Fuel of the future 
Two national institutes are hoping to reduce NZ's national oil consumption by developing the production of cellulosic ethanol. Ag Research and Scion (formerly the NZ Forest Research Institute) are working with US company Diversa on turning byproducts from the country's forestry and paper businesses into cellulosic ethanol. While ordinary ethanol is made from corn or sugar cane, the cellulosic variety comes from agricultural products with little or no other value, thus driving down the cost of production. Diversa spokesman William Baum predicts that a cellulosic-ethanol plant could be built in NZ in approximately three years. He believes that, if successful, the plant could help NZ offset a significant portion of its oil imports. 
(26 January 2007)

No such thing as waste 
A NZ company has stunned international researchers by successfully developing a fuel which blends petrol with organic waste. The Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation's breakthrough bio-diesel is made up of 95% petrol and 5% liquid squeezed from algae grown on human sewage. While the first batch of algae used came from sewage ponds, the company claims that organic waste from freezing works and dairy farms is equally effective. NZ energy minister David Parker and Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons recently drove a 4WD powered by the Aqaflow bio-diesel through central Wellington and claimed the fuel "performed admirably." 
(28 December 2006)

Kiwi creation joins world's supercars 
NZ's first supercar, the Hulme.F1, secured a rare invitation to show at Britain's prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed. The annual event showcases the latest designs by big names Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin, as well as those of boutique car makers. Named in honour of Kiwi Formula One champ Denny Hulme, the Hulme.F1 has been developed in secrecy over the last two years. Hulme Supercar Managing Director, Jock Freemantle, explained the significance of showing at Goodwood in NZ's Sunday Star Times. "We are getting in front of the most exclusive prestigious market in the world. Probably a very high percentage of the supercar owners of the world will be there." Designed by Tony Parker, the Hulme.F1 has received financial backing from fashion label Zambesi, Air NZ, paint company Dupont, and former Air NZ CEO Ralph Norris. 
(7-9 July 2006)

Nile by mile
NZer Cam McLeay is co-leading an expedition aimed at accurately measuring the length of the River Nile. The six person team began their journey at Rosetta, Egypt, and will travel through Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and possibly Burundi to find the river’s starting point. “Our goal is to accurately measure the length of the Nile to its longest source,” says McLeay. “There's been a lot of debate over the last several hundred years about the source of the Nile.” The British/NZ crew will travel in motorised inflatable boats, which will be air-lifted over difficult stretches by microlight hang-gliders. Possible hazards include crocodiles, hippos, and border security.
(21 September 2005)

Dishing the dirt
NZ scientists at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research have developed a high-tech yet cost-effective new crime-fighting technique. The revolutionary system uses DNA analysis of the bacteria in soil to match a database of samples – the equivalent of a soil “fingerprint.” Says study leader Jacqui Horswell, "If the person says I didn't murder her because I didn't go into that back garden, you can say, actually, I think you'll find you did." Unlike current techniques, which involve hiring pricey experts, the ESR kit can be used by any forensic scientist familiar with molecular biology. In a spin-off study, doctoral student Rachel Parkinson is creating a tool which will be able to pinpoint a victim’s time of death by looking at the bacteria the body produces as it decomposes and its presence in the surrounding soil. Both studies have sparked considerable international interest, particularly from the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Facility, known as the “Body Farm.”
(26 May 2005)
   

Industry in good hands
Malaysian Star feature looks at NZ's thriving film, multimedia and technology schools; specifically Auckland's South Seas Film and Television School, Media Design School, and University of Technology (AUT), and Palmerston North's University College of Learning (UCol). "Thanks to the success of award-winning trilogy Lord of the Rings, NZ's creative schools are seeing a surge in interest in film-making, 3D-animation, computer graphic design and a host of other artistic disciplines." 
(19 June 2005)
   

Warning heard around the globe
Top Kiwi scientist, Dr Peter Barrett, has warned the world “if we continue our present growth path, we are facing extinction … Not in millions of years, or even millennia, but by the end of this century.” An expert on climate change, Barrett is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Marsden award and Director of Victoria University's Antarctic Research Centre.
(17 November 2004)
  

Dynamic partnership
Christchurch based Nano Cluster Devices Ltd (NCD) has secured a potentially lucrative partnership with American organization and manufacturer, NanoDynamics. NanoDynamics is to take over international sales duties for NCD’s groundbreaking technologies, which include the self-assembly of nanowires in production of semiconductors and electronic components.
(18 October 2004)
     

One computer to rule them all
The supercomputer used to create Oscar-winning special effects for the LotR trilogy is now for hire. Weta Digital and Gen-I (a Telecom subsidiary) have established the NZ Supercomputing Center in Wellington, where commercial and scientific research can be undertaken by local and international customers. Currently ranked 80th among the world's 500 most powerful computers, it can perform 2.8 trillion calculations per second. Weta and Gen-I plan to add extra servers in the near future, boosting it to the top 10.
(8 September 2004)
     

Quantum leap
Otago University's Dr Murray Barrett joined a team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado examining teleportation via quantum information processes. The group's groundbreaking findings - which proved that it is possible to "reliably and readily shuttle information within a quantum computer" - were published in June editions of both Science and Nature.
(14 July 2004)    

Talking Turkey
Evolutionary biologists at Auckland University have made ivory tower headlines by providing compelling evidence of the origins of the Indo-European language family. Associate Professor Russell Gray and PhD student Quentin Atkinson applied a complex computer program modelled on those used in genetics to the question which has baffled linguists for nearly two centuries: whether the Indo-European language was spread by Kurgan horseman invading Europe and the Near East from the Russian steppes 6,000 years ago, or via agricultural expansion from Anatolia (modern Turkey) 3,000 years earlier. The findings of Gray and Atkinson aver that the language family diverted from its predecessors well before the Kurgan horsemen, which places its origins in Anatolia. The ground-breaking theory - published in leading British science journal Nature - made headlines around the world and has been championed in the US by Stanford University's renowned geneticist, Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza.
(1 December 2003)

Time travellers beware
NZ relativity expert, Professor Matt Visser, attended a Cambridge University discussion on the troublesome issue of time travel, in honour of Stephen Hawking’s 60th birthday. “Most physicists view time travel as being problematic, if not downright repugnant,” he said in an Age feature, pointing to the famous paradox of a time traveller killing his infant grandmother. “Is chronology protected? Despite a decade's work, we don't know for certain.”
(1 October 2003)
   

Kiwi scientists search for Merrick's ma
Joseph Merrick (the Elephant Man) is still drawing crowds. This time round, Merrick's deformities are attracting genealogists and scientists, rather than circus-goers. A team of NZ researchers wants to find living descendents of Merrick and take samples of their DNA. It is then hoped that the cause of his disfigurement can be established using the latest genetic techniques. 
(28 October 2002)

Blast from the past
Edge inventor Paul Williams' gasification technology leads the way in turning waste into energy.
(13 June 2001)
           

Money on trees
New Zealand scientist Dr Chris Anderson grows gold on trees through phyto-mining.
(24 May 2001)
    

Machine to the milker
Edge-inspired milk-machine gives room service.
(3 March 2001)

Classical stirrer
"By instinct a man of the left and no respecter of reputations," influential Cambridge Classical scholar Professor Robert Coleman "brought from his native New Zealand a suspicion of the great English institutions and took delight in expressing his forthright and sometimes paradoxical opinions."
(26 February 2001)
           

Asparagus are from Mars, potatoes are from Venus
Lincoln University researchers have successfully grown potatoes and asparagus in soil collected from Mars. "Space-based soils could potentially support future human expansion in the solar system," according to Professor Michael Mautner. "I wouldn't say very soon, but in a few centuries."
(1 January 2001)

Frankenfood
New Zealand's Royal Commission on Genetic Engineering is being watched closely as the first chance for citizens of any country to say what they think about Frankenfood.
(18 October 2000)
              

Great Steaming Geysers!
18 year old Rawiri Waru's developed a system to check Rotorua's geysers don't run out of steam, winning himself a Grand Award and an internship at Bayer AG in Singapore at the Worldwide Young Researchers for the Environment Expo 2000.
(22 October 2000)
 

Soft-soaping protector
Waiuku orchardist Chris Henry has created the world's first organically acceptable soft-soap fungicide. The product,  branded as Protector, is "just what environment conscious growers and customers have been demanding".
(21 September 2000) 
           

Seeding change
New Zealand scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research have been collaborating with their Australian and British counterparts in experiments that may hold the answer to global warming. By adding extra iron to the sea they hope to encourage the growth of phytoplankton which capture CO2, a major greenhouse gas.
(23 September 2000)
              

