Shaun C. Hendy | Lightnews

Light up
your news

About Privacy Terms Help

Shaun Hendy

Shaun Hendy

@hendysh.bsky.social

2.3K followers 990 following 360 posts

Physicist, complex systems, ex-COVID modeller, he/him

Author of "The Covid Response" https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/the-covid-response

Shaun Cameron Hendy is a New Zealand physicist. He is the chief scientist at climate innovation company Toha. He was previously a professor at the University of Auckland and was the first director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, a centre of research excellence in complex systems and data analytics. During the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, he led a team of scientists developing mathematical models of the spread of the virus across the country that influenced the government's response to the outbreak. .. more

Materials science 28%

Mathematics 16%

more

Posts Replies Media Videos

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 1d

Helen Petousis-Harris's piece on how the WHO is vital for New Zealand just nails it. While I am here, can I also just say that @helenp-h.bsky.social is a national treasure. theconversation.com/who-membersh...

WHO membership doesn’t threaten NZ’s sovereignty – walking away from it would

The World Health Organization is a global body, but decisions affecting New Zealand are made in Wellington, not in Geneva.

theconversation.com

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles @siouxsiew.bsky.social · 3d

Morning all! I recently did an interview with NBR about why I took legal action against my employer despite knowing I was going to lose money. They’ve just made the interview free to view so here’s the link if you are interested www.nbr.co.nz/toil-and-tro...

‘It was worth it’: Siouxsie Wiles on her employment stoush - NBR | Business news & analysis | Independent, ad-free reporting

Read premium business news, economic analysis, and market reporting from New Zealand’s most trusted business newsroom. Subscribe to support independent journalism.

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Rebecca Watson @skepchick.org · 4d

Okay, you guys wanted some fun tea on Richard Dawkins? Here you go: one reason he may have gotten super duper angry about me talking about misogyny in atheism
skepchick.org/2026/02/epst...

Epstein Files Reveal How Pathetic Richard Dawkins & Other Men Are

Transcript: Well, it happened again. I’m mentioned in the Epstein files. Again. You probably saw my first video on this topic and you came away thinking that I’ve spent the past decade being as awe…

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 4d

No matter who is to blame for the moldy school lunches, the programme is clearly not meeting food traceability standards. Hard to understand what MPI is up to here www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Haeata Community Campus disputes MPI's mouldy school lunch claim

The school says an internal investigation has found no evidence to support the Ministry for Primary Industries' claims.

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 5d

Landing in Dunedin Aotearoa in about 90 minutes for the start of a trip that represents the culmination of a dream I’ve had since I was ten years old.

Visiting academic to address spread of misinformation

For Carl Bergstrom, misinformation is like a living organism — it can travel across networks and spread through populations like pathogens. The...

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles @siouxsiew.bsky.social · 6d

For the next couple of weeks, I'm championing noke waiū, the North Auckland Worm, for the Bug of the Year competition. Thanks to Toby Morris for this great little cartoon, which shows one reason I think you should give it your vote: it can grow up to 1.4 metres long!

A cartoon by Toby Morris showing pink-haired scientist Siouxsie Wiles standing with her right arm extended, holding a very long pink worm that reaches almost to her boots. It is accompanied by the words Vote noke waiuu, the North Island worm for Bug of the Year bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Chrissie Painting @cpaintingnz.bsky.social · 7d

Have you voted for your favourite 3 critters for Bug of the Year? If not, show some love for noke waiū, an enormously long hairy noodle that can glow in the dark! Head to bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz to vote by Feb 16th. @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social @siouxsiew.bsky.social

A drawing of a green wheelie bin with a worm laid alongside to show how long it is

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 8d

Possible, although I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before. Would suggest he knew who he was dealing with, which he claims not to have.

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 8d

But to be clear, it still makes no sense given he’s directing funds to his personal bank account.

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 8d

He’s talking about teaching buyout, which would normally attract overheads, so if it weren’t for the fact he’s directing the funds to his own personal bank account I’d say this checks out, once you convert to NZD.

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 8d

Yes, he does suggest that when he’s fishing for more $$, but in detailing his estimate of $50k he seems to be suggesting that it would be buyout for his teaching. This would need to have been arranged through the UoA.

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 8d

Also, he makes out to Epstein that the money will be used to buy him out of teaching (i.e. will go to the UoA), but then offers a personal bank account for payment.

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 9d

Yuck.

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 9d

I shouldn’t be surprised, but Listener 7 fellow traveler, Bryan Boyd, appears in the Epstein files: www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellingto...

'Pretty icky': NZ professor named in Epstein files says disgraced financier offered $75k for book on Lolita

Brian Boyd says he did not know about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes when they first met.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Vincent O'Malley @vomalley.bsky.social · 12d

As my first talk at Devonport Library filled up very quickly, I have agreed to do a second session a few days later, on 22 February. Link to book free tickets here:

events.humanitix.com/dr-vincent-o...

Dr Vincent O'Malley Auckland and the Invasion of the Waikato

Dr Vincent O’Malley argues that it was in the invasion of Waikato in 1863, and not either world war, that was the defining conflict in New Zealand history.

events.humanitix.com

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 12d

Nice that the #TheCovidResponse has made the longlist, but the competition looks absolutely stellar.

