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Science & Medicine

Our Changing World

RNZ

Getting out in the field and the lab to bring you New Zealand stories about science, nature and the environment.

Episodes

20 of 326 episodes

The PINK1 clue in Parkinson's disease

A genetic form of Parkinson’s disease is found at unusually high rates in some Pasifika communities. It affects people who are much younger...

00:25:59Oct 19, 2026

Are GLP1 drugs worth the hype?

GLP1 - RA weight loss drugs get the Our Changing World treatment! What are they? How do they work? And what does the science say about the b...

00:26:33Oct 12, 2026

Black robin: From the brink to Bird of the Year

In September, the Chatham Island black robin was crowned Bird of the Year 2026. This small, round and feisty manu has a remarkable comeback...

00:26:44Oct 5, 2026

The science quest for a green ammonia catalyst

Over a hundred years ago Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch discovered a way to produce ammonia that revolutionised farming. It changed the world. B...

00:26:22Sep 28, 2026

Searching sand dunes for lizards

Over 80% of our coastal dune ecosystems have been lost. So, what about the native species living with them? Ayana Piper-Healion steps into B...

00:26:10Sep 21, 2026

Ireland's experience of H5/N1 bird flu: A conversation with Niall Hatch

Highly pathogenic H5/N1 bird flu strain has been detected in New Zealand, but it's still early days. There are lots of unknowns about when i...

00:20:16Sep 14, 2026

H5/N1 bird flu is here, what does this mean for our wildlife?

After years of watching it move closer, the highly pathogenic H5/N1 strain of bird flu has arrived on our shores. It has left a trail of dev...

00:29:44Sep 14, 2026

OCW Recommends: All in Her Head

Our Changing World listeners might like to check out All In Her Head, a podcast by investigative journalist Anusha Bradley exploring a compl...

00:47:36Sep 7, 2026

Could we de-extinct the moa?

Our Changing World takes a deep dive into controversial plans by US company Colossal Biosciences, backed by filmmaker Peter Jackson, to de-e...

00:27:14Aug 31, 2026

Should we de-extinct the moa?

Our Changing World takes a deep dive into controversial plans by US company Colossal Biosciences, backed by filmmaker Peter Jackson, to de-e...

00:31:29Aug 31, 2026

Cold water swimming: panacea or peril?

Cold plunges and cold water swimming are increasingly popular, with big benefit claims being made on social media. But is submerging yoursel...

00:26:33Aug 24, 2026

A precious piece of sediment, and what it says about our future

After years of preparation and effort an international team have succeeded in recovering over 200 metres of sediment from below the West Ant...

00:30:34Aug 17, 2026

Solar on the go and feeding the world in a catastrophe

There’s a lot of chat about solar panels for our rooftops, but where else might it make sense to put them? Claire Concannon visits the Unive...

00:26:38Aug 10, 2026

High powered magnets, and making steel with hydrogen

At the Robinson Research Institute in Wellington, researchers are developing powerful superconducting magnets for space, fusion and MRI appl...

00:25:32Aug 3, 2026

Electric motors for future flight

To get electric passenger planes in the skies requires powerful electric motors, but they must also be small and light. Some kiwi scientists...

00:25:33Jul 27, 2026

An Antarctic adventure, and a book return

Join a group of young explorers as they journey to Antarctica to return a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo to Discovery Hut. Along the way...

00:26:47Jul 20, 2026

New tech aimed at improving heart health at home

Every 90 minutes a New Zealander dies from heart disease. Liz Garton meets the team at the Institute of Biomedical Technologies is developin...

00:25:22Jul 13, 2026

Building a nation-wide model of landslide risk

Out of all of New Zealand’s natural hazards, landslides have resulted in the greatest loss of life since written records began. Pulling in d...

00:26:55Jul 6, 2026

Meet the Prime Minister's science prize winners

A team that developed a brain cooling treatment for oxygen-deprived babies, a young scientist who created a helpful backseat driver app, a M...

00:27:08Jun 30, 2026

Analysing ash, and Vanuatu's volcanoes

New Zealand is a land formed by volcanoes, including some still active. Claire Concannon meets a researcher analysing ash deposits to determ...

00:27:11Jun 22, 2026