Our Changing World

The summer science series continues with an episode from RNZ podcast Black Sheep. Freddie Angell was New Zealand's most notorious wildlife smuggler. His repeated attempts at stealing and exporting native wildlife in the 1990s, including kea and tuatara, made him all but a household name. William Ray speaks to documentary-maker Andy MacDonald about his extraordinary story. Black Sheep is an RNZ podcast produced and presented by William Ray.Listen to more episodes of Black Sheep.Guest:Andy MacDonald, documentary-makerSign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The summer science series continues with an episode from Tune into Nature, a podcast about New Zealand wildlife and wild places, and the people who look after them. Independent producer Karthic SS visits the Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary Central Otago. Here, a team is working to bring back endangered lizards – Otago skinks and grand skinks – to the drylands wilderness they once lived in. These species are true wildlife underdogs – so rare and out of sight, not many people know they exist.Tune into Nature is a podcast produced and presented by Karthic SS.Listen to more Tune into Nature episodes.Guests:Grant Norbury, ecologist and chairperson, Central Otago Ecological Trust (COET)Anna Yeoman, science communicator and trustee, COETCarey Knox, herpetologist, Southern ScalesKathryn Longstaff, Department of Conservation (DOC) Central OtagoRoss Curtis , senior ranger, DOC Central OtagoJoanna, ranger, DOC Central OtagoThis episode was supported by OAR FM Dunedin, Science Communication at the University of Otago, and the NZ Lottery Grants Environment and Heritage fund, administered by Te Tari Taiwhenua, the Department of Internal Affairs.Learn more:Alison Ballance goes on an urban lizard hunt in this 2017 episode.Anna Yeoman spoke to Nine to Noon about her lizard book.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The summer science series continues with an episode from RNZ podcast Here Now. A love for tropical plants united Canterbury-based botanists Dr Julie Barcelona and Dr Pieter Pelser in the mid-2000s. The pair are renowned for their work on the large and unusual flower Rafflesia, which smells like a rotting carcass. They have found at least three new species on their adventures in the Philippines. Kadambari Raghukumar learns more about their spectacular discoveries.Featuring:Dr Julie BarcelonaDr Pieter PelserHere Now is an RNZ podcast produced and presented by Kadambari Raghukumar.Listen to more episodes from Here Now.Watch a video about this episode.Learn more:What will happen to plants in a warming world?Naturally rare and threatenedSign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Welcome to the summer science series! We're kicking off with two stories made by local podcast producers. First, on New Zealand's quest to become predator free by 2050, are we forgetting about mice? Dan Moskovitz, a student at Victoria University of Wellington, investigates what might happen to mice – and ecosystems as more areas become predator free. Then, a story from Xanthe Smith's Catch On podcast. Many people who consume fish stick to eating the fillets, meaning a substantial chunk of the whole fish gets chucked. A project seeks to tackle this food waste by connecting communities with kaimoana.Guests:Associate Professor Stephen Hartley, Victoria University of WellingtonDr Araceli SamaniegoBrent Bevan, Department of ConservationChris Jupp, Kai IkaVera, Kokiri Marae Naenae HubLearn more:Listen to more episodes of Catch On, a podcast by Xanthe Smith for the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science AdvisorFind out about the Kai Ika ProjectDr Araceli Samaniego's paper, Small mice create big problemsListen to Voice of Tangaroa for more exploration of ocean issuesWatch Fight for the Wild, a series about Predator Free 2050Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New methane seeps are being discovered in Antarctica, some now appearing in areas that researchers have been monitoring for years. These are areas on the seafloor where methane gas escapes out from under the ground through fissures or cracks. What is the extent of the seeps? How large is the gas reservoir they are being fed from? How much methane is escaping from the sea into the air? Why now? And does this have implications for further warming the planet? A team of NIWA scientists are racing to find answers.Guests:Dr Sarah Seabrook, NIWADr Leigh Tait, NIWALearn more:You can find all the papers referenced this episode in the write-up that accompanies it. Claire spoke to Sarah about her initial work on seeps and the microbes that are attracted to them in 2022There’s currently a massive project underway to investigate whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will melt under 2oC of warming. Veronika Meduna joined them on the ice last year.Listen to our recent episode about life on the seafloor under the ice, including mysterious giant glass sponges.