Latest Sci-Tech Headlines
Datadog Experiments Launches To Help Teams Connect Every Product Change To Business Outcomes
Tuesday, 7 April 2026, 11:52 am | Datadog
By embedding experimentation into observability, Datadog enables teams to innovate
safely in the age of AI
More >>
academyEX Launches ‘AI For Good’ Initiative To Lift AI Skills Across New Zealand Businesses And Charities
Tuesday, 7 April 2026, 11:47 am | academyEX
The initiative is built around academyEX’s AI for Business, an online learning
platform designed to lift AI literacy and confidence across entire organisations.
More >>
Dino Novia Leads Evodrop’s Work In Sustainable Water Treatment
Saturday, 4 April 2026, 7:19 am | Hugh Grant
Evodrop’s engineering philosophy revolves around filtration and mineral management
that works without traditional softening methods.
More >>
AI Creates Quasi-Atoms: A New Approach To Materials Study
Friday, 3 April 2026, 11:07 am | Skoltech
The approach could find applications in modeling material properties, creating composites
with specified mechanical characteristics, predicting the lifespan of parts and assemblies
in mechanical engineering, etc.More >>
Bigger Storms, More Often: New Study Projects Likely Future Rainfall Impacts On NZ
Thursday, 2 April 2026, 8:02 pm | The Conversation
New models show NZ’s heaviest rainfall is likely to grow more intense and frequent,
with some regions facing twice as many extreme events by 2100.
More >>
NIWA’s Hotspot Watch
Thursday, 2 April 2026, 4:01 pm | Earth Sciences New Zealand
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where
dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.Regions experiencing significant
soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”.More >>
IRANZ Welcomes Strategic Focus On Science, Innovation, And Technology System Reform
Thursday, 2 April 2026, 3:20 pm | IRANZ
IRANZ will continue to work collaboratively with the Science, Innovation and Technology
Advisory Council, RFNZ, & other stakeholders to ensure that the prioritisation process
is inclusive, evidence-based, and aligned with NZ’s long-term interests.More >>
Two-Step Verification Helps Contain Cyber Attack
Thursday, 2 April 2026, 2:59 pm | Inland Revenue
If anyone gets a message from Inland Revenue telling them there has been a new log
on to their account, and it wasn’t them, they should contact IR.
More >>
Sci-Tech Prioritisation Report Is A Joke That Could Cost NZ Dearly
Thursday, 2 April 2026, 2:13 pm | New Zealand Association of Scientists
The argument for this is that we have a ‘bias’ towards agricultural and environmental
research, ignoring the fact that we are a country whose economy depends very heavily
on the environment.More >>
AI Tools Can Interpret NZ Privacy Policies With Up To 85% Accuracy
Thursday, 2 April 2026, 9:00 am | Auckland University of Technology
By comparing human interpretations of statements from 15 high traffic New Zealand
websites with interpretations by the AI chatbots, Mukherjee and Gutierrez found AI
agreed with humans most of the time.
More >>
ExpressVPN Launches ExpressAI, An AI Platform Built For True Privacy
Wednesday, 1 April 2026, 3:58 pm | ExpressVPN
ExpressAI is independently audited by Cure53, and is built on confidential computing
to ensure user messages can’t be accessed or viewed by anyone
More >>
Apple At 50: Eight Technology Leaps That Changed Our World
Tuesday, 31 March 2026, 8:57 pm | The Conversation
From Apple II to the iPhone, time and again this extraordinary company has anticipated
the value of opening up computing to everyone.
More >>
Long-Term, Bipartisan Tech Policies Needed For NZ To Realise Growth Potential
Tuesday, 31 March 2026, 8:31 pm | Tech New Zealand
“We need world-class local digital infrastructure, abundant and affordable clean
energy, a consistent and attractive investment ecosystem, and strong global connections
and export excellence,” says CEO Graeme Muller.More >>
Fifty Years Of Observations, No Reversal Of Glacier Climate Damage
Tuesday, 31 March 2026, 11:52 am | Earth Sciences New Zealand
Researchers carrying out this year’s end-of-summer snowline and glacier survey
saw retained snow on some glaciers, but no reversal in the overall trend of ice loss.
More >>
Meta And Google Just Lost A Landmark Social Media Addiction Case.
A Tech Law Expert Explains The Fallout
Sunday, 29 March 2026, 8:23 pm | The Conversation
The case was the first of its kind.But it won’t be the last.
