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The recent decision by Meta to scale back its reliance on third-party fact-checkers has reignited debates about the future of combating misinformation online. Fact-checking, once seen as a cornerstone in the fight against fake news, is increasingly under scrutiny. Critics argue that its reactive approach and reliance on public trust may not suffice in an era where false narratives spread at unprecedented speed. This shift by one of the world’s…

A climactic mystery about a year that gave summer a deadly pass may have been solved. Using new ice core techniques, scientists have concluded that the dark, chilly year of 1831 was due to the massive eruption of a volcano north of Japan. The year 1831 was a very nasty one in terms of weather. Across the globe, temperatures dropped by an average of 1 °C (1.8 °F). The British Isles were inundated with rain to the point where it was one of the…

Each night, our brains execute a "wash and rinse" routine that clears away harmful protein waste linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Now, new research shows that a common prescription sleep aid can disrupt this essential process. In 2012, neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) described a unique system used by the brain to rid itself of waste. Termed the "glymphatic system,"…

21 January 1859 Enjoying a cold drink on a hot afternoon was not always as simple as adding ice from the freezer to water from the refrigerator. At one time the ice made a much longer journey. On 22 January 1859, advertisements in the Nelson Examiner proclaimed: SHERRY COBBLERS, ICED LEMONADE, Soda Water, Ginger Beer, for the first time in the Settlement. To be had of Robert Disher, Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond. ICE. – JUST RECEIVED,…

**Colonialism & a Flawed System of Equality** Lady Tureiti Moxon is chairwoman of the National Urban Māori Authority and managing director of Te Kohao Health. In the New Zealand herald on the 14^th^ January she is quoted as claiming that the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill, currently under consideration by the Ministry for Regulation, poses a dangerous direct threat to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the rights of Māori. She is quoted as saying…

The liberal world order, which was strongly promoted by the United States after the end of the Cold War, seems to be nearing the end of its current phase.  The world is already witnessing a rise in political populism, nationalism and protectionism. These trends may also spread further to other regions of the globe.  US President Donald Trump appears unwilling to counteract these movements. In fact, his decisions may exacerbate the situation. …

Mount Taranaki is set to gain the legal rights of a person under the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill, which will become law on 30 January 2025. The dormant volcano will now be represented by a panel of eight, including four traditional owners and four Crown representatives. The legislation, passed by Labour in 2023, recognises Mount Taranaki, alongside its companion peaks, as a living ancestor with its own identity and rights. …

2024 has been a year in space that has seen successes, failures, a clutch of firsts, and some goodbyes – not to mention a long-distance probe rescue, spacesuits on the catwalk, and a couple of cosmic oddities. Let's have a look back. One of the big firsts in 2024 came from SpaceX as it finally managed to fly its Starship into space without blowing up. That's not bad for the world's largest rocket, which dwarfs even the Apollo era Saturn V,…

Shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration eight years ago, half a million people headed onto the streets of Washington DC to protest the new president. Now, as Mr Trump prepares for his return to office, an attempt to repeat the event and stir up mass resistance to the Republican fell flat. One unimpressed attendee described it as “disappointingly tiny”, while another said turnout was “unfortunate”. For an event that billed itself as the…

A clever new set of glasses may offer new hope to people with macular degeneration. By copying the structure of a fly's eyes, the specs are claimed to "fill in" the missing section of the wearer's view of the world. Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness, affecting the center area of the retina. That area is known as the macula. In one of the two main forms of macular degeneration, light-sensitive cells in the macula…

The extended evolutionary synthesis (EES), championed in Evolution Evolving by Kevin Lala and colleagues, offers a fresh perspective on evolution. This approach argues that development, influenced by environmental conditions, plays a role in driving evolution alongside natural selection. The book challenges the mid-twentieth-century modern synthesis, which frames evolution solely around random genetic mutations and their selection. The way…

Captain Harold Ruegg, Administrator for the Ross Dependency, opened Scott Base, New Zealand’s permanent Antarctic research station, during a ceremony on Ross Island on January 20th, 1957. Ruegg gave a short speech to a small crowd which included Sir Edmund Hillary, Admiral George J. Dufek, and other officers from McMurdo Station, the nearby American logistical support base. Appropriately, as the base was named after the British explorer Robert…

These apple cinnamon muffins start with an easy muffin batter that’s flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar, and plenty of juicy apples. They make a delicious breakfast alternative or sweet treat for any time of the day. Ingredients - 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin - 125g dark brown sugar - 150ml golden syrup - 250g self raising flour, plus extra for the tin - 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda - pinch of ground allspice - 2 tsp…

**Inciting Racial Unrest** **& Promoting Apartheid** **Where:** It may seem unbelievable but I am talking about New Zealand.  **When:**          Since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi but particularly more so since the enactment of the Treaty of Waitangi Act legislation in 1975 and the adoption of the post-1986 partnership principle under                      the Treaty. **Who:**             The Crown, Iwi, Government,…

We all know someone with a fast metabolism. Or at least we think we do. They have a voracious appetite and yet never put on weight. Is it that some people genetically are predisposed to be fatter than others? Perhaps our hormones are to blame, the type of foods we eat, even our gut health. There are certainly lots of competing theories for why some of us pile on the pounds, with corresponding diet advice. And all of them are a distraction,…

When the deeply patriarchal Romans first encountered Celtic tribes living in modern-day France and Great Britain in the first century B.C.E., their reaction to the roles of the sexes was one of surprise and dismay. The tasks of men and women “have been exchanged, in a manner opposite to what obtains among us,” wrote one Roman historian. New evidence from Celtic graves now confirms that at least one part of Britain was a woman’s world long…

On 17 January 1853 Governor Sir George Grey issued a proclamation to bring the New Zealand Constitution Act (UK) 1852 into operation, establishing a system of representative government for the colony. The Act created a General Assembly – an appointed Legislative Council and a House of Representatives elected every five years by males aged over 21 who owned, leased or rented property of a certain value – and six provinces with elected…

A simple breakfast dish that's just as good at any time of day. Greek scrambled eggs with tomatoes. If you want, you can add chopped roast peppers to the tomatoes before adding the eggs. This is easy to scale up and with all the wonderful in season produce available in summer, there are lots of choices! Ingredients - 4 large, well-flavoured tomatoes - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 2 garlic cloves, grated to a purée - 8-10 large eggs…

Writer Brandon Smith argues that globalist organisations like the World Economic Forum (WEF) are using carbon taxation and climate equity as tools to centralise power and wealth. Smith asserts that carbon controls are not about sustainability but about restructuring the global economy to benefit those pushing the social justice agenda. He cites the WEF’s push for “justice, fairness, and DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion)” within carbon…

Creative New Zealand, a government-funded agency, is under fire for funding an arts group accused of promoting racism. Brown Town, a visual arts group, according to RNZ, aimed at addressing “long standing issues of racism,” promoted an upcoming event featuring racially tiered ticket pricing: $30 for non-Māori/Pasifika attendees, $20 for Māori and Pacific attendees, and $15 for early-bird buyers. Creative New Zealand provided $35,000 to Brown…