Our Changing World

Why are some male birds brighter and showier than females of the same species, and sometimes both are bright? Sexual selection, size and living in the tropics are all part of the answer. Read more Audio

Auckland diabetes specialist Robyn Toomath argues that society is to blame for the rise in obesity, and Massey University sociologist and runner Andrew Dickson shares his experience of being a big… Read more Audio

Lipoprotein(a) increases the risk of heart disease in 20% of people and doesn't respond to diet or exercise, so the hunt is on to find a treatment. Read more Audio

Later in 2016, an international group will decide if the Holocene has given way to a new geological period marked by our impact. NIWA geochemist Helen Bostok gives a Southern Hemisphere perspective on… Read more Audio

Use your ears and spend time on your own just listening and observing birds - good advice from one of the world's best known bird-watchers and ex-Goodie, Bill Oddie. Read more Audio

There are 26 chicks in the royal albatross colony at Dunedin's Taiaroa Head this year - and the #royalcam chick is very much in the public spotlight. Read more Video, Audio

Veronika Meduna visits a veterinary facility in Invercargill where staff look after kākāpō chicks that had to be taken off their island homes to be hand-reared. Read more Audio

Shaun Hendy, the director of the centre of research excellence The Pūnaha Matatini, discusses his latest book, Silencing Science, in which he tackles the issue of why scientists are often reluctant to… Read more Audio

A soft, swallowing robot that mimics the human oesophagus is being developed as a tool that food technologists could use to design better food for people with swallowing difficulties Read more Audio

Victoria University molecular geneticist Geoff Chambers is challenging the one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare, arguing that genes linked to the immune system of Māori and Pasifika people differ… Read more Audio

Baby native fish are in the spotlight as freshwater biologists unravel the mysteries of where these tiny creatures go in the first weeks of their lives. Read more Video, Audio

Tim Flannery discusses his latest book, Atmosphere of Hope, and why he is hopeful that we will tackle climate change. Read more Audio