Cafe Scientifique and Cafe Humanities

COME AND JOIN US!

Each month we organise a facilitated discussion in the downstairs lounge bar at the Horse and Trap. After a short presentation by an expert in their field, the floor is open for questions and debate over a meal or drink.

Topics range from science, politics, economics, psychology and sustainability, to New Zealand's space programme (yes, we have one!), and depending on the topic it will be called either Cafe Scientifique or Cafe Humanities.

We suggest you aim to arrive at the Horse & Trap @ 6pm, so that you can find a seat and order your meal or drink.  The presentation starts at 6.30pm, with open discussion from around 7.10pm.  The formal part of the evening is over by 8pm. 

NEXT CAFE - APRIL 2013

When the going gets tough, should the tough get creative?!

with Dr Siouxsie Wiles
University of Auckland

6.30pm - Wednesday 24 April 2013

While the NZ government has certainly increased spending on scientific research, funding for healthcare research is still very limited, and funding decision-makers tend to back established scientists with large groups – the ‘silverbacks’ of the science world.  So what should younger scientists do in times like this? Should they give up on their careers or try new ways to fund their research? Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles explains why she thinks scientists need to get creative!  Join Siouxsie to learn how crowdfunding and new forms of community engagement are becoming increasingly important in today's research environment.

Dr Siouxsie Wiles has made a career of combining her twin passions of bioluminescence (think glow worms and fireflies) and infectious diseases. She began her research career in medical microbiology in the UK, relocating to the University of Auckland in 2009 to take up a Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Since arriving in New Zealand, Siouxsie has become a prominent science communicator, appearing as a regular science commentator on Radio NZ’s Nine to Noon programme, and as one of the 8 scientists to front the Great NZ Science Project adverts on TV. She is also a blogger and podcaster and has teamed up with graphic artist Luke Harris to make a series of short animations about glowing creatures in nature and how scientists use bioluminescence. Her efforts saw her win the New Zealand Association of Scientist’s Science Communicator Award for 2012.

PAST CAFES

FAT CHANCE FOR A HEALTHY WEIGHT: RETHINKING WHAT IT TAKES TO STAY IN SHAPE

Professor Grant Schofield
AUT University

6.30pm - Wednesday 27 March 2013

Despite understanding the causes and effects of being overweight, rates of obesity remain high and are higher than ever in children and young people. Isn’t it just as easy as eating better and increasing exercise? Why doesn’t what the experts say about healthy eating inspire us to change our habits? Is it possible that most of what we are telling people about health eating and weight loss is in fact harmful?  Let's walkabout what the science says and what that means for staying in good shape.

BIO:
Grant Schofield is Professor of Public Health at AUT University and has research and teaching interests in chronic disease prevention, especially reducing the risk and eventual mortality and morbidity form obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. His work tries to understand then change the determinants of the contributing behaviours physical (in)activity and healthy eating. His interests are in children and youth, workplaces, built environment, sedentary behaviour, and redefining public health talk about social determinants into a politically universal language. He founded and directs the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition at AUT, and is co-director of the National Institute for Public Health and Mental Health Research.

History as story-telling: fact, fiction and the space between

Michell Elvy
Writer

6.30pm - Wednesday 31 October 2012  

Michelle Elvy combines her interests in history and flash fiction in her latest project, a collection of very short stories set across the historical landscape of New Zealand, which she is writing this year thanks to a 2012 NZSA/Auckland Museum Library research grant. In this discussion, Michelle will address how she is using flash fiction (stories of just a few hundred words) to capture the essence and mood of a historical moment, and how the seemingly dissimilar approaches to flash fiction writing and historical research go hand-in-hand. Michelle will present some of her discoveries from her project and discuss the challenges of working with historical materials, the conundrums of writing as an outsider looking in on another period and the creative process of moving back and forth between fact and fiction in very short bursts.

BIO:
Michelle Elvy is a writer, editor and manuscript assessor whose past lives have also included teacher, historian, translator and chief wrangler of a software consulting company. She is the founding editor of New Zealand's flash fiction literary journal,Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction, and she also edits at Blue Five Notebook. In June of this year, she coordinated New Zealand's inaugural National Flash Fiction Day, a nationwide celebration including competitions and community events across Aotearoa. A Pushcart nominee, Fulbright Scholar and Watson Fellow, Michelle has written poetry, short stories and non-fiction about travel, faraway places, food, motorcycling, the kindness of strangers and raising children in unusual environments for various literary journals and travel and sailing magazines. She teaches workshops on fiction, editing, the mechanics of writing and online creative communities.