The end of an Aussie icon: hats off to NZ scientists
"It just may spell the end of the world's ugliest headgear: that staple of the Australian tourist shop regular, the cork-fringed hat." Two researchers from Massey University have developed a technique that kills female fruit flies in the laboratory. The research may single not just the end of an irritant to people, but also the end of an often fatal threat to sheep.
(19 July 2000)   
           

The truth is out there
An international effort to find biological life in the stars, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy ('Sophia'), a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Centre, will spend two months of every year in New Zealand, the place from which they can observe our galaxy, the Milky Way, the clearest.
(17 July 2000) 
           

Wild weather
New Zealander Kevin Trenberth, head of the Climate Analysis Section of the Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder Colorado, is in the middle of the wild weather/global warming storm
Search to view
(June 2000)
         

Kiwi innovation helps blind see the future
A Christchurch company has taken computers for braille users from the age of the typewriter to the age of the super-computer, with Braillenote, the first notebook computer for the blind. Asiaweek (CNN) profiles the innovation in its 'Cutting Edge' column.
(5 May 2000) 

Great balls of fire
Making the cover of the April New Scientist, New Zealand researchers at the University of Canterbury believe they have solved the mystery of one of nature's oldest puzzles - ball lightning - a mysterious floating light that appears fleetingly, gives off no heat and has no obvious power source,
(April 2000) 
 

Dolly Schwarzenegger - muscle-bound merinos the future of food?
Undertaking controversial research, New Zealand scientists are seeking government permission to take a naturally occurring mutant gene isolated from double-muscled Belgian blue cattle, which makes them grow exceptionally large, and insert it into sheep.
(27 April 2000) 
            

Great Balls of Lightning: A Lucky Find
Two New Zealand scientists report in Nature today a more down-to-earth explanation for something that has been puzzling physicists for hundreds of years
(3 February 2000)

Unlikely gathering 
On a subsea mountain peak 400km south of New Zealand, a robot submarine has filmed tens of millions of waving five-armed creatures called brittlestars, in a never-seen-before seamount discovery. Scientists from New Zealand and Australia discovered "Brittlestar City" on a peak in the Macquarie Range, where the starfish-like creatures colonized against daunting odds on an underwater summit higher than the world's tallest building. NIWA ecologist Dr Ashley Rowden said the aggregation of brittlestars was amazing. "The implications of the find for our understanding of the relative uniqueness of seamount assemblages are potentially far-reaching," Rowden said. 
(18 May 2008)

Massive robotics 
New Zealand software company Massive, famous for its on-screen swarms of pillaging orcs in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, recently showcased new business potential in Hanover, Germany. This included engineering, architecture and robotics. Software used in The Rings enabled characters the ability to react to their surroundings based on sight, touch and hearing. When scaled into a crowd, the characters interacted with each other, creating a more realistic result. Massive now sees this software being used for safe-building design, disaster scenarios, traffic and municipal planning, and possibly for scientific research into the behaviour of species. Massive CEO Diane Holland said it is unclear how many markets the company's technology could serve. "If you can accurately simulate what we as human beings think and do, [the possibilities are] absolutely endless," she said. 
(9 March 2008)

King talks technology 
The Guardian interviewed Black Sheep director Jonathan King about his favourite gadgets on the eve of his film's UK release. King's favourite piece of technology is his Apple iBook G4 laptop - "I use it to write, read, chat, think, goof off, listen to music, goof off, research, write ... all in the one spot at my desk." King describes himself as more "nerdular" than luddite and dreams of a day when filmmakers will be fully autonomous. "I think most filmmakers are like people who starved in war time: even if you believe you can get funding for your films in the future, you are always working toward the day you'll be self-sufficient," he says. "That's getting more and more possible as this technology gets better and cheaper, closing the gap between having the idea and shooting and cutting the pictures."  
(12 October 2007)

Skim straight from the cow
Scientists in NZ have found cows that produce skim milk naturally, a discovery that could potentially revolutionise the dairy industry. If researchers can identify the genes responsible for skim milk production, they could breed cows that produce full-fat milk that contains only the unsaturated or "good" fats. The cows were found when NZ biotech company ViaLactia screened the composition of milk from its herd of four million animals. ViaLactia also hopes to breed a herd of cows that can produce milk suitable for spreadable butter. The discovery could prove incredibly lucrative, with skim milk dominating dairy sales in key export markets such as the UK.
(28 May 2007)

Cheap solar power a step closer
Massey University researchers have developed a novel means of harnessing solar energy, at a fraction of the price. Scientists at the university's Nanomaterials Research Centre have produced a range of coloured synthetic dyes for use in dye-sensitised solar cells. The synthetic dyes are based on light-harvesting compounds found in nature, such as chlorophyll and haemoglobin, and are made from titanium dioxide - a plentiful, renewable and non-toxic mineral found in NZ black sand. The dye-sensitised cells cost a tenth of the price of currently available silicon-based solar cells, and are more efficient to run and produce. "The refining of pure silicon, although a very abundant mineral, is energy-hungry and very expensive. And whereas silicon cells need direct sunlight to operate efficiently, these cells will work efficiently in low diffuse light conditions," says study leader Dr Wayne Campbell. "The next step is to take these dyes and incorporate them into roofing materials or wall panels." The solar cells are the result of more than ten years research funded by NZ's Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.
(6 April 2007)

The future of fabric
Auckland-based Zephyr Technology Ltd has developed "smart fabric" for the US army which is capable of monitoring wearers' vital signs. The patented fabric works through flexible sensors which detect and measure displacement, distance, pressure and bio-data. Wireless connectivity and graphical diagnostic tools deliver status updates in real time, or record information for later analysis. The technology is designed to save lives by assessing how well soldiers cope in combat situations. Zephyr's Business Development Officer Steven Small says the fabric could also be useful for athletes, as it can measure how their bodies react to training. 
(20 March 2007)

Everest round two 
NZ innovation could conquer Everest for a second time thanks to the invention of an unmanned helicopter capable of rescuing stricken climbers from its summit. Auckland-based company TGR Helicorp has spent six years developing the Alpine Wasp, an unpiloted full-size helicopter with a revolutionary diesel engine and rotor blades designed to function at high altitudes. While normal helicopters are unable to fly beyond 4300m, the Alpine Wasp can reach heights of 9000m - 150m above the summit of Everest. "We are going to challenge the science of aviation at extreme altitude and conquer new frontiers on Mt Everest and in Nepal," says TGV Helicorp president Trevor Rogers. Initially sceptical, NZ amputee climber Mark Inglis is now acting as a goodwill ambassador for the company. "Much of my early career was in search and rescue, and the first rule is that a rescuer doesn't put their own life at risk," he says. "This [helicopter] is one of the first ways I've seen of really being able to ensure that on Everest." The Alpine Wasp will be tested this year in the NZ Alps and - if successful - will be stationed from spring 2008 in the sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, at 3440m on the route to Everest base camp. 
(10 February 2007)

Mammal mystery uncovered 
NZ palaeontologist Trevor Worthy claims to have evidence that NZ once had an indigenous land mammal, challenging years of accepted scientific theory. Worthy and his team of researchers found two parts of a jaw and a femur of a mouse-like creature in Otago's St Bathans fossil bed during digs between 2002-4. The creature is estimated to have lived in NZ 16-19 million years ago. "Scientists have long held the view that NZ has this weird and wonderful avian biota that lived on the ground because there were no mammals to impede or compete with birds," says Worthy. "It appears that this little mouse-like animal was part of the fauna on the ancient Gondwana supercontinent and it got stuck on NZ when the latter separated more than 80 million years ago." Worthy's study has been published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 
(28 December 2006)

Dinosaurs of the South Pacific
The first proof that dinosaurs lived on remote South Pacific Islands has been revealed by Dr Jeffrey Stilwell of Monash University, Melbourne. Stilwell, who trained at Otago University under NZ's leading palaeontologist Ewan Fordyce, has discovered a 2km-long pocket of dinosaur bones on the Chatham Islands. These include at least three kinds of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaur, one kind of flying reptile and marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and elasmosaurs. "Prior to our discoveries, only a few isolated examples of dinosaur fossils had been found in the northern part of NZ," says Stilwell. "Now we've found dinosaur remains almost 1000 kilometres east out in the middle of the South Pacific. [The dinosaurs] were on their own evolutionary path for probably 15 million years since the separation of the Chathams-NZ region some 85-80 million years ago. No one had even hypothesised that there were any fossils out that far."
(30 March 2006)

Race with a difference 
February 22 saw the official launch of Earthrace, a 100% biodiesel fuelled boat aiming to set a new world record for circumnavigating the globe. The brainchild of Pete Bethune, Earthrace is a charitable foundation promoting the use of renewable fuel. The boat will tour NZ from mid-April to June before heading to North America. The global circumnavigation attempt is scheduled to begin in either September 2006 or March 2007 (depending on the weather) from Barbados. 
(17 March 2006)

