Issue 215 25-31 January 2013
In This Issue
Quick Links
Conservation cat-fight
Some say he's gone too far, but no one can claim economist Gareth Morgan's Cats to Go campaign failed to stir up debate.
The campaign website, launched this week, provides information about the impact of cats on native wildlife and encourages cat owners to take
measures to minimise the potential harm their pets can cause - such as placing bells on cats collars and not replacing
pet cats once they die.
But many have criticised its approach as unnecessarily antagonistic. Indeed, it is hard to believe that some of the imagery and language on the site wasn't deliberately chosen
to raise the hackles of cat lovers.
"That little ball of fluff you own is a natural born killer," warns the site. "Every year cats in New Zealand destroy
our native wildlife. The fact is that cats have to go if we really care about our environment."
The tactic has left some cat advocates enraged and generated international media coverage, leading to the site receiving 40,000 visitors in the last 2 days.
An opinion piece from Morgan -- 'Killing people's pets? That's not what I said' -- was published on the NZ Herald site this morning, attempting to refocus the "frantic debate" on birds and biodiversity.
Side-stepping the pro- and anti-cat rhetoric, the Science Media Centre approached experts for a research-based
perspective on cats' impact on native wildlife.
Dr Yolanda van Heezik, University of Otago, supported the core message of the campaign, saying,
"I suspect that most people have never given the issue much thought, or they think that the one or two birds caught by
their own cat makes no difference. People need to consider that cats exists across cities at a density of about 225 per
sq km, and that even though individual cats may catch few birds, cumulatively the total of birds killed is large. "
John McInnes, from Landcare Research, also appreciated the need for control of cats, but warned of unintended consequences if other predators are not
simultaneously targeted. He notes,
"The research to clarify whether the negative effects of cats on these fauna outweighs the positive effects of their
predation on ship rats, Norway rats and mice has not been done...
"When cats, ferrets and hedgehogs were targeted in Mackenzie Basin braided rivers, possums and Norway rats then ate the
black-fronted terns."
More expert commentary and a round up of media coverage can be found on the Science Media Centre website.
On the science radar...
Squid love, 'Alien' skulls in Mexico, asteroid mining, dung beetle astronomers and the link between lightning bolts and migraines.
Science Media SAVVY returns
Announcing new dates for the SMC's popular media training workshop for scientists: 14 - 15 March in Auckland.
The pilot was a success. Now, we're gearing up for a new round of Science Media SAVVY workshops in 2013, kicking off with Auckland in March.
Applications are now open on our website.
Highlights of the workshops include:
• Newsroom tour
• Q with panel of broadcast and print journalists
• Practical tips to increase your confidence with media
• Advice on handling controversy, uncertainty and risk
• On-camera interview practice and feedback
• 'Pitch your story' session to local and national media - put your new skills straight to the test
Places are limited to 12 participants.
UPDATE: One lucky post-graduate student will have full course fees covered by a scholarship provided by 2011 PM's Science
Media Communication Prize winner Dr Mark Quigley. See the application form for more details.
Active researchers and scientists (at any stage of their career) are invited to apply before the closing date: Friday 8 February at 6 PM.
Naming all life on Earth: possible
Naming ALL animal and plant species on the planet is a realistic goal, claim researchers who estimate that all life
could be catalogued by the end of the century.
In a review published in Science, Associate Professor Mark Costello, from The University of Auckland, and colleagues rebuff pessimistic suggestions that
discovering all of the world's species is impossible.
They estimate that the number of species on Earth today is 2-8 million (whereas some estimates place this number as high
as 100 million) and that 1.5 million are already named. They go on to note that species are not disappearing as fast as
previous extinction rate estimates assume.
"Over-estimates of the number of species on Earth are self-defeating because they can make attempts to discover and
conserve biodiversity appear to be hopeless," said Dr Costello in a media release. "Our work suggests that this is far from the case. We believe that with just a modest increase in effort in taxonomy
and conservation, most species could be discovered and protected from extinction."
The effort to name all life won't come cheap though, the authors give an expected cost of US$0.5 to $1 billion per year
to increase the global taxonomic effort and describe all species within 50 years.
You can read further media coverage of Dr Costello's review on the Science Media Centre website.
Heading off somewhere exciting?
Scientists, are you departing on voyage of exploration?
Conducting field research in an exotic locale? Or running a fascinating project in your own backyard?
