'If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them.' John Waters

It was obvious from the start that bundling together research and grants to industry in Callaghan Innovation was going to lead to degradation of the research capability and this fumble finishes it. www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

We are hiring! Two Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (research+teaching) positions in the School of Maths & Stats, University of Canterbury ▶️One in Statistics, closes 15 July jobs.canterbury.ac.nz/jobdetails/a... ▶️One in Applied Maths, closes 21 July jobs.canterbury.ac.nz/jobdetails/a... Please share!

But Ahab said nothing

Really? Copper theft not eco vandalism?

Study found that "individuals vaccinated during the estrogen-dominant follicular phase had 35% higher odds of self-reporting any side effects than those vaccinated during the progesterone-dominant luteal phase" www.news-medical.net/news/2026060...

But did it taste any good?

An amazing opportunity to come and do astrophysics and/or space technology at the University of Auckland! Also the scope of the role is broad so if you like the idea of living in Aotearoa New Zealand, apply! jobs.smartrecruiters.com/TheUniversit...

Last Friday morning as I rode my bike to work still slowly digesting the bezoar of Budget news, some disparate threads coalesced in my mind. I hope that I've wrangled them into something fairly digestible asking if we focus everything on economic outcomes, are we set to be research freeloaders?

Did you know that in Aotearoa #NZ, landslides have claimed more lives in the past two centuries than all of our earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis combined? I wrote about this for the latest issue of EG magazine - the trade publication for Engineering NZ ⚛️👩‍🔬🧪

New Zealand’s premier fund for open-ended research is winding down, as scientists keep a wary eye on the horizon

Especially since natural selection seems to already be favoring men with basic hygiene, who surround themselves with kind & sensible men, where the only thing they hit at home is flies, and who don’t see relationships as a zero-sum game. Alphas will have to either masturbate forever or become gay.

If you were in Wellington fancying a pint and some Renaissance music on period instruments you could nip down to the Rogue and Vagabond to see the Queen's Closet.

Virgo: You’re too young to be so acerbic. Let it flourish organically, with each passing disillusionment.

🎙️NEW scigest podcast Host and scientist Darryl Herron talks with Paul Bennett, Integrated Bioenergy Portfolio Lead, about the opportunities for locally produced bioenergy and biofuels. 🎧 Listen via our website: bit.ly/3QmYnzA or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Centre for World University Rankings rankings are out cwur.org/2026.php. All 8 NZ universities made the top 2000 (whew!). Looking for some boasting, but not expecting the headline to be "NZ Universities continue their slow decline: maybe losing Marsden Fund will help."

– "Picking winners" or "targeting" is focusing on research areas *after* they’ve found to be interesting. – Either way, you need long-term backing to develop deep expertise. – And so much more. Maybe I’ll find a copy in the library one day (not today!) 2/2

We're hiring! An opportunity to shape our teaching programme and to advance the work of our Climate Change Research Institute. If you have a background in climate science and/or climate change policy, come join our fab team in SGEES at Te Herenga Waka. ejye.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Could be a good job for someone –

We also celebrate ONZM recipients Rauru Kirikiri, former Treaty Responsibilities Manager within Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, and Rodney Wong, former Chair of Crop & Food Research and Deputy Chair of Plant & Food Research. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. 👏

Congratulations to Dr Russell Lowe on being appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours. 🥝 Russell played a key role in developing Hort16A, SunGold and RubyRed kiwifruit varieties, transforming the global kiwifruit industry. 👏

Congratulations to Dr Ron Beatson on being appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours. 🍻 A hop breeder for more than 40 years, Ron helped develop 16+ cultivars, putting NZ hops on the world stage. 👏

Virgo: It’s a good week to try something new. Skydive. Learn a language. Feast on the flesh of your enemies.

🍓 How are new berry varieties developed? In the latest #scigest podcast, Dion Mundy speaks with berry breeder Pauline Kerbirou about plant breeding, climate resilience, pests & diseases, and careers in science. 🎧 Listen here: www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/articl...

