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The Conversation
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The Conversation Global launched as a pilot project in September 2016. The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public. Our team of professional editors work with experts to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public.
The Conversation - Latest News [Page 1]
National Wants To Scrap Sexual Offender Character References; Should NZ Go Further?
Tuesday, 2 June 2026, 8:03 am | The Conversation
Countries including the US, UK, Canada use consistent sentencing guidelines. Is it time that New Zealand follows suit? More >>
Can Wegovy Move The Needle On NZ’s Obesity Crisis, Or Simply Treat Its Symptoms?
Monday, 1 June 2026, 8:07 am | The Conversation
The popular new drug can bring dramatic weight loss for some patients. But for NZ, tackling a rising obesity epidemic is likely to require much broader change. More >>
Friday Essay: How To Sell A Genocide Exposes The Double Standards Of Reporting On Gaza
Sunday, 31 May 2026, 8:42 pm | The Conversation
Almost all major human rights organisations agree the destruction of Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide. Yet liberal news outlets still do not use the word. More >>
Budget Investment In Health Signals Continued Austerity Without Long-Term Vision
Saturday, 30 May 2026, 8:50 pm | The Conversation
Some new spending initiatives in health should add value, but the budget lacks a long-term vision for building cross-party consensus on improving healthcare. More >>
500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Helps Fill A Strange Gap In Our Record Of Life On Earth
Friday, 29 May 2026, 7:35 pm | The Conversation
The fossil is a reminder of how incomplete our understanding of Earth’s history remains. More >>
‘Like Drinking From A Firehose’ – What It’s Like To Be The Human In The AI Loop
Thursday, 28 May 2026, 8:14 pm | The Conversation
For legal reasons, organisations require a human reviewer of generative AI outputs. But this human oversight must be valued and budgeted for in the transition to AI. More >>
A ‘Supereruption’ Transformed NZ 350,000 Years Ago. We Now Know How It Happened
Wednesday, 27 May 2026, 12:16 pm | The Conversation
New research into the ancient Whakamaru supereruption reveals how multiple underground magma systems combined to unleash one of Earth’s most explosive events. More >>
The Winter Energy Payment Is Buying Less Warmth Each Year – Could There Be A Better Long-Term Fix?
Tuesday, 26 May 2026, 9:49 am | The Conversation
Govt top-ups help households to keep warm over winter. But rising power prices are creating an urgent need for longer-term energy solutions. More >>
The Push For A Smaller Public Service Risks Coming At A Larger Cost For New Zealanders
Monday, 25 May 2026, 4:25 pm | The Conversation
The government’s sweeping overhaul assumes AI, restructuring and job cuts can deliver a leaner, more efficient state. That is far from certain. More >>
One Company Dominates NZ’s Live Music Scene – How Do We Encourage Competition?
Sunday, 24 May 2026, 6:02 pm | The Conversation
A finding of anti-competitive behaviour by US industry giant Live Nation raises questions about New Zealand’s heavily consolidated music market. More >>
Was Auckland The Cradle Of The Kiwi Accent? An Old Theory Gets A New Hearing
Saturday, 23 May 2026, 6:45 pm | The Conversation
A rediscovered academic paper from 1921 suggests New Zealand’s classic ‘fush and chups’ vowel sounds may have emerged fastest in Auckland’s colonial melting pot. More >>
Some Technologies Use Accelerated Natural Processes To Capture Carbon – But Can They Store It Durably?
Friday, 22 May 2026, 2:44 pm | The Conversation
Investment in carbon removal technologies is rising rapidly, but some models overestimate how much carbon is captured because they don’t cover all Earth processes. More >>
Mowing The Lawn: The Colonial Ghosts Haunting Our Suburban Ritual
Friday, 22 May 2026, 8:51 am | The Conversation
In this extract from his newly published essay collection, the author traces the imperial British origins of a quintessential Kiwi chore. More >>
De-Extinction Company Says It’s Made An Artificial Egg – If True, It Could Help Save Living Species
Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 11:04 am | The Conversation
Colossal Biosciences’ artificial egg technology would deliver a useful tool for the conservation of threatened birds, but only if it’s made publicly available. More >>
NZ Is Criminalising Sexualised Deepfakes – Banning Apps That Make Them Should Be Next
Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 9:26 am | The Conversation
The rapid development of new technologies means criminalisation alone is unlikely to stop the spread of sexualised deepfakes. More >>
Compulsory Voting Has Boosted Turnout In Australia – Is It Time NZ Tried It?
Tuesday, 19 May 2026, 9:21 am | The Conversation
Voter turnout in New Zealand elections has been sliding for decades. Research suggests compulsory voting could reverse the trend – so what are the objections? More >>
Foreign-Trained Doctors Sustain NZ’s Health System – We Weren’t Always So Welcoming
Monday, 18 May 2026, 8:37 am | The Conversation
Prejudice and professional gate-keeping before and during WWII meant New Zealand denied itself an opportunity to save lives and boost its depleted health system. More >>
Astrophysicists Use ‘Space Archaeology’ To Trace The History Of A Spiral Galaxy
Sunday, 17 May 2026, 9:39 pm | The Conversation
Astronomers want to understand how spiral galaxies form and get their massive spiral arms. More >>
This Year’s Venice Biennale Marks A Major Shift In European Cultural Politics
Saturday, 16 May 2026, 9:15 pm | The Conversation
‘This biennale seems cursed’, texted my friend. Despite feeling hypocritical about the environmental burden, I booked a flight to Venice. More >>
Iran Is Threatening Undersea Cables. The World’s ‘Digital Chokepoints’ Have Never Been More Vulnerable
Saturday, 16 May 2026, 9:13 pm | The Conversation
The virtual world still runs on a very physical network – and states are waking up to the strategic implications. More >>