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New Zealand’s tuatara are the last remaining species of an order of reptile that was alive alongside the dinosaurs 240 million years ago. The rest died out about 65 million years ago, but in Aotearoa the tuatara live on, found on 32 offshore islands and in a small number of ecosanctuaries and zoos on the mainland. Now one researcher is investigating the microbial community that lives inside their gut. Are there also bacterial ‘living fossils’ to be found? And has their gut microbiome changed as a result of living in captivity on the mainland? Guests:Cam Hoffbeck, PhD candidate, Taylor lab, University of AucklandChye-Mei Huang, Ectotherm ranger, Auckland ZooLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode. Hear from another researcher who has been exploring the viruses found in tuatara.Cam has also spoken to Emile Donovan on Nights about her research.In 2014 Alison Ballance visited Orokonui Ecosanctuary to learn about the tuatara who had recently made the move to the cold climes of Dunedin.Our own microbiome may affect our brain, moods and behaviour, and changes across our lives.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Dive under the Antarctic sea ice near Scott Base into the weird world of cold-water life. Pink sea angels, worms that look like intestines, ocean creepy crawlies that get as big as your hand... and mysterious giant glass sponges. These sponges are one of the strangest, and oldest, animals on Earth: surviving without light, eating bacteria and viruses, and making themselves out of silica they absorb from the water. In most parts of the world, they live at depths too deep to dive, making them tricky to study. But in the cold waters of McMurdo Sound, they can be found in shallower waters. Now an international team of scientists are unlocking some of their secrets. Guests:Professor Ian Hawes, University of WaikatoDr Jürgen Laudien, Alfred Wegener Institute, GermanyKatherine Rowe, University of WaikatoDr Erik Wurz, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands,Andreas Schmmider-MartÍnez, Universidad Mayor, ChileLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episodeListen to The secret life of sea spongesFind out what it takes to live and do science in Antarctica with the award-winning 2020 Voices from Antarctica series by Alison BallanceSign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

For centuries Samoa's traditional healers have harnessed the power of the country's native plants as remedies for village ailments. Now scientists at the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa are putting those plants under the microscope to unlock and understand how this traditional knowledge works. In this episode of Pacific Scientific from the ABC, tour the labs and lush gardens filled with plants that could hold the secret to battling diabetes, HIV, and cancer. Guests:Annie Tuisuga, Scientific Research Organisation of SamoaMaserotaOfoia, Scientific Research Organisation of SamoaBenaiah Une, Scientific Research Organisation of SamoaSekotilani Aloi, University of Samoa LecturerPacific Scientific credits:Series Creator: Carl SmithReporter: Adel FrueanProducer: Shelby TraynorSeries Producer: Jordan FennellExecutive Producer: Will OckendenABC Science Editor: Jonathan WebbLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode.Listen to more Pacific Scientific episodes.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Ngutukākā, or kākābeak, is a popular garden plant in Aotearoa. But in the wild, it is now rarer than kākāpō, with only about 100 individual plants surviving on steep, inaccessible cliffs. The East Coast is one of its remaining strongholds and the Tairāwhiti Ngutukākā Trust is on a mission to bring the taonga back. Veronika Meduna joins the inaugural Tairāwhiti Ngutukākā Festival to find out more about the community’s efforts to turn State Highway 35 into a Crimson Highway by rewilding this iconic native. Guests:Graeme Atkins, Tairāwhiti Ngutukākā TrustMere Tamanui, Tairāwhiti Ngutukākā TrustHōhepa Waenga, East Coast Myrtle Rust Response TeamNatalie Robertson, artist and Associate Professor at Auckland University of TechnologyEmma Giesen, Trees That CountStephanie Gardner, Trees That CountTamariki from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o MangatunaLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode.Visit the Tairāwhiti Ngutukākā websiteGraeme Atkins featured in a recent episode of Country Life.For more on rare flora, Our Changing World has covered threatened limestone plants and explored what will happen to alpine plants in a warming world.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Invasive redback spiders are highly venomous, threatening both people and New Zealand’s native species. A team of scientists is developing a cunning tool to trap male redbacks, by concocting an irresistible spiderweb perfume. We visit 800 captive redback spiders in the lab, learn about their wild mating habits, and check out the “spider arena” where the redbacks’ signature scent is put to the test. Guests:Dr Andrew Twidle, Plant & Food ResearchTom Sullivan, Plant & Food ResearchLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode.Redbacks aren’t the only spiders to engage in a spot of sexual cannibalism. Claire Concannon enters the weird world of spider reproduction on a spider hunt in this episode.Back in 2016, Alison Ballance reported on the threat to Cromwell chafer beetles posed by red4KU24B9_Female_Redback_Spider_PFR3471_jpgback spiders.Coming up with clever ways to lure pests is also a big focus of Predator Free 2050, as Katy Gosset finds out in this 2021 episode.