Science

It’s not a moa… but maybe one day it could be? (Photo: Christopher Klee/Colossal Biosciences; additional design The Spinoff)

The latest step in the quest to ‘de-extinct’ the moa? Hatching chicks from fake eggs

It couldn't find a big enough surrogate bird, so the Peter Jackson-backed biotech firm trying to resurrect the moa has developed an artificial egg to do the job.

By Mirjam Guesgen | 20th May, 2026

Contributing writer

Just look at the little pest (Photo: Getty)

NZ’s close shave with the mongoose

Beleaguered New Zealand bird-lovers can at least rejoice that while mongooses were introduced here, they never took hold.

By Naomi Arnold | 18th May, 2026

Paul Goldsmith has kicked off a storm (Photo: Getty. Collage: The Spinoff)

Is the climate law change this government’s jump the shark moment?

The government has ignored international law, the world's highest court, our own Supreme Court and the science.

By Martha Jeffries | 14th May, 2026

Photos: Getty Images, Josie McClutchie; design by The Spinoff

New Zealand’s latest climate change risk assessment, explained

The Climate Change Commission has scoped 37 ways climate change could screw things up in NZ, and compiled a top 10 to-do list for the government.

By Ellen Rykers | 12th May, 2026

Passengers being evacuated from the MV Hondius in Tenerife (Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Hantavirus: what exactly is it, and how worried should we be?

'The current public health risk ... remains low.'

By Nik Dirga of RNZ | 11th May, 2026

A visual depiction of this year’s summer.

Worst summer ever? Where 2025/26 sits in the annals of ass

After a tough year, we crawled to the brink of some sunshine, only to be smacked in the face by unseasonal hail.

By Hayden Donnell | 20th March, 2026

Sadsack, right.

I'm sick of the damn moon vs what is wrong with you, you joyless sadsack

Tonight, New Zealanders will be able to observe a rare total lunar eclipse. The Spinoff’s resident moon hater and moon enthusiast ask, what’s the point?

By Hayden Donnell

& Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 3rd March, 2026

Politics reporter

Wherever you are in New Zealand, you should be able to see the eclipse from 11pm (as long as it’s not cloudy)

Why you should get excited about tonight’s lunar eclipse

A passionate argument for staying up late, going outside and marvelling at the red moon.

By Shanti Mathias | 3rd March, 2026

Contributing writer

Image: The Spinoff

What northern NZ’s wet and sticky summer reveals about our warming atmosphere

Humidity is not just a source of discomfort, but an early warning signal of a moisture-laden atmosphere and the risks that come with it.

By Kevin Trenberth | 18th February, 2026

An amorous kākāpō (Image: Tina Tiller)

Good news: It’s kākāpō fuck season

The world is going to hell in a handbasket but at least the kākāpō are going hog wild.

By Hayden Donnell | 13th February, 2026

What it’s like to spend summer on a remote subantarctic island

What it’s like to spend summer on a remote subantarctic island

'It feels like time is flying by, because everything we’re doing is directly in front of us... you can’t ever think too hard about the outside world.'

By Alex Casey | 10th February, 2026

Illustration: Toby Morris; photos: Mike Chillingworth CC BY-SA 4.0; design: Tina Tiller

Siouxsie Wiles: Why this giant worm should be crowned New Zealand’s best bug

It's more than a metre long and can expel glowing yellow ooze from its anus. Doesn't that sound like Bug of the Year material to you?

By Siouxsie Wiles | 9th February, 2026

Contributing writer

A yellow-legged hornet over a map showing Auckland trap locations (Images: Getty Images; MPI)

The yellow-legged hornet eradication is on track – but the next few months are crucial

New Zealand now has a genuine chance to stamp out one of the most damaging invasive insects to reach our shores.

By Phil Lester | 20th January, 2026

Robert Maas keeps an eye on gatherers returning at Army Bay, Whangaparāoa. (Image: Liam Rātana).

‘It’s been relentless’: Locals patrol Auckland rockpools to stop ‘bucket people’

Whangaparāoa volunteers say they're not going to sit by while the rockpools are emptied.

By Liam Rātana | 16th January, 2026

Haupapa/Tasman Lake didn’t exist before the glacier began retreating (Image: The Spinoff/Getty)

Where will the tourists go when the glaciers disappear?

'Everyone knows we’re on borrowed time.'

By Shanti Mathias | 13th January, 2026

Contributing writer

Design: The Spinoff

The genetic gamble: Having children when you carry a hereditary condition

The choice to have children can be fraught with medical, financial and ethical hurdles, with the public health system offering limited support.

By Liam Rātana | 11th January, 2026