Alert Newsletter 695

Posted: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 under Alert Newsletter

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1. Medals awarded at 2011 NZ Research Honours event, 16 November

Top New Zealand researchers have been recognised for their work with the presentation of prestigious awards at the Royal Society of New Zealand 2011 Research Honours event held in Wellington on Wednesday night.

The country’s highest science and technology honour, the Rutherford Medal, was awarded to biochemist Professor Christine Winterbourn FRSNZ from the University of Otago, Christchurch, for her outstanding achievements and discoveries in free radical biology which have established her as a leading world authority in this field. Together with the medal awarded by the Royal Society of New Zealand, she also received $100,000 from the Government. Professor Winterbourn is the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Rutherford Medal in its 20 year history.

Read the full list of medals and recipients.

2. Three new medals awarded – Callaghan, MacDiarmid and Humanities Aronui Medals

Three new medals were presented by the Royal Society of New Zealand at the 2011 New Zealand Research Honours event on 16 November, two for science related work and one for humanities research.

The inaugural Callaghan Medal for an outstanding contribution to science communication was presented to Professor Sir Peter Gluckman KNZM, FRS, FRSNZ, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor.

Dr Gary Evans of Industrial Research Limited was the first recipient of the new MacDiarmid Medal. Dr Evans is a chemist who has pioneered the design and synthesis of new pharmaceuticals for the treatment of major diseases.

The inaugural Humanities Aronui Medal was presented to Professor Jim Flynn FRSNZ of the Department of Politics at the University of Otago for his outstanding work in political philosophy. Professor Flynn is best known for his discovery of historical gains in IQ, now known as ‘the Flynn Effect’. In brief, this states that IQ scores increase over time, a finding that has had far-reaching implications.

Read more …

3. Winners of Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing announced

The two winning entries in the Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Writing were announced on Wednesday night. Bridget Stocker from Wellington was awarded the fiction prize for “Radium – A Love Story” and Joanna Wojnar from Auckland won the non-fiction category with “100% Chemical Free”.

They were each presented with $2500 at the New Zealand Research Honours event in Wellington. Their winning entries will be published in the Listener.

The theme of this year’s competition was ‘Chemical World’ and was chosen to coincide with the 2011 International Year of Chemistry. Entrants took their inspiration from the Vincent O’Sullivan quote “I unhem creation a little, to work out the stitch”.

Both winning writers are chemists and have PhDs, with Dr Bridget Stocker working at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington and Dr Joanna Wojnar at the University of Auckland.

Read more …

4. Talking Heads series 2011: “Inside Out: the chemistry of food, sex and ageing”, Kim Hill discusses with scientists how chemistry underpins our everyday lives

Join us over the next few weeks to hear broadcaster Kim Hill in conversation with chemists as she examines some of life’s complex questions.  What exactly are free radicals?  How does UV light affect our skin?  Is there a chemical difference between males and females?  And is the saying “you are what you eat” correct?

The 2011 Talking Heads series is produced by the Royal Society of New Zealand in association with Radio New Zealand. These interviews are being recorded by Radio New Zealand for broadcast, so latecomers will not be admitted.

The format of each event is different. With the first event in Wellington on 24 November, Kim Hill will be interviewing Professor Joe Schwarcz from McGill University, Canada, a best-selling author and TV personality.  Joe Schwarcz is well-known for his entertaining public lectures and has received numerous awards for science communication.  He is brought to New Zealand courtesy of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.

  • Wellington – 24 November, 6pm, Soundings Theatre, Te Papa
  • Christchurch – 1 December, 6pm, Jack Mann Auditorium, Dovedale Campus, University of Canterbury
  • Auckland – 8 December, 6pm, The Auditorium, Auckland Museum

The Talking Heads series will be broadcast on National Radio at 4pm on 4, 11 and 18 December. Repeating at 9pm on 6, 13 and 20 December.

Find out more about all the events and book a ticket.

5. Gold CREST awards for school students’ investigative projects

Five secondary school students have been presented with Gold CREST awards for their investigative projects with topics ranging from distractions for teenage drivers, to watercress reducing nitrogen pollution in waterways.

The students were presented with their awards by Hon Dr Wayne Mapp, Minister of Science and Innovation at the annual Research Honours celebration event organised by the Royal Society of New Zealand.

The Gold CREST award recipients are Keeley Hutchins and Ashleigh Renwick (Tararua College), Anna Palmer and Charlotte Robertson (Palmerston North Girls High), and Kate Marsh (Carmel College, Auckland).

