Our Changing World

By RNZ

What's Our Changing World about?

Stories about science and nature from out in the field and inside the labs across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Winner 2022 New Zealand Radio Awards Best Factual Podcast - Episodic

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Our Changing World episodes:

05.01.2024
The 2023 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes: Communicating volcano science and sampling soils
Meet two winners of the 2023 Prime Ministers Science Prizes. In the wake of the 2019 Whakaari eruption, Professor Ben Kennedy engaged communities with the science of volcano hazards – mahi that earns him the 2023 Science Communication Prize. Meanwhile,...
04.24.2024
Turning the tide – what it takes to take out rats
Kate Evans visits a passionate team as they carpet a remote volcanic island in Tonga with poisoned bait, hoping to eradicate rats. What does it take to complete this kind of project, what are the chances of success, and what...
04.17.2024
Summer 34 – Three decades of albatross research
Journalist Rebekah White meets two people who have been counting albatrosses on remote islands in the subantarctic for more than three decades. Their research shows that at least one species is en route to extinction. A few changes to the...
04.10.2024
Taking on water - marine protection in Aotearoa
New Zealand once led the world in marine protection. Now it looks like we will fail to meet our international promise to protect 30 percent of our ocean estate by 2030. Why is stopping fishing so politically fraught? How might...
03.28.2024
A tale of two islands – erect-crested penguins
The Bounty Islands are tiny in terms of area – just some bits of granite jutting out of the ocean. But they are huge in terms of seabirds. James Frankham joins a team researching the erect-crested penguins who breed in...
03.28.2024
The mystery of how godwits sleep in flight
Kuaka bar-tailed godwits make the longest non-stop flights, and researchers are using hi-tech tags to solve the mystery of how and when they sleep.
03.21.2024
The stuff of life - Carbon capture in our ocean ecosystems
What roles do our ocean ecosystems play in capturing carbon? Kate Evans speaks to iwi Māori working to improve the health of an estuary in the Bay of Plenty, and to scientists studying the fiords of New Zealand’s southwest coast....
03.14.2024
Fish out of water - How to grow fish on land
People and livestock gobble so much fish that the seas soon won’t keep up. Is the answer to grow fish on land? Kate Evans meets scientists figuring out the puzzles of how to farm some of New Zealand’s iconic ocean...
03.07.2024
Kina-nomics - The kina are taking over, what can we do?
Kina numbers are exploding on some of our reefs, decimating seaweed habitats. Could this problem be solved by eating them? Kate Evans investigates the potential of kina-nomics.
02.29.2024
The undersea orchestra - Ocean sounds and what they tell us
Crackle, pop, woof, crunch, click. In the ocean, an undersea orchestra is in full swing. Journalist Kate Evans discovers who’s playing in it and why, and what happens when human noise drowns out this symphony in the sea.
02.22.2024
Watching the weather in the far southern seas
A group of young New Zealanders and two meteorologists travel to South Georgia Island in the southern Atlantic Ocean to collect weather observations – continuing the scientific legacy of early Antarctic explorers like Shackleton.
02.15.2024
New Zealand’s Antipodes Islands – remote, wild, and special
An ambitious project to rid the remote Antipodes Island of introduced mice proved successful in 2018. Claire Concannon visits the spectacular subantarctic island to meet the locals – from penguins to megaherbs – and the people studying the wildlife. Plus, we learn...
02.07.2024
Our Changing World – Drilling into Antarctic ice
How fast - and how completely - could Antarcticaâ€™s smaller western ice sheet melt in a warming world? An international science team, led by New Zealand, set out to investigate whether two degrees of warming could already be a tipping...
02.01.2024
Pollen, asthma and allergies
Allergenic pollen is a big trigger for New Zealand’s high rates of hay fever and asthma. But for 35 years, we’ve had no current data on pollen levels. Until now. Justin Gregory talks to a team who want to change...
01.25.2024
Restoring Wellington’s seaweed forests
Giant kelp is disappearing from Wellington Harbour. Love Rimurimu is aiming to restore lush underwater kelp forests with an ambitious and collaborative replanting effort. Claire Concannon dives in to the wonderful world of seaweeds.
01.18.2024
Summer science: AI and medicinal cannabis
In the final instalment of the summer science series, science communication students tackle two controversial topics: medicinal cannabis, and AI consciousness.
01.11.2024
Summer science: Hybrid wildlife and mātauranga Māori
Should we intervene to prevent hybridisation between an endangered species and its common relative? In this week's summer science episode, two students from the Department of Science Communication at the University of Otago tell stories of science controversy: the conservation...
01.04.2024
Summer science: Kākā in Wellington
Kākā numbers are skyrocketing in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington thanks to conservation efforts. The summer science series continues with a walk through Zealandia to find out why you shouldn't feed these inquisitive parrots.
01.04.2024
Summer science: Seabirds in Auckland
The summer science fun continues with an episode from RNZ podcast Voices. Meet Gaia Dell'Arriccia, a scientist originally from the south of France who studies the seabirds that live around Auckland's coastlines.
12.28.2023
Summer science: Death rays and radio inventions
The summer science series kicks off with an episode from award-winning podcast Black Sheep, about a backyard inventor called Victor Penny who sparked sensational headlines about death ray inventions in 1935.
12.21.2023
The giant dinosaurs of Patagonia… and maybe Aotearoa?
This week on Our Changing World RNZ podcast producer, and occasional dinosaur correspondent William Ray visits Ngā Taniwha o Rūpapa Dinosaurs of Patagonia, a special exhibition at Te Papa Museum to discover the surprising link between the giant dinosaurs of...
12.14.2023
Underwater slips and slides
Off the coast of New Zealand, deep underwater, the seafloor shifts in landslides and slow-motion earthquakes. Claire Concannon meets two researchers investigating geological phenomena that could pose a tsunami risk to Aotearoa New Zealand.
12.07.2023
On alert – the National Geohazard Monitoring Centre
Go behind the scenes at the National Geohazard Monitoring Centre, where a team of analysts are on alert 24/7 for earthquakes, volcanic activity, tsunamis and landslides. What happens when a natural disaster strikes?
11.30.2023
Monitoring the Makarora mohua
Mohua are bright yellow forest birds – but despite their eye-catching plumage, they can be tricky to spot flitting high in the forest canopy. Claire Concannon visits the Makarora mohua population, where a team of conservationists and scientists are testing...
11.23.2023
A new way to help honey bees
