Stories by Alison Ballance
Audio and features
Our immune system vs coronavirus: ‘I think of it as an orchestra'
The human immune system is a complex system where T cells, B cells and antibodies battle invaders such as bacteria and viruses such as the one that causes COVID-19. Audio
Virus 101 - the science of viruses
Virus expert Kurt Krause, from the University of Otago, gives us the lowdown on viruses, and on coronaviruses in particular. Audio
Air pollution - the invisible killer
GNS Science monitors levels of air pollution around New Zealand, especially small particles that can have severe health effects. Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 8: Success
The 2019 kākāpō chicks are becoming independent and birds sent to be scanned for aspergillosis are getting clean bills of health, in part 8 of Voice of the Kākāpō. Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 7: Dark days
A deadly fungal disease strikes the kākāpō population on Whenua Hou and the Kākāpō Recovery team calls on New Zealand wildlife vets to help, in part 7 of Voice of the Kākāpō.. Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 6: Kākāpō chicks
The kākāpō eggs are hatching, and chicks are being hand-reared or returned to their mother's nest ... but not every chick is thriving, in part 6 of Voice of the Kākāpō . Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 5: Kākāpō sperm takes to the air
The tally of infertile eggs is climbing and the kākāpō team is using artificial insemination - and a drone - to try and counter the problem, in part 5 of Voice of the Kākāpō. Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 4: Promise
Most of the female kākāpō have bred and the team is carrying precious fertile eggs to the 'egg room' for incubation, in part 4 of Voice of the Kākāpō . Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 3: Nest checks
Kākāpō breeding is in full swing after an early start, and DOC's Deidre Vercoe and Andrew Digby are checking to see if eggs are fertile, in part 3 of Voice of the Kākāpō. Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 2: Whenua Hou, kākāpō island
The kākāpō team know all the signs are good for a big kākāpō breeding season - the question is exactly how big and when will it start? Part 2 of Voice of the Kākāpō. Audio
Voice of the Kākāpō 1: Kākāpō - night parrot
The kākāpō is a giant flightless parrot whose fortunes are tied to the rimu tree and to a dedicated team of rangers from the Department of Conservation. Audio
What we do during an earthquake & why it matters
Official advice in an earthquake quake is to 'drop, cover, hold.' But is this what we actually do? And what happens if we do something else? Audio
Rock wren - NZ's mountain 'big foot'
The tiny rock wren lives year-round in the alpine zone of the South Island mountains and research shows that predator control is important for the species' survival. Audio
Zirconium - shape-shifting time capsule
Zirconium is a shape-shifting tough cookie, that is a tale of gemstones, medical implants and nuclear reactors, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 96 of Elemental. Audio
Zinc - more useful than you realise
Zinc is a very useful metal that turns up in everything from sunscreen to paint, & galvanised metals to cereals, as well as brass instruments, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 95 of Elemental. Audio
Yttrium - here's that village Ytterby again
Yttrium is yet another element named after the village of Ytterby and is important in the development of high temperature superconductors, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 94 of Elemental. Audio
Ytterbium - yet another element named after Ytterby
Ytterbium is yet another lanthanoid named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 93 of Elemental. Audio
Xenon - a stranger in search of strange particles
Xenon is a noble gas that turns up in various lights, gets used in xenon ion propulsion systems for spacecraft & plays a key role in the search for dark matter, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep… Audio
Vanadium - Model T Fords, big batteries & sea squirts
Vanadium makes steel stronger & lighter, is being used in what will be the world's largest battery, and sea squirts are full of it, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 91 of Elemental. Audio
Uranium - first radioactive element to be discovered
Named after the planet Uranus & associated with Hiroshima & nuclear bombs, uranium is the highest-numbered element found naturally in significant quantities on earth, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 90… Audio
Tracking Pacific golden plovers around the world
A satellite tracking programme is revealing, for the first time, where New Zealand's Pacific golden plovers or kuriri migrate to breed. Audio
Tungsten - highest melting point of any metal
Tungsten's very high melting point made it an ideal filament for incandescent light bulbs, & as it is in some enzymes it is the heaviest element used in nature, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 89… Audio
Titanium - light, strong & quite pretty
Titanium is light, strong, corrosion resistant & is used to repair broken limbs as it is able to get integrated into the bone, says Allan Blackman from AUT speaking from personal experience in ep 88… Audio
A spotlight on NZ lakes - Lakes380 part 2
380 New Zealand lakes are in the spotlight, and Marcus Vandergoes from GNS Science explains what happens to the thousands of sediment cores that will reveal a 1000-year history for each lake. Audio
Tin - from whistles to organ pipes & anti-fouling paint
The element tin turns up in all sorts of alloys, but tin cans are - mostly - not made from tin, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, in ep 87 of Elemental. Audio