This Way Up Part 1

Mount Taranaki rubbish collector and animal sense of direction.

Derek Andrews: high-altitude garbologist

Derek Andrews lives in New Plymouth and climbing nearby Mount Taranaki (altitude: 2,518 metres) is his pastime.

So far, he's been up the mountain nearly 700 times collecting rubbish and making sure it's clean and tidy.

Derek Andrews near the summit

Derek Andrews near the summit Photo: RNZ

Derek on top of Mount Taranaki

Derek on top of Mount Taranaki Photo: RNZ

It's the kind of behaviour you'd expect from a longtime stalwart and treasurer of the The New Plymouth Tramping Club.

His house is full of all the bits and bobs of climbing gear he's found left up there... from coins to pieces of aeroplanes, flags and especially glass –​ he's amassed a collection of 14,000 pieces and counting! 

Derek's glass collection

Derek's glass collection Photo: RNZ

Animal's sense of direction

Dr Chris Smith of The Naked Scientists on a discovery in China that could show how animals navigate using the Earth's magnetic fields.

This Way Up Part 2

Email tracking, taxing digital purchases, data visualisation and fighting TB.

Tech News: 'Netflix tax' and email tracking

Tech commentator Peter Griffin.

Tech commentator Peter Griffin. Photo: Supplied

Technology correspondent Peter Griffin's on how your emails are tracking you. Plus the 'Netflix tax' on digital purchases like ebooks and music is coming to New Zealand.  Brian Chen's New York Times article.

Data visualisation

Pitch Interactive Data Visualisation

Pitch Interactive Data Visualisation Photo: www.pitchinteractive.com

Wesley Grubbs is a data visualiser who runs Pitch Interactive, a data visualisation studio in Oakland, California. Wes works with the likes of Google, Facebook and The Wall Street Journal to turn statistics and other information into visually engaging, interactive, stories. He was a speaker at this week's Semi Permanent Wellington art and design conference.  Drone Visualisation and you can find other examples of his work here.
 

Fighting TB

Dean Crick of Colorado State University is trying to find better ways to treat the bacterial disease tuberculosis.