NZ has the edge online
NewZealand.com, Tourism NZ's award-winning website, earned further raves in a feature article by Brand Channel. "A ninth annual Webby Award winner, the homepage of NewZealand.com is a vibrant blend of heritage and enterprise, with both tourism and trade promoted in a decisive but considerate manner," writes reviewer Ian Cocoran. "Bedecked in images of raw, natural beauty and with multi-lingual functionality, the portal is easily navigable and appealing in its simplicity. Far from being superficial however, the real allure of the website lies within its sub-culture, perhaps not too dissimilar to the country it represents." 
(9 January 2006)

The wonders of technology
77-year-old Aroha Pearless used the internet to track down her first crush, a US marine stationed in NZ during WW2. Pearless had found photos of her former flame, Carl Leary, while cleaning out an old album. Remembering Leary came from Flint, Michigan, she set her grandchildren to work online. “I hadn't forgot about her,” said 81-year-old Leary. “As soon as I heard her voice, I knew who she was.”
(27 September 2004)
    

Chameleon car coolest of '03
Alan Gibbs' Aquada skims into Time magazine's list of 'Coolest Inventions of 2003.' The Aquada also featured in Arthur Lubow's article 'Inspiration: Where Does It Come From?' for the New York Times, alongside the Band-Aid, the dripless popsicle, and the new US $20 note. "Because design stands at the intersection of artistry, engineering and commerce, ideas can blow in from many directions ... The New Zealand businessman who designed the Aquada car-boat was annoyed by the inconvenience of dragging his boat to the harbour by tractor and trailer. He developed an amphibious vehicle that moved easily enough through water but lumbered on land - until he stumbled upon an ingenious form of retractable wheels."
(30 November 2003)
   

These wings are made for walking ...
A team of NZ researchers – led by David Lambert of Auckland’s Massey University - has broken new ground in the field of genetics to reveal previously unknown details about the moa. In a world first, Lambert and co analysed the nuclear DNA of fossilised moa remains in order to determine their sex. The study, published in the September 11 issue of Nature, reveals a clear case of reverse sexual dimorphism. Female moa were twice the size of their mates, and undertook foraging duties while male moa reared their young. The new information has helped in the classification of different species of moa - there are now thought to be 11 species, down from 38 20 years ago.
(11 September 2003)
   

Words into mouths - Fingering the leap to language
An NYT feature explores the impetus that gave man the edge to evolve from animal to language (the only characteristic that differentiates us from animals). A debate taking in Chomsky and Pinker asks which came first as a communicated symbol - gesture or word? "Dr Michael Corballis, a psychologist at the University of Auckland, believes the gesture came first, in fact as soon as our ancestors started to walk on two legs and freed the hands for making signs."
(15 July 2003)
    

Third Culture Kiwi guides lodestar
New Zealander Tim Radford (the "doyen" of UK science editors) is the Guardian's science editor and recently introduced their new weekly science supplement, Life. Radford has been the paper's general science editor since 1988, as well as its arts and books editor - living proof, that "the two cultures thing" does not exist. Multidisciplinary by nature: "As a New Zealander he had seismology, vulcanology and animal husbandry as a natural part of his environment." Life is already being hailed as a "lodestar" by the British science press.
(3 May 2003)
 

Icarus down-under
Richard - "Bamboo Dick" - Pearse profiled in China Daily as New Zealand celebrates the centenary of his (world?) first flight. Says biographer Gordon Ogilvie; "He was an inventive phenomenon in a small community where farming was everything. If you couldn't farm, you were an idiot. And yet he chose to do the unthinkable - to fly." For the NZEdge profile on Pearse click here.
(27 March 2003)
   

Believe the hype
The Hyperfactory continue their good work at the forefront of SMS technology. Australian and British buyers are showing great interest in the company's SMSJukeBox application, which has already gained over 70,000 members in New Zealand through ClubZM.
(8 March 2003)
   

"It's life James, but not as we know it" 
Time devotes a special issue to DNA and its discoverers, including NZ born scientist Maurice Wilkins. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Nobel Prize winning and paradigm shifting findings of Crick, Watson, and Wilkins: "The revolution they started is just now accelerating." See the NZEDGE profile of Wilkins here.
(17 February 2003)
   

Cheese guaranteed to please?
NZ scientists have genetically modified cows to produce high-protein milk for the country's cheese industry. The altered protein-levels would allow cheese-makers to produce more of their product from the same quantity of milk, and at a significantly faster rate. The radical innovation has its detractors. Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel: "Consumers have rejected GE food crops the world over, GE dairy products will most certainly meet the same fate. There is no point producing something that nobody wants to buy."
(26 January 2003)
         

Bamboo Dick: first flyer
"What's all the fuss about the Wright Bros? All good Kiwis know New Zealand's Richard Pearse got there first." With the centenary of his flight looming, Debbi Gardiner, writes in Salon about his place in history and NZ culture: "Amid all the hoopla, the centenary still makes me a bit sad. Poor Great-Uncle Dick. Had he been an American, not a New Zealander, his greatness would surely have been recognized sooner. And yet the fact that he was a New Zealander, and one ostracized by the locals, may well have what made him so determined to fly. Click here for the NZEDGE feature on Pearse.
(22 August 2002)
         

Windbreakers
NZ's belching animals: Kiwi scientists have worked out how to reduce greenhouse emissions from cow emissions. "Lowering New Zealand's methane emissions is necessary if the antipodean country is to meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty that aims to reduce human influence on the global climate." Belch-restricting efforts also featured in National Geographic.
(07 May 2002)
          

Pleasantville 2002: Deep impact
The release of NZ company Deep Video Imaging's new ActualDepth 3-D monitor is being likened to the dawn of colour television in the 1950s, with Deep Video aiming to be to the monitor what Dolby was to sound technology: "The added dimension of colour is very important, and depth is even more relevant". Company chief technologist Rj Siegel explains the many uses planned for the invention: to unclutter the cockpits in military tanks, to give perfect perspectives for studying tumors in the doctors' surgery, and for use in public kiosks, casino slot machines and digital wristwatches. "It is the real 3-D, not the illusion of 3-D".
(4 April 2002)
            

Zen and the art of motorcycle design
The revolutionary John Britten V1000 bike featured in a story in Germany's top news magazine Focus on the 'The Art of the Motorcycle' exhibition at the new Rem Koolhaas designed Guggenheim, Las Vegas. And in CycleWorld the Britten V1000 bike owned by roving motorcyclist Jim Hunter is described as balancing the qualities of ying and yang.
(January 2002)

"Call me Dr Johnson"
Adventure-seeking Kiwi scientist, Mark Johnson, tags 60-foot sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico. Shrugging off comparisons with Captain Ahab (I've already been given three copies of Moby Dick", complains Johnson. "Never read it") he modestly qualifies his profession as modern science, not some gothic quest for immortality or riches. Johnson, formerly an electrical engineer with an Akld Uni PhD, hopes the survey will dramatically expand the knowledge of the behaviour and genetics of the sperm whale.
(13 December 2001).
           

Coal ignites NZ dinosaur theory
Scientists think coal from the West Coast of New Zealand provides new evidence that an asteroid caused the extinction of dinosaurs.
(26 November 2001)
             

Virtual magic
US-based Kiwi Mark Billinghurst has won the entertainment section of the Discover Magazine Innovation Awards with his 'magicBook' virtual reality invention. 'magicBook' looks like a normal book, but when seen through a hand-held viewer, 3D images pop up from the pages. Check out the Discover story, an earlier article explaining the technology, or the project's homepage.
(10 September 2001)
          

Eco-powering Taranaki
Small-scale mixed-source energy generation at Pioneer Village "brings a little closer the prospect of freeing consumers forever from rising power bills and the guilt of contributing to pollution and climate change."
(16 July 2001)
              

Dream catcher
New Zealand-born psychotherapist Helen McLean turns dreams into reality writing multiple books and creating work-place training based on what your brain does at night.
(8 April 2001) 
          

Vege contraceptive
Scientists at Canterbury's Lincoln University are trialling GE carrots as possum birth control.
(7 April 2001)
 

Edge Vista
Search engine Alta Vista opens an Edge-portal devoted to New Zealand content on the web.
(16 March 2001) 
               

One blind mouse
Following the lead of New Zealand company Pulse Data, Israeli firm VirTouch has developed a Braille mouse for blind computer users.
(23 January 2001)

Dectectors search for nuclear material
The world's first nuclear monitoring station is being established in New Zealand.
(9 March 2000)
 

