Podcasts about Siouxsie Wiles

The Inquiry into the Covid-19 report has been released, urging the government to get a plan in place for future pandemics. Associate Professor at the University of Auckland Dr Siouxsie Wiles spoke to Alexa Cook.

This Covid phase one report – the verdict is in, and it's pretty much ‘guilty your honour'. Fine to begin with, and then they as the single podium of truth basically went too far, for too long. Tell us something we don't know. Trust in our institutions as shot, media took a hammering —and rightly so in some cases— Labour supporters and hysterical scientists and other groups went full militant. I never spoke about the messages I got from some of them during my interviews, challenging old Jacinda Ardern during that period, especially those outside of Auckland during the lockdown to end all lockdowns. They were threats of beatings on my social media, loads of homophobia, I was killing people with my questions, there was hate, there was vitriol. Now I'm not complaining about this, this is part of my job. But it just shows how wacko everyone got. Which is not to say the anti-mandate lot were angels either, but what we, the public were fed was a meal from only one of the two menus. Then there was the MIQ cruelty – you will never get another opportunity to kiss a loved one goodbye. Never. I watched Hipkins in his media stand up yesterday with the usual half mere culpa lines. We can learn lessons from this in the future and the benefit of hindsight is a great thing. What's the problem with that? Well, there were plenty of people with plenty of advice at the time. He could have listened to but chose not to. Instead, they labelled the protest as a river of filth, we wrote off entire sectors of scientific community in the name of social cohesion. Like a pack of rabid dogs attacking a limp lamb – that's what we were, we turned into that. Had they listened to Auckland, to the Plan Bers, some economists and experts and other fields, to Lady Deborah Chambers who bravely put her head above the parapet on behalf of the legal fraternity, Simon Bridges basically lost his job over a Facebook post, pointing out many of the problems that turned out to be quite accurate. But now it was all Siouxsie Wiles and Co. crying because we didn't go further and go harder. And where are we now? Kids not going to school, productivity jabbed in the face, crime out of control. Mental health and anxiety, particularly for kids, also taking a hit to the face. The wait list for critical medical treatments delayed, construction stopped, projects delayed despite the Aussies being faster and looser on both counts. It was the biggest overreach of power, both in real terms and in some cases, legally, this country has potentially ever seen. And only now do they say we might reconsider forcing a barista to get a jab that they don't want. Don't get me wrong, I got the jab twice, but that was my choice to a large extent. And is this all Labour's fault? No. The bigger culprits, in my mind: media hype, social media pylons, and unwavering support for the party pushing that lockdown agenda. The problem was tunnel vision. It was arrogance, ignorance or both, and now we're all paying a very hefty price tag for it. There was just one thing missing from yesterday. Any response from the four horsemen of the Apocalypse: Grant Robertson, Jacinda Ardern, Ashley Bloomfield, and Adrian Orr. Where were they? Grant's on $800,000 at Otago University, Orr's doing victory laps for cutting rates he hiked too high and then flooding the country with cash. And Adern, remember, she said her single biggest driver in politics was to fix child poverty, now living in New York while the cost of living crisis she helped engineer, then deny was existing, hammers some of our poorest, and to use a word they made famous during the Covid catastrophe, our most vulnerable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daylight is an advertising and communications agency that was born out of The Spinoff newsroom, from the amazing work Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles did with Covid explainer gifs which grabbed the eye of the World Health Organisation. Daylight CEO Lee Lowndes has built the agency to add web and digital capability, leading to local and international growth in the hardest of markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman and panellists Alexia Russell and Chris Clarke discuss the harassment Dr Siouxsie Wiles faced during and following her coverage of the global pandemic and the scaling down of the 3D coastal mapping initiative launched in 2021.

A legal expert says many employers struggle to deal with external threats and harassment risks. Auckland University microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles has been awarded $20,000 in damages over an employment dispute. She provided technical expertise as a commentator during the pandemic, and claims the university didn't protect her from resultant threats. Otago University Law Lecturer Dawn Duncan says the threats weren't coming from her employer, which hinders its ability to identify them and take action. "They needed to get better advice and they needed to implement it before the emergency situation happened." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Employment lawyer Barbara Buckett explains why the Employment Court judge ruled that the University of Auckland had breached its contractual obligations to Siouxsie Wiles by not protecting her from harassment and threats.