More >>
New zealand’s 3g era ends, emergency call concerns remain
Sunday, 29 March 2026, 8:46 am | Bill Bennett
Concerns about 111 emergency calling after the 3G shutdown remain.The case for handset
rules.One NZ solar power project.
Spark satellite service.
More >>
Debating The Future Of AI And Entrepreneurship Wins Academics Critic And Conscience Of Society Awards
Saturday, 28 March 2026, 9:30 pm | Universities New Zealand – Te Pokai Tara
Established in 2017, the Critic and Conscience of Society Award encourages academics
to provide expert commentary on important issues affecting the New Zealand community
and future generations.More >>
One Vaccine, Many Diseases: The Study Trying To Find Universal Protection
Saturday, 28 March 2026, 8:26 pm | RNZ
An American study is working on an all-in-one vaccine that could protect against
the flu, Covid and other diseases.
More >>
Share Prices, Sports Results … Co Levels? The Case For Reporting Climate Stats Every Day
Friday, 27 March 2026, 9:04 am | The Conversation
Media rituals based on reporting numbers and trends help us talk about complex issues using simple measures of progress or decline.More >>
Swiss Scientists Develop Single-Chip 4D Imaging Sensor
Friday, 27 March 2026, 8:05 am | Hugh Grant
The research team stated that this is the first large-scale coherent focal plane
array that integrates all key electronic and photonic components on a single chip.
More >>
As AI Races Ahead, Can The Law Keep Up?
Thursday, 26 March 2026, 11:13 am | University of Auckland
The inaugural Law, Technology & Government Conference will see international legal
scholars, judges, and practitioners descend on the Business School to dissect where
we’re at when it comes to the governance and regulation of artificial intelligence.More >>
AI Tool Predicts Wildfire Danger Faster Than Current Systems
Wednesday, 25 March 2026, 12:00 pm | University of Canterbury
A UC-led study shows AI can predict wildfire risk more accurately than existing indices,
offering faster warnings and significant cost savings for fire agencies.
More >>
What The Coming El Niño Climate Pattern Means For NZ In A Warming World
Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 7:31 pm | The Conversation
Past El Niño events have brought drought and disruption to New Zealand.What might
the coming one spell?
More >>
Researchers Develop Durum Wheat That Combines Freezing Tolerance With High Pasta Quality
Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 7:29 pm | Skoltech
As a result of the study, approximately 60 new durum wheat lines were selected that
combine cold tolerance with superior gluten properties.
More >>
Rubrik Rolls Out Industry’s First Semantic AI Governance Engine
Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 12:26 pm | Rubrik
Domain-Specific Small Language Model Accelerates Trusted AI Agent Deployment and
Control.
More >>
MARS Bioimaging Gains FDA Clearance For Portable Photon-Counting CT Scanner
Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 11:11 am | MARS Bioimaging
The scanner leverages advanced photon-counting detector technology developed originally
through particle physics research at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics
(CERN), home of the Higgs boson discovery.More >>
2025 One Of The Hottest Years On Record – Expert Reaction
Monday, 23 March 2026, 6:56 pm | Science Media Centre
The report reinforces the urgency to build on our adaptation work, and highlights
that adaptation is no longer optional or nice-to-have, says Drew Bingham.
More >>
Trapped Air The Likely Cause Of Moa Point Failure – Expert Reaction
Monday, 23 March 2026, 1:05 pm | Science Media Centre
The bigger and perhaps less reported issue NZ needs to deal with are hundreds of
systems that are still discharging into NZs waterways without any disinfection at
all, says Professor Andy Shilton.
More >>
End in sight for mobile termination regulation
Saturday, 21 March 2026, 1:00 pm | Bill Bennett
The Commerce Commission says our mature market no longer needs mobile termination
rate regulation.Chorus launched digital equity product.
Fibre regulations under
review.More >>
Butterfly Project Goes Nationwide!
Friday, 20 March 2026, 10:49 am | Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust
The New Zealand Red Admiral Project, led by the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand
Trust (MBNZT), is inviting people across the country to help raise and release one
of New Zealand’s most striking endemic butterflies.More >>
Humans, Animals Like Same Sounds In `Darwin’s Hunch’ Experiment
Friday, 20 March 2026, 9:10 am | University of Auckland
Agreement between animals and humans was strongest when the calls involved lower
pitched sounds or acoustic adornments, such as trills, clicks and chucks.