An intelligence question 
James Flynn, Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at the University of Otago and moral philosopher, says human intelligence has improved over the last century, rather than declined as was widely thought. "But," Flynn says, "we have to rethink exactly what we mean by intelligence. For what the IQ gains really give us is a cultural history of the 20th century and an insight into the gulf that separates our minds from those of our ancestors." Flynn estimates that genetic advantage in individuals accounts for 25 per cent of the variation in intelligence scores, and that the rest is determined by environment. But he goes further to suggest that the environment acts as a kind of echo chamber for genetic endowment, so that such advantage as exists is amplified by social conditions. Flynn's 2007 book What is Intelligence? "Paints a dynamic picture of what intelligence is and the role of a person's genetic background, physiology and neurology, immediate environment and broader social factors." 
(11 May 2008)

Aquaflow ahead of the curve 
A Blenheim-based company could hold the key to the world's energy crisis, according to a recent Guardian article. Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation has patented a cleansing process known as bio-remediation that extracts biofuel from wild algae. "Wild algae is one of the ubiquitous units of nature," says Aquaflow partner Nick Gerritsen. "If you leave a bucket of water outside, the water will turn green as it is settled by wild algae. We realised very early that we needed to create a model that took advantage of wild algae feedstocks." Aquaflow describes its process as cheap, practical and accessible, and its end product as suitable for both domestic use and transport. The rest of the world is already catching on: Shell has announced a joint algae harvesting venture with HR Biopetroleum, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative is seeking an algae-based biojet fuel, and an "algae summit" held in San Francisco last month drew more than 300 delegates. 
(9 January 2008)

Rotorua reveals anti-warming weapon 
A scientific breakthrough in NZ could play a major role in combating global warming. A group of microbiologists at Hells Gate in Rotorua has discovered a new bacterium that eats methane - one of the key contributors to global warming. Scientists have long puzzled over why the methane produced geothermally at Hells Gate does not reach the surface. The answer appears to be the newly named Methylokorus infernorum bacterium. "Potentially it [the bacterium] could be used to combat methane emissions," said study participant Dr Matthew Stott, while adding that the technology will take several years to develop. Stott believes that the bacterium will be most useful in helping landfills and factories reduce their methane output. 
(23 November 2007)

NZ neuroscientists spark alcohol rethink 
A new study co-authored by two NZ researchers suggests that long-term, moderate alcohol consumption can help improve the memory. The study, which was published in The Journal of Neuroscience, was undertaken by Maggie Kalev, a research fellow in molecular medicine and pathology at Auckland University, and Matthew During, a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. "We decided to study if beneficial effects of low-dose alcohol drinking already shown by others could be mediated through the mechanism of increasing NR1 [a sub-unit of memory] expression," said Kalev. "We thought it was worth pursuing, since ethanol drinking is such a common pattern of human behaviour." The study stresses the issues associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
(26 September 2007)

Maths prize for Massey prof
Professor Robert McLachlan of Massey University has become the first mathematician from the Southern Hemisphere to win the prestigious Dahlquist Prize. Presented by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the Prize is awarded to a young scientist for original contributions to fields associated with Germund Dahlquist, a pioneering figure in the study of differential equations. McLachlan was recognised by SIAM for "his outstanding contributions to geometric integration and composition methods". He received the award at the Society's annual conference in St Malo, France, after a three-month term as Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University's Isaac Newton Institute. 
(13 August 2007)

Tech blogger's global reach
Lower Hutt is home to the world's 28th most popular blog. Richard MacManus's Read/Write Web, a social networking site devoted to Web 2.0 issues, receives around 25,000 page views a day. "It takes a lot of time to ramp a blog up," said MacManus in an interview with Wellington's Dominion Post. "If you genuinely have an interest and passion about the topic it will show through and eventually it might become a revenue stream for you." MacManus recently commented on Australian PM John Howard's ill-fated YouTube campaign for The Age: "You have to try to create more of a personal message than the usual stuff that you find on TV adverts, and the message has to be genuine, straightforward, and down to earth - and it mustn't look too fake or as if you are trying too hard." 
(8 July 2007)

Mind over matter 
NZ neuroscientist Dr Kerry Spackman is working with Team McLaren to uncover the workings of a racing driver's mind. "In most sports now, the modern athlete is pushing his brain to the limit," he says. "Today's F1 car does things almost instantaneously, and the brain can't keep up. The idea is to rewire its circuits, to supercharge its processes, so that it's more suited to the task - to turn it from a computer into a supercomputer, if you like." Spackman became interested in the brain functions of elite athletes after a chance meeting with racing legend Jackie Stewart 15 years ago. He now works with sportspeople in many fields, with the belief that the mind needs as intensive training as the body. 
(17 June 2007)

Surf secrets revealed 
Artificial Surf Reefs (ASR) co-founder Kerry Black has been profiled by CNN. Black, a former Waikato University professor, has spent the last few years perfecting the world's first fully adjustable computer-controlled reef. He expects the technology to revolutionise indoor surfing and to potentially turn it into an Olympic spectator sport. "I think the sport is going to change radically," says Black, who cites environmental issues and overcrowding as already having an impact on its traditional practice. "There are a lot of surfers now. The quality of the surfers has gotten better so we need to have better surf breaks ... I think the planet has a really limited number of resources and surf breaks is one of the things that are limited." ASR's first indoor reef will be launched at the Ron Jon Surf Centre in Orlando, Florida. 
(1 April 2007)

The kiwi's Darwin connection 
A recent book on Charles Darwin compares the launching of his theory of evolution to a kiwi laying an egg. In The Reluctant Mr Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of his Theory of Evolution, author David Quammen paints the legendary scientist as a painstaking, shy and socially conservative man dabbling in revolutionary and dangerous ideas. Like the long and laborious gestation of a kiwi's egg, Darwin's ideas took a great amount of time to develop and reach fruition. "A female brown kiwi weighs less than five pounds," writes Quammen. "Her egg weighs almost a pound ... It seems impossible. How can she carry this thing? How can she deliver? Will it reward her efforts and discomforts, or rip her apart? … The point is simply metaphor. Every time I see that X-ray of the mama kiwi, I think: There's Darwin during the years of gestation." 
(20 September 2006)

Something good comes from possums 
Scientists at NZ's AgResearch and Otago Medical School may have found the cure for a common prostate problem and it is largely thanks to NZ's no.1 environmental pest: the brush-tailed possum. According to a study published in AgResearch's In Touch magazine, the prostate gland in possums is anatomically identical to that found in humans. The possum's prostate gland grows and shrinks in accordance with breeding seasons. By studying the brush-tailed possum the scientists hope to find the trigger which causes the prostate to shrink and then replicate it in a drug for humans, thus removing the need for invasive surgery. The research is currently in its third year. 
(26 December 2006)

The great indoors 
Waikato University's "maverick oceanographer" Professor Kerry Black is one step closer to making surfing an indoor spectator sport with the launch of Versareef in Orlando, Florida. While several pools around the world already feature modest artificial wave systems, Versareef will be the first to produce swells worthy of the world's best surf beaches. "Our innovation has the potential to turn surfing into a stadium sport where spectators can watch top surfers compete on an international circuit," says Black, who is currently fine-tuning the technology at Florida's Ron Jon Surf Park. His groundbreaking project is the result of five years researching wave conditions in the Pacific region. 
(24 December 2006)

Another reason to eat your greens A NZ research team has discovered cancer fighting properties in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. Researchers at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Otago University's Health Sciences found that compounds called isothiocyanates in cruciferous vegetables can help kill cancer cells which are resistant to other treatments. "This has provided us with a very valuable clue," says study leader Dr Mark Hampton, of the Free Radical Research Group. "Isothiocyanates alter many different proteins in a cell, but by focusing on proteins that are only modified by the isothiocyanates that kill the cancer cells, we have discovered a protein that could potentially control cell death." The ground-breaking study has been published in the American journal Cancer Research. 
(16 September 2006)

Heading the catalogue of life 
Dr David Penman has been elected chair of the governing board of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an international organization working to develop the world's first free mega-database of all living organisms. The internet resource, which will help individuals and governments research areas as diverse as climate change, border control, and species stability, is expected to be online by February 2006. "I've always tried to defend the role of the small and ugly, or the underdogs which make the soils function, provide the nutrient flow and the natural biological controls," says Penman, an entomologist and research manager for Landcare Research, in Stuff. "The Department of Conservation will pour a lot of money into a single species like the kakapo, but to have effect, you've got to have the ecosystem function so the rimu trees flower. It's a whole system." 
(4 January 2006)

Interplanetary fame
Two amateur Kiwi astronomers helped discover a planet 15,000 light years from Earth using simple backyard telescopes. Grant Christie and Jennie McCormick are part of a worldwide star-gazing collective called MicroFUN, led by Andrew Gould of Ohio State University. The new planet – which is roughly 3 times the size of Jupiter – was discovered using a technique called gravitational microlensing, when a massive object in space, such as a star or a black hole, crosses in front of a star shining in the background and is magnified in the process. Christie and McCormick share co-authorship of MicroFUN’s paper announcing the new planet to Astrophysical Journal Letters.
(23 May 2005)