Gold CREST awards are for advanced projects, for Year 12-13 students and take six terms to complete. Read about their projects …

6. “Are Cows more Trustworthy than Chemists?” guest lecture by Professor Joe Schwarcz, Thurs 24 November, 11am, Colt 122, Victoria University, Wellington

Hear Professor Schwarcz demystify concerns the public has about using “chemicals”. A story in Time magazine about the relative merits of conventional and organic produce featured a curious quote from a professor of nutrition education at Columbia University.  When asked if she preferred butter or margarine, she replied “I would rather trust a cow than a chemist.”  Unfortunately such negative comments about chemistry are not unusual these days as the lay press often focuses on “toxic chemicals” in our air, water, food and even in our blood.  The truth is that chemicals are neither safe nor dangerous.  There are safe ways to use chemicals and dangerous ways to use chemicals.  The International Year of Chemistry is an especially appropriate time to try to build a dike of scientific reality to stem the rising tide of chemophobia.

Professor Schwarcz is Director of the Office for Science and Society, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. He has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for interpreting science for the public, and has appeared many times on Canadian television and radio stations and writes a weekly newspaper column in the Montreal Gazette. His books have all been best sellers.

Launch of the knitted Periodic Table – This will take place before the lecture at 10.40am.

7. Dr Kazimierz Wodzicki FRSNZ OBE, honoured by Polish Government

On the 5 September, members of Dr Kazimierz Wodzicki’s family were presented with  posthumous “Commander’s Crosses” by the Polish Miniser of Foreign Affairs on behalf of Dr and Mrs Wodzicki for what they did during the second World War for Polish orphans, including enabling over 700 Polish orphans to get visas to travel to New Zealand. The ceremony, held in Warsaw, was attended by the Charge d’Affaires from the New Zealand embassy.

Dr Wodzicki was the Consul –General of Poland in Wellington, as well as a vertebrate zoologist and Director of DSIR’s Animal Ecology Section, and lived in New Zealand from 1941 until his death in 1987. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1962. His interests included introduced mammals, the Waikanae Estuary, gannets and other birds. With his colleague J.E.C Flux, he announced the rediscovery at Kawatu Island of the Parma wallaby, a species introduced by Sir George Grey last century and which had since become extinct in its native Australia.

8. FUSIONZ website for science, technology, humanities jobs

This week, Fusionz has 3 vacancies for jobs. The latest jobs are:

  • Post-Doctoral Fellow / Research Fellow – Physical Chemist: The University of Auckland
  • PhD studentship in Plant-Fungal Symbiotic Interactions: Massey University, Palmerston North
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow: The University of Auckland

For more information and to list your vacancy – http://fusionz.royalsociety.org.nz/

9. Population and Employment Effects of the Christchurch Earthquakes Lincoln University, Canterbury, 1-4.30pm, 23 November, 2011

This workshop aims to distil and discuss the evidence so far on recent population and employment effects of the Christchurch earthquakes and consider some of the likely future effects of the reconstruction phase scenarios. The workshop is made up of a range of presentations with discussion.

It will include:

  • a substantial synthesis of population evidence and expectations by David Price, Principal Analyst, Monitoring and Research, Christchurch City Council
  • a presentation of the geographic distribution and associated  population and employment industry detail associated with earthquake impact zoning classification of earthquake damaged and vulnerable areas, given by James Newell of Monitoring and Evaluation Research Associates Ltd (MERA)
  • a presentation of the indicative intentions of red zone residents of Kaiapoi and Pines Beach based on a housing intentions survey given by Mary Sparrow, policy analyst with the Waimakariri District Council
  • a joint presentation on the labour demand scenarios for the Canterbury rebuild given by Amy McNaughton of the Canterbury Development Corporation and Brian Cosgriff from the Department of Labour.

Registration forms and online registration for the workshop are available at http://www.nzaia.org.nz/Conference/2011/Conference2011.html.  Registration is $138 or $46 for students and non for profit community organisation representatives (GST inclusive).

10. “Natural disasters: impact assessment for sustainable recovery”, New Zealand Association for Impact Assessment (NZAIA) conference, 24-25 Nov 2011, Lincoln

The purpose of the conference is to explore how impact assessment thinking can contribute to current and future post-disaster/disaster recovery activities. In particular, consider to what extent impact assessment can provide a better understanding of the scope, nature and complexity of the impacts of a disaster;  a way to identify stakeholder and community priorities in immediate disaster recovery activities; a means to identify potential impact types if similar events were to occur in other centres, allowing authorities and communities to reflect on strategies to cope with immediate issues; a means for helping develop strategic responses to recovery needs; and a framework for ensuring ongoing assessment in uncertain environments.

Speakers include: Charles Kelly: Benfield Hazard Research Centre, UCL, UK, and Bob Bach: Centre for Homeland Defense and Security, Naval Postgraduate School, USA.