FLIPS AND WIGGLES - THE MYSTERY OF EARTH'S MAGNETISM

Gillian Turner
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Victoria University

6.30pm - Wednesday 26 September 2012  

Deep in the core of the planet churns a cauldron of molten iron – the source of the magnetic field that directs our compasses, guides numerous species on their annual migrations, and protects life on Earth from the deadly onslaught of the solar wind. As the core fluid churns, so the magnetic field lines rearrange themselves, the magnetic poles wander, and the direction of the compass needle changes imperceptibly – a few fractions of a degree each year.

Palaeomagnetists have confirmed that complete reversals of the magnetic poles occur perhaps two or three times per million years; and for every successful reversal there appear to be several aborted attempts resulting in wild excursions of the field direction and dips in its strength. What, another natural process with the potential to wipe us out?! Join Gillian Turner for a discussion on new understandings of the magnetic field over the southwest Pacific region over the past 10,000 years, and the implications for our future.

CURIOSITY ON THE RED PLANET - Again with Mars?

Melanie Bruges, Stardome Presenter

6.30pm - Wednesday 29 August 2012  

Mars has always piqued human interest - more so than other brighter, larger and even closer neighbours of our solar system.  NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity is the latest and most expensive endeavour to explore the red planet yet undertaken, and so far has sent back some truly amazing images of the surface.  But haven't we done all this before?  Join Melanie Bruges, Presenter at Stardome, to discover the reasons why NASA has invested a large pile of public money in yet another mission to investigate Martian soils.

Click here for update information on the Mars Landing.

Taatai Arorangi:  applied astronomy in pre-European NZ

Pita Turei, Storyteller

6.30pm - Wednesday 27 June 2012  

Matariki, the cluster of stars named Pleiades in Western astronomy, has always had a special place in Maori cultural narratives.  Matariki is variously described as the eyes of the wind god Tawhirimatea, flung into the sky in protest at the forceful separation of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, or as the mother and six daughters who assist the sun during his annual period of winter weakness.  But the star-lore contained in Maori oral tradition is more than mere myth; it provides the conceptual foundations for a fully developed system of celestial observation with very practical applications. 

Join Pita Turei, for a discussion of the fruitful connections between mysticism and science in traditional Maori astronomy.  

Volcanoes in our midst: should we be worried?

Dr Bruce Hayward, Geomarine Research

6.30pm - Wednesday 30 May 2012  

Auckland is built on a volcanic field, and evidence of past volcanic activity is all around us.  But what about future volcanic activity?  Auckland Council’s “Volcanoes of Auckland” website gives the risk of an eruption in the next 50 years as 5%. Is this something we ought to be thinking seriously about? 

Bruce Hayward will discuss recent advances in our understanding of the volcanoes of Auckland. Increased study of the volcanic field has: extended its age back to 250,000 years; increased the number of recognised volcanoes to about 53; recognised that at least 5 erupted at the same time about 32,000 yrs ago; and that Rangitoto erupted in two episodes 10-50 yrs apart. These advances have been made by many different workers and have been summarised in Dr Hayward’s recent book “Volcanoes of Auckland: the essential guide”.

Join Bruce Hayward, geologist and author for a discussion of recent advances in our understanding of the volcanoes we live among, and whether it is safer to be living in Auckland than earthquake-prone Wellington or Christchurch.

A head start on stroke recovery

Dr Cathy Stinear, University of Auckland

6.30pm - Wednesday 28 March 2012  

Physical therapy is a critical part of stroke recovery, and is essential for regaining motor function lost due to brain injury. New research shows that priming the brain (with non-invasive stimulation, medications, and/or coordinated movement patterns) can enhance the benefits of physical therapy. But it’s not one-size-fits-all, so are there key ingredients to making a good recovery after brain injury? Is it possible to have too much rehabilitation therapy? And does attitude matter as much as anatomy – is it your own fault if you don’t get better?
 
Dr Cathy Stinear is an Applied Clinical Neuroscientist in the Department of Medicine at the University of Auckland. She is working on ways to select the optimal combination of priming techniques for individual patients, based on understanding the extent of damage to key pathways in the brain.
 
This Café is being held in conjunction with the Centre for Brain Research’s Brain Awareness Week.

Why Should People Celebrate the Treaty of Waitangi? 

Haare Williams
Director of Maori Partnerships, Auckland Museum

6.30pm - Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Is the Treaty of Waitangi more relevant in our work and life today than in 1840?

