Alert Newsletter 723

Posted: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 under Alert Newsletter, News

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1. June issues out for Royal Society of New Zealand Science journals

PublicationsThe June 2012 issues of the seven Royal Society of New Zealand Science journals have all been published recently.

In addition to the special issue in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand on the Transit of Venus, we published a special issue in the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research on the long-term Winchmore Trials: 60 years of discovery, guest edited by Richard McDowell and Chris Smith. This issue includes a paper on the early years of the trials with some photos of ‘how things used to be done’.

The New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research has several articles relating to freshwater:

  • the fate of 1080 during rain events
  • nitrogen fate in a watercress dominated stream
  • water quality in karst landscapes.

There is also a short review article on the role of common names in science.

2. Royal Society of New Zealand Council changes

An invited group gathered last week in Christchurch to farewell  Dr Garth Carnaby MNZM FRSNZ as President of the Royal Society of New Zealand. His 3-year term ends 30 June. Professor Sir David Skegg KNZM OBE FRSNZ starts as President on 1 July.

Dr John Caradus FRSNZ, Grasslanz Technology Limited, Palmerston North, has been elected unopposed as the new Vice President (Biological and Life Sciences) on the Royal Society of New Zealand Council for a 3-year term beginning 1 July 2012, replacing Dr Stephen Goldson FRSNZ CRSNZ, AgResearch, in this position.

However, Dr Goldson, along with Professor Caroline Saunders from Lincoln University, has been re-elected to Council for a further 3-year term beginning 1 July 2012.

Professor Ken Strongman’s (FRSNZ) 3-year term on Council finishes on 30 June 2012.

3. New Zealand International Science Festival kicks off in Dunedin this week

The eighth biennial festival themed  “what makes us tick?” starts June 30 in Dunedin for nine days of inspiring and fun-filled events from 30 June to 8 July. 

Part of the event is the 2012 Scifest Science Idol competition. Three winners have been announced in their age group category from 8 -14 yrs, 15-21 yrs and 22+ and won a brand new iPad thanks to KlabLab. The ‘grand prize winner’ in the Science Idol competition will be announced on Friday 6 July at 7pm and perform live with US Science Rapper Tom McFadden at a public festival event ‘whose science is it anyway?’

Twenty-seven submissions were made from across New Zealand, with 11 finalists selected and their clips can be viewed on www.scifest.org.nz.

Visiting Dunedin are twenty two senior secondary school students from around New Zealand, selected by the Royal Society of New Zealand for Youth ANZAAS (Australia New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science).  They will be joined by 21 secondary school students from around Australia.

4. FUSIONZ website for science, technology, humanities jobs

This week, Fusionz has 2 vacancies for jobs. The latest jobs are:

  • International Contract Coordinator / Administrator, Royal Society of New Zealand, Wellington
  • Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Physiology (2 Confirmation-Path positions) University of Otago, Dunedin

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

5. Get involved in the garden bird survey

The 2012 Garden Bird Survey starts on 30 June 2012. You are invited to watch birds in your garden for one hour (and just one hour) sometime between 30 June to 8 July, and for each species you encounter, record the highest number you see or hear at any one time.

For full instructions and a copy of the survey form (and an online data entry form) please visit www.landcareresearch.co.nzresearch/biocons/gardenbird/.

By participating in the survey you will help build up a picture of how both native and introduced birds are faring in our gardens over the years. Results from previous years can be found on the website above.

6. Lecture series: ‘Genetics: the good, the bad, and the controversy’, July – August,  Auckland and Wellington

The first talk in the University of Otago’s Winter Lecture Series is being held next week in Wellington and Auckland.

The series, which is titled “Genetics: the good, the bad and the controversy’, is being held in association with Genetics Otago. It will feature free public lectures by leading Otago thinkers and a guest speaker, world-renowned bioethicist Professor Robert Klitzman of Columbia University, NY.

The first lecture will be from Social Anthropologist Dr Ruth Fitzgerald, Troubling ‘choice’ in genetic testing; a public conversation about private decision-making.

Wellington Details: 6pm Wednesday 4 July,  Room 6 – Level 17, James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, 147 The Terrace, Wellington

Auckland Details:  6pm Thursday 5 July, Level 4 (street level), University of Otago Auckland Centre, 385 Queen Street, Auckland

7. Conference: Environmental Responsibility – Leadership, Inclusion and Good Governance, 6-7 July, Wellington

The ECO Conference is being held in Wellington on Friday and Saturday 6-7 July and workshops Sun 8 July, including Antarctica and community data and GIS.

If you haven’t yet registered for the ECO Conference, this is a reminder to register for early-bird rates – extended to Monday 2 July.

