The Unexpected Technologies Helping Us Solve the Energy Crisis
88% of New Zealand’s electricity is renewable, but that’s only part of the picture. The reality is that our total energy system — including heat and transport — is only around 30% renewable. So how do we bridge that gap? Isabelle takes us through a range of groundbreaking projects aimed at decarbonizing our entire energy system. In this episode, we’re joined by Isabelle Chambefort, Energy Futures Science Lead at GNS Science, to explore groundbreaking projects tackling every angle of the energy crisis. From carbon-negative concrete to supercritical geothermal, geological energy storage and better home appliances, Isabelle explains the bold innovations shaping a cleaner, more resilient energy future. Discover how New Zealand science can drive change in hard-to-decarbonize sectors like agriculture, construction, and transport, and why energy efficiency and alternative storage solutions are key to unlocking a truly renewable energy system.
--------
45:23
--------
45:23
Waving Goodbye to Tsunami Uncertainty
As an island nation we love our coastlines – we live by them, holiday to them, fish from them. But this does not come without its risks. Sitting at the conjunction of two tectonic plates and with bragging rights of the 9th longest coastline in the world, we are in constant threat of tsunamis. As soon as a large offshore earthquake occurs, tsunami scientists are racing the clock trying to determine if there is a tsunami and if so, where and when will it hit. The RCET programme is developing tools to rapidly fill this information gap and go a step further to forecast how a tsunami will ‘evolve’, meaning before the tsunami even arrives, we know exactly when, where and how it will travel around the coastline as well as what the impacts will be and importantly, when it will abate and people can go safely home. Bill discusses how the programme is pulling from multiple and creative data sources to build this picture in the vast void of the Pacific Ocean where our risk is high and our eyes are few.
--------
31:32
--------
31:32
The Particle Accelerator You’ve Never Heard Of
In this episode, Bill takes us behind the scenes of New Zealand’s only ion beam facility — a powerhouse of science and innovation with roots stretching back to the legacy of Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear physics. While it might sound like science fiction, this particle accelerator is a hidden force shaping our future. From developing new materials and improving hydrogen catalysts to solving crime scenes and advancing 5G technology, ion beam science is quietly shaping the world around us. Our researchers can engineer new materials at the atomic level in ways that aren’t possible in many other places in the world. At the moment, we’re advancing innovations like hydrogen energy generation, magnetic semiconductors, and energy-efficient coatings. They’re also creating magnetic structures to manipulate magnetic fields — think glow-beam technology depositing silver on hip implants!
--------
23:27
--------
23:27
A Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake? So What.
Imagine a time when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Wellington Fault is as insignificant as a thunderstorm. Where the buildings we live and work in are built to withstand ground shaking and ground deformation caused by earthquakes. This isn’t just a dream. Everyday scientists and engineers are working side by side to improve building, infrastructure, and urban design to be safer and more resilient to the effects of earthquakes. With new technology uncovering the earth’s secrets, we have never been in a better position to use this knowledge to fortify our built environment and ensure we build smartly. Seismologists Nicola Litchfield and Anna Kaiser come together to discuss the future of our dynamic landscape and how scientists are supporting smarter cities to keep people safer and the economy moving.
Hosted by GNS Scientist hazard and risk expert Dr Mary Anne Clive, each episode introduces you to the brilliant minds working to keep New Zealanders safe, powered, and prepared — through tsunamis, tectonics, and tomorrow’s technology.
Listen. Learn. Be inspired.
New Zealand