(C) The Conversation This story was originally published by The Conversation and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington on The Conversation [1] ['Alan Brent', 'Alison Pavlovich', 'Barbara Allen', 'Jack Vowles', 'Jessica Young', 'Karl Lofgren', 'Masoumeh Sara Rahmani', 'Matteo Collina', 'Michael Macaulay', 'Miriam Pierotti'] Date: 2024-01-30 17:42:17+00:00 Getty Images January 30, 2024 The idea of ‘sovereignty’ is central to the Treaty debate – why is it so hard to define? If Māori did not explicitly cede sovereignty in 1840, neither did they fully retain it. If sovereignty is already being shared, where does Te Tiriti o Waitangi sit within our unwritten constitution? Matteo Collina January 24, 2024 Using photos to create 3D models is helping us understand – and protect – complex marine environments Photogrammetry, a technique where 3D information is extracted from photographs, is reducing the guesswork in counting – and understanding – the world below the ocean surface. Getty Images December 10, 2023 Return of the ‘consultocracy’ – how cutting public service jobs to save costs usually backfires History suggests the new NZ government’s pledge to cut budgets and jobs in the public sector will cost more in the long run – and damage morale in the process. Fiona Goodall December 8, 2023 Yes, NZ landlords gain from the repeal of interest deductibility rules – but it was a flawed law from the outset Labour’s 2021 property tax changes were meant to lower the cost of housing. But without a proper capital gains tax it only hurt investors and renters, and made the tax system overall less coherent. Getty Images November 30, 2023 Is Winston Peters right to call state-funded journalism ‘bribery’ – or is there a bigger threat to democracy? The Public Interest Journalism Fund became a lightning rod for disinformation well before Winston Peters likened it to ‘bribery’. Policy making has already been compromised as a result. Getty Images November 28, 2023 Māori atheism on the rise: the legacy of colonisation is driving a decline in traditional Christian beliefs More than half of Māori identified as having ‘no religion’ in the latest census. Our new research examines what could be behind the sharp rise in Māori atheism. Getty Images November 28, 2023 COP28: Earth’s frozen zones are in trouble – we’re already seeing the consequences The world is on track to exceed 2°C warming within the next five years, with dire consequences for polar ice, mountain glaciers and permafrost – and human society. Basilico Studio Stock/Getty Images November 27, 2023 Driving a greener future: how your electric car could help power your neighbourhood Using a ‘grid of grids’ network, New Zealand’s growing electric vehicle fleet could contribute to national energy resiliency, feeding electricity back into the system during peak demand. Motortion/Getty Images November 23, 2023 Is assisted dying available equally to all in NZ? Questions next year’s review of the law must answer Two years after the law came into force, just 40% of the 1,441 New Zealanders who applied for an assisted death were able to have one. Next year’s review has important questions to answer. Zodebala/Getty Images November 22, 2023 Māori suicide rates remain too high – involving whānau more in coronial inquiries should be a priority Allowing whānau to be more engaged in the coronial investigation into a suicide would help provide answers for family – and help mental health services improve preventative measures. Getty Images November 15, 2023 We’re burning too much fossil fuel to fix by planting trees – making ‘net zero’ emissions impossible with offsets The idea that harm done today can be offset in the future is based on a basic misunderstanding of the carbon cycle. Planting more trees is important – but it’s no substitute for cutting emissions. Arkadiusz Warguła/Getty Images November 14, 2023 Fake news didn’t play a big role in NZ’s 2023 election – but there was a rise in ‘small lies’ We found the number of “big lies” – also known as fake news – didn’t increase in 2023 compared to 2020. But we did spot more “small lies” this time. Here’s what to look out for in coming elections. Shutterstock/Farjana.rahman November 13, 2023 We can still prevent the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet – if we act fast to keep future warming in check Seafloor sediments from beneath the Ross Ice Shelf represent an archive of warmer periods in Earth’s past. An ambitious international project aims to uncover what we can learn about our hotter future. LumiNola/Getty Images November 12, 2023 NZ workers have few protections if their employer goes bust – fixing the Companies Act would help Laid-off Supie staff were paid by an anonymous donor – but many employees never get what they’re owed when a company fails. New Zealand should follow overseas examples to better protect workers. Getty Images November 1, 2023 Bioprospecting the unknown: how bacterial enzymes encoded by unknown genes might help clean up pollution Bacterial DNA extracted from soil includes many genes whose function remains unknown. The novel enzymes these genes code for could be useful in efforts to clean up persistent pollutants. Jacobs Stock Photography/Getty Images October 30, 2023 NZ’s workplace rules will change again with each new government – unless we do this Bringing together worker, business, and government representatives helped set clearer rules for everyone on public holidays. We need to try that same approach to lift NZ’s poor productivity. Jessica Casson/Getty Images October 24, 2023 Who are the ‘kōhanga reo generation’ and how could they change Māori and mainstream politics? A new generation of Māori politicians is rising. Young and self-assured, they are the children of a movement that began 40 years ago. Getty Images October 19, 2023 NZ’s always-on culture has stretched the 8-hour workday – should the law contain a right to disconnect? This Labour weekend we celebrate the eight-hour workday. But with technology blurring the line between job and home, we need to ask why our workplace law hasn’t kept pace with other countries. 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