Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
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te-ara-paerangi.community
Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
@te-ara-paerangi.community
We are a community of people working together for a better collective future using research, advocacy, and capability building. We are based in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Come join us. https://te-ara-paerangi.community
Missing words are due to Long COVID.
Pinned
Here's the promised write up. I welcome any thoughts or comments from #NZPOL and other bluesky users. Thanks to @memycoffeenbonsai.bsky.social for the specific prompt. And thanks to the many people here that I've interacted with since the great migration.
Let's get organised!
History / Background of TAP Community for Aotearoa Bluesky
IntroductionBluesky user The Broke Bonsai Bloke asked where Kiwis might go if Bluesky takes a nosedive. I offered up this site as one possibility. I had in mind people for whom our kaupapa resonates. ...
te-ara-paerangi.community
That sinking feeling when you put the tongs into the container of teriyaki steak to find that it was only teriyaki sauce. Change of plans for our bbq lunch today.
December 24, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
A group of rangatahi have taken control to redesign their future through an initiative called the Thames Rangatahi Advisory Panel (T-RAP).
Rangatahi voices in Hauraki speak out about voting age, social media ban
A group of rangatahi have taken control to redesign their future through an initiative called the Thames Rangatahi Advisory Panel (T-RAP).
www.teaonews.co.nz
December 24, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
Co-founder of Colossal Biosciences Ben Lamm has a history of hyping up “world-changing” ventures that ultimately lead nowhere. Cheerleading false techno-fixes like de-extinction in the media distracts from real attempts to address biodiversity loss and climate change.
Faking it without making it: The de-extinction disinfo campaign manager’s history of hype
How Colossal Biosciences’ CEO Ben Lamm keeps the hype cycle going. By Jonathan Matthews
gmwatch.org
December 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
The reason I don’t have my students look at their own chromosome in class is because people could learn that their chromosomal sex doesn’t match their physical sex, and learning that in the middle of a 10-point assignment is JUST NOT THE TIME.
August 9, 2024 at 10:40 PM
😠 ISP DNS shenanigans
😆 smartDNS
😍 RimuHosting DNS API

Another day in the IT trenches. Another win for free software and open protocols.
December 24, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
The number of British programs where they mention they lost someone due to Covid. I think New Zealanders totally underestimate how lucky (and well managed) we were. The still loud antivax voice/Covid deniers doesn't help. Much harder to deny Covid exists when everyone knows someone who lost someone.
December 23, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
I keep hearing that folk who don't use AI will be at a competitive disadvantage compared to those who do

I wonder how long before that flips completely, and there's a big market for people who still have basic creative and research skills
December 22, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
The reality is, evidence based is actually the Greens. The problem is the “donor class” have too much power and the reason ACT exisits

Money out of politics, then we can enjoys policies for the people rather than corporate donors
December 21, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
RSMF grant and the STF grant are both providing the R Foundation and the #rstats community a solid opportunity to modernise the infrastructure and lay the ground work for the next 10 years of language roadmap while mentoring new R Core members and enabling the community to participate directly.
Excited to see this post by Heather Turner with more details on their recent RSMF grant for enabling future contributions to R.

I'd encourage #rstats folks to give it a read: there are some much-needed modernisation ideas in here.

blog.r-project.org/2025/12/17/r...
RSMF: Enabling the Next Generation of Contributors to R - The R Blog
blog.r-project.org
December 22, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
To add: citations are about the verification of accepted academic norms. It's vital b/c academic communities have expanded to the point where group cohesion isn't easily achieved. AI threatens to undermine this.
We made a mistake by calling the output of AI ‘slop’. In academia it is now looking much more like toxic pollution, on the verge of laying waste to previously fertile plains. Suing for royalties is only a small part of the battle.
December 22, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
The Public Service Commission has published New Zealand's 5th National Action Plan as a member of @opengovpartnership.org

The plan:
www.publicservice.govt.nz/assets/OGP-N...

The parent page (with responses to submissions made) is here:
www.publicservice.govt.nz/system/open-...