Auckland University microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles said it's been a long and gruelling few years taking on the University over its failure to protect her against threats and harassment during the pandemic. The Employment Court has found her employer breached its contractual obligations to ensure the microbiologist's safety. Dr Wiles spoke with Ingrid Hipkiss.

Description1/200 speaks with Siouxsie Wiles and barrister Peter Kelly to talk about the current state of the pandemic, the effect on schools and workplaces, and what possible legal options might exist to challenge the status quo in lieu of government or institutional action.You can find more advice and details about advocating for Covid action hereThis episode's co-hostsKyle, Oliver, Siouxsie, PeterTimestamps0:00 Introductions3:58 Where We Are With Covid11:46 On Long Covid 18:06 Invisible Public Health Measures23:34 Employment Law With Covid25:55 Covid in Schools36:53 Long Past Covid Urgency41:47 Managing “The Next Covid”50:52 Engaging With Processes53:50 ClosingsIntro/Outro by The Prophet MotiveSupport us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Science correspondent Dr Siouxsie Wiles discusses how electric eels may genetically modify organisms around them, and how birds in Europe have been building nests using anti-bird spikes.

Some University of Auckland managers were uncomfortable with Dr Siouxsie Wiles' 'celebrity' status during Covid-19 and gave her the nickname 'Brand Siouxsie', a court heard today. Wiles is taking on the university in Employment Court, on the grounds that they should have done more to protect her from threats directed at her during the pandemic. NZ Herald reporter Isaac Davison says the university's dean of Medical and Health Sciences had voiced concern about Dr Wiles' prominence. "He had raised concerns about the nature of that and whether some of her commentary would bring the university into disrepute." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles and the University of Auckland are disputing how much of her work talking about Covid-19 was done as a celebrity, rather than an academic. The associate professor is taking legal action against her employer, alleging the university did not do enough to ensure her safety as harassment against her escalated. Emma Stanford has more.

One of the country's most recognisable scientists has taken her employer to court. Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles alleges the University of Auckland did not take enough steps to protect her against the vitriolic, and often misogynistic, abuse she has suffered for years In 2020, Wiles became one of the key faces of pandemic communications, offering her expertise to the media to help the public better understand the crisis that was unfolding. But this came at cost. Wiles was soon targeted by venomous, misinformed, overly online bullies who felt comfortable hurling vicious attacks at the professor.  The question before the Employment Court is whether the university has done enough to ensure the safety of their employees.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducers: Paddy Fox and Shaun D WilsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High-profile scientist Siouxsie Wiles left a courtroom in tears after recounting a threat made against her on Christmas Eve. She's taking legal action against her employer, the University of Auckland, saying it didn't seriously respond to those threats until more than two years after Wiles first complained. Herald reporter Isaac Davison says Wiles and colleagues with complaints of harassment counted about 60 emails and 7 meetings before they felt the university was responding. He says the university initially got external security advice- and her complaint was much of it was reactive. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Slevin takes us to At the Movies this week, in Ms. Information, Microbiologist and science communicator Dr Siouxsie Wiles suffers a pandemic backlash. Spy novelist John Le Carré comes clean with Errol Morris in The Pigeon Tunnel. And, two concert movies - Taylor Swift The Eras Tour and Talking Heads Stop Making Sense show us how music can move us from a big screen.

In Ms. Information, Microbiologist and science communicator Dr Siouxsie Wiles suffers a pandemic backlash.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour  The cultural phenomenon continues as pop icon Taylor Swift performs hit songs in a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.   Ms Information  As the nation plunges into pandemic, Gwen Isaac's observational documentary delves into the trenches with Siouxsie Wiles, the fuchsia-haired microbiologist who emerged as a national hero and a satanic witch in the minds of a divided New Zealand.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Science correspondent Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about a new study that's investigated why we love fatty foods so much and the role texture has to play. 

