Could flies really be the answer to all our problems? In this week's installment of Tomorrow's World, Stella Huggins talks with entomologist Neil Birrel who created the startup Hexacycle, which aims to convert organic waste into a source of sustainable protein and oil to help feed an increasingly hungry world.
What methods do quantitative and population geneticists use to unpick genetic diversity in populations, and analyse genetic contributions to differences in characteristics? Hold on... what do any of those words mean? Stella and Isla chat to Dr Anna Santure from the University of Auckland, an expert in the field, about the basic principles of the discipline.
Dr Santure is a bFM veteran! She spoke to Trishil on The Wire last week about her most recent research. Check it out here: https://95bfm.com/bcast/evolutional-adaptation-and-the-hihi-bird-w-dr-anna-santure
This week Tomorrow's World Isla Christensen and Stella Huggins deep dive into the current and future state of New Zealand Fisheries. They have a fin-tastic chat with Marine Biologist Georgia Third about her research on snapper and finding a baby ghost shark! We also learn how we can keep eating fish sustainably.
This week, Stella and Isla explore the recently announced SPOTS study (Sex and Prevention Of Transmission Study), including patterns of HIV transmission, why some populations are more vulnerable, and the mechanisms by which HIV infects. They speak to Joshua McCormack, and Cameron Leakey, two researchers on the SPOTS team.
This week, Stella and Isla investigate viral dogs that have been trained to press buttons that speak human words. They interview PhD candidate Dana Keating from the University of Auckland, an expert on dog cognition, about possible explanations for these dogs' behaviour.
This week on Tomorrow's World, Isla and Stella bring you their first international interview with Krithik Ramesh, a machine learning and AI enthusiast. They discuss the limitations and potentials of machine learning and AI with the man who has developed a live time navigation sustem for spinal reconstruction surgery.
This week Stella and Isla investigate the different cloning techniques used to genetically modify crops, as well as some of the questions surrounding the GMO debate. They speak to Biochemistry Masters student Tyler McCourt from the University of Otago about her research on perennial ryegrass and male sterility in flowering plants, to get a better understanding of the methods used.
For the first episode of 2022 Stella and Isla interview Dr Georgia Piggott, a researcher from the University of Auckland's School of Environment, about what net zero emissions actually means. They explore this through the example of Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics, with additional comments from Professor Justin Hodgkiss, the co-director of The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, and a lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington.
Tomorrow's World hosts Stella and Isla have been inspired by their daily lockdown walks to learn about urban planning and how Auckland may change in the future. Looking at concepts of walkability and neighbourhoods, Dr Beattie talks us through the history, future aspirations and barriers of urban design.
This week Stella and Isla tell each other their favourite instances of a good old fashioned pivot in the lab. They discuss the invention of Viagra, sticky notes, slinkies and more, all discovered through open-minded approaches to what may be perceived initially as failed experiments.
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