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SMC Issue 126 March 25 - 31
Did the Media have a Meltdown?
After wall to wall coverage of the effort to control the overheating reactors at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima power plant, the disaster has slipped well down the news agenda with the realisation that the dreaded nuclear meltdown many feared is unlikely to happen.
Most scientists with knowledge of nuclear reactors said early on that even the worst case scenario at Fukushima - a complete meltdown of one or more reactors, would lead to only localised fallout - no plumes of radioactive material across Asia Pacific, no widespread deaths due to radiation exposure and no comparison to the carnage created by the tsunami itself.
The director of the UK Science Media Centre, which has been issuing rolling updates over the last 10 days on the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear situation, says a major divide emerged early between what the scientists were saying about the seriousness of the damage to the Fukushima power plant and what was being reported in the media.
"Why did almost every section of our media lead daily reports with 'another Chernobyl' or the coming apocalypse, when none of Britain's leading scientists or the Chief Scientific Adviser were in any way confirming that assessment?" asks Fox, who was writing on the BBC College of Journalism website.
Fox suggests the reason many of the scientists comments were overlooked is that they were coming out of the mouths of nuclear scientists, who are perceived to be "pro nuclear" and may have vested interests in playing down the chances of disaster. The result was that solid scientific commentary was treated cautiously by the media. Adds Fox:
"What I am
saying is that, when almost all of the scientists who have
worked on nuclear for decades are saying something that
conflicts with alarmist statements by world leaders, the
media should ensure that the scientists' words are a
prominent part of the story."
SMC team bolstered
The Science Media Centre is pleased to welcome our new media advisor, John Kerr, to the team.
John comes fresh from Otago University where he recently finished his Master of Science Communication degree, specialising in non-fiction writing. Calling on his research background in neuropharmacology, John's thesis focused on a very kiwi phenomenon, BZP party pills. In addition researching the scientific and medical literature, John examined the media's portrayal of the drug and interviewed several high profile politicians and researchers to gain a complete insight into the issue.
John has also worked in London as an editor for the online publishing company BioMed Central, where he managed the peer-review of research manuscripts and produced web content for journals in the BMC Series.
He is passionate
about science and excited to be part of the SMC team,
working to strengthen the links between science and the
public.
Climate change - human behaviour and decision making
Wellington's Te Papa museum next week hosts an impressive line up of climate scientists and authors who will look at the communication and human behaviour aspects of climate change and how we can approach decision making around mitigating and adapting to climate change.
The forum running March 31 - April 1 is being held by Victoria University's Climate Change Research Institute and features international experts such as NASA's Erik Conway, Canadian psychologist Robert Gifford, Australian climate scientist David Karoly, UK environment author and science journalist Fred Pearce.
In conjunction with this event, the Science Media Centre will also be hosting two special workshops for journalists: in Wellington with Fred Pearce (Wed 30 March); and in Auckland with Erik Conway (Mon 4 Apr). Look for an invitation in your inbox, or contact the SMC for more details.
Journalists
interested in covering the Climate futures forum should
contact the organisers
Liz.Thomas@vuw.ac.nz 04 463 5507
Sciblogs - our newest addition
The Sciblogs stable grows again with the addition of Jennifer Nickel, a scientist at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre who has a MSc(tech) degree in molecular biology and genetics from the University of Waikato and whose thesis focused on the diversity of New Zealand's pot-belly seahorse.
Nickel's Priority One blog will look at: cancer, nutrition, conservation, marine biology, climate change, and associated technological innovations and social trends.
We are excited to have onboard Jennifer as Sciblogs prepares to receive its millionth visitor!
On the science radar
The smell of quantum physics, brown dwarfs looking cool, looking after
your DNA, bottling up Monty Python rage and shooting down space
junk.
Quoted: Business Herald
"I would
have thought that Japan will pretty much spell the end of
the nuclear industry... Even China, which is absolutely
desperate for energy, is shutting down its plans and having
a rethink. I'm afraid nuclear is going to be pretty much a
lost cause for the next 20 or 30 years"
Associate Professor Bob Lloyd,
Director of Energy Studies, Otago University
25
March 2011
New from the SMC
Experts on Tokyo tap water
contamination - Japanese officials confirmed overnight
that samples of Tokyo tap water showed elevated radiation
levels more than twice the recommended limit for infants. Comments gathered by the UK
SMC.
In the news:
Media meltdown over nuclear
threat - The UK SMC's Director Fiona Fox has published a
blog post commenting on international
media's over-reaction to the potential dangers posed by the
damaged Fukushima nuclear
reactor.
AusSMC:
Media briefing: sending
humans to an asteroid by 2025 - Watch lead NASA
scientist Paul Abell's presentation and Q&A on the possibility
of landing humans on a 'near-earth object' in the
not-so-distant future.
SMC Japan:
Experts respond: radiation in Japan. The SMC in Japan has provided comments from scientists regarding the effects and extent of the radiation from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights of this
week's posts include:
Five Signs You Might Be Wrong -
Darcy Cowan offers some sound advice on self-critique when
comes to unproven theories.