Science correspondent Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about new research into a potential vaccine against autoimmune diseases, why cats love tuna so much and it's IgNobel time - when the best of the weird research is celebrated. It includes a robot study based on dead spiders, a toilet that monitors your health and jamais vu - that feeling when something familiar is suddenly...unfamiliar. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland

Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Susie to talk about a new comparison of how various countries handled the Covid pandemic and the latest research into gene variations which can make some people less likely to get Covid and others more likely to get long-Covid. She'll also talk about a new database that's been created to document the 'unknome' - genes in the human genome that have been identified, but whose functions are not known. And there's been a super-charged saga over new superconductor LK-99. Siouxsie breaks it down. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

Science correspondent Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about how researchers have identified a hormone linked with morning sickness which may help with the development of new treatments for extreme morning sickness at least. It appears morning sickness comes from a hormone called growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) which is made by the foetus which women have different susceptibilities to. A new study suggests a bacterium commonly found in the gut and mouth could play a role in the development of endometriosis. And between 1993 and 2010, humans have managed to tilt the axis of the Earth by 80 centimetres - all by pumping water out of the ground and moving it elsewhere. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

Science correspondent Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about a new study from Australian researchers into the death cap mushroom - responsible for 90 per cent of mushroom poisoning deaths. Could there be a potential antidote? And the first human pangenome has been published - it's made up of all the entire genes a particular group or species possess. What does it tell us about the diversity of our species? Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

Science correspondent Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about a new study which shows where myna birds have become established in New Zealand, compared to where they were introduced. A study out today looks at how successful researchers were in being able to make a cheesecake using a 3D printer and an online tool developed by Australian researchers helps people understand their COVID and myocarditis risks depending on how many doses of Covid vaccine they've had. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

The infection risk from black water after cyclone/flooding, especially if houses are contaminated. Also, are the prices of pharmaceutical drugs justified? Pharma companies often justify the high price of new drugs as the cost for their investing in R&D. And if you have ever wondered how fingerprints form, researchers studying mouse toes and cultured human cells found that waves of ridges emerge from the tip of the finger, the centre of the fingertip, and the crease at the base of the fingertip. When they collide, patterns form through a self-organizing mechanism called a Turing reaction-diffusion system, first proposed by codebreaker Alan Turing in 1952.

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about a handy online tool to help you see how likely it is someone infection will be at your gathering. The world's oldest DNA being found in Ice Age sediment in northern Greenland - it's a million years older than anything found before. Chinese researchers have created a wearable UV light monitoring patch which can send alerts to your phone when exposure is too high. And if you're looking for a feel-good gift for Christmas, here's a suggestion to help the kids at Starship.

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about a media tussle with Pharmac, a so-called 'trainweck' interview by the broadcasting minister and two interesting Media Council decisions.

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about a media tussle with Pharmac, a so-called 'trainweck' interview by the broadcasting minister and two interesting Media Council decisions.

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about a media tussle with Pharmac, a so-called 'trainweck' interview by the broadcasting minister and two interesting Media Council decisions.

Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins us to talk about COVID on cruise ships and the latest COVID numbers released by the Government. What we can do moving forward. With so many of us feeling down heartened in what's happening in society today when it appears we are now stuck with COVID and most all of us can't see ourselves keeping things like mask restrictions in place for ever. Assoc Prof Grant Duncan joins us to talk last weeks bias in the dissemination of the political Newshub/Reid Research poll and how to critically read opinion polls It's official, the Democrats have won the Senate without needing to go to the Georgia run off. It's only the third time that the party in the White House has not lost both the upper and lower house and is a huge embarrassment to the GOP. The voters have said loud and clear that high inflation, rising crime, a potential recession still isn't enough to drive them towards the Republicans demonstrating that the GOP has nothing to offer most Americans.

