Sciences Lectures
141 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 7 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingInaugural Professorial Lectures, public lectures and events from the Division of Sciences.
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Episodes
IPL: Earthquakes, Quaternary faults, and seismic hazard in New Zealand and beyond
March 27, 2017 20:57 - 58 minutes - 434 MB VideoProfessor Professor Mark Stirling's inauguaral lecture: 14 March 2017
IPL David O'Hare - Above Us Only Sky: Human Error, Accidents, and Aviation Safety
September 27, 2016 04:30 - 56 minutes - 160 MB VideoThe talk describes David's personal journey as a pilot and psychologist to understand the role of decision making in aviation safety.
IPL - Abby Smith - Sea, Sand, Shells
August 09, 2016 05:30 - 48 minutes - 146 MB VideoProf Abby Smith has been fascinated by shells and how they are formed since she was a child. She takes us on a journey with her, and we learn that shells have a lot to tell us!
IPL Lisette Burrows "I like the sausage sizzle but it makes me feel gulty" - Shaping the healthy child in obesogenic times.
May 16, 2016 12:00 - 1 month - 121 MB VideoProfessor Lisette Burrows of the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences gave her Inaugural Professorial Lecture on the 19th of April, 2016. She talks about her research into teh demonising or larger body shapes and how effective - or not - the current educational campaigns are in providing balanced information about healthy eating and exercise, and whether in fact there is an obesity epidemic. It was very thought provoking and engaging - have a listen!
IPL Cliff Law "Between the sea and the sky: marine microbes, chemistry and climate"
May 12, 2016 12:00 - 58 minutes - 139 MB VideoProfessor Cliff Law delivered his Inaugural Professorial Lecture on the 16th of February. Professor Law holds a joint appointment between Otago and NIWA, exploring the chemical interactions at the interface between the sea and the sky.
IPL David Hutchinson "Curiosity doesn't kill the cat".
May 11, 2016 12:00 - 1 hour - 230 MB VideoProfessor David Hutchinson delivered his IPL on the 15th of December, exploring theories of light as wave and particle, explaining that the description of something is not necessarily its reality, and talking about how his theoretical work builds into the exciting research taking place the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonics and Quantum Technologies.
IPL David Larsen: Therapeutic molecules from sweet sugars and toxic gases
April 17, 2016 12:00 - 58 minutes - 136 MB VideoProfessor David Larsen delivered his IPL on the 17th of November in 2015. He described his work in synthesising organic molecules . This work is in collaboration with biologists primarily, developing therapeutic molecules - PIMs - aimed at reducing asthma, and also looking at molecules designed to slowly release carbon monoxide to support organ transport. This very practical work has required entirely new methodologies and many years' dedication.
John Smaillie Tennant Lecture : David Bowman "Humans and fire in Australian food webs from the Pleistocene to the Anthropocene"
November 05, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 125 MB VideoProfessor David Bowman discusses the complex interactions between fire and food webs, and the part humans have played in manipulating that system; how fire impacts on biodiversity, and how some animal species impact on the severity of landscape fires.
Geoff Baylis Lecture 2009 - Steve Higgins " The Discovery of slowness - life in the plant lane"
November 03, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 138 MB VideoThe Geoff Baylis lectures are a joint initiative between the Otago Botanical Society and the Department of Botany, University of Otago. Steve higgins talks about how impressive plants really are - the biggest, tallest, oldest and most dangerous living oprganisms on teh planet. He discusses how grasses evolved and changed the face of the planet, and how leaf phenology can help us map changes in atmosphere and climate. This lecture was given on the 9th of September 2015
Sir Geoffrey Palmer: Climate change in New Zealand - is it doom or can we hope? gases to rotary motors
October 27, 2015 11:00 - 45 minutes - 163 MB VideoSir Geoffrey Palmer reflects on regulatory efforts to deal with Climate Change, both in New Zealand and internationally. He describes climate change as a slow motion tragedy, and discusses mitigation of the effects of anthropogenic climate change. This lecture was given at University of Otago on Monday 5th of October 2015.
IPL: Nancy Longnecker "Effective Science Communication - a scientific approach
October 19, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 260 MB VideoProfessor Nancy Longnecker delivered her Inaugural Professorial Lecture on the 15th of September 2015. Nancy's journey from Biologist to communicator to researcher in Sciecne communication has been a fascinating one, and her current work in evaluation of science communication experiences is vital in validating, fine-tuning and and sometimes revolutionising the field.
