It was hardly surprising that a research paper which claimed Māori may have voyaged into Ant-arctic waters at least 1000 years before Europeans made headlines around the world last year. The explosive claim, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, meant Maori would have shattered the previous record set by a Russian ship in 1820.
At the time, the report’s authors expressed surprise at the media attention, saying they did not intend to popularise what they saw as an imperial narrative of people discovering new land. Lead author Dr Priscilla Wehi said it wasn’t about which humans were in Antarctica first, but about “linkages that have gone on for many hundreds of years and will go on into the future”.
Wehi and her research team went on to write a paper arguing for a stronger case for future indigenous management of Antarctica, and this, too, received considerable attention.
What never made global headlines was the response a few months later, also in the RSNZ journal, of a group of distinguished Māori scholars, including Sir Tipene O’Regan. The article was titled: “On the Improbability of pre-European Polynesian voyages to Antarctica: a response to Priscilla Wehi and colleagues.”
The lead author was archaeologist, and emeritus professor at the Australian National University, Atholl Anderson. He attributes the lack of media interest in the subsequent paper to the disproportionate appeal of the new. New claims in science and scholarship typically receive a great deal of attention, he says, while responses challenging such claims tend to be ignored.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 13 - 19, 2022-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 13 - 19, 2022-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.