to drill into huge underwater volcano

6 May, 2018 4:00pm
3 minutes to read

Kiwis among big effort to drill deep into a huge underwater volcano 400km northeast of NZ.

A new national plan would remove farming intensity - blamed for driving pollution in rural waterways - as a

NEW ZEALAND

New Govt water plan would curb intensification

6 May, 2018 3:47pm
5 minutes to read

Tough measures aim to control pollution in rural waterways.

A one-off survey at Wellington's Oriental Bay beach recovered hundreds of pieces of microplastic. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Survey reveals tiny plastic scourge hurting sealife

6 May, 2018 1:52pm
3 minutes to read

Scientists have analysed hundreds of harmful microplastics found on Wellington's shores.

Sharing music with your kids while they're young can help your relationships later in life, researchers say. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Weird Science: Bond with your kids - and crank the music

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

Sharing music with your kids when they're young can help you get along when they're older.

April's cooler change was noticed more in the south. Queenstown's Remarkables skifield received a dump of 30cm of fresh snow late last month. Photo / The Remarkables

NEW ZEALAND

Explained: The month the golden weather died

4 May, 2018 1:10pm
3 minutes to read

For the first time since July, balmy temperatures fell to "near average" in April. Why?

An overwhelming majority of doctors are confident in childhood immunisation. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Doctors overwhelmingly support vaccination, study finds

4 May, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

An overwhelming majority of doctors are confident in childhood immunisation, study finds.

Freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy is leaving Massey University to join Victoria University's Institute for Governance and Policy Studies. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Celebrated scientist wading in on NZ's freshwater woes

3 May, 2018 6:51pm
4 minutes to read

Freshwater campaigner Dr Mike Joy aims to get action in new role at new university.

Scientists have been surprised to discover an intriguing process capable of melting a massive floating Antarctic glacier from above - even during the continent's dark and cold winters. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

When warm winds blow in Antarctica's dark, freezing winter

3 May, 2018 3:14pm
6 minutes to read

Even in the cold and dark of an Antarctic winter, melting can still happen. Here's how.

More than 85,000 people live within 30km of Mt Taranaki - with 40,000 in high-priority evacuation areas. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

What would a Mt Taranaki eruption look like?

3 May, 2018 11:22am
4 minutes to read

A Mt Taranaki eruption could see fast-moving, hot ash flows spreading kilometres around.

NEW ZEALAND

Endangered NZ seabird may be under greater threat

2 May, 2018 5:18pm
2 minutes to read

One of NZ's most endangered seabirds may be under greater threat than previously thought.

The past 26,000 years have seen about 28 major eruptions at Taupo, including one of the world's largest known: the devastating Hatepe eruption 1800 years ago. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Taupo super eruption: Just how much time will we get?

2 May, 2018 4:48pm
5 minutes to read

NZ experts question new US study on Taupo suggesting "super-eruptions" are well signalled.

NEW ZEALAND

What a neonicotinoid ban would mean for NZ

2 May, 2018 11:55am
4 minutes to read

Following EU's ban on neonicotinoid pesticides would cause headaches for NZ, experts say.

After a warm start to the year, temperatures between now and the start of August were forecast to be above average for much of the North Island. Photo / Dean Purcell

NEW ZEALAND

What to expect this winter: The balmy weather continues

1 May, 2018 2:49pm
4 minutes to read

New Zealand is in for a warmer winter, as one of the hottest years on record rolls on.

NEW ZEALAND

Major Govt water review: Sector asks for new regulator

1 May, 2018 2:09pm
6 minutes to read

Call follows revelations that three quarters of a million Kiwis are drinking unsafe water.

NEW ZEALAND

Q&A: NZ's role in the world's biggest science project

1 May, 2018 10:37am
8 minutes to read

NZ will now be an "associate member" in the global SKA project. What does that mean?

Could opinion pieces like those published in this newspaper change your long-term view on certain issues? Photo / NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND

Weird Science: Can newspaper op-eds change your mind?

28 Apr, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Could op-eds like those in this newspaper change you long-term view on certain issues?

NEW ZEALAND

Q&A: NZ's Nanogirl cooking up a science storm

27 Apr, 2018 5:49pm
5 minutes to read

Star scientist Dr Michelle Dickinson discusses her latest project to hook kids on STEM.

Hookworm infections are common in developing nations of the tropics and subtropics. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

The worms within us: How parasites could help beat disease

27 Apr, 2018 4:49pm
7 minutes to read

Human parasites are a bane for developing nations. But they can also help guide research.

Fly-overs have found 450 sites potentially infected with kauri dieback disease - but none were in Northland's Waipoua Forest, home to the famous Tane Mahuta. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Fly-overs find 450 potential kauri dieback sites

27 Apr, 2018 12:03pm
4 minutes to read

Fly-overs reveal hundreds of new sites possibly infected with kauri dieback disease.

NEW ZEALAND

Car import costs a side-risk to greener economy - report

27 Apr, 2018 9:37am
5 minutes to read

Report shows ''major changes will be needed," commission chair Murray Sherwin says.

NEW ZEALAND

Attenborough backs plan to record biodiversity

27 Apr, 2018 2:00am
4 minutes to read

Sir David Attenborough wants NZ and Oz to document all species before it's too late.

Anti-vaxxers have similar beliefs around being persecuted as conspiracy theorists and their networks are immune to outside influences, new Australian research suggests. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Study: Why anti-vaxxers think like conspiracy theorists

26 Apr, 2018 10:47am
2 minutes to read

Anti-vaxxers have similar ideas of being persecuted as conspiracy theorists, study finds.

