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 Transit of Venus
On Wednesday 6 June 2012 the planet Venus will pass in front of the Sun - a rare astronomical event with rich historical associations.
To mark the occasion, the Transit of Venus Forum -- an event exploring science's role in creating prosperity and other ideas for New Zealand's future -- will be going ahead in Gisborne, a site chosen to mark the first constructive encounter between Maori and Europeans, on James Cook's voyage in 1769. Those unable to travel to Tolaga Bay can watch a live stream from the forum on the Ministry of Science and Innovation's website. You can also participate in Pounamu, an online interactive game designed by futurist forecaster and designer Jane McGonigal. Ideas generated in the game will feed into discussions at the event. For the actual astronomical event itself, the Science Media Centre has compiled a resource page with useful links and a list of public viewings. |
| Birth defects, folate and science
Nearly 60 percent of pregnancies affected by neural tube defects (NTDs) go uncounted in official statistics each year.
This estimated shortfall -- highlighted in a Science Media Centre background briefing on folic acid fortification this week by Dr Craig Thornley -- is due to the criteria New Zealand uses when gathering this data. These exclude NTD-affected pregnancies that end before 20 weeks, despite the fact that severe NTDs are often recognised in early ultrasound scans.
In the briefing, experts tackled this and other complex issues surrounding the question of whether to require fortification of bread with folic acid -- an initiative deferred by the government in 2009, citing a need for further research into what had become an increasingly divisive issue.
An audio recording of the briefing and slides from presenters are available on our website.
Listen back to hear more about:
- the latest international findings on cancer risk
- outcomes from fortification programmes overseas
- what we know about the effects of voluntary fortification so far
- long-term implications for families and the health system
A public consultation has been launched by the Ministry for Primary Industries to consider whether and in what way folic acid should be added to foods. Submissions close 16 July.
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On the science radar...
Blingin' dental MP3 players, evil faces, rare rabbits revealed, skinned animals and a mysterious mummy un-masked.
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Stats for Queen's Birthday
 Statistics NZ has released an infographic to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, highlighting changes in New Zealand society over the past 60 years.
You can find a copy of it on their website, along with links to their digital yearbook collection.
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| 20 years of environmental failure - WWF
New Zealand's environmental performance over the 20 years since the Rio Earth Summit was slammed Monday in a report from the Worldwide Wildlife Fund.
 In 1992, government representatives from 172 countries participated in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit, to discuss environmental issues and chart a way forward for nations to act on issues such as climate change.
Now, 20 years on, the WWF has compiled a report examining the commitments New Zealand made at the conference, and the current reality. The report calls out NZ for falling short on important commitments made on greenhouse gases, water quality, land and marine biodiversity, fisheries and education for sustainability. The SMC approached experts across a variety of fields for their feedback on the WWF report, and received a wide range of responses.
Dr James Renwick, principal climate scientist, NIWA, told the SMC:
"The report notes, quite rightly, that New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions have climbed significantly since the first Rio Earth Summit in 1992, despite all the rhetoric to the contrary. Like most nations on earth, we have talked the talk but we have yet to really walk the walk. Instead of tackling the problem, we have squandered the last 20 years and are now in a very difficult position, as a global community."
Dr Chris Eames, Senior Lecturer, University of Waikato, commented : "The WWF-New Zealand report on progress in sustainability in this country since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit is a welcome summation of how New Zealand has delivered on promises made at the Summit. It paints an accurate and disappointing picture of the fragmented and inconsistent nature of that progress." Extensive expert commentary and a round up of media coverage can be found on the SMC website. |
Quoted: Dominion Post
""New Zealand's economy is strongly reliant on our 'clean and green' image, and our environmental record will only become economically more important in the future."
Dr Jan Wright, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, on the WWF Beyond Rio report
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 Sciblogs Podcast
Subscribe to the Sciblogs Podcast in iTunes and on stitcher.com or stream it directly from Sciblogs.