Te Pūnaha Matatini @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social · 12d

Congratulations to @hendysh.bsky.social, whose book The Covid Response is on the longlist for the General Non-Fiction Award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-... 🎉

2026 Awards | New Zealand Book Awards Trust

www.nzbookawards.nz

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Te Pūnaha Matatini @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social · 12d

Congratulations to @hendysh.bsky.social, whose book The Covid Response is on the longlist for the General Non-Fiction Award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-... 🎉

2026 Awards | New Zealand Book Awards Trust

www.nzbookawards.nz

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy, John R. Kerr

Science Media Centre NZ @smcnz.bsky.social · 13d

Want to work at the interface of science and journalism - helping make complex topics accessible to the public of Aotearoa New Zealand? Then check out our new job opening here: www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2026/01/27/w...

We're hiring: Kaimanaaki Pāpāho | Media Advisor role - Science Media Centre

The Science Media Centre (SMC) is looking for a media advisor to join our dedicated team working to improve the reach, relevance and accuracy of news media reporting on science and related topics in Aotearoa...

www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy, Dana Howard

Dr Tara McAllister @taramcallister.bsky.social · 17d

I will be looking for an RA soon as my amazing postdoc has got a permanent role on our team. I will be looking for an emerging Māori researcher who has a social science background preferably :) dm me if you know of anyone or want to kōrero

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Te Pūnaha Matatini @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social · 19d

He will be speaking about:

→ The impediments to high-risk, high-return science
→ Problems with the peer review system for scientific literature
→ The ways that social media and LLMs such as ChatGPT are changing society
→ How to live, learn and thrive in a world where LLMs are ubiquitous

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Te Pūnaha Matatini @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social · 19d

Te Pūnaha Matatini is bringing acclaimed evolutionary biologist and science system researcher @carlbergstrom.com to New Zealand in February 2026 for a series of public engagements, including a keynote address at the Capital City Complex Systems Symposium → www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/posts/carl-b...

Carl Bergstrom to visit New Zealand amid major shifts in science policy

Te Pūnaha Matatini is bringing acclaimed evolutionary biologist and science system researcher Professor Carl Bergstrom to New Zealand.

www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · Dec 2

In the meantime, here is a plot of fatalities vs cost for a set of counterfactuals for NZ had we followed other OECD country policies (via the Oxford Index and our cost function). There is a no-policy counterfactual as well (red dot).

Scatter plot of fatalities per million versus policy costs for NZ if it had followed other OECD country policies (constructed using the Oxford Index). The plot shows a positive correlation between fatalities and cost.

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · Dec 2

Yes, @michaelplanknz.bsky.social and I have a preprint on the way which looks at optimal policy choices (mitigation, suppression, elimination) for future pandemics with a cost function that includes economic and health impacts.

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Te Pūnaha Matatini @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social · Nov 27

We've just published the programme for the Capital City Complex Systems Symposium 2026, and registrations are open 👀

#cccss26 #complexsystems

www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/conferences/...

Capital City Complex Systems Symposium 2026

The Capital City Complex Systems Symposium 2026 explores cutting-edge knowledge of complex systems & complexity & how this knowledge is used to drive system change.

www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

David Hall @dvdhll.bsky.social · Nov 23

I’ve written about #COP30 for The Transition(s) Lab.

When the gavel came down in Belém, there was no major diplomatic breakthrough, but that’s not all that COPs are about these days. In a multipolar world, that’s likely a good thing.

Read more here: the-transitions-lab.ghost.io/the-shift-2-...

The Shift #2: COP30 in a multipolar world

These are my reflections on COP30, the first climate COP that I have attended. I would like to thank the Toha Network for supporting my travel, Brazil's Ministry of Finance for the invitation to pre-C...

the-transitions-lab.ghost.io

Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · Nov 18

Nature's flying brick.

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions @nzctu.bsky.social · Nov 17

#nzpol HUGE VICTORY FOR WORKERS:
The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Uber Drivers and their unions, saying that they are employees not contractors. Now the NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is calling on the Government to respect this ruling and uphold the rights of platform and gig economy workers:

Govt must respect Supreme Court ruling and abandon pro-Uber bill - NZCTU

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is calling on the Prime Minister to respect the ruling of the Supreme Court and abandon Brooke van Velden’s Employment Relations Bill. The Bill would enshrine in law the abi...

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Bridget Williams Books @bwbnz.bsky.social · Nov 16

'Garrison World' uncovers the lives of soldiers, sailors and families across Aotearoa and the British Empire, 1840–1870.

Charlotte Macdonald’s sweeping new history places the New Zealand Wars in a global context. Out now on the BWB website and all good bookstores.

www.bwb.co.nz/books/garrison...

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · Nov 15

OK team of 5m, we've got 15 days to add $27k to Siouxsie's fundraiser to top $200k.

If you can, please contribute to pay back some of the awesome mahi she did for us. If you can't, just encourage others to.

She doesn't deserve to be out of pocket over the legal battles she has had to fight.

Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe

Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse

www.pledgeme.co.nz

Reposted by Shaun C. Hendy

Rebecca Watson @skepchick.org · Nov 6

Dr. Siouxsie Wiles saved lives during the pandemic by educating the public about what was happening. During that time, she withstood relentless harassment from conspiracy theorists & went to court to force employers to protect people like her. Here's her story! 🧪 www.patreon.com/posts/142933...

This Scientist Saved Lives During COVID. Now She Needs Your Help | Rebecca Watson

Get more from Rebecca Watson on Patreon

www.patreon.com