NEW ZEALAND

Call for climate action growing, but many still unfazed

26 Apr, 2018 10:05am
5 minutes to read

More Kiwis want climate action, but many still don't care despite time running out.

A large low is expected to spread rain and easterlies over the North Island from Friday. Image / Niwa

NEW ZEALAND

Trouble from the Tasman: Wet and wild weekend for NZ

25 Apr, 2018 3:14pm
3 minutes to read

Forecasters are waiting to see where the bad weather will hit hardest.

Learning how to cook when you're young could be good for your health and nutrition in the long term, a University of Auckland researcher says. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Why learning to cook young is good for future health

25 Apr, 2018 12:12pm
3 minutes to read

Learning how to cook when young could be good for your health in the long run.

One person reported how Kaikoura's seals were unusually noisy shortly before the 2016 7.8 earthquake. But scientists say there's nothing to back such links. Photo / NCTIR

NEW ZEALAND

Can our pets sense quakes? The evidence is too shaky

25 Apr, 2018 11:59am
4 minutes to read

The claim dates to ancient Greece, but science can't confirm animals can predict tremors.

Mitoubiquinone mesylate, marketed as MitoQ, is a super-antioxidant designed to penetrate and optimise cellular mitochondria (pictured), the so-called batteries within our cells. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

NZ anti-ageing drug in promising heart disease findings

25 Apr, 2018 10:26am
5 minutes to read

A Kiwi company's novel anti-ageing drug could play a big role in preventing heart disease.

Mt Tutoko, the highest peak in Fiordland National Park, has become increasingly popular with tourists. Photo / Mike Scott

NEW ZEALAND

DoC 'broke the rules' on tourist chopper flights

24 Apr, 2018 3:21pm
2 minutes to read

More trips permitted to remote glacier than were allowed, Ombudsman finds.

Kiwi electric vehicle owners have cited everything from cheap running costs to Donald Trump in explaining why they'd made the switch. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Why buy an EV? The planet, your wallet ... and Trump

24 Apr, 2018 2:50pm
4 minutes to read

Kiwis cite everything from cash savings to Donald Trump in explaining their switch to EVs.

A little blue penguin washed up on Mount Maunganui's Main Beach this summer. It was among scores likely killed by this year's unusual sea conditions. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Mass penguin deaths a climate change 'wake-up call'

24 Apr, 2018 12:55pm
4 minutes to read

Unusual sea conditions likely caused scores of little blue penguins to starve to death.

NEW ZEALAND

Jolie-linked gene mutation focus of NZ cancer study

22 Apr, 2018 4:06pm
5 minutes to read

High-risk genetic mutation made famous by Angelina Jolie focus of major NZ cancer study.

Information about a whole population's exposure to agents and disease can be revealed by picking up signature bio-markers among collective wastewater samples. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Studying what we flush: 'The opportunities are limitless'

22 Apr, 2018 2:09pm
5 minutes to read

Sewage analysis offering valuable insights into drug use, disease and obesity by region.

Researchers have begun a sprawling check on thousands of contemporary Kiwi veterans, amid concerns the generation and its health needs has been overlooked. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Sweeping health check focuses on modern veterans

22 Apr, 2018 11:49am
5 minutes to read

A sprawling check on recent Kiwi war veterans begins amid warnings of a "lost generation".

A new watchdog is needed to regulate how government-run artificial intelligence (AI) is sifting through our personal data, an expert panel says. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

NZ needs Govt data-mining watchdog, experts say

22 Apr, 2018 10:18am
5 minutes to read

Experts have called for a new unit to oversee government-run AI predictive tools.

Overuse of smart phones is just like any other type of substance abuse, researchers say. Photo / 123RF

LIFESTYLE

Weird Science: Me, my phone and I

21 Apr, 2018 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Smartphones are now an integral part of our lives. They're also addictive and harmful.

An aerial view of flooding in South Dunedin in 2015. The suburb will be used as a case study in a new climate change study. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

NZ 'unready for warming'

20 Apr, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Researchers say we need to find out which communities will be worst hit by climate change.

Scientists have discovered a worrying melting process that speeds up the rate of Antarctica's ice melt - and the sea level rise that results. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Scientists discover new melting process in Antarctica

19 Apr, 2018 2:42pm
4 minutes to read

Melting glacial ice sheets make the ocean's surface layer less salty and more buoyant.

NEW ZEALAND

Major report: What we've done to NZ's landscape

19 Apr, 2018 11:00am
13 minutes to read

NZ now losing nearly 200m tonnes of soil each year, with consequences for our environment.

Scientists have used acid baths and concrete mixers to simulate the moa's gut to cast fresh doubt on a common assumption about our long-lost big bird. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Scientists make their own moa gut to quash big theory

18 Apr, 2018 1:13pm
4 minutes to read

Scientists simulate the moa's gut to cast doubt on key assumption about the extinct bird.

The ancient whale was as old as a common ancestor we currently have for today's baleen whales, among them minke and right whales (pictured). Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Whale of a discovery: NZ's ancient (and extinct) ocean mammal

18 Apr, 2018 11:17am
3 minutes to read

Scientists have described a baleen whale that roamed our waters 27.5 million years ago.

The longfin eel. Barriers that may stop freshwater fish from migrating through our lakes, rivers and streams are being made subject to new guidelines today. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

New guidelines to help freshwater fish travel freely

18 Apr, 2018 10:34am
4 minutes to read

New guidelines to help remove barriers to fish migrating through our rivers and streams.

NEW ZEALAND

Piles of recyclables mount in wake of China's waste ban

14 Apr, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Stockpiles mounting around NZ as recycling companies deal with China's foreign waste ban.