Fascination Science Public Lecture Special tonight - Through the looking glass: host-parasite coevolution and sex
Short notice: The next lecture in the Fascination Science series is on Tuesday 12th February 7pm-8.30pm (tonight) at Massey University's Auckland campus in the Massey Business School (MBS) Auditorium on in Albany.
Through the looking glass: Host-parasite coevolution and sex.
Why do males exist?
The most common answer is that males are needed for reproduction; but that is not true for many species of both plants and animals. Why, then, is the earth not dominated by clonally reproducing females? Surely cloning is a more efficient way to reproduce.
So why, in general, is there sex? The question has been raised by many prominent evolutionary biologists, including Darwin; but the answer remains elusive.
In this talk, Prof. Curtis Lively (visiting from Indiana University) will present 30-plus years of research on "why sex?”, highlighting the Red Queen Hypothesis, which posits that parasites select against successful clonal lineages, once they become common in the population.
More information on the lecture series: www.massey.ac.nz...
Register for today's lecture (optional): masseyuniversity.cmail19.com...
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Denim, but make it one-of-a-kind 💙
Not every pair of jeans makes it to the rack... but that doesn’t mean their story ends there. Our talented volunteer Annie has been transforming damaged denim into handcrafted bags, hats and aprons in our Onehunga SPCA Op Shop ✂️🧵
This latest batch even features her own hand-sewn designs, and customers have been loving them, they sell almost as soon as they hit the shelf!
It’s creativity, sustainability and community all stitched together, helping animals in need 🐾
📍 217 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga
🕘 9am–5pm, 7 days
Poll: Is Auckland’s economy improving?
The latest reporting from The Post suggests a wave of optimism for 2026. With interest rates finally heading south, businesses are feeling more positive. But for many on the ground, the real-world recovery feels a bit like a slow-moving commute on Auckland's motorways.
We want to know: Are you seeing signs of Auckland's economy improving in your industry or neighbourhood? Whether it's busier shops, new projects kicking off, or just a shift in the mood ...
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0% Yes
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57.1% No
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42.9% A little
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