In this episode of Infernal Communication, host Kyla Sims sits down with microbiologist and science communicator Dr. Siouxsie Wiles to talk about arguably the most successful communication campaign of our generation. Together Kyla and Dr. Wiles walk us through the journey of collaborating with award-winning illustrator Toby Morris to make "flatten the curve" go viral and potentially saving millions of lives, to the aftermath and fallout. Do you work in communications? Join us at Staffbase's VOICES Conference in NYC April 26-27th, 2023. Get your ticket at voices.staffbase.com/us and use promocode VOICES-PODCAST-25 for 25% off your ticket.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about new research that has found bumblebees will play with tiny wooden balls - despite there being no reason to do so. The aye-aye, a primate in Madagascar, has a particularly bad habit of picking and eating what they find up their nose, and information on how we walk can help a smartphone calculate our five-year risk of dying. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

Nice try but no potato for New Zealand couple's giant find A New Zealand couple who believed they had dug up the world's largest potato in the garden of their small farm near Hamilton have had their dreams turned to mash after Guinness World Records wrote to say that scientific testing had found it wasn't, in fact, a potato after all. 紐西蘭一對夫婦相信，他們在漢密頓附近自家小農場的菜園中，挖到世界上最大顆馬鈴薯，但金氏世界紀錄寫信告知他們，科學檢測發現這玩意兒完全不是馬鈴薯後，他們的幻想破滅了。 Colin Craig-Brown, who first hit the tuber of a gourd with a hoe last August when gardening with his wife Donna, said it sure looked and tasted like a potato. 去年8月，科林‧克雷格—布朗和太太多娜一起做園藝時，率先用鋤頭挖到葫蘆塊莖，並認為這看起來且嚐起來絕對就是馬鈴薯。 After months of submitting photos and paperwork, the couple got the bad news from Guinness in an email. 在提交照片和文件數月後，這對夫婦收到金氏世界紀錄用電子郵件寄送的壞消息。 "Dear Colin," the email begins, going on to say "sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a type of gourd. For this reason we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application." 信件以「親愛的科林」起頭後接下去說：「很遺憾，這個樣本不是馬鈴薯，實際上是某種葫蘆的塊莖。因此，很不幸的，我們必須撤銷這次的申請。」   Next Article   New Zealand announces measures to keep out omicron variant 紐西蘭宣布防範Omicron變種病毒株的措施 New Zealand will shorten the gap between second COVID-19 vaccine doses and boosters and push back the phased reopening of its borders in measures announced Tuesday to keep the omicron variant at bay. 紐西蘭週二宣布遏制Omicron變種病毒株的措施，將縮短接種新冠病毒疫苗第二劑以及加強劑的間隔時間，並延後逐步重新開放邊境的時間。 COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin told reporters the government has agreed to a ``suite of precautionary measures'' in light of the threat posed by the omicron strain of the coronavirus. 新冠病毒疫情因應事務部長希普金向記者說，鑑於新冠病毒Omicron病毒株構成的威脅，政府已經同意「一套預防措施」。 The gap between a second vaccine dose and a booster will be shortened from six to four months, meaning 82 percent of vaccinated New Zealanders will be due for a booster by February. 第二劑和加強劑疫苗的施打間隔，將從6個月縮短為4個月，這表示82％已接種疫苗的紐西蘭人，將在2月前接種一劑加強針。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1531064 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1495418   Next Article   New Zealand announces measures to keep out omicron variant New Zealand will shorten the gap between second COVID-19 vaccine doses and boosters and push back the phased reopening of its borders in measures announced Tuesday to keep the omicron variant at bay. 紐西蘭週二宣布遏制Omicron變種病毒株的措施，將縮短接種新冠病毒疫苗第二劑以及加強劑的間隔時間，並延後逐步重新開放邊境的時間。 COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin told reporters the government has agreed to a "suite of precautionary measures'' in light of the threat posed by the omicron strain of the coronavirus. 新冠病毒疫情因應事務部長希普金向記者說，鑑於新冠病毒Omicron病毒株構成的威脅，政府已經同意「一套預防措施」。 The gap between a second vaccine dose and a booster will be shortened from six to four months, meaning 82 percent of vaccinated New Zealanders will be due for a booster by February. 第二劑和加強劑疫苗的施打間隔，將從6個月縮短為4個月，這表示82％已接種疫苗的紐西蘭人，將在2月前接種一劑加強針。   