I was pleased to be nominated for a Science NZ award for my work on the toxic fungus that causes the disease 'facial eczema' in cattle and sheep. It was a great awards evening showcasing the science of many people and groups. Short video of finalists in my category: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxbY... 🧪

There! there again! there she breaches! right ahead! The White Whale, the White Whale!

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/e-...

The Royal Society Te Apārangi has written two booklets to help people understand gene technologies - how they work & how they’re used. Otago Biochemists Peter Dearden & Louise Bicknell were amongst the scientists that provided advice for them! Find them here: www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/o...

Scientists recognised for finding major gap in childhood vaccine schedule

Our Ancestors Survived Massive Climate Shifts By Dying, And Being Replaced By Better-Adapted Organisms. Why Can’t We Do The Same?

Make sure your children clean their teeth before they tie their ties. Specifically, obviously, but also as a general principle.

Virgo: You can do anything you put your mind to, but you’ll do nothing because you're lazy.

These parties' voter bases would rather they spend money on 'cool' toys that will last 45 seconds when China invades than on helping people have housing, food or surviving climate change

Let me quote the PM in the foreword to the report setting up the DSIR "I think we can anticipate with good reason that our hopes will be fully justified...and that scientific research will be placed on a sound financial basis. A long-sighted policy is the precedent and first essential to success."

Basically we are getting spammed by Ministers announcing baby business-as-usual investments in the hope we forget about the snatching away of proper funding. If we don't get distracted by whacko culture wars stuff maybe the pixie dust will get in our eyes.

Did you know this year marks 100 years of publicly funded science in Aotearoa New Zealand? #100YearsOfScienceNZ we're celebrating the discoveries, innovations and impacts that have shaped NZ for a century. Explore the stories and discover how science continues to make a difference: bit.ly/4v4tJd7

Did you know this year marks 100 years of publicly funded science in Aotearoa New Zealand? In 1926, New Zealand established its first government science agency, the DSIR, laying the foundations for a century of discovery, innovation and impact. More here: youtu.be/9nbGOP4FkoM?...

Guys. They’ve fixed the economic crisis. By… increasing the font size of the English words and making the te reo Māori words smaller. It’s just what you all were hoping was a priority right now. Imagine being new minister and this is what you think is important. How embarrassing.

You can check out my @aunz.theconversation.com piece on @itiscolossal.bsky.social latest announcement about their artificial egg & genetically engineering an emu to look something like a moa. Please share widely theconversation.com/de-extinctio... @smcnz.bsky.social

there is an æsthetics in all things

Virgo: No matter how many times you wake up sealed in a crate, never give up on online dating.

New paper out today with @josephguhlin.bsky.social where we did penguin GWAS to better understand disease risk and found that these penguins represent three deep evolutionary lineages www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I was reading the latest report from Koi Tu, on NZ emigration patterns (informedfutures.org/brain-drain/), and thought I would test an overly simplistic hypothesis. I enjoyed making the chart so I put it up here.

I'm intrigued as to how this will pan out. I mean, it's not a super sunny area and putting up an umbrella in Wellington is risky at best but it still feels ill-advised.

Using Hawke's Bay's rivers to unlock the mysteries of marine carbon storage

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham is a dark dystopian vision of the Fuchsia.

There is no point in using cursive unless you use a fountain pen (and even then in reality probably only important for a feather quill). Just another lesson for children in, "Why do I have to do this?" "Because I did." (Gift Link) nautil.us/cursive-hand...

David Seymour is a very smart guy. I'm sure you'll agree: none smarter. This is just a ploy for RNZ to stand up to him, build trust, and strengthen the free speech he cares about so much for the election. #nzpol

your software is not conscious, you absolute weirdo

Hiring 3 postdocs in ecological resilience @biology.ox.ac.uk for my @erc.europa.eu CoG ResIntegrate project. Deadline May 29th. Details below. Pls share @salgoteam.bsky.social @evoldir.bsky.social @britishecologicalsociety.org @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social @ecolsocaus.bsky.social