The incredible shrinking country

If current trends continue, our cross-Tasman trickle will see a tenth of current Kiwis e- or de-volving into Kangaroos by 2025. But despite what taskforces might have you believe, it’s not just about higher wages and nine percent super; the general population actually does care about more than just money. And beyond the usual tourist traps, the work-hard-play-hard young types we most want to retain on this long white cloud are finding the good times few and far between .

By stemming the flow, we’d save bucketloads: World Bank research has found expats cost this country $14,000 each through lost tax and government services. Like Cyndi Lauper sang once upon a time, girls (and boys) just want to have fun. So, as Gena Tuffery writes, given the alarming lack of opportunities in that department, it’s about time to upsize our new Supercity.

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Showing we care

Starting in New Zealand, on April 16 cities around the world will come together and hold a series of special edition PechaKucha events themed around ‘inspiring Japan’, where PechaKucha Night was first born. The 20x20 presentations will focus on the three main themes of inspiration, issues and recovery, including presentations from a colourful selection of creative fields including architecture, art and design. Organisers are asking people to come together to show Christchurch and Japan that the creative world is thinking of them, that all is not lost, and that it is possible to stand up and rebuild, even in the suburbs and towns which have been completely destroyed.

Christchurch will kick-start the global event via Ustream at the CPSA Building at CPIT from 7.30pm. If you or someone you know is interested in presenting, then email vanessa@pechakucha.co.nz.

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Wanted: the next Edison or Tesla

Registrations for the 2011 James Dyson Award are now open, with a massive prize package up for grabs: a trip to London and meetings with top UK design companies; three grand of spending money plus the equivalent worth in legal/business advice; and much more. Named for the British inventor who designed the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner, the award challenges young engineers and designers to develop problem-solving inventions. Design students, engineers and designers within four years of graduation are invited to enter their end-of-year projects or other inventions they have developed since graduating.

Previous New Zealand entries have included a hydration blanket for stranded whales and an an energy-saving nebuliser for respiratory patients; Massey University student Julian Schloemer (pictured) last year won the national award with a wakeboard binding featuring an automatic release mechanism to reduce the chance of injury in a fall.

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Comic cipher

Take a second look at this pretty poster and you’ll see that it actually depicts comic-book superheroes from A to Z. While Superman is S-shaped, and B is for Batman, creator Fabian Gonzalez hasn’t made all the letters that easy to decode. Can you identify all 26?

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Apocalyptic art

British artist Gerry Judah’s work could almost be described as more destructive than constructive. He tosses building models onto canvas, then smashes them to bits, leaving behind stark cityscapes reminiscent of a doomsday blockbuster. Born in India, he says the country’s dramatic landscapes and ornate architecture were a great influence on his style.

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At one with the ocean

April 20 marks the anniversary of the disastrous BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. While our shores were distant enough to remain untouched, there’s no excuse for complacency. New Zealand’s oceans cover 4.2 million square kilometres, 15 times bigger than our land area, and nearly half of our marine creatures cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.

WWF’s Ocean:View competition calls for entrants to share their individual connection to the sea through art, be it film, song, paint, or something else entirely. It’s open to New Zealand residents only—entries close at midnight on April 15 and will be judged on creativity, originality and narrative. The grand prize winner will receive a wildlife-watching trip for two to New Caledonia.

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The trouble with water

Speaking of water, March 22 marked World Water Day, and this year visualizing.org invited the design community to create a project using data on urban water consumption. The winners were Joseph Bergen and Nickie Huang with What Is Your Water Footprint?, which lets users scroll over different countries to compare details of supply and usage around the world, and learn about the amount of water found in common consumer products from milk to beef to shoes.

But possibly even more eye-catching was runners-up Matthew Laws and Hal Watts’ effort, a world map made entirely out of cheap kitchen sponges. They poured water onto each nation in amounts proportional to its expected urban water consumption in 2030, creating a literal topography of thirst.

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Gone with the wind

Industrial designers in China have developed a device that can capture the wind created by trains as they whiz past down the track—potentially becoming a generator of power. The T-Box would be installed between railroad ties and partly buried to avoid interference with normal train operation. As carriages pass above it, the wind force spins a turbine inside the box, generating electricity.

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Bridging the gap

CoLab, AUT’s creative technology centre, has launched an online, open-access journal as part of its work in promoting interdisciplinary research. The peer-reviewed Journal: Creative Technologies can be found at journal.colab.org.nz. Its editorial executive board comprises senior academics and post-graduate researchers from the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies at AUT. Experts from around New Zealand and internationally will also be invited to join the editorial board as the theme of each issue requires.

“There are very few avenues for emerging researchers to publish work that brings together the various strands of creative technologies,” says editor Jennie Watts. “Journal: Creative Technologies serves a unique purpose, providing inclusive space for the expression of new research and development in this diverse area.” The journal’s second issue is planned for November 2011, and a call for papers will be made shortly.

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A matter of time

The quality of work made during 48-hour filmmaking competitions can often be best described as variable. But the better end, films like the five-minute Precision, shot as part of the Sci-Fi London 2011 challenge, demonstrate what can be achieved with limited time and resources.

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Quote of the week

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but fun is a major concern for young people. And if you’re not into LOTR wonderlanding through unspoiled tourism ad fodder there isn’t much of that to be found around here.

- Gena Tuffery on Auckland’s dearth of leisure offerings