Surf's up
The powerful, curling waves that draw surfers to beaches will soon be breaking inland, thanks to a novel shape-shifting rubber reef that can be fitted to the floor of a swimming pool. The Versareef, developed by New Zealand company ASR from Raglan and the USA’s Surf Pools, will generate four types of wave, named after the places in which they are typically found: Hawaii, Indonesia, California and Australia. Company directors Shaw Mead of ASR and New Zealander Dr Kerry Black of Surf Pools spent five years surveying the best reefs in the Pacific to find out which seabed characteristics generate the best surf. "Then we created computer-controlled, movable pool bottoms to mimic those characteristics and generate really powerful waves," says Black. The first three Versareef pools are to be built at the Ron Jon Surf Park in Orlando, Florida, which opens next year. The largest will create a ride of up to 70 metres on 3-metre-high waves - the biggest wave facility in the world. (30 June 2005)

Save the kauri part 2
Belgian researcher Lieven Claessens has discovered another reason to preserve our native kauri forests. According to Claessens’ Dutch-funded study, which was undertaken in the Waitakere ranges, the giant trees help stabilise areas susceptible to landslides and erosion. Planting kauri is a more ecologically viable and better long-term option than the concrete structures currently being used to prevent slips.
(17 May 2005)
  

Cutting edge electronics
NZ GPS innovators, Navman, showed off their latest creations at Germany’s prestigious CeBit electronics trade fair. These included the PIN 57, a Windows-based PDA, and the X300, which uses GPS to tell joggers, skiers and cyclists how far and fast they are travelling.
(10 March 2005)
 

Biotech baby steps
NZ’s recently altered stance on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is the subject of an in-depth Technology Review feature. “NZ, of all places, may have found a solution [to public and political resistance to GMOs], proving once again that the best ideas pop up where they are least expected.” According to the article’s numerous US and European interviewees, NZ’s rigorous regulatory system for proposed agbio ventures “gives NZers more power to participate in the approval process for local GMO research and development projects than any other people in the world,” making it “the gold standard” for government regulators in Europe, Canada, Australia, and Brazil. The long-term effectiveness of the system - politically, economically and socially - remains to be seen, but both national and international proponents of agbio research regard it as a very promising start.
(February 2005)
   

Treasures of the deep
A joint NZ/Japanese exploration of a deep-sea volcano off the NZ mainland has unearthed a mass of fascinating new life forms. According to a statement by Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd, who headed the venture, the discovery of colonies of heat-loving micro-organisms “may have potential future applications in pharmaceuticals, in bioremediation of contaminated sites, and in biomining.”
(18 November 2004)
 

Eco-adventurer
In 2002, Aucklander Pete Bethune launched a bid to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe by powerboat. The difference is Bethune aims to do so using a state-of-the-art biodiesel powered vessel: The Earthrace. Designed by Craig Loomes, the 20m race-boat runs on a new generation fuel made predominantly from canola oil. “A major reason for attempting this record is to place a global spotlight on biodiesel as a serious alternative to fossil fuels,” says Bethune. “Of course, we also want to win the record!” The voyage launches in early 2005.
(9 November 2004)
   

Next stop Nobel?
Professor Paul Callaghan of Wellington has won the prestigious Ampere Prize. The biannual award - one of the most esteemed in the international science community - recognises outstanding work in the field of magnetic resonance. It is the first time the prize has been awarded to a scientist outside of Europe. Callaghan is the Alan MacDiarmid Professor of Physical Sciences and Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at Victoria University.  "We are lucky to have someone with the originality and expertise of Professor Callaghan on our staff," says Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon in Scoop. "Not only is he exceptionally talented but he has a great knack of explaining his research, and other science, to a general audience and is in great demand as a guest speaker and commentator around the world."
(6 September 2004)
     

Interislander
Guardian writer Giles Smith test drives the Gibbs Aquada and pronounces it “the most fun thing that has ever happened to cars.” A shining example of Kiwi ingenuity, the Aquada is the world’s first high-speed amphibian (HSA) vehicle. The invention recently made headlines around the world (again) after Richard Branson piloted a modified version across the Channel.
(10 August 2004)
   

Google and Froogle
Waikato University graduate Craig Nevill-Manning is Director, New York & Senior Staff Research Scientist for the world's leading search engine company, Google. Nevill-Manning completed a PhD in computer science at Waikato before taking up a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University. He is now the chief ideas man at Google's office in Times Square, New York, whose successful developments include the recently launched product search system, Froogle. In June Nevill-Manning made a recruitment tour of Australia, as the Google plans to triple its international workforce over the next 12 months.
(22 June 2004)
   

MetService nets big fish
The NZ MetService has sold a locally made weather graphics system to the BBC for a sum rumoured to be in the millions. The state-of-the-art software package - Weatherscape XT - is the most up to date version of the system, which is already being used by channels in Australia, Europe, Dubai, Turkey, Beirut, Saudi Arabia and Asia. "That the world's leading weather broadcaster has chosen MetService staff and products to update its weather presentation is a real endorsement of our people and their skills, " said CEO John Lumsden. "The original software development has well and truly paid for itself, and we've got great hopes for this new version, Weatherscape XT."
(13 March 2004)

No 8 Wired
Singapore's Straits Times focuses on the entrepreneurial spirit driving NZ's booming science industry. "Over time, the Number 8 wire came to epitomise a culture of adaptability and creativity, a 'can-do spirit' of which the Kiwis are proud ... Call it luck of the draw, or conditioning in a rugged and isolated terrain, but in spite of a population as tiny as Singapore's four million, NZ has contrived to produced at least three Nobel Prize winners in chemistry and physiology, a world champion rugby team in the All Blacks, and a world-class soprano in Kiri Te Kanawa." Leading research institutes such as the Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery and Auckland University's Liggins Institute are luring large numbers of overseas scientists to NZ, establishing economic and information links (eg. with international pharmaceutical giant Pfizer) with foreign academies, and promoting careers in science to NZ youth. 
(27 November 2003)
   

Antarctic archives
NZ’s Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences has received international funding to drill more than a kilometre beneath Antarctica in order to gain access to the “untapped record of climate change” held in its sedimentary layers. Otago University’s Gary Wilson is to head the five-year NZ$40 million project, which involves penetrating thick layers of ice and up to 900 metres of seawater before drilling into the seabed itself. 
(3 October 2003)
  

Quantum leap for laser technology
A new laser using a single atom has been developed at Caltech University in Pasadena, California. According to Auckland University’s Howard Carmichael - who co-wrote a report on the invention for Nature magazine - single atom lasers may, in the future, be able to form circuit components for manipulating quantum information.
(18 September 2003)
  

Edge: intellectual capital
NZ's nano-tech Nobel laureate Alan MacDiarmid has been appointed to the newly created James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology at The University of Texas at Dallas. "Alan MacDiarmid's move to Dallas is an important development for the technology business sector of North Texas". Patron Von Ehr: "His presence here increases the intellectual capital of the region and creates intriguing possibilities for innovative collaborative work." MacDiarmid shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Alan Heeger and Hideki Shirakawa for their discovery that plastics can be made electrically conductive; thus creating the field of conducting polymers. See Small Times for the big news. MacDiarmid on the pioneering scientific spirit and exploring the unknown: "If five years from now we are doing what we are planning to do now, then something is wrong." In May MacDiarmid was made a fellow of the Royal Society. Portrait above by Marianne Muggeridge.
(01 August 2003)       

What lies beneath…
A month-long exploration of the Tasman Sea by NZ and Australian scientists has uncovered hundreds of new species of fish and invertebrates. Previously unknown critters trawling the depths include gelatinous sea cucumbers, fish resembling globs of mucous and the "the fangtooth" - a creature with teeth longer than its own head. Classification of the collected species is expected to take until the end of the year.
(9 June 2003)
    

Hi-tech NZ
NZ was named 6th most high-tech nation in an annual survey by the IDC/World Times Information Society Index. The list - topped by Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands - ranks 55 countries in their use of information technology in the fields of economic, social and technological growth.
(23 June 2003)
   

Journey to the centre of the earth
NZer David J. Stevenson - a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology - has a project up his sleeve straight out of science fiction, but grounded in the search for science fact.    Stevenson's proposal - outlined in May's issue of Nature - is to create a fissure reaching the earth's core, into which an investigatory probe will be sent. Stevenson: "We know so little about Earth itself. We've been billions of kilometers out from Earth, but only 10 kilometers into it."
(14 May 2003)
   

