Alert newsletter reaches milestone of 1,000th issue

The first issue of Alert was published as Science Digest & Technology Alert on September 1997, replacing the Science Digest series. Interestingly, this first issue included topics relevant to work the Society continues to focus on today such as gene technology, climate change and animal ethics.

• View first issue of Alert

The Society was one of the first organisations in New Zealand to use email to send out its newsletter.  The first Alert newsletter states: “…The issue is being distributed by mail and email…If email or the world-wide web is not available to you, let us know by phone, fax or letter and we will send the information by conventional means.”

Our Director of Academy Operations Gill Sutherland, was a scientific editor in our publishing team and was responsible for the editing of the weekly email newsletter for many years.   

In June 1998, issue 34, the name changed to Science & Technology Alert and again in November 1999, issue 105, the name was shortened to Alert. 

We thank all of those who have read and contributed items to Alert over its 20-year history and we will continue to refine it so that it remains to be a useful resource.  

We welcome everyone to subscribe to Alert.

Feedback and items to be considered for inclusion can be sent to alert.editor@royalsociety.org.nz or view recent past issues.