The Treaty is about the sharing of power (Article 1) and the management of natural resources (Article 2).  It recognises the two languages and beliefs of its signatories – Maori and English.  It can be the interface between our two cultures and the manner in which we can protect the future for our children. It provides insights into mana, taonga, tapu, rangatiratanga (authority and management).  Today, Haare sees signs to celebrate – indications that reconciliation and forgiveness are possible, and that, through the work of the Waitangi Tribunal, we can settle our differences, pave the way for healing past wounds, and build highways for peace in our land.  Join Haare for a discussion of the gains possible through the Waitangi Tribunal’s work, and of the continuing role he sees for the Treaty in 21^st century New Zealand.

Haare Williams grew up in remote New Zealand on the remote shores of the Ohiwa Harbour, not speaking English until eight when schooling started.  Haare has had wide experiences in education (primary, secondary and tertiary levels) and also broadcasting.  After a stint as a research fellow at Waikato University he returned to broadcasting to train as a journalist and later became the General Manager, Aotearoa Radio.  Haare is a distinguished poet, writer, artist, and composer of Maori songs.  He has worked on various government commissions and he values, especially, his support of Iwi claimants preparing testimonies for the Courts and The Waitangi Tribunal.

The fall and rise of public transport in Auckland - a New Zealand success story? 

Councillor Mike Lee
Auckland City Council

6.30pm - Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Mike Lee will review the history of public transport in Auckland - from the mid-1950s up to the present day and reveal some surprising facts. Facts such as: Aucklanders, who are conventionally believed to have had an enduring love affair with the private car, were as recently as the 1950's some of the most diligent users of public transport in the world. Mike will discuss the reasons for the mid-century collapse in public transport usage. He will analyse the present renaissance and discuss its long term sustainability. He will identify factors which threaten to block and reverse continued progress.

Michael Lee (MSc) is a former chairman of the Auckland Regional Council, and current chairman of the Auckland Council Transport Committee and director of Auckland Transport.

Do you understand the new genetics? Maybe you don’t have that gene! 

Assoc Prof Andrew Shelling
The University of Auckland

6.30pm - Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

There seems to be a “gene” for something being identified on a daily basis, whether it is for breast cancer, inherited cardiac disease, ADHD, obesity, sexual orientation, yo-yo diet, IQ, sporting ability, infidelity, death, etc., etc. There will be a little bit about the science used to find these genes and the $1000 genome, but the focus of this discussion will be on what this “new genetics” means for disease and lifestyle, what the risks really mean, do we need a “personal gene coach” and how the information should be delivered.

Andrew is head of the Medical Genetics Research Group, which is primarily interested in understanding the molecular changes that occur during the development of genetic disorders, focusing on breast and ovarian cancer. Andrew is currently Deputy Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and is involved in teaching reproduction, genetics and cancer at the University of Auckland. Andrew began his career at Otago University with a degree in Physical Education, before completing a PhD in Biochemistry. He spent three years in Oxford, UK, studying the genetics of ovarian cancer, before returning to Auckland University in 1996.

The Politics of Marine Reserves

Tom Trnski
Research Manager and Curator Marine Biology
Auckland Museum

6.30pm - Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

The designation of marine reserves is relatively recent – New Zealand’s first marine reserve was gazetted only in 1975. The evidence for the benefits of marine reserves is strong, but there is still resistance to designation of additional reserves. To confound the issue, terminology is ambiguous – how many people know the difference between a marine park and a marine reserve? Tom has just returned from an expedition to document the biodiversity from New Zealand’s most remote and largest marine reserve – the Kermadec Islands. Hear his impressions of one of the last “pristine” marine areas of the world, and the obstacles to expanding this into the largest marine reserve in the world.

Tom is Research Manager and Curator Marine Biology at Auckland Museum. He has published books and scientific papers describing fish larvae and their fascinating life history. He has also led and participated in many surveys of fishes throughout the Pacific. Current projects include the voyage of discovery to the Kermadec Islands, and the role of contributing author to the Fishes if New Zealand project.

Crowd Sourcing for Communities: Lessons from the One Laptop Per Child Project

Dr Fabiana Kubke
Dept. of anatomy with Radiology
University of Auckland

6.30pm - Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Crowdsourcing brings together the knowledge of individuals as a way of empowering communities. From science, earthquake response and education, the power of bringing personal knowledge to the public is having profound effects in communities. Crowd sourced projects can be more rapid, flexible and responsive than some government efforts, and are capable of delivering many necessary outcomes. One of these projects, One Laptop Per Child, brings educational resources to poor children around the world. This programme offers opportunities for community engagement from people in a variety of fields to fill a gap in elementary education. Dr Kubke will talk about her volunteer experience in different crowdsourcing projects and will bring laptops to demonstrate the principles behind the OLPC project.