Free GE or GE-free?
The GE debate steps up a notch as the government prepares to lift its current moratorium on modified organisms. A commissioned financial projection of the pros and cons of going GE (by Business and Economic Research Ltd) warns that farmers could be earning 43% less in ten years time if GE crops are released. Environment Minister Marian Hobbs calls the report an "absolute worst case scenario."
(18 April 2003)
   

Gattaca genetics
Ground-breaking research into congenital birth abnormalities by Otago University professor Stephen Robertson has been published in leading scientific journal, Nature Genetics. Robertson has identified a previously unknown gene responsible for severe malformations in infants. His success makes Otago University the world centre for future research in the area.
(18 March 2003)
  

From dreams to (augmented) reality
SMH interviews "augmented reality" guru Mark Billinghirst, director of NZ's Human Interface Technology Lab. HIT works in conjunction with Seattle's University of Washington designing cutting-edge communications technology reminiscent of Star Wars' virtual projections. Billinghirst: "Twenty years later, we can now do what [Lucas] showed in the movie for real." Above: Billinghurst's BlackMagic animation of the America's Cup story.
(3 February 2003)
    

Cheese to please?
NZ scientists at the Ruakura Research Centre in Hamilton in a radical innovation have genetically modified cows to produce high-protein milk for the country's cheese industry. The altered protein-levels would allow cheese-makers to produce more from the same quantity of milk, and at a significantly faster rate. Like all things GE the advantages are not undisputed: Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel: "Consumers have rejected GE food crops the world over, GE dairy products will most certainly meet the same fate. There is no point producing something that nobody wants to buy."
(26 January 2003)
       

Garden-shed grenade guru
The reputation of the garden-shed inventor is upheld thanks to New Zealand entrepreneur Bill Sharplin who, operating in a "rough as guts" garage, wins a bid to build and supply practice grenades to the New Zealand Army. 
(20 November 2001)
       

Jet-powered beer cooler
Washington Post columnist Dave Barry raves about Kiwi inventor Simon Jansen: "this guy, using science, has found a new, innovative and, above all, loud way to cool beer, by using a jet engine."
(30 October 2001)
    

Springsteen: born to shine
New Zealand astronomer names star after star.
(12 July 2001)
         

Radio innovation
Christchurch innovators Tait Electronics make product development company PTC's annual Awards short-list with teched-up radios, the Orca 5000 series.
(24 May 2001)

Smells good
Scientists at Wellington's Industrial Research have been getting a bit sniffing about their new "electronic nose", designed to help detect chemical spills and fires.
(11 April 2001)
               

Rower cola
University of Otago scientists says caffeine consumption prior to exercise boosts output, making you rower faster, run further and jump higher without even realising it.
(11 March 2001)
              

Breaking into privacy?
Will new anti-hacking laws breach the bill of rights? Parliament tries to walk the tightrope between security and invasion.
(15 March 2001)
           

Flying high
The contemporary kite industry is still riding the buzz generated by New Zealander Peter Lynn's 80's creation, the kite-powered buggy.
(28 February 2001)
  

Philosophical spilt
"Western philosophy starts with a conflict between reason and faith. But there is no such dichotomy in Indian philosophy where dharma is a part of philosophy. Everything is substantiated by reason," says Victoria University Philosophy Professor Jaysankar L. Shaw.
(31 January 2001)
          

Family planning, Possums!
David Heath of the Wallaceville Animal Research centre is developing a GM bug that secrets a substance designed to curtail possums' fertility.
(25 January 2001)
           

Clean green methane
While some countries battle automobile emissions, New Zealand scientists at the Rumen Microbiology Unit, Palmerston North, are working on producing a gas-less sheep. It's a tricky business though: "There's no point in getting rid of the methane if the sheep do not survive," says team leader Keith Joblin.
(30 October 2000)
         

NZ scientists dry their eyes
New Zealand's Crop & Food Research Institute has taken the tears out of chopping onions. In collaboration with Japanese scientists, the breakthrough was made using gene silencing technology. The Institute's senior scientist Dr Colin Eady said his team were able to turn off the gene that produces the enzyme that causes people to cry. "By shutting down the lachrymatory factor synthase gene, we have stopped valuable sulphur compounds being converted to the tearing agent, and instead made them available for redirection into compounds, some of which are known for their flavour and health properties," he said. 
(1 February 2008)

During breaks new ground 
A groundbreaking study by NZ neuroscientist Matt During has been applauded in leading British medical journal, The Lancet. During has pioneered a controversial gene therapy for Parkinson's Disease that involved inserting synthetic copies of human genes into the brain. His research involved twelve patients who had suffered from Parkinson's for at least five years and found no relief from other treatments. The results, which were published in The Lancet, offer new hope for those afflicted by the disease. "We saw a significant improvement in their motor scores, their tremors, their ability, their rigidity, their slowness of movement, all those parameters improved," said During in an interview with NZ's ONE News. Most of During's research has been undertaken at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. 
(22 June 2007)

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Professional outsider remembered 
World renowned mathematician and nuclear fusion sceptic Leslie Woods has died aged 84. Born in Reparoa, a tiny settlement between Rotorua and Taupo, Woods was the first student of Seddon Memorial Technical College to win a scholarship to Auckland University. His studies in mathematics and engineering were interrupted by World War Two, in which he served as fighter pilot in the Pacific. On resuming his studies, Woods won a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford, where he earned a DPhil in computational aerodynamics and a first-class honours BSc in engineering. A series of prestigious academic postings in Australia and England culminated in his appointment as chairman of Oxford's Mathematical Institute (1984 to 1989) and being made professor emeritus in 1990. "In calling his memoirs Against the Tide: An Autobiographical Account of a Professional Outsider, the strikingly individual New Zealander Leslie Woods ... displayed considerable self-awareness," wrote former colleagues Garry Tee and Graeme Wake in the Guardian. "... [His] robustly disputed publications on the key question of the generation of energy through nuclear fusion made his academic career as colourful and combative as his active service." 
(7 June 2007)

 

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Fresh perspective on Antarctica 
A NZ doctoral student and her Dutch counterpart have initiated a radical new program to involve the humanities and social sciences in Antarctic research. Canterbury University's Daniela Haase and Machiel Lamers of the University of Maastricht launched the Share project (Social Sciences and Humanities Antarctic Research Exchange) in February, in honour of International Polar Year. Haase and Lamers believe that the humanities and social sciences are being under-utilised in studies of the region, arguing that they have the knowledge and means to assess the current state of human/environment relations and the legal, political, socio-economic and cultural situation in Antarctica. They hope to unite researchers working on Antarctica in areas such as law and policy under the Share banner, thereby encouraging support and synchronisation in their growing field. The Share web portal will go live in May. 
(3 April 2007)

 

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Auckland prof named UN science laureate 
Auckland University professor Margaret Brimble has been named one of the world's top five woman scientists by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). As Laureate for the Asia-Pacific region, Brimble received the US$100,000 L'Oreal-UNESCO prize for her contribution to the synthesis of complex natural products, especially shellfish toxins. Brimble set up NZ's first degree in organic and medicinal chemistry at Auckland University in 1999. "What we do is we look to nature to find new active ingredients or molecules to develop into new medicines," she explained in the NZ Herald. "One example is a compound produced by fungi which kills the bacterium that causes infected ulcers. The compound occurs in nature. It is produced by the fungi but only in small amounts. So we then try and make that compound in the laboratory and make structure analogues similar to that compound that may be better - and that's the way you develop new medicines." According to Brimble, NZ could become a powerhouse for pharmaceutical research if enough time and money is invested: "All we have to do is get one successful drug on the market and we're there ... the first drug for a neuroprotective agent will be a billion-dollar product." 
(24 February 2007)

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NZ scientists solve pigeon puzzle
Scientists at Auckland University have solved the enduring mystery of homing pigeons. "We are now confident that pigeons ... use the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field to determine position during homing," said Dr Todd Dennis, who led the research. Dennis and his team released homing pigeons in an area of NZ where the Earth's magnetic field is naturally distorted, known as the Auckland Junction Magnetic Anomaly. They predicted that, if the intensity of the magnetic field influenced the birds' ability to position themselves, they would be confused by the anomaly upon release. Proving the team's theory, the birds flew up to four kilometres in the wrong direction before redirecting themselves towards their loft. The study has since been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society journal. 
(14 February 2007)

 

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Photonz edges out global competitors 
A tiny Henderson-based company is reportedly leading the global race to extract a brain acid from algae which may offer a cure for depression. Photonz is growing micro-organisms which produce eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), one of two highly desirable omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids found in fish which eat the algae. Along with its close relative DHA, EPA is used to treat conditions ranging from heart disease and dyslexia to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression. According to Photonz chief executive Karl Geiringer, his company chose to focus on depression because NZ suffers from of the world's highest rates of depressive disorders. "We are using a naturally occurring organism so we are not genetically engineering anything, and we are inducing it to produce the EPA in a way that makes it much easier to get out, and we are using new technology to get it out," says Geiringer. Photonz already has three patents pending and its financial backers include Warehouse founder Stephen Tindall. 
(27 December 2006)