Next Article   Middle Earth beckons in Air New Zealand safety video 中土在紐航飛安影片中召喚影迷 Fight a hobbit for an aisle seat? Get life jacket instructions from a beautiful female elf? Only on a plane to Middle Earth - or in an Air New Zealand safety video. 跟哈比人爭奪走道旁座位？由美麗的女精靈解說救生衣使用方式？這種事只會發生在飛往中土的飛機上，或者在紐西蘭航空的飛安宣導影片裡。 The company's latest in a series of variations on the usual dull pre-flight safety instructions has lifted a page from J.R.R. Tolkien's classic "The Hobbit" in the run-up to the world premiere of the film later this month, a bid to attract visitors to the nation where much of the film was shot. 紐航曾數度讓這種通常枯燥乏味的起飛前安全說明影片面目一新，而最新的一段影片則取自作家托爾金名著「哈比人歷險記」中的段落，並且趕在本月底由這部小說所改編的電影全球首映前推出，企圖吸引遊客前往電影拍攝地點紐西蘭觀光。 "An Unexpected Briefing," a play on the movie's title of "The Hobbit： An Unexpected Journey," features crew members explaining flight safety to passengers embarking on a pilgrimage to Middle Earth, Tolkien's land of treasure, dragons and magic rings. 這段影片名為「意外的簡報」，不但片名仿效電影「哈比人：意外旅程」，片中的機組人員更向準備前往中土，也就是托爾金作品裡充滿寶藏、惡龍和魔戒之地朝聖的乘客解釋飛安說明。 Director Sir Peter Jackson, who received Academy Awards for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, makes a cameo appearance in the four-minute video, playing a passenger among the Orcs, pointy-eared elves and furry-footed hobbits that otherwise pack the seats. 曾因「魔戒」三部曲獲奧斯卡獎的導演傑克森也在這段四分鐘的影片中客串一角，坐在擠滿了半獸人、尖耳朵精靈和毛毛腳哈比人的機艙裡。 Die-hard Tolkien fans have flocked to the town of Matamata in the country's North Island, which earlier this year began tours to the set of Hobbiton, the town from which the story's hero, Bilbo Baggins, starts his journey. 托爾金的死忠書迷早已湧向紐國北島的馬塔馬塔市，當地於今年初開始推出哈比城場景的旅遊行程，哈比城則是故事主角巴金斯展開探險旅程的出發地。 Wellington, where Jackson and his Weta Workshop and studios are based, also has been cranking up the publicity machine before it rolls out the red carpet later this month. 傑克森及其威塔工作室所在地威靈頓同樣也在本月底電影正式上片前，全力發起宣傳活動。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1495418; https://monyear.pixnet.net/blog/post/66206828   Next Article   Mittens the cat could become New Zealander of the Year Mittens, a famous feline from Wellington, is in the running to be voted New Zealander of the Year, going up against Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield. 來自威靈頓的知名母貓「米坦斯」，正在角逐紐西蘭年度人物票選，對上紐西蘭總理賈欣達．阿爾登與衛生部衛生事務首長艾希莉．布魯斐德博士。 The feline joins a host of nominees for the annual Kiwibank award, including figures from sectors such as politics, media, health, music and design. 這隻母貓獲得年度奇異鳥銀行獎的多項提名，該獎項包括政治界、媒體界、衛生界、音樂界與設計界的年度人物。 Other nominees for New Zealander of the Year include microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles and lawmaker Chloe Swarbrick. 其他紐西蘭年度人物的被提名人，還有微生物學家蘇西．威爾斯，與國會議員克羅伊．史瓦布里克。 The Wellington Museum has also dedicated a mini exhibition to Mittens and his adventures, named "Floofy and Famous." And in May the mayor of Wellington, Andy Foster, gave Mittens the key to the city, an honor previously granted to "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson. 威靈頓博物館也已經為米坦斯與牠的冒險辦了一場迷你展覽，名為「蓬鬆而知名」。5月時，威靈頓市市長安迪．佛斯特也給米坦斯這座城市的鑰匙，一項以前曾授予「魔戒」導演彼得．傑克森的榮譽。   Next Article   New Zealand votes to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill patients／紐西蘭表決通過絕症病患安樂死合法化 New Zealanders have voted in favor of legalizing euthanasia for people with a terminal illness － clearing the way for the controversial proposition to become law in 2021. 紐西蘭人已投票贊成絕症病患安樂死合法化——剷除讓此一具有爭議性的提案在2021年立法的障礙。 More than 65% of voters backed the proposed law, according to preliminary results of a referendum announced by the country's electoral commission Friday. 根據該國選舉委員會週五宣布的公投初步結果，超過65%的選民支持這項法律議案。 Lawmakers voted 69-51 to approve the End of Life Choice Act 2019 last year before sending the issue to a referendum. 該法案在（紐國）國會議員去年以69比51通過「2019終結生命選擇法」後，送交公投。 More than 2.4 million people took part in the poll, which was conducted alongside New Zealand's general election on October 17. 超過240萬人參加與10月17日紐西蘭大選一同舉行的投票。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1422581; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1396855