#OGPNZ #nzpol
National Action Plans | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
New Zealand’s National Action Plans under the Open Government Partnership.
www.publicservice.govt.nz
December 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
Leprosy in Florida is becoming an actual thing. 36 cases reported so far this year, compared to 20 total cases in 2024. 27 of 36 cases were acquired locally. Growing populations of armadillos and old folks with weak immune systems may be to blame.
Dozens of leprosy cases reported in Florida. What we know
Florida is seeing a surge in leprosy cases this year, following a general rise over the last decade. What is leprosy, and is there a cure?
www.tallahassee.com
December 21, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
My kid is 14. He uses discord to talk to friends when playing Minecraft and dnd. He has no interest in FB or instagram or TikTok, but a social media hard-cap of age 16 would limit his social life unnecessarily with no benefit. Ffs, direct policy at platforms not users. Or ban boomers as well.
December 22, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Very much worth a read. #NZPOL

'Today, only 3% of bank activity consists of "lending to firms and individuals engaged in the production of goods and services."'

Productivity much?
Pluralistic: A perfect distillation of the social uselessness of finance (18 Dec 2025) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow pluralistic.net/2025...
December 22, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
Especially relevant in NZ, where funding for the Archives NZ digitisation programme of official records was axed in 2024.
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Seems like it's worth posting this one again.
December 22, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
This is, how do you say, pretty fucking cool. And we know exactly how to make this keep happening. We just have to have the social/political will to *do* it.
New Zealand just recorded its first-ever day of zero coal- or gas-fired electricity. In fact two days, 20 & 21 December. (Still some co-gen, about 1.8%.)
December 21, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
Morning. ☕️
December 21, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
In general, AI adoption levels are a measurement of to what extent a particular reward system (a corporation, a market, academia as a whole system) has ceased to distinguish between doing a thing and pretending to do a thing
One of many things the pro-AI crowd doesn't seem to understand is the very important distinction between academic scholarship and the production of papers. Of course they can be related but they're not necessarily the same thing
December 22, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
A fixed term scientist position to work with @joannehewittnz.bsky.social and I to help build a more flexible and responsive set of sequencing assays for both wastewater and clinical samples.

nzcris.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/nzcris...

Hit me up if you have questions: [email protected]
Scientist - EEFV
Te tūnga | The role This nine-month fixed-term role focuses on developing and validating PCR and sequencing-based assays to support clinical and wastewater surveillance. The position aims to strengthe...
nzcris.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
We have three wet lab genomics positions open, all supporting our sequencing for public health

Two permanent snr tech roles will be trained for accredited Illumina and ONT workflows (apply for both)

nzcris.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/nzcris...

nzcris.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/nzcris...

(1/2)
Senior Technician
Te tūnga | The role We have a permanent opportunity for a Senior Technician to join the fast-paced Genomics & Bioinformatics group at our Kenepuru Science Centre in Porirua. In this role you will ...
nzcris.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
Academia is busy making itself a house of cards. At some point, the Vice Chancellors and Divisional heads and International Rankings and PRRF rounds will have to reckon with the commodification of tertiary education and the undermining of academic research:
December 21, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
Yes, no backups is dangerous and make sure to a) validate integrity when backing up b) periodically restore tests and c) have multiple including off site.

I'm naughty with c), but apple photos is my hail mary for now

And remember that google photos/apple photos are synchronisers, not backups!
December 21, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
*sips tea*
Really interesting research showing that while ultra-specialization in a single discipline might lead to better results early in one’s career, multi-discipline training and practice pays off big time in the long run. This applies to a range of professions from scientists to athletes and more
Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance
Scientists have long debated the origins of exceptional human achievements. This literature review summarizes recent evidence from multiple domains on the acquisition of world-class performance. We re...
www.science.org
December 20, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
📢 We’re hiring a Lecturer in Criminology & Criminal Justice 📢
Please do share widely 1/3
December 20, 2025 at 5:33 AM