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The MRI technique advances coming out of the Mātai Medical Research Institute in Gisborne have been described as ‘pioneering’, ‘groundbreaking’ and ‘world leading’. Claire Concannon speaks to chief executive and research director Dr Samantha Holdsworth to learn why, and about their big plans for the future. Guests:Dr Samantha Holdsworth, research director and chief executive of Mātai Medical Research InstituteTaylor Emsden, MRI technologist at Mātai Medical Research InstituteLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode.One of the studies underway at Mātai looks at how brains and hearts are damaged by meth use, and also how they can recover.One of the pilot research projects that Mātai hosted involved investigating muscle development in children with cerebral palsy.The Mātai concussion study involves teen rugby players, learn more about other research on this issue from the University of Canterbury.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

About two hours south of Dunedin, in the Catlins, the Tautuku and Fleming rivers flow into the sea at Tautuku beach. Covered in native bush from headwaters to the ocean, this special catchment is home to many native, and some threatened, plants and animals. But there’s an ongoing battle. Browsing animal such as deer and pigs are destroying the undergrowth, while feral cats and stoats are predating on critters such as the mātātā, the South Island fernbird. We meet some of the people fighting back. Guests:Gavin White, pest control for Forest & BirdFrancesca Cunninghame, project manager for Forest & BirdLearn more:Watch Fight for the Wild, a documentary series exploring Predator Free Aotearoa 2050.Listen to Deer Wars, a podcast telling the story of the 50-year struggle to control red deer.Drones are a new tool in the battle against introduced pests, William Ray reports in this Our Changing World episode.Find out more about the Tautuku Ecological Restoration Project.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Every year in New Zealand, recreational hunters shoot more than half a million wild game. Most are shot with lead-based ammunition. Now, researchers are investigating what happens to that lead, and how much of it is getting into the food chains of humans and the endangered kea. Alison Ballance speaks to scientists at Nelson-Marlborough Institute of Technology, and kea conservationists and predator control experts at the Department of Conservation to learn more. Guests:Dr Eric Buenz, biomedical researcher at Nelson Marlborough Institute of TechnologyProfessor Gareth Parry, Nelson Marlborough Institute of TechnologyAdjunct Professor Myra Finkelstein, University of California, Santa CruzTom Brookman, Department of ConservationDr Kerry Weston, Department of ConservationLearn more:Read the web article for this episode. In Kea get a helping hand, Alison Ballance joins kea researchers at Arthur’s Pass.The kea’s close relative the kaka is also at risk from lead poisoning – check out Alison’s story on The dark side of being an urban parrot - kaka and lead.Find out more about the element lead in “Lead – sweet tasting but deadly” from the Elemental podcast series, which investigates the periodic table of chemical elements.Read the research mentioned in this episode about X-ray screening, and the latest research about kea and lead. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

To keep their eggs safe, some birds build simple cup-shaped nests. Others craft elaborate fully enclosed domes, with porches, fake entrances and ledges. But is this intricate construction of nests a set, encoded behaviour? Or can birds adapt in different conditions? Researchers are keen to learn about flexibility in nest design, to better understand how different species might be able to respond as the climate changes. Guests:Dr Iliana Medina Guzman, University of MelbourneKane Fleury, Tūhura Otago MuseumLearn more:See nest pictures and read the related article for this episode here. Iliana’s colleague Dr Claire Taylor spoke to Nine to Noon about some of this work in July, their work has been written up by the University of Melbourne, and their investigations of the role of climate and the analysis of variation in nest design have been published. Some birds use spikes as weapons around their nests, while in Wellington, some kākā might be trying to nest in unhelpful places.Explore the Our Changing World bird episodes back catalogue, for heaps more bird and nest stories.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Almost 40 years on from the first reports of the Antarctic ozone hole, and 35 years since the Montreal Protocol to ban CFCs came into effect, what’s going on with the ozone hole? How does it form? How do we measure it? And having solved the CFC problem, why are we still monitoring ozone so closely? Claire Concannon heads to NIWA's Atmospheric Research Station in Lauder, Central Otago, to find out. Guests:Dr Richard Querel, NIWADr Ben Liley, NIWADr Olaf MorgensternLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode.This year’s World Meteorological Organization ozone bulletin was positive about the recovery trend for the ozone layer.In Ozone holes & UV radiation Alison Ballance investigates the particularly large ozone hole of 2020, and why New Zealand has such high UV levels.The University of Otago researchers who published findings indicating a growth in the ozone hole in some parts of the stratosphere spoke to Morning Report last year.Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision for some recordings from the 1980s and 1990s used in this episode.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