We'd also love your feedback on the show. Email us!
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New from the SMC
Experts respond: Split decision on SKA: NZ and Australian astronomers respond to the Square Kilometre Array announcement that the radio telescope project will be shared with South Africa.
WWF Report: Read extensive expert commentary on the WWF report examining 20 years of NZ's environmental record. A round of media coverage is also available.
Briefings:
Folate fortification back on the table: Listen to experts discuss the latest research on adding dietary folate to bread and its importance in preventing birth defects. In the News:
Tuatara teeth: research reveals the iconic tuatara chews its food in a way unlike any other animal on the planet. Reflections on Science: Astronomy for Africa: On the Australian science site The Conversation, Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, Dean of Engineering at University of Johannesburg, discusses the scientific, financial and political implications of hosting the Square Kilometre Array
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Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's posts:
20 years on, NZ's Rio response inadequate: WWF - Bryan walker covers the WWF report reviewing New Zealands' environmental record since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.
Hot Topic
NZ herald, what are you *thinking* - all kids are psychic? - It doesn't take a mind reader to figure out what Alison Campbell thinks of a news article encouraging parents to foster their children's 'special abilities'.
Bio Blog
The dead centre of the Garden City - Derelict buildings, rockfalls and broken homes all feature in Peter Griffin's tour around Christchurch's damaged infrastructure.
Griffins Gadgets
40% of our post-doctoral fellowships gone? Who's to blame? - Shaun Hendy isn't pulling any punches in his analysis of the post-doctoral employment environment.
A Measure of Science
Never mind open access - let's make science really accessible! Why stop at open access? asks Siouxsie Wiles as she highlights further initiatives to freely spread research far and wide.
Infectious Thoughts
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Research highlights
Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.
Humidity has no impact on swing bowling: It has long been assumed by cricketers that air humidity affects bowlers' ability to 'swing' the ball i.e. get it to deviate sideways in mid-air. However new research from Kiwi and UK scientists has determined that humidity has no significant effect on swing.They instead hypothesise that the anecdotal association between humidity and swing is due to other factors associated with humid days, such as low cloud cover - which can lead to a general stillness in the air and low levels of air turbulence above the cricket pitch.
(Better) needle-free injections: Getting a shot at the doctor's office may become less painful in the not-too-distant future. MIT researchers have engineered a device that delivers a tiny, high-pressure jet of medicine through the skin without the use of a hypodermic needle. The device can be programmed to deliver a range of doses to various depths, and even into eyes, or eardrums - an improvement over similar jet-injection systems that are now commercially available.
Medical Engineering and Physics
Smell my age: Scientists say people can identify the age of other humans based on differences in body odour. Japanese even have a word for the so-called 'old-person smell' (kareishu), though new research show individuals rate this odour as less intense and less unpleasant than body odours of middle-aged and young people. Body odour can also help people avoid sick individuals, pick a suitable partner, and distinguish kin from non-kin.
PLoS ONE
Even an abused lung helps: Dying smokers should be allowed to donate lungs because even damaged lungs may save a transplant recipient form dying on the waiting list for a healthy lung. But the recipient's post-operative survival will be shorter than that of patients who get good quality lungs from non-smokers. In Britain, patients receiving lungs from smokers were 46 per cent more likely to have died three years after transplantation than those receiving lungs from non-smokers.
Facing up to the social heat: Simple social contact can cause our temperature to rise. A new study used thermal imaging to show that women's facial temperatures increase more during interactions with a male experimenter than a female experimenter, and more when touch on the face or chest than on the arm or hand. The researchers suggest facial thermal signatures may act as social cues, signalling affective states and arousal - potentially impacting perceptions of attractiveness.
Biology Letters
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Policy updates
Some of the policy highlights from this week:
PCE: Environment vs. environment - The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has released a report examining the trade-offs between hydro-power and scenic ecosystems.
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Upcoming sci-tech events
Transit of Venus Events For these and more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar. |
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