Our stories
How machine learning can perpetuate racism
Emma Vitz wrote an algorithm to classify people by gender, but one of the biggest things she learned was how machine learning can reinforce racism and perform poorly on ethnic minorities.
Sally Davenport MNZM
Professor Sally Davenport, a Principal Investigator with Te Pūnaha Matatini, was recently appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to science.
Te Pūnaha Matatini scholar in the news
Te Pūnaha Matatini Whānau PhD student Caleb Gemmell from the University of Auckland was recently interviewed by the NZ Herald about his ground-breaking research using social network analysis to examine ancient artefact movement in pre-European New Zealand.
Te Pūnaha Matatini researchers receive $4.2M in Marsden funds
Several Te Pūnaha Matatini researchers around New Zealand have been successful in securing major funding for their research, about $4.2 million in total, from the Royal Society Te Apārangi’s 2017 Marsden Fund round.
Professor Murray Cox awarded Te Rangi Hīroa Medal
Professor Murray Cox, a computational biologist in the Institute of Fundamental Sciences at Massey University in Palmerston North and a Principal Investigator at Te Pūnaha Matatini, has been awarded the Te Rangi Hīroa Medal for his anthropological work.
Restoring the mana of Te Wai a Rongo: We cannot value what we do not know
My kaupapa focuses on Māori perceptions associated with the environment, especially freshwater. I wish to impress upon you why the preservation of freshwater is a property rights issue, guaranteed by the Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and not an issue of race or ownership.
How we make trust judgments when it comes to scientific information
An inability to find concrete answers to questions on the internet may lead people to question the general veracity of science.
Ngā mihi ki a tātou
Tēnei te mihi nui ki ngā kaikōrero, mō rātou whakaaro, moemoea, wawata. Our huge thanks to the contributors for their thoughts, dreams, aspirations.
Restoring the mana of the Rotorua/Te Arawa lakes
Something interesting has been happening in the Rotorua/Te Arawa lakes over the past decade or so. Instead of separating into factious groups, government, NGOs, iwi, members of the farming community, scientists and the wider community have united in kōrero and actions to support restoration efforts on the lakes. Perhaps this is a model for Aotearoa to follow?
How to rescue our fresh water
New Zealand has a freshwater crisis. There is little doubt about this now as report after report has piled up over the last year. In an interview on his own report on the state of the country’s fresh water, the Prime Minister’s chief science advisor Sir Peter Gluckman said: “the reality is we cannot keep going as we have been.”
Waterway health at the heart of identity and wellbeing
Waterway health is at the heart of identity and wellbeing. Signs restricting beach and river swimming or wading, and fish consumption, are becoming common sights across Aotearoa. So often missed, however, is how we may support existing kaitiaki and community groups to improve our environmental footprint.
The animalcules* within
Aotearoa has an abundance of streams that have enabled many of us to develop a personal connection with natural bodies of water over our lifetimes. However, while our streams are a wonderful feature of our landscape, they can also make us very sick.