Register online. Please remember to indicate your Sunday workshop choices when you register.

8. Conference: Comvita Science Symposium “Engaging Science”, 6 September, Auckland

The fourth annual Science Symposium is about creating a link between natural products science and consumers.

Hear from industry leaders as they share new findings and latest publications; Share innovative ways of making the science of natural products consumer-friendly; Explore collaboration opportunities for natural products.

See presentations from: The Liggins Institute, AgResearch, Plant and Food Research, The University of Auckland, The University of Reading (UK).

Register and learn more at Science Symposium or email science.symposium@comvita.com.

9. Comvita Science Video Challenge

Comvita is also hosting a Science Video Challenge open for both university and secondary school students in New Zealand.

Students are required to create a short movie to break down the science behind healthy food into easy-to-understand messages for consumers.

With the challenge, Comvita aims to better communicate science to general public by making it fun, relevant and accessible and we have had some top quality entrants in the previous years.

You can find more information and also watch last year’s winning videos on www.comvitasciencechallenge.co.nz

The prize giving will be held during on the evening of the Comvita Science Symposium in Auckland on 6 September. 

10. Premiere of Our Far South – the Documentary, 3 July, Wellington

In February Gareth Morgan led a voyage south through the subantarctic islands and the Southern Ocean to Antarctica to raise New Zealanders awareness of the region.

Among the crew was Te Radar, who has produced a documentary based on his experience. The documentary includes stunning footage of the region and its abundant wildlife, interspersed with the human aspects of the voyage and discussions with the experts about the issues facing the region. The documentary screening (approx. 45 minutes) will be followed by a Question and Answer session with Gareth Morgan, Te Radar and other experts on the region.

Details: 6.30 – 7.30pm Tuesday 3 July, Soundings Theatre, Level 2, Te Papa 
Tickets: Public $15.00, Child/Student $5.00, Friends of Te Papa $10.00. For tickets email friends@tepapa.govt.nz or phone the office (04) 381 7051.   If not sold out door sales will be available outside Soundings Theatre from 6pm.

11. Our Far South lunchtime seminar series, July, Wellington

Grab a sandwich and go along to the series of lunch time seminars on the major issues facing Our Far South. All lectures are at the Academy of Fine Arts, Queens Wharf, Wellington.

  • 5 July 12.30pm “Can we save the wildlife of Our Far South?”
    Exploring the challenges facing the species of the area and what can be done about them.
  • 10 July 12.30pm “Is climate change real and have we caused it?”
    A review of the latest evidence on anthropogenic climate change.
  • 11 July 12.30pm “Climate Change in Our Far South.”
    The Southern Ocean and Antarctica are the engine room of the world’s climate and ocean system. What impacts will climate change have on the region and the planet?
  • 12 July 12.30pm “Can we keep Antarctica dedicated to peace and science?”
    The Antarctic Treaty System has been successful for more than fifty years, but can it deal with the rise of a resource hungry China and India?
  • 16 July 12.30pm ”Fishing and Marine Protection in Our Far South.”
    A look at whether the fishing of Antarctic toothfish is sustainable and what options there are for marine protection in the area.

12. Our Changing World, Thursday 9.00 pm, Radio New Zealand National 101FM

Presented and produced by Alison Ballance, Ruth Beran and Veronika Meduna.

After the Oil: it’s been more than eight months since the cargo vessel Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef near Tauranga, spilling more than 350 tonnes of heavy fuel oil along with many containers and their contents, and Alison Ballance heads to the Bay of Plenty to find out about the after-effects of New Zealand’s largest maritime environmental disaster. She hears out about environmental monitoring work that Chris Battershill from Waikato University and David Schiel from Canterbury University are carrying out as part of the Rena Recovery programme, meets underwater photographer Kim Westerskov to find out what Astrolabe Reef was like before Rena, and discovers what a key role volunteers played during the beach clean-ups and how some have been motivated to stay involved in the local Coast Care programme.

Science and art may seem like oil and water, but they mix well in START, a new initiative in Palmerston North that fosters creative projects across the disciplines. Veronika Meduna meets artist Fran Dibble, whose background is in botany and biochemistry, and the city’s cultural coordinator Axel de Maupeou.

Two science and environment stories air during the week on Afternoons with Jim Mora at 3:35pm, Monday and Thursday. The complete programme is repeated at 1:10am on Sunday mornings.

Website for podcasts and live streams: http://radionz.co.nz/ourchangingworld
Contact: ourchangingworld@radionz.co.nz, 04 474 1910
Twitter: @RNZ_Science

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

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