New Zealand's 10 best science stories this year

A recently hatched kiwi chick at Rainbow Springs in Rotorua. Photo / Christine Cornege

From potential taxes on sugary drinks to righting a great wrong on the ancestry of our kiwi, science has offered plenty of headlines this year.

The team at the New Zealand Science Media Centre list, in no particular order, their top 10 stories of 2014.

No more moa

When did the last moa die? This question was the focus of not one but two research papers published within just weeks of each other. In October, a radiocarbon dating study from Landcare Research and the University of Auckland estimated the moa population died out between 1440 and 1445. Just two weeks later a similar radiocarbon dating study from University of Canterbury and University of Otago researchers suggested the giant bird kicked the bucket 20 years earlier (give or take a decade). Ultimately the question will become moot if Labor MP Trevor Mallard's suggestion of moa de-extinction comes to pass.

Mystery food poisoning

When hundreds of people started falling foul of a nasty stomach bug in October, health authorities scrambled to get a handle on the outbreak. The culprit was soon identified as the bacteria Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, but the source of the bacteria was debated in the media, with a Canterbury health official squaring off against the Ministry for Primary Industries over the the non-release of ESR reports implicating certain foods, including lettuce and carrots, as potential sources of the bug. Ultimately, the source was never identified.

Health food star system

A new voluntary food labelling system was introduced in June to give Australian and New Zealand consumers greater insight in the nutritional value of their food at a glance. However the final labelling format - and its voluntary status - was a trade-off between public health academics and the grocery sector. Although there was scant evidence the star system would lead to healthier choices, experts conceded it was a step in the right direction.

What is a GMO?

Crown Research Institute Scion and the Sustainability Council of New Zealand came to loggerheads in May over the definition of genetic modification, taking it all the way to the High Court. At the heart of the controversy was Scion's plans to develop pine tree strains using new molecular techniques that alter the genetic code of an organism without incorporating foreign genetic material into the genome of the cell. The High Court ruled that the pine trees created would be genetically modified, but noted the current definition was "not well drafted".

Animal testing comedown for legal highs

As new laws were drawn up to control, but not necessarily outlaw, 'novel psychoactive substances', legal highs manufacturers were asked to prove their products were safe. However, when animal testing of recreational drugs was brought into the discussion, the public backlash was fast and sharp. Scientists offered conflicting views on whether animals testing was necessary to prove human safety. Ultimately the government tweaked the proposed law to rule out the use of animal data in proving safety.

The kiwi's bizarre relative

Twenty years after the fact, expat New Zealander Dr Alan Cooper redeemed himself for hypothesising that the iconic kiwi was originally from Australia. At a press conference in May, Dr Cooper announced that new DNA research had found the kiwi's closest cousin was in fact the giant, 3m tall elephant bird from Madagascar.

The battle for our birds

Military metaphors abounded In January when the Government launched New Zealand's largest-ever species protection programme, increasing the use of aerial 1080 poison to control a rapidly increasing army of millions of rodents and stoats triggered by high seed production in beech forests. The first major offensive kicked off in August in Fiordland with support from numerous stakeholders, although the impact of 1080 on trout raised concern in fishing circles.

NZ, Australia take Japan to court over whaling - and win

Australia, with the support of New Zealand, took Japan to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), claiming their whaling program was not scientific and therefore illegal. In March, the ICJ ruled that the program was not scientific, ironically because Japan was not killing enough whales. These rulings were submitted alongside a resolution to the International Whaling Commission, which Japan summarily ignored, announcing a new scientific whaling plan for 2015.

Kiwis critical in 'rude' exoplanet discovery

Backyard New Zealand astronomers played a key role in discovering an unusual planet that orbits only one star in a two-star 'binary' system, impolitely ignoring the other star. The discovery, published in Science this July, used data collected from an immense network of professional and amateur astronomers and shifted our understanding of where planets might be found in the universe.

A surprise fault under Wellington Harbour

A previously unknown fault discovered under the Wellington Harbour became international news in October. The sneaky Aotea fault, named for its proximity to Aotea Quay, was found by Niwa marine geologists mapping the region. While the fault is thought to be capable of generating magnitude 7 earthquakes, scientists were not too worried about the risk posed by the fault and the Prime Minister rejected calls to move the capital to Auckland.

Academics not so sweet on sugary drinks

Public health became a matter of public debate in February when experts called for a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, highlighting the role of fizzy drinks in New Zealand's growing obesity problem. Writing the in the New Zealand Medical Journal, the researchers calculated that such a tax would save 67 lives per year and generate a revenue of up to $40 million. Unsurprisingly, some in the grocery sector, such as Katherine Rich, disagreed.