Leonard Cockayne Lecture - Janice Lord "Flowers in the fridge"
October 12, 2015 11:00 - 55 minutes - 96 MB VideoJanice Lord won this year's Leonard Cockayne prize from the New Zealand Royal Society. This is her commemorative lecture, outlining cutting edge work on the pollination of sub-antarctic plants. There's a number of large, brightly coloured flowering plants in the sub-antactic, which is a sharp contrast with NZ alpine plants with thei predominantly white flowers. Janice explores the reasons for both of these phenomena. The talk was given on the 3rd of September 2015.
IPL: Christina Hulbe "West Antarctic building blocks"
September 29, 2015 11:00 - 52 minutes - 163 MB VideoProfessor Christina Hulbe gave her Inaugural Professorial Lecture on the 1st of September 2015. She talked about her work on mapping deformations in West Antarctica, and how GPS technology has changed her work. Satellite imagery of meltwater ponds has led to a clearer understanding of the creation of deep crevasses and shattering of icesheets.
Luminescence - The Lightbenders: How black holes influence light
September 28, 2015 11:00 - 36 minutes - 326 MB VideoThe Physics Department celebrated the International Year of Light with its luminescence festival. Here is one of the talks, from Jorg Frauendiener. Jorg explains how black holes happen, what they do to light and why.
Luminescence - Peeking and poking at atoms using laser light
September 27, 2015 11:00 - 25 minutes - 315 MB VideoThe Physics Department celebrated the International Year of Light with its luminescence festival. Here is one of the talks, from Niels Kjaergaard who works in the Centre for Quantum Science. Niels talks about manipulating groups of atoms, dividing them, the patterns they make etc.
Luminescence - Discovering other worlds
September 27, 2015 11:00 - 37 seconds - 509 MB VideoThe Physics Department celebrated the International Year of Light with its luminescence festival. Here is one of the talks, from Eyal Schwartz. Eyal talks about discovering other planets and just how hard that can be; the techniques and tools scientists use to track down exo-planets.
IPL: David Bryant "Proofs and Evolution"
September 15, 2015 12:00 - 58 minutes - 223 MB VideoProfessor David Bryant delivered his Inaugural Professorial lecture on July 21st 2015. He gave an overview of his work, modelling genetic information to assist with tracing points of origin for plants or animal species.
IPL: Liz Slooten "Whales, dolphins, science and conservation"
August 30, 2015 12:00 - 58 minutes - 151 MB VideoProfessor Liz Slooten delivered her Inaugural Professorial Lecture to a packed theatre on Tuesday 24th of August. The lecture gave an overview of Professor Slooten's work documenting populations of Hector's and Maui dolphones aorund New Zealand's coast as well as tracking and documenting bahaviour of sperm whales and right whalee. Professor Slooten's work highlights the dangers of gill-net fishing and the impact it has on endangered species of marine mammals.
Our Energy and Climate Challenges - Professor Stephen Chu
June 25, 2015 12:00 - 1 hour - 202 MB Video1997 Nobel Laureate Professor Stephen Chu talks about his role as Secretary for energy in the Obama administration, whether peak oil is the real problem, and what will make a difference in the uptake of sustainable energy technologies. This lecture was delivered on December 17th 2014
IPL: Phil Bishop "The survival of the Earth depends on frogs".
May 11, 2015 12:00 - 50 minutes - 222 MB VideoProfessor Phil Bishop talks about his lifelong fascination with amphibians in general and frogs in particular. He discusses the importance of frogs as an indicator species for the wellbeing of our environment, and delivers lessons in acoustic identification - as each species of frog has a unique sound. The inaugural professorial lecture was delivered on May the 5th 2015.
IPL: Steve Wing "Southern ocean ecosystems"
May 11, 2015 12:00 - 51 minutes - 134 MB VideoProfessor Steve Wing's research explores the interconnectedness of ocean ecosystems - the physical and chemical processes and how they impact on the food webs, how spatial factors impact on population resilience and so on. This work has been applied with considerable success in the Fiordland area where marine reserves have led to stronger populations across the ecosystem.
IPL: Phil Seddon "Re-introduction Biology: restoring species in a changing world"
May 11, 2015 12:00 - 50 minutes - 144 MB VideoProfessor Phil Seddon discusses the pros and cons of re-introducing species that have become extinct; the possibilities of reviving populations by translocation; the need to re-aquaint ourselves with the wildlife on our doorstep, in an increasingly urbanised world.
Saturated fat and heart disease: why butter won't melt in my mouth
April 21, 2015 12:00 - 56 minutes - 324 MB VideoProfessor Rod Jackson talks about the current debate over saturated fats,and the evidence some writers choose to ignore.He highlights the direct relationship between the drop in saturated fats in our diet and the drop of cardiovascular heart disease.This talk was delivered on the 19th of March.
