Our Changing World

After years of preparation and effort an international team have succeeded in recovering over 200 metres of sediment from below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Claire Concannon visits the sediment core analysis team in Dunedin to find out how mud, rocks and microfossils can tell the story of ice growth and retreat across time. And as we look towards our warmer future, what will this mean for sea level rise?
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In this episode:
(00:00) Introduction to Antarctica, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the SWAIS2C drilling project.
(02:18) Recovering a sediment core from beneath 523 metres of ice at Crary Ice Rise.
(04:00) Professor Richard Levy on the early steps of processing the core
(07:50) Sedimentologist Georgia Grant explains how rocks reveal the advance and retreat of ancient ice sheets.
(14:33) Dating the core using paleomagnetism and microscopic fossils such as diatoms.
(22:45) Evidence for past periods of open water and warmer climates in West Antarctica.
(25:40) The co-chief scientists on what the findings mean…
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There’s a lot of chat about solar panels for our rooftops, but where else might it make sense to put them? Claire Concannon visits the University of Canterbury’s Electric Power Engineering Centre to learn about their involvement in a big European project exploring the use of solar panels on vehicles and in car parks. Plus, she speaks to one researcher who is focused on planning for global catastrophes.
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At the Robinson Research Institute in Wellington, researchers are developing powerful superconducting magnets for space, fusion and MRI applications. Claire Concannon visits the labs to learn about a small magnet’s trip to the International Space Station, and how much bigger magnets are powering nuclear fusion research. She also meets the team working on a hydrogen-based way to make iron from New Zealand iron sand, removing carbon dioxide emissions from the first step of steelmaking.

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In this episode:
(00:00) Professor Nick Long on watching the Hēki magnet arrive at the International Space Station
(04:20) Dr Nick Strickland on making superconducting magnets robust and useful
(08:38) Fusion magnets and future research questions for Open Star Technologies
(11:05) Professor Chris Bumby on why steelmaking produces carbon dioxide
(15:20) Ben Rumsey on hydrogen reactors and producing direct reduced iron
(19:50) Cullbeck Limited and plans to scale up the process
(23:10) How the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology works…
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To get electric passenger planes in the skies requires powerful electric motors, but they must also be small and light. Some kiwi scientists think they could have a solution. Claire Concannon heads to a warehouse in Petone to learn about the promise of high temperature superconducting magnets to make electric motors for airplanes.
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In this episode:
00:00 - Where are our electric planes?
01:00 - The challenge of aviation electrification.
02:48 - The history of the Robinson Research Institute and useful properties of superconductors.
07:00 - The establishment of the New Zealand Institute of Advanced Technology
08:30 - The advantage of superconducting motors for aviation.
11:15 - Airbus’ plans for a future electric plane
12:05 - Warehouse tour and levitation bearings for future motors
14:04 - Basic motor design and characterising AC losses in superconductors.
21:26 - Testing a superconducting generator with Air New Zealand…
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Join a group of young explorers as they journey to Antarctica to return a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo to Discovery Hut. Along the way they visit other historic huts to learn about triumphs and tragedies of the 'Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration'. This is an edit of the Antarctic Heritage Trust's '77 Degrees South' podcast.
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Learn more:
The full Antarctic Heritage Trust 77 Degrees South podcast can be found on their website.
The AHT also previously made a podcast about restoring Scott's Terra Nova Hut, and an edit of that was also aired on Our Changing World.
Guests:
Producer: Maia Ingoe
Narrator: Jake Bailey
Sound design and music: Calum Turner
Inspiring explorers: Kitiona Pelasio, Louise Piggin, Lucy Hayes-Stevenson, Ngaiwai Clendon, Daniel Bornstein
Guest contributor: Al Fastier
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details