Scepticon
Christianity gave birth to science - a
myth? - Ken Perrott muses on the religious origins
of science and asks which faith gets the credit.
Open
Parachute
Is it time to integrate medical and natural
health care? - Siouxsie Wiles champions evidence
based health care in the face of suggestions to integrate
alternative therapies into medical
practice.
Infectious Thoughts
Sitting in Glass Houses - Sarah
Morgan gives a female perspective on the difficulties of
starting a career in science.
Southern
Genes
Random points of interest from NZBio
- Peter Kerr reports back on some impressive advances and
challenges presented at the NZBio Conference in Auckland
this week.
sticK
Research highlights
Strong support for colorectal cancer screening -
Research into public attitudes towards screening for
colorectal cancer has found generally positive views in the
target population age group of 50 - 71 year olds.
Participants strongly supported population-wide screening
using non-invasive fecal occult blood tests.
(New
Zealand Medical Journal)
Using biochar to clean up cow
emissions - Scientists at Lincoln University have
reduced emissions of nitrous oxide -- a potent greenhouse
gas -- from grazing cattle by as much as 70% in a recent
seasonal trial. Biochar mixed into the soil soaked up
ammonia from cattle urine, reducing nitrate concentrations
and production of nitrous oxide, researchers
found.
(Journal of Environmental
Quality)
Fertility control vaccine for
possums in New Zealand - A review paper published in the
latest issue of the New Zealand Journal of Zoology examines
options for a fertility control vaccine to reduce possum
reproduction, including using genetically modified
parasites, bacteria or viruses to target delivery of the
vaccine.
(New Zealand Journal of
Zoology)
Fossils of new ancient penguin
found in south Canterbury - NZ paleontologists have
identified a new species of penguin from the early Eocene,
named Kaiika maxwelli. They estimate it stood 1.3 m tall,
similar in height to an emperor penguin, indicating that
large penguins were able to survive during a time when the
globe was warmer than today.
(New Zealand Journal of Geology and
Geophysics)
Protected seabirds deaths in
snapper fishery - The Department of Conservation has
released a study of seabird interactions with fishing boats
using longlines to catch snapper in waters off the east
coast of Auckland. Over the 6 years of observation, 37
protected bird deaths were recorded. Mitigation techniques
like tori lines appear to be reducing the rate of bycatch,
but more monitoring is needed, researchers say.
(DoC scientific publication -
PDF)
Journey to the mantle of the
Earth - Researchers will mark the 50th anniversary of an
ambitious -- but failed -- project to drill through the
Earth's crust to the mantle below the ocean floor, by trying
it again. If successful, they will retrieve the first sample
ever collected from the Earth's molten
interior.
(Nature)
Distribution,
status and conservation for lizards in South Canterbury
- The limestone outcrops of South Canterbury have been
surveyed to find which lizard species are still present. The
species with the highest number of sightings was the
Southern Alps gecko. Conservation methods that might benefit
native lizards are discussed.
(New Zealand Journal of
Zoology)
Social and ecological benefits
from forests - New research shows that when local people
are allowed to make rules about managing the forests close
to where they live, the forests are more likely to provide
greater economic benefits to households and to contain
greater biodiversity.
(Science)
Test tube sperm
- Scientists have successfully cultured mouse testes
cells and induced them to produce sperm. The findings of
this research may have important implications for men who
are infertile.
(Nature)
First complete
genome portrait of multiple myeloma published - This
week sees the publication of several multiple myeloma
genomes, revealing a variety of mutated genes involved in
the disease, along with mechanisms that could be the target
of therapeutic strategies.
(Nature)
Policy
updates
Some highlights from the week include:
New research on why parents don't
fully immunise kids - A Ministry of Health-commissioned
report into why parents and caregivers don't complete immunisations of
pre-school children was released today.
Groser visiting Mexico for climate change meeting
- The Minister Responsible for International Climate
Change Negotiations -- Tim Groser -- is attending a
high-level ministerial meeting on implementing the Cancun Agreement
from 22-25 March.
New Zealand R&D spending up last year - Results from the 2010 Research and Development Survey released Tuesday by Statistics NZ show that total R&D expenditure is up 13% since 2008. R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP has also increased, but at 1.3% is still well below the OECD average.
Upcoming sci-tech
events
Science meets art: Investigating pigments in art and archaeology - 29 Mar, Nelson; 31 Mar, Wellington; 5 Apr, Hamilton - 2011 Royal Society of New Zealand Distinguished Speaker Professor Robin Clark
Seminar: Who
is responsible for New Zealand's waistline - 25 March,
Dunedin - (follow up to the 2010 Wellington
seminar).
Goodfellow symposium, Evidence into
practice, practice into people - 25 - 27 March,
Auckland
International symposium on dietary protein for human health - 27-30 March, Auckland
Climate futures forum, Pathways for society, 31 March - 1 April, Wellington
Earth Hour: lights out - At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour. See earthhour.org for more details.
For
these and more upcoming events, and more details about them,
visit the SMC's Events Calendar.
ENDS
Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
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