Professor Lyall Hanton - The world of Joseph Mellor
April 21, 2015 12:00 - 49 minutes - 85.9 MB VideoProfessor Lyall Hanton is both HOD Chemistry and the Mellor Professor at University of Otago. In this talk he outlines the amazing life of Joseph Mellor - a man who overcame his circumstances to become one of Otago's brightest stars.
Baylis Lecture 2014: Dr Peter johnson - "Long leaves and fat roots"
October 02, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 198 MB VideoThe 2014 Baylis lecture was delivers by Dr peter Johnson from Landcare's Dunedin Office. Peter talked about the work of Geoff Baylis who was head of the Botany Department for many years. His lecture looked at the functionality and curiosity of long leaved plants, and those with fat roots also - a wealth of fascinating details, all delivered as part of the Botany Department's 90th anniversary celebrations on the 10th of September
IPCC Report: the latest climate change assessments - what are the implications for our communities?
September 29, 2014 11:00 - 54 minutes - 117 MB VideoDrs Andy Reisinger and Judy Lawrence discuss the latest IPCC report, with a particular focus on the chapters based on Australia and New Zealand. The talk was sponsored by OERC, CSAFE and the Otago Climate Change Network
China's wonder fibres - wild silk, silk cocoon and bamboo
September 28, 2014 11:00 - 51 minutes - 160 MB VideoProfessor Xungai Wang presents a special lecture, made possible by the Confucius Institute. He talks about the special properties of wild silk as well as the claims made about bamboo fibres, and why those claims aren't always as straightforward as they seem.
IPL: Blair Blakie "Ultra-Cool Quantum Physics"
September 21, 2014 12:00 - 1 hour - 186 MB VideoProfessor Blair Blakie's Inaugural Professorial Lecture was delivered on the 6th of May 2014. Blair talked about ultra-cold atoms, superfluids and superconductors, how useful quantum physics can be to explain other complex and unpredictable systems in nature, and techniques for cooling atoms down to a billionth of a kelvin above absolute zero. Seriously cool...
IPL: Steve Higgins "Assembling a plant ecology"
September 21, 2014 12:00 - 49 minutes - 116 MB VideoProfessor Steve Higgins delivered his Inaugural Professorial Lecture on the 3rd of June 2014. Steve talked about the challenges of forecasting ecological developments, due to the many and varied factors that come into play. Humboldt's descriptive empirical work is contrasted with MacArthur's theoretical work, and the usefulness of modeling, in spite of its contingencies and complexities, is outlined.
IPL: Craig Rodger- Zombie Satellites, Killer Electrons and AARDDVARK Radio and Space Physics
September 14, 2014 12:00 - 55 seconds - 169 MB VideoProfessor Craig Rodger delivers his IPL in energetic style - outlining the nature of radiation belts and his research into solar wind, the ionisation of the ozone. The lecture was delivered on the 18th of March
IPL: Jamin Halberstadt "The 'shipping news- adventures with morphs and averages"
September 14, 2014 12:00 - 59 minutes - 191 MB VideoProfessor Halberstadt discusses the way that morphing faces makes them more attractive. he discusses te idea of fluency, or the ease of processing for the brain that makes something more appealing to us, simply because it s easier to figure out. Professor Halberstadt gave his Inaugural Professorial Lecture in the 19th of November 2013
Special Lecture: Don Eigler "Life among the atoms - an expedition to the small frontier."
July 23, 2014 12:00 - 50 minutes - 158 MB VideoDon Eigler, winner of the 2010 Kavli prize, talks about hsi work using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopes for surface scanning and atomic manipulation.
The changing height of Aoraki/Mt Cook
July 23, 2014 12:00 - 1 hour - 173 MB VideoPascal Sirguey form surveying and Nicolas Cullen from Geography talk about their work in measuring the height of Aoraki/Mt Cook after the avalanche that reshaped the mountain.
Inequality, sustaunability and well-being - special lecture by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
May 29, 2014 12:00 - 55 minutes - 121 MB VideoProfessors Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson delivered a special lecture outlining the impact of financial inequality within a society : its impact on a range of health and well-being indicators as well as its impact on sustainability. The lecture was given on the 26th May 2014
Ross Bicknell - "Seeds without Sex". 2013 John Smaillie Tennant Lecture
May 12, 2014 12:00 - 48 minutes - 151 MB VideoRoss Bicknell from Plant and Food Research delivered the 2013 John Smaillie Tennant Lecture on 9th October. He focussed on the seed-production methods of Hieracium, a plant that plagued Mendel himself.