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Drilling for knowledge 
Victoria University's Tim Naish is one of a hundred scientists from 40 different countries working on a map of climate change. The Antarctic Geological Drilling Program (ANDRILL) is digging deep below the Ross Ice Shelf to determine how massive ice sheets responded to past temperature changes. According to those involved, the creation of a map to show how the Earth may react to higher temperatures is vital. "We may not understand the future, but we can understand the past," says project leader David Harwood of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 
(28 December 2006)

 

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Kiwi science up to speed
September 1 saw the launch of the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network (KAREN) - a super high speed Internet service linking national universities and research institutions with their international counterparts. KAREN transmits data at a top speed of ten gigabytes per second, which is 10,000 times faster than a standard broadband connection. Run by Crown organisation Research and Education Advanced Network of New Zealand (REANNZ), KAREN received NZ$43 million in government funding. "The link is crucial in order to attract and retain scientists, because it allows a greater level of real time collaboration between scientists based in NZ, and their colleagues around the world," said PM Helen Clark at the launch. 
(1 September 2006)

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Next generation public transport
NZ bus design company, Designline, has developed a prototype electric commuter bus powered by renewable fuel. American firm Alchemy Enterprises Ltd is producing the magnesium-based fuel, which it created with the help of NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs and Cal Tech in Pasadena, California. Designline has already established a strong international reputation for producing hybrid vehicles, with customers throughout NZ, Australia, Asia and Europe. 
(8 June 2006)

 

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Learning made easy for all
According to the Guardian, a NZ designed alternative to the computer mouse was one of the highlights of Bett 2006, the annual ICT in education show held in London. "Lomak (light-operated mouse and keyboard) from NZ is the most exciting piece of kit I have seen in a long time. It is for those who cannot use a conventional mouse and keyboard. It has three circles - one for letters, one for numbers and one for functions. Using the head or hand pointer, you pass the light beam over a letter or number and then over the centre of the circle to confirm the choice." Lomak won both the product design and consumer product design categories at NZ's annual BEST awards in September 2005. "Lomak is a revolutionary concept in keyboard design that provides a new approach to the way a computer is operated … [It] is an affordable and effective alternative for anyone with a physical disability that prevents them from using a standard QWERTY keyboard," says the official website. 
(7 March 2006)

 

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Vet feted
Animal welfare and ethics scientist Professor David Mellor has become the first New Zealander to be elected an Honorary Associate of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the highest honour conferred by the College. Mellor is a Professor at the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Science at Massey University and director of the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre which he established in 1998.

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Finger on the impulse
Researchers at Otago University, in conjunction with Germany’s Ruhr-University Bochum, have identified individual neurons in the pigeon forebrain that appear to control impulsive decision-making. The findings could prove invaluable to the understanding of such neuropathologies as drug addiction, gambling, frontal lobe syndrome, and attention-deficit disorders, which are all characterized by a limited ability to wait for a large reward.
(11 April 2005)
   
   

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A step in the right direction
Hamilton inventor and former chemical engineer, Brian Goggin, is seeking patents in NZ, the US, Japan, and Europe for a reinforced metal fuel tank which vents hydrogen gas safely in the event of an accident. The innovation – which Goggins sees as a step towards the eventual use of environmentally friendly hydrogen-powered cars – was also reported on in the New Scientist.
(23 March 2005)
  

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Forecast: international sales
Raglan’s ASR Marine Consulting and Research has created a new computer-based program to predict long wave conditions, in what the company claims is a world first. The forecasting system was developed to help client Port Taranaki better manage its operations. ASR believes the system could revolutionise ports all over the world and, to this end, will present it at a high-profile oceanography conference in Madrid in July.
(20 April 2005)
    

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A method to the madness
An Auckland University research team has shed light on the mystery of human reproduction with a new study involving yeast. Headed by Matthew Goddard, the study compares two strains of live yeast, one with normal asexual cells, the other able to sexually reproduce. The findings show that “sexy” yeast is able to reproduce more efficiently than its sexless counterpart, which explains why humans evolved to create offspring in such a “time consuming and exhausting” manner.
(1 April 2005)

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Measuring by memory
A group of Otago University researchers have proven that blind people are consistently more accurate in estimating the size of familiar objects - such as a loaf of bread - with their hands than their sighted counterparts. “Surprisingly, in over one hundred participants with normal vision, a marked overestimation in object size was demonstrated,” says study co-author Elizabeth A. Franz. “[This suggests] that the visual-memory representations in sighted individuals might not be accurate after all.” The study’s findings were published in the January 2005 issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the American Psychological Society.
(29 March 2005)
   

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Bright spark 
Auckland University's Johanna Montgomery has become the first southern hemisphere scientist in history to win a prestigious Eppendorf and Science Prize for Neurobiology. Dr Montgomery was one of 4 scientists to be awarded the prize, as judged by a team of world-leading neurobiologists and the Editor-In-Chief of premiere scientific journal, Science. Her essay, Synapses in a State: A Molecular Mechanism to Encode Synaptic History and Future Synapse Function, outlines her years of research into the synapses of the human brain, which are responsible for behaviour, understanding, learning and memory. "I almost didn't enter it because I didn't think I had any chance of winning, and then I did win and I was just absolutely rapt," says Montgomery. "The prize is also a big thing for NZ neuroscience research because it's the first time anybody in this part of the world has won this award." 
(4 November 2005)

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Powerful proposition
NZ utility TrustPower plans to construct what will be the southern hemisphere’s most technologically advanced wind farm in the Tararua Ranges this year. By adding 40 latest model turbines to its facility’s existing 103, TrustPower will increase the farm’s energy output to 187.9 MW. If the proposal is accepted, the NZ $220 million project should be completed by the end of 2006.
(31 December 2004)
   

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Shoo fly, don’t bother me
Massey University scientists have teamed up with the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research at the University of Melbourne to decipher the genetic code of the dreaded Aussie blowfly. The study hopes to find a successful method for controlling the pests, which cost Australian farmers in excess of $160 million a year in lost production.
(9 November 2004)
    

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This is your wake up call
Researchers at the Canterbury District Health Board are developing an alertness monitor for drivers, in the hope of preventing fatigue-related accidents. With the help of Canterbury University’s Canterprise Ltd, the group hopes to have the device ready for commercial release by 2006. “It has colossal potential,” says study co-author Richard Jones. “A system which could monitor a person and detect lapses of consciousness would be of considerable value in helping to prevent serious accidents.”
(24 November 2004)
   

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Fresh innovation
State of the art fruit packaging from NZ, ripeSense, has been named one of 36 Coolest Inventions of 2004 by Time magazine. Co-created by Hort Research and the Jenkins Group, the ripeSense label detects aroma compounds in fruits and changes colour depending on their ripeness, thus removing the need for customers to damage fruit by squeezing. The “intelligent” packaging was initially developed using pears but will be extended to include avocados, melons, and kiwifruit in the near future.
(21 November 2004)
   

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Leading by example
Despite opposition from home, NZ’s method of funding scientific and technological development is being used as a model by EU countries looking to overhaul their outdated research structures. Cordis: “The OECD has declared the country's framework for allocating funding to research, science and technology to be one of the best in the world, the World Bank has claimed that NZ's economy is the best globally for doing business, and New Scientist has alluded to the country punching ‘way above its weight’ in scientific research … With its recognition of the importance of basic research and moves to make research less dependent on government funding, NZ could be regarded as ahead of Europe in many respects.”
(28 October 2004)
    

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In enduring memory
The NZ Antarctic Society has bestowed a belated but heartfelt honour on Scotsman Harry McNeish, who was the carpenter aboard Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance on its ill-fated Antarctic voyage. A life-size sculpture of McNeish’s pet cat – Mrs Chippy - by NZ artist Chris Elliot was placed upon his grave at Karori Cemetery in a ceremony designed to acknowledge the important, and frequently forgotten, part he played in the expedition. McNeish was one of the only Endurance crew members not to receive the prestigious Polar Medal, despite ongoing attempts by friends and family to have him so honoured.
(26 June 2004)
  

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Far and away
A team of NZ and Japanese astronomers at Mount John Observatory have discovered Earth's most distant planetary neighbour. The planet - which is about the size of Jupiter - was located 17,000 light years away, in the middle of the Milky Way galaxy. Japan's Nagoya University has since promised a new multimillion dollar telescope for the South Island observatory, which is surrounded by clear, dry air perfect for star-gazing.
(26 April 2004)
   