Dr Fabiana Kubke is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy with Radiology at the University of Auckland and blogger at Building Blogs of Science at SciBlogs.co.nz.

Liquefaction in Christchurch: Not building on solid ground

Professor Michael Davies
Dean of Engineering
University of Auckland

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

The recent series of earthquakes in Canterbury and now Japan has forced all New Zealanders to reconsider the buildings where they spend their lives. What fell down that shouldn’t have, and what stood up that you wouldn’t expect to stay up? Liquefaction was a major cause of damage to buildings and infrastructure in the Christchurch earthquakes. Indeed, since these events “liquefaction” has moved from scientific jargon to popular lexicon. However, the general understanding of the process, its effects on structures and lifelines and what, if anything, can be done to mitigate its effects are not generally well understood. Why does the ground liquefy? What does this do to the built environment? Could it happen in Auckland?

Professor Michael Davies is the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Auckland. His research interests range from land reclamation techniques to soil reinforcement, earthquake engineering and mathematical modelling of soils. In addition to his research in Geotechnical Engineering he also works in collaboration with engineers and scientists at the interface between engineering and other disciplines, such as geology, climatology and biology. Interdisciplinary research projects have included the effects of global warming on alpine slope stability and the use of vegetation to stabilise slopes.

The closing coastline?: How do Kiwis value beaches and are we losing our ability to enjoy them?

Dr Robin Kearns
Professor of Geography
University of Auckland

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Dr Robin Kearns is investigating coastal 'hot spots': localities where there have been proposals for major residential developments. The resulting 'social climate change' at sites like Ocean Beach in Hawkes Bay and Ngunguru near Whangarei has seen a galvanising of views - the coast as private paradise or public preserve?

Robin began this research because he is passionate about the coast and, as the study has unfolded, it has revelated emotional landscapes otherwise hidden from view.

Robin talks about this collaborative research journey, the emergent ways in which the coastline meets peoples' needs in Aotearoa, and the growing academic acknowledgement of the links between emotion, culture and place.

3-D Printing: Printing the Future

Professor Olaf Diegel
Associate Dean, Strategic Development
Faculty of Design & Creative Technologies
AUT University

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

3D printing is coming of age. It is now at the cusp of becoming a rapid manufacturing technology that will have a great deal of influence on how we live in the future. 

In the not too distant future we will, for example, be able to select a product from an online catalogue and, after customizing it to our preferences, our home 3D printer will manufacture it for us on the spot. Your mechanic needing to carry spare parts (or needing 6 weeks to order them) will be a thing of the past, as he will simply print out new parts as he needs them. Tired of waiting six months for your house to be built? Why not print one out in 6 days? Need a new bladder or hip joint? It’s now possible to print you out a replacement that is completely compatible with your body.

In this talk, we review the state of the art of 3D printing technologies and examine some of their current and future applications in the fields of art, engineering and health. We also discuss some of the implications these technologies will have on design and on how we live.

Professor Olaf Diegel was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, but has spent much of his life in countries such as the USA, Canada, South Africa, and Japan. Professor Olaf Diegel is both an educator and a practitioner of engineering product development with an excellent track record of developing innovative solutions to engineering problems.
In his role at AUT, he is Associate Dean, Strategic Development, Faculty of Design & Creative Technologies, Auckland University of Technology where he is director of the Creative Industries Research Institute, an interdisciplinary institute that crosses over between Engineering, Art & Design, Computers and Communications. He is widely published in the areas of product development, project management, 3D printing, smart house technologies, mechatronics and predictive health systems.

Walking Tall: the Rex Bionics Story

Richard Little
Founder of Rex Bionics
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 

Rex Bionics was co-founded by Richard Little and Robert Irving about seven years ago when Robert received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis and realised he may need to use a wheelchair in future. The two life-long friends dreamed of making a product that would enable people with wheelchairs to stand and walk.  Working with a team of talented people, they launched the Rex pair of robotic legs.  Today, Rex Bionics has 25 engineers and a handful of other staff committed to bringing Rex to market around the world. Richard will join us to tell two stories: firstly, the dream which led to Rex’s invention; and then the challenges confronting small inventors trying to develop new technologies in New Zealand.  We invite you to come to the Horse & Trap, 3 Enfield Street from 6pm, August 25th to hear more.  This free event is hosted by the Auckland Museum Institute but open to all.