Varroa mite parasites cause major problems for honey bees – and beekeepers. Now, New Zealand researchers are investigating a new type of RNA-based treatment that could make treating varroa mite infestations easier, as well as better for the bees and...
11.20.2023
OCW recommends: The Turning Point
New video series: A turning point in the fight to preserve Aotearoa's natural environment.
11.16.2023
Plasma rockets in space
Claire Concannon meets GERALDINE, the Gigantic and Extremely Radical Atmosphere-Lacking Device for Interesting and Novel Experimentation. Plus, a team of scientists and engineers designing plasma rocket thrusters for space travel with super-conducting magnets.
11.09.2023
Helping to revitalise Moriori culture
A Moriori musician, an ethnomusicologist and the Hokotehi Moriori Trust are part of a team helping to revitalise Moriori culture with 3D-printed replicas of traditional bone flutes from Rēkohu the Chatham Islands. Claire Concannon finds out more about the Moriori, music...
11.02.2023
Forecasting in changing times
In the last week, Hurricane Otis hit southern Mexico with little warning, and Cyclone Lola set a record for the earliest category five cyclone in the southern hemisphere. Climate change is making work tricky for weather forecasters. What might be...
10.26.2023
The potential of plankton
Could your burger one day come with a plankton patty? Alison Ballance visits the Cawthron Institute's collection of more than 750 different strains of microalgae, where scientists are investigating these teeny organisms for new food ingredients and powerful painkillers.
10.19.2023
Life in the fast and slow lanes of braided rivers
In the ever-shifting streams and channels of a braided river, creatures must adapt to change. Claire Concannon joins a researcher on the spectacular Cass River near Tekapo for a spot of electrofishing and bird counting – part of a project...
10.12.2023
Why are penguins so cool?
Giant penguins weighing up to 150 kilograms once roamed the waters around New Zealand. Claire Concannon speaks to a palaeontologist and learns about penguin evolution, extinct species that dwarfed today's emperors, and why Aotearoa is such a great place to study...
10.05.2023
Muscles young and old
What happens to our muscles as we age? Claire Concannon finds out why muscles get weaker as we get older, and speaks with a researcher investigating why Olympic athletes live up to three years longer than the general population. Claire...
09.28.2023
Dotterels: The Southland underdog
The southern New Zealand dotterel is a true underdog of the bird world, with just 126 individuals at last population estimate. Claire Concannon tags along with a team of researchers attaching trackers to the birds. Their mission is to figure out...
09.20.2023
The recipe for food pairing
Broccoli and chocolate. Prawns and vanilla. According to food pairing theory, these culinary matches should go together as well as macaroni and cheese, or peanut butter and jam. But do they really? Senior producer Justin Gregory meets two researchers digging...
09.13.2023
The Great Ireland vs New Zealand Bird-off: Part 2
The Great Ireland vs. New Zealand Bird-off returns for part 2 to decide once and for all which island nation boasts the best birds. Our avian aficionados return to argue their case in front of judge Claire Concannon. Who will...
09.06.2023
The great Ireland vs. New Zealand bird-off: Part 1
Welcome to the great Ireland vs New Zealand bird-off. Two islands, a world apart – but which country has the better birds? Two bird nerds champion their nation's birds across four categories in an avian battle for the ages, with...
08.30.2023
Retraining the tinnitus brain
We’ve probably all experienced a little bit of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, at some stage in our lives. But for some people this phantom sound in their brain can be loud, and permanent, and completely debilitating. Claire Concannon...
08.23.2023
Exercise on the brain
Dr Kate Thomas has exercise on the brain. As an exercise physiologist, she researches how exercise and fasting can change the energy sources our brain uses. And as an ultramarathon runner, she chases that runner's high on gruelling mountain races.
08.16.2023
Earthquake engineering meets breast cancer screening
How can swaying buildings help diagnose breast cancer? Katy Gosset meets a team of engineers taking inspiration from earthquake engineering to design a new, cost-effective device to help detect breast cancer. Listen to find out how the device works, and...
08.09.2023
Takahē dreamers
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rediscovery of the takahē. Claire Concannon sits down with former Our Changing World presenter and takahē superfan Alison Ballance to chat about her new book, Takahē: Bird of Dreams. Plus, we replay...
08.02.2023
The petrel patrol
Every year, tens to hundreds of seabirds fall out of the sky across Auckland city. Disoriented by the bright lights, Cook's petrels crash-land and collide with buildings – but a dedicated group of volunteers hit the pavement to rescue them....
07.26.2023
The science of snow
Are all snowflakes really unique? What makes some snow better for skiing? And what's the difference between snow and hail? Join Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset as they hit the slopes of Mt Ruapehu and discover a science wonderland of...
07.19.2023
Inside the nuclear fusion reactor ITER
Nuclear fusion is a holy grail for researchers seeking clean energy. This week we head to the south of France with ABC science journalist Carl Smith in this episode from the Strange Frontiers series. Here, a multi-billion-dollar collaboration between several countries...
07.12.2023
Our taiao, our tohu - protecting the Waihi estuary
Tauranga-based producer Justine Murray dons some gumboots and meets some teeny-tiny cockles as she joins a team surveying the Waihi estuary. Professor Kura Paul-Burke is weaving mātauranga Māori and western science together to address questions that local iwi have about...
07.05.2023
The puzzle of the silent mind
Have you ever had a catchy tune you just can't get out of your head? Most of us can imagine sounds – music, voices, environmental noise – to varying degrees. But about 1% of people can't imagine sounds at all. This...
06.28.2023
Neurogenetic conditions in Aotearoa
In September 2022, two New Zealand patients became the first in the world to participate in a phase 1 clinical trial testing a new therapy for a rare neurogenetic condition called myotonic dystrophy. Claire Concannon learns about the trial, and...
06.21.2023
Blinded by the light
Here in Aotearoa, it's the winter solstice: the shortest day (and longest night) of the year. We're marking the occasion with an episode celebrating the starry night sky. Podcaster Max Balloch looks up in search of stories told through constellations,...
06.14.2023
Positive emotions in animals
Rats giggle. Dogs wag their tail. How do other animals express joy? You can't ask them, so researchers have to find other sneaky ways of figuring out animal emotions. Professor Ximena Nelson is studying how curious and intelligent kea, New Zealand's...
06.07.2023
Digital twins and beating hearts
There's nothing like a good birthday party, especially one filled with games and fun activities. The Auckland Bioengineering Institute might have missed their 20th birthday due to Covid-19, but they were determined to throw a good ole shindig. Claire Concannon...

