Te Ao Mārama - Centre for Fundamental Inquiry
Te Ao Mārama’s current cross-disciplinary initiative focuses on life and the universe, with an emphasis on space science and astrophysics.
Te Ao Mārama literally means the “world of life and light”, the idea of breaking into light from darkness. This progression is a metaphor for coming to an understanding of something – a journey of discovery and becoming. By taking a name drawn from te ao Māori, we are expressing our commitment to working on transcendent questions from a vantage point that is firmly located within Aotearoa/New Zealand and draws from both mātauranga and science.
Our research
We are interested in questions that promise to transcend disciplinary boundaries: what is the origin of life? Is our own universe part of a much larger multiverse? What types of planets circle other stars in our galaxy? These questions are characterised by being very easy to ask but remarkably hard to answer. Our goal is to inspire researchers to tackle these topics and foster transdisciplinary collaboration.
Te Ao Mārama’s current cross-disciplinary initiative focuses on life and the universe, with an emphasis on space science and astrophysics. The initiative aims to facilitate research, develop STEM work force, foster engagement with the public, and partner with hapū interested in transdisciplinary approaches. Te Ao Mārama’s focus areas include cross-disciplinary teaching, Mātauranga Māori, and solar system exploration.