Complementary Therapies for People with Cancer: Pearls in a Sea of Nonsense

Dr Shaun Holt

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

People diagnosed with cancer want to do everything they can to beat the disease and almost everyone will consider or try complementary therapies. Some of these therapies have been proven to work in good clinical trials, but the majority have not been tested, do not work or can be harmful.

How does a person in this situation know what works and what does not? Without scientific training and the time to undertake the research it is impossible for almost everyone. There are some pearls of knowledge but they are hidden in a sea of nonsense.

This presentation will tell you how this topic applies to people with cancer in New Zealand, what works, what doesn't....and how to tell the difference.

Shaun is the director and founder of both Clinicanz, New Zealand's only clinical trials Site Management Organization and The Vitamin Lab, who supply vitamins and supplements based on good scientific research.
Previously, he was the founder of P3 Research, an independent clinical trials unit, and Research Review, a company that produce regular reviews of the medical literature for health professionals. He is Ex-Medical Director of Clinical Trials in the Wellington Asthma Research Group.
Shaun holds Pharmacy and Medicine degrees, has been the Principal Investigator in over 50 clinical trials and has over 50 publications in the medical literature. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, an Advisor to the Asthma & Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand and a regular contributor on TVOne's Breakfast programme and national radio shows.
His 2008 book Natural Remedies That Really Work was a bestseller, he has a popular blog on evidence-based natural health, is the editor of the Natural Health Research Review and is on the international editorial board of the medical journal Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies.

The New Zealand Youth Delegate to Copenhagen: What really happened?

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 

Twelve New Zealand Youth comprised the first ever New Zealand Youth Delegation to a United Nations Climate Change Conference last year - taking the messages of Kiwi youth to Copenhagen. Some, based in Auckland, would like to share their experiences; the international politics, the media reports, the NGO agitation - and meeting 2,000 other young people. Ask your questions about the controversial Copenhagen Summit, and hear their opinion on why things turned sour. Will things improve for the next conference, this December, in Cancun? Come along to hear how climate change will affect New Zealand in our lifetimes, and about what you can do to help.

Living Well in the 21st Century: The Ethics of Sustainability and What We Eat  

Professor Rosalind Hursthouse  
Department of Philosophy
University of Auckland

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Remember when vegetarianism was mostly about animal welfare?  These days the most forceful argument for vegetarianism concerns the welfare of the planet.  There is a familiar theme here - once more we're being told that we need to live more sustainably because in a connected, finite world our descendants' futures are on the line.  But surely that means that we should all be in favour of the proposed Mackenzie Basin factory farms as long as environmental concerns are properly managed.   Or are we really under a moral obligation to stop eating meat?  What's next - an obligation to stop having children?  Sustainability issues seem to require us to apply a whole new set of values in making our choices - or perhaps we just need to stop ignoring some very old ones.

Professor Rosalind Hursthouse is a Virtue Ethicist who teaches in the Philosophy Department at the University of Auckland.  She has written extensively on issues such as euthanasia, abortion and vegetarianism.  Using vegetarianism as an example she will lead us in a philosophical discussion, challenging us to think about what it might mean to really live well.

Driving New Zealand to an Ultra Fast Broadband Future

Ernie Newman
Chief Executive, TUANZ

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

A review of the key strategic issues around telecommunications. This will include the government's plans for ultra-fast broadband and how it will be used to change our lives; some legacy issues in competition both in fixed lines and mobile, the woes of Telecom and XT, and a vision for New Zealand 15 years out with fibre to everyone's premises.

Ernie Newman is Chief Executive of the Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) based in Auckland. TUANZ is a non-profit business support group comprising about 500 member organisations who are major users of the telecommunications system. He joined TUANZ in 1999 having had an extensive background in government relations and industry association management including senior positions with many major industry groups. He more recently spent 5 years as a Marketing Manager with a public listed company.
Since 2000 he has been active in the influential Netherlands-based International Telecommunications Users Group (INTUG), initially as Vice Chairman for the Asia Pacific region and then from 2002 until March 2005 as its Chairman.

Green Chemistry – Can Clean and Green Ever Beat Quick and Dirty?

Associate Professor James L Wright
Department of Chemistry, University of Auckland;
Director of the Inorganic and Sustainability Cluster

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

The industrial processes that produce the majority of our consumer goods tend to be extremely wasteful and often produce highly polluting by-products.  Green Chemistry aims to invent new industrial processes that do not use or produce environmentally harmful substances, so that we can keep making stuff without messing the planet up.
The benefits of this approach appear to be obvious – so why has industry adoption of green processes been so limited?  The reasons for this will be discussed within an historical perspective, and by way of illustration some examples of real world Green Chemistry solutions will be given.  The presentation will conclude with a brief discussion of the important role Green Chemistry can play in making our society sustainable – but only if we want it enough.

