Maths, physics, chemistry

These sciences underpin almost all activities in modern society. For example, within New Zealand the mathematical sciences underpin a significant proportion (often over 50 per cent) of total business, industry and government activity. These sciences provide direct contributions to profits and savings.

Mathematics links

• Mathematical and information sciences
• Latest news links on Information Technology from our International Pages
• New Zealand Mathematical Society
• NZ Association of Mathematics Teachers
• New Zealand mathematician L.J. Comrie
• Mathematical models of nature
• millennial maths question
• Mathematical Bounds

Physics links

• Pinning down superconductors
• The power of symmetry
• New microscope spots single atoms
• Smart surfactants
• Big results from nanotechnology
• An "impossible" magnetic superconductor
• The Case for a Synchrotron 

Chemistry links

• The chemistry of cataracts and croissants
• Francis Shorland 

Research briefs

News

Below are news headlines. Full articles are available from this site under the 'News, Events, Policy' heading for RSNZ members only. If you'd like to become a member or would like information on member benefits, click here.

28 May 2007: Just worrying about stereotypes can hamper success: study - The researchers believe that reminding subjects of negative stereotypes took up processing resources in the brain

20 March 2007:  California-based team cracks century-old maths problem - A team of mathematicians and computer scientists has mapped the most complicated Lie group, E8

31 January 2007:  Labor plans to cut cost of maths, science study - The Australian Labor Party has launched a $A111 million plan to cut the cost of an average three-year maths or science degree from $21,000 to $5,000 in a bid to address a science teacher crisis

10 December 2006:  Laureates accept prizes in pomp-filled Stockholm ceremony - Medicine prizewinner Craig Mello, who with Andrew Fire won for discovering how genes can be "silenced", was the youngest Laureate at just 46

4 October 2006:  Nobel prize family affair - Roger Kornberg's chemistry prize completes the first American sweep of the Nobel science prizes since 1983 and comes nearly half-a-century after his father, Arthur, shared the Nobel medicine prize in 1959

14 September 2006:  Immigrant children more likely to study math - survey - Complemented previous studies by other researchers

9 August 2006:  Renowned US physicist and space pioneer James Van Allen dies at 91 - Van Allen's discovery that radiation belts surrounded earth spawned research in magnetospheric physics.

7 August 2006:  Magnet gadget aims to boost wine's attraction - The new device works by creating a magnetic field that changes the shape of a wine's tannins, making them larger and softer.

4 August 2006:  Wellington High wins Big Science Adventures competition - Film makers win trip to Antarctica.

19 April 2006: NZ students better at reasoning than facts and application - 2002/03 key findings for NZ students participating in an on-going international survey on maths and science

27 January 2006: Otago University researchers win prestigious award. Richie Poulton and Dr Catherine Day are joint winners of the University of Otago's Rowheath Trust Award and Carl Smith Medal for 2005

26 January 2006: Natives get restless as scientists patent more life forms. Bioprospecting is on the rise as researchers search the corners of the world for alternatives to chemistry-based drugs

4 January 2006: Missouri researchers discover world's largest prime number. It is a Mersenne prime known as M30402457

News from 2005