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Our Changing World headlines with summaries.
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Forecasting in changing times
In the last week, Hurricane Otis hit southern Mexico with little warning, and Cyclone Lola set a record for the earliest category five cyclone in the southern hemisphere. Climate change is making work…
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The potential of plankton
26 Oct 2023Could your burger one day come with a plankton patty? Alison Ballance visits the Cawthron Institute's collection of more than 750 different strains of microalgae, where scientists are investigating…
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Life in the fast and slow lanes of braided rivers
19 Oct 2023In the ever-shifting streams and channels of a braided river, creatures must adapt to change. Claire Concannon joins a researcher on the spectacular Cass River near Tekapo for a spot of electrofishing…
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Why are penguins so cool?
Giant penguins weighing up to 150 kilograms once roamed the waters around New Zealand. Claire Concannon speaks to a palaeontologist and learns about penguin evolution, extinct species that dwarfed…
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Muscles young and old
What happens to our muscles as we age? Claire Concannon finds out why muscles get weaker as we get older, and speaks with a researcher investigating why Olympic athletes live up to three years longer…
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Dotterels: The Southland underdog
28 Sep 2023The southern New Zealand dotterel is a true underdog of the bird world, with just 126 individuals at last population estimate. Claire Concannon tags along with a team of researchers attaching trackers…
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The recipe for food pairing
Broccoli and chocolate. Prawns and vanilla. According to food pairing theory, these culinary matches should go together as well as macaroni and cheese, or peanut butter and jam. But do they really…
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The Great Ireland vs New Zealand Bird-off: Part 2
14 Sep 2023The Great Ireland vs. New Zealand Bird-off returns for part 2 to decide once and for all which island nation boasts the best birds. Our avian aficionados return to argue their case in front of judge…
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The great Ireland vs. New Zealand bird-off: Part 1
7 Sep 2023Welcome to the great Ireland vs New Zealand bird-off. Two islands, a world apart – but which country has the better birds? Two bird nerds champion their nation's birds across four categories in an…
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Retraining the tinnitus brain
We’ve probably all experienced a little bit of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, at some stage in our lives. But for some people this phantom sound in their brain can be loud, and permanent, and…
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Exercise on the brain
Dr Kate Thomas has exercise on the brain. As an exercise physiologist, she researches how exercise and fasting can change the energy sources our brain uses. And as an ultramarathon runner, she chases…
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Earthquake engineering meets breast cancer screening
How can swaying buildings help diagnose breast cancer? Katy Gosset meets a team of engineers taking inspiration from earthquake engineering to design a new, cost-effective device to help detect breast…
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Takahē dreamers
10 Aug 2023This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rediscovery of the takahē. Claire Concannon sits down with former Our Changing World presenter and takahē superfan Alison Ballance to chat about her new…
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The petrel patrol
3 Aug 2023Every year, tens to hundreds of seabirds fall out of the sky across Auckland city. Disoriented by the bright lights, Cook's petrels crash-land and collide with buildings – but a dedicated group of…
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The science of snow
Are all snowflakes really unique? What makes some snow better for skiing? And what's the difference between snow and hail? Join Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset as they hit the slopes of Mt Ruapehu and…
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Inside the nuclear fusion reactor ITER
Nuclear fusion is a holy grail for researchers seeking clean energy. This week we head to the south of France with ABC science journalist Carl Smith in this episode from the Strange Frontiers…
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Our taiao, our tohu - protecting the Waihi estuary
13 Jul 2023Tauranga-based producer Justine Murray dons some gumboots and meets some teeny-tiny cockles as she joins a team surveying the Waihi estuary. Professor Kura Paul-Burke is weaving mātauranga Māori and…
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The puzzle of the silent mind
6 Jul 2023Have you ever had a catchy tune you just can't get out of your head? Most of us can imagine sounds – music, voices, environmental noise – to varying degrees. But about 1% of people can't imagine…
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Neurogenetic conditions in Aotearoa
In September 2022, two New Zealand patients became the first in the world to participate in a phase 1 clinical trial testing a new therapy for a rare neurogenetic condition called myotonic dystrophy…
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Blinded by the light
22 Jun 2023Here in Aotearoa, it's the winter solstice: the shortest day (and longest night) of the year. We're marking the occasion with an episode celebrating the starry night sky. Podcaster Max Balloch looks…
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Positive emotions in animals
Rats giggle. Dogs wag their tail. How do other animals express joy? You can't ask them, so researchers have to find other sneaky ways of figuring out animal emotions. Professor Ximena Nelson is…
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Digital twins and beating hearts
8 Jun 2023There's nothing like a good birthday party, especially one filled with games and fun activities. The Auckland Bioengineering Institute might have missed their 20th birthday due to Covid-19, but they…
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Battling weeds with biocontrol
1 Jun 2023In Aotearoa we talk a lot about mammalian predators attacking our native wildlife, but other insidious pests are quietly taking over – weedy plants. Tackling these weeds using chemical and mechanical…
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The complexities of soil
25 May 2023This week we're digging up the dirt on the surprising complexity of soil. From top-notch compost to dung beetles to kauri dieback, join us on a fascinating tour of the world beneath our feet with…
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Top News stories
- US-China trade war surges, overshadowing Trump climbdown
- First look at Air New Zealand's new uniform
- Far North couple want council, government to buy out flood-prone home
- Tai Rāwhiti to replant 100,000 hectares of forestry and pasture with bush, but at whose cost?
- Hot, spicy and risen: Easter hot cross buns are back