James Wright is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Auckland.  He has been carrying out research in the field of Green Chemistry for over 12 years and has a particular interest in developing environmentally friendly catalysts for oxidation chemistry.  He has developed and taught courses in Green Chemistry at the University of Auckland during the last 8 years. 

Small Science – Big Price Tag

Bryony James
Director of the Research Centre for Surface and Materials Science
University of Auckland

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Ever since their invention in the late 16th Century, microscopes have been at the centre of scientific research, enabling important discoveries in biology, geology, materials science, physics, and medicine.  In today’s “nano”-obsessed world, microscopes are becoming ever more powerful – but the price of these instruments is anything but tiny.  Eventually one has to ask: do the potential scientific advances still justify the cost of buying the equipment?  If the answer is “yes” then who pays, and how?

The increasing cost of doing research is a problem facing all the experimental science disciplines, and there seem to be no easy answers.  As the frontier of knowledge moves outward, probing the unknown requires ever more sophisticated equipment and scientists with still greater specialisation of knowledge – which means new findings come at much greater cost.  The research funding environment in New Zealand has not expanded to keep pace.  So how much can (or should) the nation support?

Bryony James is a researcher in Materials Science, which requires a microscopic understanding of structures to explain the macroscopic properties of metals, polymers and ceramics.  In addition she is the Director of the Research Centre for Surface and Materials Science, and as such is responsible for providing electron microscopy research infrastructure to researchers from across NZ. 
 

A Sustainable Future for the Aerospace Industry: Cleared for Take-off or Flight of Fancy?

Karen Willcox
Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

The aerospace industry faces two fundamental challenges to its future sustainability: the economics of air transportation and managing a global environmental footprint. Karen's research programme develops methods to support design of new aerospace systems, with a particular focus on future environmentally-sensitive aircraft. In this presentation, she will discuss some exciting new concepts including those studied through her collaborations with the Boeing Blended-Wing-Body aircraft design team and the NASA Aeronautics program.  But can any amount of design innovation produce a sustainable industry based on making heavy objects fly?

Karen Willcox is an Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Auckland while on sabbatical leave from MIT. In her talk she will also touch on her experiences going through the NASA astronaut selection process and discuss some of the challenges and opportunities in the future of human space exploration.

Where will all the Flowers Go? Honeybees, the Varroa Mite, and the Future of Food Production

Dr Peter Dearden
Senior Lecturer
Department of Biochemistry
University of Otago

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Honeybees are the most important insects on earth: most flowering plants, including a third of our domestic crops, rely on honeybees for pollination.  But the relationship between bees and flowering plants is under pressure.  In New Zealand bees have undergone a remarkable change from being a managed, but wild, species, to one that is wholly domestic and reliant on human intervention for its survival. This change has been brought about by the introduction of the varroa mite, just one of a number of devastating diseases now affecting honeybees world-wide. Peter will talk about the evolution of the relationship between honeybees and flowering plants, and how our treatment of bees and other insects is threatening this relationship and therefore the production of food.
 
Peter Dearden is a senior lecturer in developmental genetics at the University of Otago, the founding Director of Genetics Otago, and an Associate Director of the National Research Centre for Growth and Development.  As an evolutionary developmental geneticist he seeks to understand how the developmental processes that determine the forms an animal take change over evolutionary time.

CO2 Sequestriation - Band Aid Solution or a Silver Bullet? 

Dr Rosalind Archer
Senior Lecturer
Department of Engineering Science
The University of Auckland

Wednesday, July 27th, 2009

We're told that climate change is largely down to our dependence on fossil fuels drawn from underground reserves, the net effect of which is the release of vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.  So why not simply reverse the process? Several projects around the world are currently capturing carbon dioxide from industrial plants and injecting it into underground geological formations. By undertaking "CO2 sequestration", we may be able to continue to use fossil fuels while reducing global greenhouse gas emissions - assuming no unforeseen consequences of storing carbon dioxide deep underground emerge, that is.

Is this feasible in New Zealand?  Is it safe?  How much carbon dioxide could be sequestered? Rosalind Archer discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of CO2 sequestration.

Rosalind holds a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from Stanford University and is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Auckland.  As a reservoir engineer Rosalind studies fluid flow in geological formations. Her work uses large computer models which are built using a large range of field and laboratory measurements.