More >>
‘Disaster Inertia’: Why Must NZ Keep Relearning The Same Lessons From Extreme Events?
Thursday, 19 March 2026, 7:52 pm | The Conversation
Post-disaster reviews show NZ repeats the same warnings.Breaking the cycle means
stronger laws, clearer responsibilities and greater funding.
More >>
Dawn’s Suborbital Spaceplane Completes Radar Tracking Experiment With Defence Science And Technology
Thursday, 19 March 2026, 2:28 pm | Dawn Aerospace
“DARTE shows the value of New Zealand industry, defence capability and national
infrastructure working together with purpose”, says DST Director David Galligan.
More >>
How To Stop Panic-Buying? Researcher Shares COVID Lesson
Thursday, 19 March 2026, 1:59 pm | University of the Sunshine Coast
Dr Karina Rune, a researcher in health and behavioural sciences at UniSC, says panic
buying is driven less by who people are and more by how risk and social behaviour
are communicated during times of uncertainty.
More >>
World First Hybrid Grass Breakthrough Could Open New Doors For Future Pastures
Wednesday, 18 March 2026, 11:45 am | Bioeconomy Science Institute
Hybrid plants are now growing in a Palmerston North greenhouse – the first time this
notoriously difficult pairing has ever produced viable seed, despite decades of international
effort.More >>
The Rise Of The Ultra-Compact: Can A Mini PC Really Replace Your Workstation?
Wednesday, 18 March 2026, 9:00 am | Hugh Grant
For general business use, administrative tasks and cloud-based workflows, ultra-compact
systems are more than capable and for highly specialised or resource-intensive applications,
traditional workstations still hold a clear advantage.More >>
Seabirds struggled to raise chicks in the Hauraki Gulf this summer.What happened?
Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 8:46 pm | The Conversation
The Hauraki Gulf is already experiencing more frequent and longer lasting marine
heatwaves.Seabirds now have to travel further to find enough food.
More >>
NZ Faces Legal And Sovereignty Risks As EU AI Rules Take Effect – Experts
Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 3:54 pm | Nodero
The warning comes as sweeping new artificial intelligence rules begin taking effect
across Europe under the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act.
More >>
Nutanix Unveils Nutanix Agentic AI, Full Stack Software Solution To Unlock The Potential Of Enterprise AI Factories
Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 1:31 pm | Nutanix
The solution integrates with NVIDIA AI Enterprise at the Agent Builder layer and
orchestrates the NVIDIA-certified ecosystem of AI factories for supported configurations.
More >>
New Dataset Maps NZ’s Energy Demand To 2050
Monday, 16 March 2026, 8:12 pm | University of Canterbury
UC project supervisor and co-lead of SERG, Dr Rebecca Peer, says the research
strengthens understanding of future energy needs.
More >>
New Zealand’s Flagship Connectivity Summit Comes To Parliament
Monday, 16 March 2026, 9:07 am | TUANZ
Election year and 2030 connectivity target puts our digital future on the line.
More >>
Twizel Photographer Jeff Ng Captures Aurora Australis From Lake Ruataniwha
Sunday, 15 March 2026, 7:08 pm | RNZ
Twizel astrophotographer Jeff Ng says auroras happen “quite often” in the area.
More >>
Why exposing young children to AI content could have irreversible consequences
Friday, 13 March 2026, 11:38 am | The Conversation
Young children’s brains develop through interaction with others.Throwing AI into
the mix could make it more difficult for them to navigate real-world relationships.
More >>
Select Committee Gets It Right
Friday, 13 March 2026, 8:26 am | Better Public Media
BPM recommends that the Department of Internal Affairs’ prematurely abandoned
‘Safer Online Services and Media Platforms Framework’ be dusted off to shape the
committee’s proposed regulatory response.
More >>
Syos Autonomous Uncrewed Heavy-Lift Helicopter Aces Endurance Trials, Now Ready For Serial Production
Thursday, 12 March 2026, 2:11 pm | SYOS Aerospace
The accomplishment – the culmination of five-year development programme – is a
significant step forward for maritime and expeditionary autonomy and clears the UAV
for serial production.More >>
Māori Experts In Science, Innovation And Technology Headline Annual Kanapu Wānanga
Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 9:27 pm | Kanapu
Kanapu is led by New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, Ngā Pae o
te Māramatanga, funded by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, Hīkina
Whakatutuki, and based at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato in Kirikiriroa.