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Susie to talk about the test to release scheme for Covid 19: some people are still testing positive at the end of their 7 days' isolation, which means they're still infectious. She'll also look at a study that identified five viruses that were able to kill a bacteria that inflamed the guts of mice - and the hope it may offer those suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. And even reading a brief story about women and girls engaging in maths was enough to change children's stereotypes about maths being only for boys. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Bryan Crump about a big resignation at TVNZ, media outlets getting it right on climate coverage, news stories vanishing without trace, and Christopher Luxon's Hawaiian holiday timeline tangle.

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Bryan Crump about a big resignation at TVNZ, media outlets getting it right on climate coverage, news stories vanishing without trace, and Christopher Luxon's Hawaiian holiday timeline tangle.

Why did criticism of a modest sum spent on a single mini-documentary made two years ago suddenly spring up in the news in two national networks this week - and then disappear? 

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about research that's modelled how many lives were saved during the first year the vaccines were available, a catnip plant from Japan and China that not only gives cats endorphins - it also protects them from mosquitoes and the study that's found 69 different genetic variants linked with the ability to keep in time to a beat.

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn with some interesting studies, including one where Australian researchers found a species of worm able to feed on polystyrene. US scientists have developed 'millirobots' which use magnets and origami folding to flip, spin and even swim! And women's blood pressure measurements may be inaccurate because of their height - a Canadian study compared people's blood pressure measured during an arm cuff and another inside their arteries during surgery.

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about a new UK study which shows people infected with the omicron BA.2 variant reported more symptoms and experienced a great disruption to their daily activities than those with the BA.1 variant. She'll also look at what hiding poison in sugary bait to kill cockroaches is actually doing to their sexual behaviour and two new studies suggest we may be able to identify and track wildlife by sampling DNA from the air.

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn with an update on the new BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron which appear to be behind a new wave of Covid cases in South Africa. The longest-ever recorded case of Covid infection is 505 days - that's not long Covid, but a chronic infection. And a new meta-analysis shows getting the seasonal flu vaccine could reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

The BA.4 Omicron variant has arrived in Aotearoa from South Africa. Authorities say the variant is no more transmissible or severe than other Omicron variants. It does, however, seem to spread more rapidly than the BA. 2 variant which is currently sweeping through the country. Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Science correspondent Dr Siouxsie Wiles shares some quirky studies with Kathryn. Today: how bright is too bright when it comes to lighting and its impact on our health? Can you teach a fish to count? Turns out, yes you can. And what impact can including smell in the VR experience have?

Science commentator Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to look at the new study that's examined the brains of people who'd had a Covid infection and found a worrying reduction in the size of their grey matter in the areas responsible for memory and smell.

Justine and Kyle talk with Dr Siouxsie Wiles about current public health measures, what to expect with Omicron surging in NZ, and what we could be doing better.Join up at https://www.aotearoatogether.org/ to unite and organise our communities.

Analysis: Our epidemiologists and Covid modellers have faced an increasingly bitter series of barbs from commentators and columnists over the last month, and it's making their often thankless task even harder.