Restoring the Mauri on an Industrial Waste Site

Dr Dan Hikuroa
Community Earth System Scientist and Programmes Manager
Institute of Earth Science and Engineering
The University of Auckland
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

As lead researcher on a project to rehabilitate a contaminated waste site at Kawerau, Dan Hikuroa seeks to integrate traditional Maori knowledge with Western scientific principles in an attempt to restore the mauri (life force) of the land.  Increasingly Dan feels less like a scientist who happens to be Maori, and more like a Maori-scientist.  But is there any real difference?  Surely good science is good science in any cultural context?  Dan talks about his approach as a Maori scientist able to work within and synergise two potentially different knowledge systems for the ultimate benefit of the environment.

Issues in Treating and Managing Violent Individuals

Renate C. Bellvé-Wack, Dip.Psych; MPH
N.Z. Registered Clinical Psychologist
Auckland
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Violence is major public health concern. The monetary and human costs associated with violence are enormous.  And we increasingly feel insecure and helpless with almost daily reports of serious violence. Strategies focused on deterrence such as stricter sentencing and the concomitant increase in prison beds need to be accompanied by rehabilitative treatment interventions to stop post-release offending. However, ultimately primary prevention would be much more (cost)-effective in reducing violent offending. This presentation will discuss typical violent clients, highlighting treatment and management issues as well as avenues for primary prevention.

Renate C. Bellvé-Wack directs Psychological Services for the Auckland Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services, Waitemata DHB and has a private practice for clinical and forensic cases.

Understanding the Global Financial Crisis Through the Analogy of a Traditional Village Market

Keith Rankin
Lecturer Accounting and Finance
UNITEC Business School
Auckland
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

The global economy can be understood as a traditional village market in which goods of equal value are exchanged, but each individual participant is made better off through the exchange. Problems arise however if some participants habitually sell more than they buy. While such behaviour is "irrational" in terms of economic theory, it is in fact commonplace in the real world. The financial system has grown to cope with such behaviour, but, periodically, cannot cope. 2008/09 represents one of those periods. This Cafe discusses the symptoms and possible cures.  
Keith Rankin teaches "The Economics of Money and Financial Markets" at Auckland's Unitec Institute of Technology.

Design at the Sustainability Frontier

Dr Ir. Ron McDowall FIPENZ, FNZIM,MRSNZ, CPEng, IntPE (NZ)
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Business and Economics
University of Auckland
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

Sustainability is steaming towards us, ready or not.  Between 2000 and 2050, the world's population will increase by half. Nine billion people will soon be fighting for a share of the planet’s dwindling resources. We cannot have nine billion people each demanding a double drawer dishwasher that runs on power, uses water and chemicals, and discharges dirty water that requires treatment. We cannot have mega-cities that demand huge quantities of water just to contaminate it and send it off to wastewater treatment plants.  When real sustainable design arrives, industry sector changes will be brutal and dramatic. Dishwasher manufacturers will die on their feet when someone designs a dishwasher that does not use water or chemicals, has no embodied energy and produces no wastewater. When "digital ink" arrives the entire pulp and paper, photocopier and printer industries will vanish overnight.

Dr McDowall works for several UNEP divisions and international companies consulting and advising in the area of Sustainable development and in particular hazardous, dangerous and toxic chemical wastes.  In addition he is an academic at the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Auckland, New Zealand, specialising in teaching Sustainability, Complexity and Decision in the MBA program.  His work takes him all over the developing and developed world.

New Zealand’s Adventures into Space

Peter Beck
Rocket Lab, Parnell
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Peter Beck has been conducting private research into rocket propulsion for over 13 years and has built a number of rocket engines up 6500Hp in size.  Like many young people, Peter was interested in space and rockets as a child.  But it wasn’t just a passing phase.  In 2006 Peter formed Rocket Lab in order to develop a new series of small launch vehicles. In the last few years there has been a rapid private commercialisation of space.  This, coupled with the increasing need to research climate change has presented an interesting opportunity and  Rocket Lab aims to provide the international science community and general public with a low cost platform for access to space.
In this Café Scientifique, Peter will cover topics including: The global commercialisation of space, New Zealand’s participation in the space industry; the Atea Suborbital Rocket Program, past rocket research failures and successes, the advantages and disadvantages of being based in NZ; what the future holds for the emerging NZ space industry.

To see the YouTube upload of Peter Beck's presentation, follow this link

How Much Do Our Thoughts and Feelings Affect Our Health?