What's Our Changing World about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Our Changing World episodes:

The 2023 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes: Communicating volcano science and sampling soils

Turning the tide – what it takes to take out rats

Summer 34 – Three decades of albatross research

Taking on water - marine protection in Aotearoa

A tale of two islands – erect-crested penguins

The mystery of how godwits sleep in flight

The stuff of life - Carbon capture in our ocean ecosystems

Fish out of water - How to grow fish on land

Kina-nomics - The kina are taking over, what can we do?

The undersea orchestra - Ocean sounds and what they tell us

Watching the weather in the far southern seas

New Zealand’s Antipodes Islands – remote, wild, and special

Our Changing World – Drilling into Antarctic ice

Pollen, asthma and allergies

Restoring Wellington’s seaweed forests

Summer science: AI and medicinal cannabis

Summer science: Hybrid wildlife and mātauranga Māori

Summer science: Kākā in Wellington

Summer science: Seabirds in Auckland

Summer science: Death rays and radio inventions

The giant dinosaurs of Patagonia… and maybe Aotearoa?

Underwater slips and slides

On alert – the National Geohazard Monitoring Centre

Monitoring the Makarora mohua

A new way to help honey bees

OCW recommends: The Turning Point

Plasma rockets in space

Helping to revitalise Moriori culture

Forecasting in changing times

The potential of plankton

Life in the fast and slow lanes of braided rivers

Why are penguins so cool?

Muscles young and old

Dotterels: The Southland underdog

The recipe for food pairing

The Great Ireland vs New Zealand Bird-off: Part 2

The great Ireland vs. New Zealand bird-off: Part 1

Retraining the tinnitus brain

Exercise on the brain

Earthquake engineering meets breast cancer screening

Takahē dreamers

The petrel patrol

The science of snow

Inside the nuclear fusion reactor ITER

Our taiao, our tohu - protecting the Waihi estuary

The puzzle of the silent mind

Neurogenetic conditions in Aotearoa

Blinded by the light

Positive emotions in animals

Digital twins and beating hearts