More >>
Protecting Turbines From Extreme Heat: How Supercomputers Helped Create Ceramics That Withstand 2,000°C
Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 9:15 am | Skoltech
The material’s thermal expansion coefficient closely matches that of the metal
blades, reducing risk of cracking during heating and cooling cycles.Its mechanical
properties, including stiffness and nanohardness, are on par with existing materials.More >>
To Help Save NZ’s Native Species, We Must Move Past The Extinction Blame Game
Tuesday, 10 March 2026, 8:25 pm | The Conversation
Debates over responsibility for past species loss generate heat but little light.
Moving forward requires context, evidence and Indigenous knowledge.
More >>
Datadog Launches MCP Server To Provide AI Agents With Secure, Real-Time Access To Unified Observability Data
Tuesday, 10 March 2026, 11:42 am | Datadog
Datadog MCP Server enables faster debugging, safer automation and governed AI operations at scale More >>
Boomi Activates Data For The Enterprise
Tuesday, 10 March 2026, 11:26 am | Boomi
New platform innovations activate contextual data to power production-scale enterprise
AI, with a new European platform instance for localised control
More >>
Fibre deregulation on Commerce Commission’s 2026 agenda
Sunday, 8 March 2026, 7:58 pm | Bill Bennett
Fibre deregulation on ComCom 2026 agenda Telecommunications commissioner Tristan
Gilbertson says the Commerce Commission’s focus in 2026 is reviewing fibre regulation,
improving retail service quality and considering the deregulation of services.
He …
More >>
Laser Mapping And CT Scans Reveal North Island’s Hidden Quake Risk
Saturday, 7 March 2026, 8:01 pm | RNZ
Studies are investigating potential faults beneath Auckland, newly identified faultlines
in Wairarapa and signs of past shaking near Hamilton.
More >>
Scientists’ Discovery Of Ancient Deep Sea Corals Brings New Hope For Protection Against Threat Of Industrial Fishing
Saturday, 7 March 2026, 3:39 pm | Greenpeace
International resolutions state that vulnerable marine ecosystems should be protected
from bottom trawling due to their fragility, ecosystem importance and slow recovery
rate, making them incredibly vulnerable to this fishing method.More >>
New Modelling Shows Renewable Electricity Can Meet NZ’s Future Demand – Without Importing Gas
Friday, 6 March 2026, 8:06 pm | The Conversation
New Zealand could meet its electricity needs through renewables and avoid power shortages
during dry years by combining battery systems with pumped hydro schemes.
More >>
Look What You Made Us Patch: 2025 Zero-Days In Review
Friday, 6 March 2026, 4:01 pm | Google Threat Intelligence Group – GTIG
State-sponsored espionage groups continue to prioritize edge devices and security
appliances as prime entry points into victim networks, with just over half of attributed
zero-day exploitation by these groups focused on these technologies.More >>
Inaugural Fleur Templeton Memorial Award Goes To Science Writer Ursula Cochran
Friday, 6 March 2026, 10:00 am | Natural Hazards Commission
Her project will be a preventative mental health resource featuring Wellingtonians’
perspectives on living with earthquakes, encouraging others to take practical steps
to prepare mentally and physically for future events.More >>
Open Data To Help Create Adaptive Systems For Stroke Recovery
Thursday, 5 March 2026, 9:12 pm | Skoltech
All data — including fNIRS and EEG signals, clinical assessments (Fugl-Meyer scale,
ARAT), and demographic information — have been made openly available on the Figshare
platform.
More >>
Select Committee Calls For Online Platform Transparency And Accountability
Thursday, 5 March 2026, 4:37 pm | Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
The Committee’s report is clear, we can better protect all New Zealanders through
such measures as transparency and accountability, overseen by an independent regulator.
More >>
Can We Remain A Small Advanced Nation With Ongoing Losses Of Our Science Workforce?
Thursday, 5 March 2026, 12:56 pm | New Zealand Association of Scientists
“With science roles continuing to go out the door with no strategies in place,
there’s no prospect of achieving the growth the government claims it is seeking.”
More >>
The Future Remains Bleak For Corals – But Not All Reefs Are Doomed
Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 9:23 pm | The Conversation
Coral reefs are likely to erode even under low-emission scenarios, but some reefs
may persist if corals evolve to become more resistant to ocean warming.
More >>.