Roger Booth, Assoc. Prof of Immunology and Health Psychology
University of Auckland
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

How I think, feel and behave is related to the operation of my nervous system which, in turn, is connected to the operation of my immune system.  These connections are much more extensive and pervasive than was appreciated until recently. This means not only that what I think, feel and do, might affect how my immune (and healing) system functions but also that immune activity within my body influences my thought, feelings and behaviour. These psycho - neuro - immune relationships help us better understand lifestyle and health relationships and have important implications for what we might consider to be healthy environments.
Roger Booth is Associate Professor of Immunology and Health Psychology and Academic Director of the School of Medical Sciences. He has a passion for teaching and also for investigating the health consequences of mind-body relationships where his research includes studies into how expressing emotions and constructing meaning in our lives relate to our physiology.

On Little Bangs and Big Bangs 

Dr David Krofcheck
Senior Lecturer, Department of Physics 
University of Auckland
Wednesday, August 27th , 2008

In September, 2008, the initial testing of the world's largest and highest energy particle accelerator, known as the Large Hadron Collider, will begin at the CERN Laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland.  This is a device that is designed to push our current understanding of fundamental physics to the limit - from chasing the Higg's Boson to probing quark-gluon plasma - by smashing together protons in head on collisions. New Zealand is involved with the Large Hadron Collider project as part of one of the huge research teams assembled to build the particle detectors and to analyse the collision data.
Dr Krofcheck is an experimental nuclear physicist and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics at The University of Auckland.  His speciality is  the study of high energy nuclear reactions and the bulk properties of nuclear matter.  He leads the New Zealand effort in the Compact Muon Solenoid group at CERN. 

To see the YouTube upload of Dr Krofcheck's presentation follow this link

 What do free trade agreements with China and the US REALLY mean for us?

Professor Jane Kelsey
School of Law, University of Auckland 
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Jane wrote: "Listening to both major political parties, most media commentators and big business, New Zealanders would think that free trade agreements hold the key to our economic future. Few people - including the above - understand enough about them to assess their implications. Signing them is more an act of faith. And it has very little to do with 'trade' as we used to understand it. Why is there so little discussion of these agreements in New Zealand? Does the China agreement mean there is now little point in opposing them? What would an agreement with the US add? How do we extricate ourselves from this straitjacket when we decide that these agreements aren't really good for New Zealand after all?"
Jane Kelsey is an author and one of New Zealand's best-known critical commentators on issues of globalisation, structural adjustment and decolonisation. 

To see Jane's Cafe Scientifique presentation, follow this link:

Business and Emissions Trading: The Major Costs of Delay, the Major Benefits of Acting Now

Peter Neilson, CEO,
NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development
Wednesday, June 25th ,2008

Seldom is a new economic instrument so major and controversial. The emissions trading scheme (ETS)  has some major firms threatening to leave the country, others predicting major job losses, and asserting hundreds of millions in investment is on hold till the policy is firm. No business or household in New Zealand will escape its influence.  What are the major risks posed to New Zealand and our economic future if the bill does not pass or is delayed? How can New Zealand be left behind if a price is not put on carbon? What are the major opportunities if we adjust quickly to a low-carbon world? Hear about the shape of your future and who to put your money on.
Peter Neilson was appointed Chief Executive of the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development in April 2004 to spearhead the Council's strategic move towards policy development and advocacy work.

The Science of Climate Change: the Big Picture and Impacts on NZ

Dr Jim Salinger, NIWA
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Dr Jim Salinger, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, will discuss the latest facts about climate change and what current projections mean for New Zealand.  Local projections indicate that New Zealand is likely to get much warmer and this will have significant impacts on our coasts, alpine areas and dry land farming regions. 
Dr Salinger is a leading climate change expert; he has been involved in researching and monitoring past and current climate trends, as a university climate researcher, and later in the former New Zealand Meteorological Service. Jim now works as a senior climate scientist at NIWA preparing climate updates, as well as leading various research projects on New Zealand climate change.

The Role of the Citizen in the Age of Climate Change

Niki Harré
Senior Lecturer
Department of Psychology, University of Auckland
Wednesday 23 April, 2008

Climate change is one of the central issues of our time, yet it is weighed down by a pervasive sense of hopelessness about how we should respond. This session is based on the book Carbon Neutral by 2020: How New Zealanders Can Tackle Climate Change (Nov 2007), and discusses how we can shift our approach to everyday life to become part of the solution. There will not be tips on what to do, instead the focus will be coming to terms with what it means to be a responsible citizen in the current era.
Niki Harré is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Auckland and co-editor of Carbon Neutral by 2020: How New Zealanders can Tackle Climate Change. She has written numerous research articles and book chapters on a variety of topics including psychological wellbeing and community activists and volunteers.