We love our four-legged friends. It’s estimated about a third of New Zealand households share their home with at least one dog, and two thirds of dog owners consider their furry friends to be family members. Some dogs work, others keep us company, make us laugh, get us walking twice a day, and shower us with unconditional affection….. But are we looking after all their needs? Claire Concannon speaks with a dog welfare expert about the science behind how we know our dogs love us, and what to do to make sure we are looking after them. Guests:Dr Mia Cobb, University of MelbourneEllen Rykers, RNZLearn more:See more cute dog photos in the article that accompanies this episode.Mia coordinated on a Map of the Month project to check if Melbourne is a dog-friendly city.Listen to what it takes to train a dog to detect cancer, or train a sheepdog, or how to train a puppy and interpret dog signals.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

We all experience anxiety – when our brains look into the future and imagine bad things happening. It’s normal and has helped keep us alive as a species. But levels of anxiety are rising, particularly in young people, and at the severe end of the spectrum clinical anxiety prevents people from going about their lives. This Mental Health Awareness Week we meet a team of researchers at the University of Otago investigating the brain-body connection in anxiety, and how different potential treatments might help. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It’s been almost 30 years since a team joined forces to investigate a particularly aggressive form of stomach cancer that was afflicting one Tauranga whānau. Kimi Hauora Health and Research Clinic in Tauranga and University of Otago geneticists together found the cancer-causing genetic change, helping save thousands of lives worldwide. Justine Murray is at Mangatawa Marae with Maybelle McLeod and Erin Gardiner to reflect on that time, and Professor Parry Guilford discusses those first formative years.Guests:Maybelle McLeod, CEO and Nurse at Kimi Hauora Health and Research ClinicErin Gardiner, Nurse at Kimi HauoraHealth and Research ClinicProfessor Parry Guilford, Department of Biochemistry, University of OtagoLearn more:Read the accompanying article, Solving a genetic cancer puzzle.Read the press release about the 2023 Prime Minister's Science PrizesRead here about the history of Mangatawa MaraeRNZ interview following the 2023 Prime Ministers Science PrizesSign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week, we’re hanging out in the terahertz area of the light spectrum. Sandwiched between infrared light and microwaves, terahertz has been the long-forgotten cousin of the light family. But no longer! At the Australian Synchrotron, intense and focused beams of terahertz light are used to test new materials for carbon capture, clean energy applications, and the next generation of computing. Travel to Australia for reporting on this story was supported by the New Zealand Synchrotron Group Ltd.Guests:Nicholas Page, PhD candidate at the University of OtagoKiri Van Koughnet, PhD candidate at Robinson Research Institute, Victoria University of WellingtonKane Hill, physics master's student at the University of AucklandDr Freddy Lyzwa, the Photon Factory, University of AucklandDr Dominique Appadoo, senior beamline scientist at the Australian SynchrotronLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode, Using light to study materials.Listen to a previous OCW episode about the future of long-term data storage.The Dodd-Walls Centre for photonics and quantum technologies got a boost of funding in 2023 for its quantum technologies programme of research.Learn more about MOFs in this Nine to Noon interview.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Electrons! High speeds! Intense beams of light! Claire Concannon takes a tour of our nearest particle accelerator – the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne. Designed to create high-energy x-ray light useful for science, the synchrotron enables an incredible diversity of research. And, because of long-standing funding support, New Zealand scientists can also use it. Claire finds out what interesting research questions some visiting New Zealanders are shining a light on. Travel to Australia for reporting on this story was supported by the New Zealand Synchrotron Group Ltd.Guests:Dr Emily Finch, Australian SynchrotronDr Helen Brand, Australian SynchrotronDr Rosie Young, Australian SynchrotronBen Krinkel, University of AucklandShayhan Chunkath, University of AucklandLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode - The 'science donut' across the ditchPhysicist Suzie Sheehy spoke to Nine to Noon about synchrotrons as part of the conversation about the 12 physics experiments that changed our world.For more on the Australian Synchrotron, you can visit their website, read this piece on The Conversation, or learn about the New Zealand Synchrotron group.Jamie Morton of the NZ Herald wrote a piece about the New Zealand research aimed at the life on Mars question.The scientific report about the Degas painting is available here. While the writing is quite technical, the images are pretty neat. One of the synchrotron scientists wrote this piece for The Conversation that’s an easier read.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details