Off the chain
It strikes me as quietly ridiculous, sitting in Middlemarch with a telescope barely bigger than a coffee mug, peering 60 million light-years into the dark.
Science
Sorting which came first
Sorting which came first
The world has saluted Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday.
Pragmatic word, poetic sight
Pragmatic word, poetic sight
I learnt a new word this week. It is not a poetic word, not one that rolls off the tongue or finds its way easily into a sentence. It sounds more like something you would scrape off a laboratory...
There but for a quirk of DNA go we
There but for a quirk of DNA go we
The discovery of DNA has had a massive impact on our understanding of human evolution.
The violence is in our genes
The violence is in our genes
A tendency to aggression and antisocial behaviour is encoded in certain people’s DNA, argues Kathryn Paige Harden — and it could have profound implications for crime and punishment.
Astonishment still growing
Astonishment still growing
Tiny telescope, big discoveries.
Teeth hold diet secrets
Teeth hold diet secrets
How do you reconstruct the diet of prehistoric people?
Gypsum proves to be a remarkable preserver of Roman history
Gypsum proves to be a remarkable preserver of Roman history
Liquid gypsum is used today to improve the quality of clay soil, but in Roman times, it had a quite different application.
Two visions of the same aurora
Two visions of the same aurora
Autumn has arrived in Middlemarch.
Visitors among us
Visitors among us
Every now and then an astronomer finds themselves asking a question that sounds faintly ridiculous but is, in fact, perfectly reasonable.
Recognising the impact of female archaeologists
Recognising the impact of female archaeologists
As I am writing this it is International Women’s Day, and how appropriate to look back on the many contributions that women have made to understanding our human past.
Working together to learn more
Working together to learn more
On calm nights in Middlemarch, when the wind drops and the paddocks fall quiet, my usual practice is to step outside before bed and gaze upwards.
Honouring our animal companions in death
Honouring our animal companions in death
In a recent "Faith and Reason" column, David Tombs wrote about Gravedigger Bob, a Brazilian dog that so missed its master that it camped out in his cemetery and was ultimately buried there.
Lunar eclipse perfectly placed
Lunar eclipse perfectly placed
On Tuesday evening, as the last light fades over Otago Harbour and the first stars appear, something rather wonderful will begin.
The Dian are cast
The Dian are cast
When I tell colleagues I am involved in a research project at Shangri-La, they think I am teasing.
Tuesday’s triangle in Taurus
Tuesday’s triangle in Taurus
On Tuesday night, just after dinner, step outside and look east.
Tempestuous travels
Tempestuous travels
The recent Waitangi Day celebrations remind me of how a copy of the Treaty came to Otago.
Sky’s chemistry creates jewel
Sky’s chemistry creates jewel
Out here in the Strath Taieri, the nights have started to feel like autumn again — colder, steadier: the sort of air that makes the stars look as though someone has polished them.
A fleeting visit
A fleeting visit
Out at Middlemarch, the night has a way of settling in properly.
Thinking big 50 years on
Thinking big 50 years on
Gold is in the news, with opinion divided over the proposed Bendigo mine near Tarras.