Sciblogs is soon to launch a new 'Field Work' blog, featuring real-time write-ups and photos from scientists on expedition to
far-flung places, as well as closer to home, as we round out the field research season.
Quoted: SciBlogs.co.nz
"It's fairly obvious that Morgan's website, with its strange anthropomorphism, was designed to draw headlines and 'start
conversations'.
"But what hope is there for environmentalists in a conversation where our side wants to take people's kittens away?"
- Dr David Winters (The Atavism Blog) reflects on the Cats to Go campaign.
New from the SMC
Cats to go: A campaign launched by economist Gareth Morgan to raise awareness about the impact of cats on native wildlife has
elicited a range of opinions, but what does the evidence say?
Melamine leaching: Taiwanese research has shown that small amounts of the plastic resin melamine may transfer from table ware in to food,
but experts are uncertain of the health impact.
Cats and conservation: The Cats To Go campaign has generated numerous news articles (sporting some cat-astrophic puns).
Get 'em all: A New Zealand biologist and colleagues estimate that all plant and animal life could be catalogued in this century.
Making science work: Listen to Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate and President of the UK Royal Society, discuss pitfalls and opportunities for how scientific research is funded and undertaken.
Morgan on cats: Gareth Morgan addresses some of criticism directed at his cat campaigns in an opinion piece for the NZ Herald.
Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's posts:
Cats to Go - Gareth Morgan's campaign on cats has garnered the attention of both David Winter and Wayne Linklater who have blogged about the impact of cats on conservation.
The Atavism & PolitEcol Science
Can Obama turn rhetoric into action on climate change? - Peter Griffin bears the freezing US winter to see Obama's Inauguration speech in person and muses on whether the
words will translate to actions.
Griffins Gadgets
Test your Science Literacy Skills - Know your way around science and scientific thinking? Take Darcy Cowan's online science literacy quiz, developed from
recently published skills test.
Scepticon
A little incredulity can go a long way, writes Alison Campbell, reflecting on a science story that got lost in
translation and blown out of proportion.
BioBlog
A plea to fund a drug - There's more to drug funding than just sympathy, writes John Pickering as he dissects a media campaign pushing for
Pharmac to approve a drug.
Kidney Punch
Research highlights
Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.
Multitaskers deluded: Most people believe they can multitask effectively, but a new study indicates that people who multitask the most -
including talking on a cell phone while driving - are least capable of doing so. The study surveyed over 300 students on
their perceived multitasking ability before putting them through a battery of tests to see they really were as good as
they thought.
Small bites: Previous studies have shown that taking smaller bites helps people eat less. Other research has also shown that people
tend to eat larger meals if eating while distracted. Now a study has examined the interaction of these effects by
controlling mouthful size in an eating experiment where participants were distracted by a film. The authors found that
people who ate pre-specified 'small' bites of food consumed about 30% less of their meal than those who had to consume
'large' bites, or had no eating restrictions.
Self control long game: The 1970 Stanford marshmallow experiment was famous for showing that children who are able delay gratification were more likely to have better outcomes later in
life. Now a brain scanning study of some most patient and impatient participants (now adults) from the original study
shows that there are observable differences between the two groups in terms of neural signatures of self control.
Fat chance for car accidents: Analysis of US traffic collision data has revealed that the risk of death increases with the level of driver obesity.
In crashes, the most obese drivers were 80% more likely to die than drivers of normal weight. While the authors
recognise that obese drivers may have more underlying health issues, they note that car ergonomics may also play a role
and suggest that car designs may need to change to accommodate larger drivers safely.
Storing data on DNA: New research has demonstrated how a variety of information (including Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech and
all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets), can be stored in synthetic DNA. The authors, who have previously highlighted this
possibility, predict that DNA-based information storage is to become cost-effective for long-term, low-access archives
within a decade.
Policy updates
Some of the policy highlights from this week:
Callaghan Innovation board: Science and Innovation Minister Hon Steven Joyce has announced the eight-member board to lead the new Crown entity Callaghan Innovation.
Cabinet reshuffle: Prime Minister John Key this week announced a series of changes to Cabinet, replacing minsters for several portfolios including Conservation, Energy and Resources, Food Safety and Primary
Industries.
Upcoming sci-tech events
•What's the matter? - Solids, Liquids and Gases Summer Science Show - 26 & 27 January, Wellington.
• Official launch of Callaghan Innovation - 1 February
For these and more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar.
ENDS