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Science
Made possible byThe MacDiarmid Institute Logo

 Close-up of monkeypox lesions on the arm and leg of young girl, Liberia (Photo: CDC/Public Domain)
21st May, 2022

Monkeypox outbreak: what is it and how can we prevent the spread?

The disease has become noticeably more common among humans in recent years.
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By C Raina MacIntyre
Guest writer
Image: Tina Tiller
19th May, 2022

‘We can’t pretend it’s gone’: Covid-19 impacts will be felt for years, new studies find

But what we do next could dictate how long the spectre of the pandemic will hang over us. 
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By Naomii Seah
Intern
Look at this gravel maggot named Smeagol
16th May, 2022

Look at this gravel maggot named Smeagol

Some say it resembles a Guylian chocolate. Others say a sucked-on coke bottle lolly. Either way, we absolutely love it.
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By Alex Casey
Senior writer
GAIT CEO Saurav Bansal. (Photo: Supplied; additional design: TIna Tiller)
13th May, 2022

The young NZ tech entrepreneur who found a better way to measure emissions

Saurav Bansal's parents' birth countries are slowly succumbing to rising sea levels. For him, climate change is personal.
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By Reweti Kohere
Staff writer
How do all the different Covid tests work? (Image: Tina Tiller).
5th May, 2022

PCRs, RATs, and now LAMPs? The different Covid tests in New Zealand, explained

Yes, some are more accurate than others. But why?
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By Naomii Seah
Intern
New variant who dis? (Image: Toby Morris / Tina Tiller)
4th May, 2022

Siouxsie Wiles: What we know about the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants

Should we be worried about the newest branches of the Covid-19 family tree?
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By Siouxsie Wiles
Contributing writer
Getty Images/Tina Tiller
2nd May, 2022

Siouxsie Wiles & Jin Russell: What we know now about Covid and schools

What impact will Covid-19 have in the classroom? It all depends on these four factors
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By Siouxsie Wiles and Jin Russell
Guest writer
Image: Toby Morris
Opinion
14th April, 2022

Siouxsie Wiles: Why masks must be part of our new normal – at orange and beyond

Don’t think of a mask as a restriction – think of it as a public health measure that enables others in your community to do things that you take for granted.
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By Siouxsie Wiles
Contributing writer
Jim Humble demonstrates the mixing of MMS, which ‘water purifying’ substances, superimposed here, form a version of. Image: Archi Banal
13th April, 2022

NZ retailer keeps hawking ‘miracle’ bleach after Covid-infected user admitted to ICU

A group of US men behind the phony 'church' that profited from the dangerous substance face criminal charges. A Waikato man just keeps on selling it.
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By Toby Manhire
Editor-at-large
Photo: Getty Images, additional design by Archi Banal
8th April, 2022

Vaccine resistance linked to ‘deep-seated’ childhood experiences, Dunedin Study finds

Five decades of data shows vaccine resistance stems from a mistrust seeded in the earliest years of life.
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By Toby Manhire
Editor-at-large
Image: Tina Tiller
8th April, 2022

Why the real-time global data on Covid is getting harder to decipher

The data is getting less and less reliable – and that's causing a whole lot more problems.
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By Siouxsie Wiles and Jin Russell
Guest writer
Image: Archi Banal
1st April, 2022

Why are our planes filled with bees?

They even get an inflight meal – and jet lag.
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By Mirjam Guesgen
Contributing writer
Image: Tina Tiller
28th March, 2022

The truth about cats and toxoplasmosis

Should you be worried about the parasites lurking in your cat's litter tray?
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By Mirjam Guesgen
Contributing writer
Experts say more effective masks are vital in protecting each other from Omicron. (Image: Tina Tiller)
9th March, 2022

No, catching omicron is not inevitable and avoiding the virus still makes sense

As omicron continues to surge it's easy to feel defeatist about your chances of staying ahead of Covid. But 'let it rip' still isn't the answer.
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By David Welch and Nigel French
Guest writers
RATs can pick up a Covid infection when viral load is high. Illustration: Toby Morris
9th March, 2022

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Feeling Covid-positive but your RAT is negative? Here’s why

If you've got all the hallmark symptoms but the RAT says no, maybe don't breathe a sigh of relief just yet.
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By Siouxsie Wiles
Contributing writer
A Navajo family in Arizona (Photo: Getty Images; additional design by Tina Tiller)
1st March, 2022

The climate crisis isn’t just about the environment, it’s about people

It makes for intense reading, but the latest climate report comes with a collaborative call to action: work together and draw on indigenous and local knowledge.
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By Mirjam Guesgen
Contributing writer
Siouxsie Wiles: Two years on, Flatten the Curve gets an update for 2022
27th February, 2022

Siouxsie Wiles: Two years on, Flatten the Curve gets an update for 2022

New Zealand needs a new Flatten the Curve, for a new kind of virus.
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By Siouxsie Wiles
Contributing writer
Image: Tina Tiller
22nd February, 2022

Siouxsie Wiles: The key numbers to watch as omicron takes hold

Overwhelmed by all the case numbers, positivity rates and seven-day rolling averages? These are the numbers that matter most.
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By Siouxsie Wiles
Contributing writer
Image: Tina Tiller
10th February, 2022

The weather is just like this now

How long will this sweaty reality last?
By Gabi Lardies
Guest writer
Illustrations by Pepper Raccoon; additional design by Tina Tiller
9th February, 2022

Aotearoa’s weed problem

All around us, sleeper weeds are silently spreading – and we may not even notice they're there until it's too late.
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By Margaret Stanley and Pepper Raccoon
Guest writer and illustrator

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The Spinoff is subject to NZ Media Council procedures. A complaint must be first directed in writing, within one month of publication, to info@thespinoff.co.nz. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication.

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