Baleen whales are some of the least likely mammals, supporting their massive bodies by filtering tiny prey. New evidence from an ancient fossil sheds new light on how baleen evolved.
Several studies have shown that spending time in nature is good for health. Now new research has looked specifically at asthma and found that living in green neighbourhoods protects children from developing the condition.
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New research shows that children who live in greener neighbourhoods are less likely to develop asthma, and that the more diverse the plant life is, the more they are protected.
Researcher Janet Wilmshurst excavating moa droppings from a cave at Mt Nicholas Station, near Queenstown, in New Zealand.
Jo Carpenter
Scientists long assumed that the extinct moa played an important role as a disperser of large seeds. But a new study finds that New Zealand’s largest herbivore only dispersed the tiniest seeds.
Lake Tarawera, seen from its outlet, has excellent but declining water quality.
Troy Baisden
The ecological health of New Zealand’s lowland rivers and lakes is in decline, but principles borrowed from drinking water safety could help reverse the degradation.
6-year-olds have the social skills to cooperatively overcome the competition of a resource dilemma.
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Inbreeding and male infertility could be impeding the recovery of one of New Zealand’s threatened birds - the stitchbird, or hihi. Hihi sperm might hold the answer, and help raise funds for conservation.
Despite the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it remains difficult to monitor governments’ performance because there are no comprehensive human rights measures.
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Despite the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it remains difficult to measure governments’ performance. A new data tool gives countries a scorecard on how well, or badly, they are doing.
Lower Hutt, population 105,000. Debates on urbanisation are usually dominated by Auckland, but most of New Zealand’s urban population are in small and medium-size cities.
Jam74/Wikipedia
New Zealand’s coalition government plans to transition to a low-emissions economy while also addressing major urban issues such as unaffordable housing, inequality and poverty.
Two new Tip Top ice creams, packaged with labels stating they are “brought to you by Tip Top”, are in fact made in Spain.
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Some of New Zealand’s most trusted brands are implementing strategies that are misleading domestic consumers and risking their long-term brand reputation.
As watchdogs, regulators, tax agencies, and lobby groups apply more pressure to tech giants Google and Facebook, the two companies are rebranding in response.
Wes Mountain/The Conversation
It’s surprising that news publishers seem to hand more power to Google because now more than ever there’s an urgency to have clear barriers between news companies, social media platforms and search engines.
Thousands of high school students across the US walked out of their schools to protest gun violence and to call for changes to gun laws.
EPA/Tannen Maury
Bronwyn E Wood, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington dan Nick Munn, University of Waikato
Lowering the voting age to 16 would bring the age of political responsibility more in line with the age of criminal responsibility and the age of informed consent for medical procedures.
Some women in refugee camps are afraid to go to distribution points to pick up aid packets because of fear of sexual exploitation and abuse.
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Survival sex – the exchange of sexual favours for aid packets – happens in refugee camps everywhere. Victims are not protected by international human rights law.
We use different grammar when speaking or writing, but the difference is so subtle that linguists were blind to it for centuries.
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When it comes to increasing Indigenous Australians’ participation in higher education, we could take a leaf from our neighbour’s book.
The New Zealand government is introducing legislation to become zero-carbon by 2050, but will consider new permits for coal mining, offshore oil drilling and fracking on a case-by-case basis.
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Natural gas is touted as a “bridging fuel” to displace coal while moving to a low-carbon economy. In New Zealand, this is shortsighted and could lead to stranded assets and hold back renewables.
Blockchain technology has turned conventional thinking about intellectual property and copyright on its head.
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Alexandra Sims, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Blockchain technology is flourishing in an open-source environment, which raises the question of whether current intellectual property laws are the best tools to foster innovation.
Māori businesses now account for an economic asset base of more than NZ$42.6 billion, made up mostly of small and medium-sized enterprises.
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Māori business is booming thanks to entrepreneurs with a strong sense of cultural identity and a willingness to take risks.
Research found that media largely frame debate about oil and gas developments in New Zealand around how drilling should take place, rather than whether it should happen at all.
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Sophie Bond, University of Otago; Amanda Thomas, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, dan Gradon Diprose, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
Researchers find that mainstream media in New Zealand tend to present fossil fuel development as positive for the economy, while framing opponents as irrational and extremist.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University