The Conversation
The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.
Explore related content
Article
Antarctic sea ice decline and modelling
Could 2023 mark a significant decline for Antarctic sea ice? Find out more about the trends of changes in sea ice, and the crucial role that...
Read moreArticle
Improving Aotearoa New Zealand’s biosecurity detection
This article has been republished from The Conversation under Creative Commons licence CC BY-ND 4.0 and is written by Dr Angela (Ang) McGaughran, Senior Lecturer in...
Read moreArticle
Takahē – new genetic research
Takahē are one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s conservation success stories. Now new research has shed light on their evolutionary history.
Read moreArticle
Life in maars: why it’s worth protecting this spectacular fossil site
What are the next steps in the Foulden Maar saga?
Read moreArticle
Call of the huia: how NZ’s bird of the century contest helps us express ‘ecological grief’
By including five extinct species in its Bird of the Year competition, Forest & Bird is providing a way to mourn what we’ve lost – and...
Read moreArticle
Decolonising science
We are witnessing a resurgence of Indigenous knowledge and growing acknowledgement of its scientific value worldwide.
Read moreArticle
Antarctica tipping points
This article has been republished from The Conversation under Creative Commons licence CC BY-ND 4.0 and is written by Timothy Naish, Professor in Earth Sciences, Te...
Read moreArticle
A year on, we know why the Tongan eruption was so violent
Explore the impact that the huge Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption in January 2022 has had on volcanologists theories on volcanoes.
Read moreArticle
Can customary harvesting of our native species be sustainable?
An overhaul of the conservation laws of Aotearoa could allow Māori to resume traditional harvesting practices of some native species.
Read moreArticle
Meet te mokomoko a Tohu: a new species of New Zealand gecko hidden in plain sight
Exciting news for all fans of lizards (mokomoko) a new species has just been rediscovered.
Read moreArticle
Ancestral Māori adapted quickly in the face of rapid climate change
A more precise timeline now shows Aotearoa was first settled in the North Island before the settlers expanded south and then retreated again when the climate...
Read moreArticle
Capturing space junk and bringing it back to Earth
This article has been republished from The Conversation under Creative Commons licence CC BY-ND 4.0. It was written by Ralph Cooney, Professor Emeritus in Advanced Materials,...
Read moreArticle
How did ancient moa survive the ice age – and what can they teach us about modern climate change?
One of New Zealand’s iconic moa species was almost wiped out during the last ice age according to recently published research. DNA from ancient eastern moa...
Read moreArticle
How the Ice Ages spurred the evolution of New Zealand’s weird and wiry native plants
The most controversial feature of the New Zealand flora is the plethora of small-leaved trees and shrubs with wiry interlaced branches.
Read moreArticle
Plastic pollution and marine microbes
Plastic and microplastic pollution of oceans is a wicked problem. Using bioinformatics and statistical analysis, scientist Victor Gambarini looked to correlate marine microbes that could degrade...
Read moreArticle
Hunting galaxies far far away – here’s how anyone can explore the universe
Astronomer, Dr Sara Webb is fascinated about viewing distant galaxies. She is a galaxy hunter and explores the universe through the eyes of many different telescopes...
Read moreArticle
A clock in the rocks: Cosmic rays and Earth science
Rocks act as geological archives and new techniques are helping scientists capture data about past events.
Read moreArticle
The world’s spectacular animal migrations are dwindling
Could we be seeing the end of some of the great animal migrations? Fishing, fences and development are fast-tracking extinctions.
Read moreArticle
Sharks and rays facing extinction
Overfishing is the primary threat to deep-water sharks and rays. Research has found that their long lifespans and slow reproduction rates make these species as vulnerable...
Read moreArticle
Scientists using ‘fake news’ to stop predators killing endangered birds
Scientists used ‘fake news’ to stop predators killing endangered shorebirds — and the result was remarkable.
Read moreTeacher PLD
Investigating in science
Both science and mātauranga pūtaiao build knowledge and understanding about our world. Often, we start with curiosity about something we’ve noticed and we want to find...
Read moreArticle
Read news like a scientist
When fake news, misreporting and alternative facts are everywhere, reading the news can be a challenge. Not only is there plenty of misinformation about the coronavirus...
Read more