Special lecture: Damien Bailey "Oxygen, Evolution an your gas-guzzling brain"
May 11, 2014 12:00 - 43 minutes - 72.2 MB VideoDamien Bailey delivered this special lecture while he was a visiting researcher at otago's School of Physical Education, Sports and Exercise Science. The talk was delivered on April 29th 2014
Ted Scambos : Antarctica in the palm of your hand - a science tour of the icesheet
March 26, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 212 MB VideoDr Ted Scambos was at Otago in March of 2014, working wtih Prof Christina Hulbe on a research project funded by the NZ Antartic Research institute. He gave this special lecture outlining the special characteristics of various parts of the icesheet, how their topography had been mapped, and which areas were most susceptible to melting due to shifts in ocean temperature.
OZONE presentation 2013: Daring to Dream
March 23, 2014 11:00 - 15 minutes - 35.8 MB VideoProfessor Janet Hoek talks about the Aspire 2025 campaign, which aims to make New Zealand smoke-free by 2025 Ozone presentations took place September 2013, in St David's theatre
OZONE presentation 2013: Lullabies or Lady Gaga?
March 23, 2014 11:00 - 7 minutes - 19.5 MB Videoyu-Chieh Tzeng talks about the importance of controlling Blood pressure variability,to minimise brain injury after stroke. The Ozone presentations took place September 2013, in St David's theatre
OZONE presentation 2013: Unattended moments
March 23, 2014 11:00 - 10 minutes - 31.2 MB VideoDr Simone Celine Marshall discusses medieval imagery in the Modernist writers' aesthetic. The Ozone presentations took place September 2013, in St David's theatre
OZONE presentation 2013: Inspired by Nature
March 23, 2014 11:00 - 14 minutes - 58.7 MB VideoBill Hawkins talks about the importance of synthesizing bioactive substances - particularly in developing therapies. The Ozone presentations took place September 2013, in St David's theatre
OZONE presentation 2013: Introduction
March 23, 2014 11:00 - 8 minutes - 30.2 MB VideoDr Guy Jameson and professor Richard Blaikie introduce the presentations by the Ozone group. The Ozone presentations took place September 2013, in St David's theatre
OZONE presentation 2013: Ancient DNA
March 20, 2014 11:00 - 15 minutes - 39.7 MB VideoProfessor Lisa Matisoo-Smith talks about work on ancient DNA, and the light thrown on migration across East Polynesia.The Ozone presentations took place September 2013, in St David's theatre
OZONE presentation 2013: Law and Ethics
March 20, 2014 11:00 - 12 minutes - 37 MB VideoProfessor Mark Heneghan talks about working on hte Human Genome project and the ethical questions raised. The Ozone presentations took place September 2013, in St David's theatre
Sex, Drugs and Olympic Gold- Helen Lenskyj
December 05, 2013 11:00 - 33 seconds - 101 MB VideoDr Helen Lenskyj was a William Evans Fellow with teh School of physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciecne in 2013. This public lecture addresses the persistent feminisation of women athletes in olympic sport.
IPL: Rachel Spronken-Smith "Educating undergraduates for an uncertain future"
December 02, 2013 11:00 - 55 minutes - 155 MB VideoProfessor Rachel Spronken-Smith's Inaugural Professorial Lecture on 3rd of December 2013. Rachel discusses the value of engaging undergraduate students in research. She explores the graduate attributes that are developed in this way, and other ways of reinforcing this learning, such as reflective and evaluative practice.
Carol Robinson: Finding the right balance - from rare gases to rotary motors
November 28, 2013 11:00 - 49 minutes - 131 MB VideoProfessor Dame Carol Robinson is based at Oxford University. Se has been involved in the field of Mass spectrometry for many years, pioneering work on proteins and complex molecules and trying new things. She talks about her science and her work life balance.
Beyond University of Otago: one graduate's story
November 25, 2013 11:00 - 24 minutes - 73.2 MB VideoDr AnnMarie Oien completed her PhD in physics at Otago in 1996. after that things got really interesting.... AnnMarie talks about her journey, working in the US. AnnMarie is currently President of the Alumni of University of Otago in Amercia, Inc
Get off the Grass - Shaun Hendy
November 25, 2013 11:00 - 1 hour - 125 MB VideoProfessor Shaun Hendy gives a tour of the book he wrote with the late Professor Sir Paul Callaghan,looking at the economics of developing a more innovative economy, and the relationship between science and innovation.
Living in a warmer world - Jim Salinger
November 24, 2013 11:00 - 53 minutes - 122 MB VideoJim Salinger delivered this summary lecture as part of a tour to promote his book, Living in a Warmer World. The lecture covered the broader topics of human-generated climate change and the specific impacts we could expect in our part of the world. The lecture was given at Otago on the 31st of October