In this episode we explore multiple examples of misinformation that have come from the Prime Minister, Ashley Bloomfield, Siouxsie Wiles and others over the past week - and how to remain close to the truth when such things are happening. ✅ Support Left Foot Media and receive exclusive episodes of The Dispatches at: www.Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia ❤️ Check out our website: www.watchLFM.com ❤️Leave a one-off tip: www.ko-fi.com/leftfootmedia

This months guest is 2021 New Zealander of the Year, Siouxsie Wiles. Siouxsie is a microbiologist and science communicator. She became a household name in 2020, recognisable as the "pink-haired lady" who communicated about Covid-19 to New Zealand. She was awarded New Zealander of the Year for her leadership through the pandemic. We spoke to Siouxsie about her work, her views on the vaccine, and dealing with misinformation. For more info on vaccination: https://covid19.govt.nz/health-and-wellbeing/covid-19-vaccines To donate: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/giving/donate/a-z-list-of-funds/new-medicines-to-kill-superbugs-fund.html Siouxsie's book: https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/antibiotic-resistance Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @nz_pod

Anne joined us to talk about her incredible research career and her experience of returning to research after an 8 year break, through the Janet Thornton fellowship. She also shares incredible insights into life with twins and the balance she has found. Here are some resources that you might find useful after listening to our conversation with Anne: Returning to Research The Janet Thornton Fellowship, facilitating a return to research for people who took a career break of a year or more for family, health or caring reasons: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/about/equality-in-science/janet-thornton-fellowship/ The Daphne Jackson Fellowship, which is a national University-based scheme that, like the Wellcome Sanger Institute Janet Thornton Fellowship, offers opportunities to return to research after a career break (of at least two years in this case) again for family, health or caring reasons. https://daphnejackson.org/about-fellowships/ Literature Anne's only microbial genomics paper so far supported by other members of Gordon Dougan's lab and colleagues at the Wellcome Genome Campus at the time, as well as Salmonella strains provided by Jeremy Farrar when he was in Vietnam and lots of Southern blots by a talented undergraduate project student Sara Jenks, who went on to study medicine: https://jb.asm.org/content/187/7/2469.long Putting Salmonella onto Anne's precious tissue culture cells resulted in this publication comparing adhesive properties of Salmonella enterica subspecies I Typhi, the causative agent of typhoid, and Salmonella enterica subspecies I Typhimurium, which causes gastroenteritis in immun-competent humans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18599820/ Anne's research into in vitro phenotypes of Citrobacter rodentium from mouse stool, which was a joyful collaboration with Dr Siouxsie Wiles in Gad Frankel's lab: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1286457907002286?via%3Dihub Anne's work in the Camilli lab in the USA on Vibrio cholerae outer-membrane vesicles as a cholera vaccine tested in mice, in collaboration with Dr Stefan Schild and wonderful colleagues at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh where she spent a month working with rice water stool from patients: https://iai.asm.org/content/78/10/4402.abstract https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256948/ Anne's foray into immunology in the infant mouse model, work carried out with support from a talented technician Bharathi Patimalla: https://iai.asm.org/content/82/6/2434.short Multiples Advice for people with multiples - Anne recommends finding a local Club for peer support, some of which are listed by the National Charity Twins Trust, which has loads of brilliant resources: https://twinstrust.org/ If you have premature births or sick children the charity Bliss is an amazing support: https://www.bliss.org.uk/ Music: 'Lion' by Sapajou Free download: bit.ly/3q6w8mW --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/decoding-life-pod/message

What are some of the personal, and public implications of conspiracy theories? Tina chats with Microbiologist Dr. Siouxsie Wiles about her work on COVID communications, how conspiracy theories have impacted her, and what they could mean for our ability to fight COVID-19

In six months we've learned so much about the virus that causes Covid-19 but there's still so much that seems unclear. And one of the biggest questions is: how much should we worry about asymptomatic cases? Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins the show to explain what we know – and don't know. She also takes a look at this week's border bungles, and the risks that remain. Meanwhile Adam and Eugene propose a death metal cover of Thank You Baked Potato. Links: Click here for every episode of Coronavirus NZ. Full Stuff coronavirus coverage Eugene on Twitter; Adam on Twitter Support Stuff Plague Playlist: Cattle Decapitation, Bring Back the Plague Our email: viruspod@stuff.co.nz

While some saw this week's announcement of guidelines for COVID-19 Alert Level 3 as a good sign, many with a mouthpiece in the media saw it as proof the government had over-reacted here with Level 4  and we should have followed Australia's looser rules instead.