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"The New Zealand native who helped open the door to the stars"
William Pickering, one of the leading figures in US space exploration, died of pneumonia in California aged 92. A graduate of Canterbury University and the California Institute of Technology, Wellington-born Pickering rose to prominence as Director of the US Air Force's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was in this capacity that he oversaw America's first successful space flight and subsequent decades of planetary discovery. "Dr Pickering was one of the titans of our nation's space program," said current JPL director, Charles Elachi. "It was his leadership that took America into space and opened up the moon and planets to the world." Similarly glowing epitaphs appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, and Independent. "[He] brought a vision and passion to space exploration that was remarkable," said NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Science, Ed Weiler, in Pickering's official obituary. "His pioneering work is the very foundation we have built upon to explore our solar system and beyond."
(17 March 2004)

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Brave new world
A joint Japanese-NZ research expedition hopes to discover new forms of life 1,850m below sea-level off the north-east coast of NZ. The team will venture by submarine to the Brothers Volcano, where warm, mineral-laden water is believed to nurture countless unknown species. The scientists involved compare the magnitude of their undertaking to NASA’s current exploration of Mars.
(16 February 2004)
   

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Seeds of discontent
The controversial lifting of a 2-year moratorium on genetically modified crop trials in NZ has been covered extensively by the Guardian, BBC, and Wired. The issue is a divisive one in a country reliant on both agricultural technology and exports, and its saleable "clean & green" image. The most widely publicised opposition to the release of GE organisms was the upfront billboard campaign (above) by Mothers Against Genetic Engineering (MAdGE) above. Despite receiving a petition of over 55,000 signatures and knowing that two thirds of voters supported an extension of the ban, the government stood firm on its decision. Said Research, Science and Technology Minister, Peter Hodgson, "We've got a regulatory system in NZ (the Environmental Rick Management Authority) that is determinedly the most precautionary, the most transparent - I think - in the world." 
(19 October 2003)
    

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What will Pinetree think …
The All Blacks are using Telecom’s most state-of-the-art technology in their bid to win this year’s Rugby World Cup. Coach John Mitchell will be able to view streamed video footage of multiple angles of the game from the comfort of his laptop – which can then be used to demonstrate the opposition team’s tactics and weaknesses in the All Black dressing room at half time. Chris Quin: “What we are doing is trying to take out as many factors as we can that might advantage being host [of the World Cup]. We might not be able to change the temperature in Brisbane but we can take a lot of the other factors out.”
(29 September 2003)
   

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Big idea: atomic imagination
Sir Ernest Rutherford featured in an Independent story, 'Dawn of the nuclear age.' "No one has described the atom discovered by Rutherford better than the playwright Tom Stoppard: 'Now make a fist, and if your fist is as big as the nucleus of an atom, then the atom is as big as St Paul's, and if it happens to be a hydrogen atom, then it has a single electron flitting about like a moth in an empty cathedral, now by the dome, now by the altar.'" The story was extracted from Marcus Chown's book, The Universe Next Door: Twelve Mind-blowing Ideas from the Cutting Edge of Science.
(6 August 2003)
   

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Promoting inter-polar understanding
NZ Antarctic scientists are joining Bulgarian and American researchers at the Canadian high Arctic this year in a bid to exchange information about their respective poles. By pooling their findings, the scientists hope to better understand the factors behind global warming, and convince those with decision-making powers that significant damage is indeed being done. Ian Hawes of NZ's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research: "I don't get a real strong sense that people at large are taking it seriously and I guess people in some decision making positions aren't perhaps taking it seriously until they see it in action."
(28 July 2003)
   

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Edge location: best in show
A personal navigation system produced by NZ company, Navman, topped the Herald's list of best inventions at Sydney's Consumer Electronics and Entertainment exhibition. The handheld device uses GPS satellite tracking technology to steer tourists around foreign cities, giving both audio and visual directions.
(13 June 2003)
    

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Scientists ruminate on ruminants
NZ scientists have joined the fight to save the planet - from methane. The gas produced by ruminants (cud-chewing animals) is one of the leading causes of global warming, well ahead of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. NZ researchers are experimenting with feeding sheep tannin-rich prairie grass, and have made steps towards creating a 'green cow' by altering the animal's digestive system and removing the microbes behind methane production.
(18 June 2003)
   

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From trash to flash
A NZ company - Waste Solutions - has provided part of the technology behind a radical new energy-producing venture in western Sydney. The project in question is an $AUS36 million power plant which converts organic waste into electricity. The plant is being hailed by renewable energy advocates as a stepping stone for further eco-friendly innovation, and is expected to be operating by early April.
(5 March 2003)
   

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Bee conga line
Canterbrian entymologist Barry Donovan has won the prestigious Khwarizmi International Award, in recognition of his ground-breaking theory on how bees forage. The award - named after the 9th century Iranian scientist - was presented to Donovan by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran at a ceremony in Tehran.
(14 March 2003)
   

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Destruction and creation
Newsday feature on Nobel-winning NZ scientist Maurice Wilkins documents his epoch-breaking career shift from researching weapons of mass destruction to unearthing the secrets of life itself. Horrified at the results of Hiroshima, Wilkins became (and remains) an outspoken critic of nuclear weapons, and is now best known for his contribution to the discovery of DNA.
(28 January 2003)
   

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Back to the future
Canterbury University's Andy Cockburn is leading a team of computer scientists in redesigning the back button function on computers. In a bid to up the popular button's efficiency, Cockburn and co. have reprogrammed web browsers so that the current hierarchical stacking system of index pages is replaced by a chronological one. The team has been in talks with Microsoft and Netscape, but Cockburn isn't expecting a revolution any time soon: "It would be a bold move to challenge the back button right now."
(3 January 2003)
    

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Hi-fi goes hi-tech 
More Hyperfactory innovation. Popular NZ dance music radio station - GeorgeFM - has introduced a streaming SMS system to interact with their audience. Listeners can now text their requests, queries, and feedback directly to the DJ, cutting out the time delay and unreliability of on-air phone calls. GeorgeFM's Jeff Kay: "SMS fits with the station's image and speaks in the same language as our audience."
(2 August 2002)
       

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Louder than words?
Michael C. Corballis, Auckland University psychologist, is "the latest proponent of a controversial idea known among language experts as 'gestural theory.'" His most provocative idea: the inception of speech was a "cultural invention, like writing" rather than "a cognitive Big Bang." 
(8 June 2002)
         

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Evolutionary Edge
Victoria University philosopher, Kim Sternley, climbs out of the primordial mud of academia with his survey of the frought battlefield that is evolutionary theory. In Dawkins vs. Gould he "exploits the real-life 'punch-up' evolutionary theory has become as a result of the two differing thinkers." Time will tell (!) the outcome of the debate, but "the real payoff of his [Sternley's] book, in any case, is its precise outline of the debate's logic."
(26 May 2002)
        

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IT - NZ untapped
Columnist for leading US IT Industry zine InfoWorld raves after visiting NZ, "New Zealand is a marvelous country populated with some of the most talented people in computing. Part of the irrational exuberance [of the dot com bubble] was expressed by tossing dollars at problems that should have been solved with less money and more intelligence. This is where New Zealand and countries like it have an advantage over the United States. They can't afford to throw money at problems, so they think the problems through and solve them in the most cost-effective manner ... New Zealand remains at the bleeding edge of network computing." As Lord Rutherford remarked: "We don’t have the money, so we have to think".
(9 May 2002) 
         

Mega-Catch  
New Zealand Envirosafe Technologies'  mega-catch mosquito trap looks like a "harmless, black plastic birdcage", but, to a mosquito, it looks and smells exactly like a juicy human target.
(14 March 2001)
           

Controversial language
The "anthropological treasure trove of the Pacific" is a breeding ground for academic debate. University of Auckland researchers Russell Gray and Fiona Jordan have adapted DNA mapping techniques and applied them to language families, creating a new picture of the way the Pacific may have been settled - but not everybody is convinced by their evidence.
(26 December 2000) 
          

Berg ahoy!
Kiwi Nigel Jolly heads a team of eleven sailing into Antarctic waters in search of a giant iceberg. The crew are hoping to film the berg inside and out.
(28 December 2000)

Cold shoulder
Warming-swarming says Wellington scientist Vincent Gray, whose anti-global warming beliefs challenge scientific orthodoxy.
(25 December 2000)

Digital planet
New Zealand is the leading edge of the digital planet, with the highest IT spending (per capita) in the world.
(22 November 2000)

NZ 3-D LCD
Images on your monitor create the illusion of depth, but remain flat. Now a Kiwi company, Deep Video Imaging, has created a new kind of double-skinned monitor which delivers true depth of field and allows the display of two  applications at once. The technology is expensive, but has been described as "drop dead incredible looking".
(25 September 2000)