Registrations are still open for this conference and can be made online at http://www.nzaia.org.nz/Conference/2011/Conference2011.html.

11. Cafe Scientifique, “Air quality: how clean is the air that we breathe?”, 24 Nov, Lower Hutt

Urban air pollution is an issue that affects many people, often unknowingly, when we breathe airborne chemicals, particulate matter or biological organisms carried in the air.

Air particulate matter pollution in New Zealand has been estimated to cause approximately 900 premature deaths, as well as NZ$1.3 billion in health costs and lost productivity each year. Understanding the sources of air pollution is often key to providing solutions and informing regulatory authorities responsible for air quality.

Join Dr Bill Trompetter, GNS Science, who will describe how we determine the elemental composition and sources of air pollution using the 3 MV accelerator at GNS Science in Lower Hutt.

Bill Trompetter is a Senior Scientist at the National Isotope Centre, GNS Science in Lower Hutt. His research focuses on identification and understanding air pollution processes in order to assist Regional Councils to comply with urban air quality standards.

Thursday 24 November, 6.00pm – 7.15pm at Wholly Bagels, Myrtle Street, Lower Hutt.

12. “Managing Innovation for Sustained Productivity: Creating Advantage and Resilience”, Symposium, 29 Nov – 2 Dec 2011, Wellington

Just released this week is the detailed programme for the symposium of the International Society for Professional Innovation Management being hosted by Victoria Management School in Wellington, 29 Nov-2 Dec.

The theme of the symposium is “Managing Innovation for Sustained Productivity: Creating Advantage and Resilience”. The programme for the exciting three day event, including keynote addresses from leading kiwi CEOs and international experts, and participants from 20 different countries (including 17 Finns escaping their winter). Special day registrations are on offer for local participants. Find out more here http://symposium.ispim.org/index.php/home/programme

13. NZ Climate Change Research Institute Seminar Series, 13 December, Wellington

The next talk in this series is “An Australian Perspective on Climate Change Adaptation”, by Professor Tim Smith, Director of the Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia.

Climate change requires new approaches to knowledge production, civic engagement, and decision-making, particularly in the face of high decision stakes. A systems perspective is needed that comprehensively addresses the interrelationships between system drivers (the things that affect change), relays (the things that magnify or dampen the drivers), the impacts, and possible management interventions.

Furthermore, the institutions that facilitate adaptation need to also adapt themselves to changing contexts and challenges through an ongoing process of social learning—so that climate change adaptation can be process enabled (dynamic to changing socio-ecological contexts and goal focused) rather than process constrained (restricted by outdated institutional structures). These issues will be explored through several current Australian research projects, as well as through commentary on policy responses.

Date:   Tuesday 13 December

Time:   12.30 – 1.30

Venue:  Lecture Theatre 1, Government Buildings, Wellington

Further details at http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sgees/research-centres/ccri-events.aspx

14. New Zealand Social Statistics Network, summer programme, February 2012, Wellington

Places are still available for these courses being run in February 2012. The early bird closing date is Friday 16 December. Late enrolments will be accepted depending on course numbers and availability. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn research skills in a small group with some of the best research methods teachers in Australasia. Discounts are negotiable for multiple bookings from a single agency.

For more information and to enrol visit www.nzssn.org.nz

15. Our Changing World, Thursday 9.00 pm, Radio New Zealand National

Alison Ballance, Veronika Meduna and Ruth Beran http://radionz.co.nz/ourchangingworld email ourchangingworld@radionz.co.nz Tel (04) 474 1910.

Waste 2 Gold is a collaboration between Scion and the Rotorua District Council, testing an innovative new process to minimise the town’s sewage sludge. Alison Ballance meets Scion’s Robert Lei to see the pilot plant in action.

Alison Ballance joins botanist John Dawson for a walk at Otari-Wilton gardens in Wellington to talk about his new book on New Zealand’s native trees.

What happens when a scientific mind turns to poetry? To find out, Veronika Meduna meets Janis Freegard, a poet trained in botany, who has arranged the poems in her first collection, Kingdom Animalia, by Linnaeus’ six animal classes.

University of Auckland’s Asaad Shamseldin and Reza Shafiei are creating waves in the lab to study the impact of tsunami bores on physical structures. While their research has just begun, their aim is to help mitigate the risk of damage from this natural disaster in the future.

Shorter science, health and environment features also air during Afternoons with Jim Mora at 3.35 p.m., Monday to Thursday. The programme is repeated at 1.10 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

You can download a podcast or listen to streaming audio of programmes you’ve missed in the complete programme archive at: http://radionz.co.nz/ourchangingworld

16. Follow the Royal Society of New Zealand on Facebook and Twitter

Get timely updates from the Royal Society of New Zealand team via our Facebook and Twitter channels.

 
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