Asteroid curiosity driven by new space missions and planetary defense: Interest in asteroids surged due to recent space missions and Asteroid Day events.
Archived Pulse in New Zealand
Country pulse digest
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Archived Pulse in New Zealand
New Zealanders show heightened interest in global scientific and sporting events, with surging curiosity about asteroid missions, the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, a police crackdown on the Comanchero motorcycle club, and breakthroughs in synthetic biology.
Active topics
6
Search volume
6.5K
Leading topic
Sports
Attention mix
What the country is searching
6
Sports50% (3)
World33% (2)
Technology17% (1)
Why people are curious
People in New Zealand are curious about these topics for varied reasons. The asteroid-related searches represent a desire to understand recent scientific missions and planetary defense efforts. The FIFA World Cup searches indicate fans following live sports events to keep updated on scores, lineups, and upcoming matches. Interest in the Comanchero motorcycle club stems from following local news about police actions against crime. Meanwhile, the search related to synthetic biology shows a public interest in explanations of recent advances in science.
What to know now
The pulse, explained
Spain's World Cup 2026 win over Austria captivates fans: Fans eagerly followed Spain's 3-0 World Cup win over Austria.
Portugal vs Croatia match draws audience attention: People track the Portugal vs Croatia match in FIFA World Cup 2026.
New Zealand police act against Comanchero gang: Police crackdown on Comanchero motorcycle club after major seizures.
Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final garners cricket fan interest: England and South Africa compete in Women's T20 World Cup semi-final.
Advances in synthetic biology in building a cell from scratch: Scientists have made a breakthrough in creating a synthetic living cell.
Ranked searches
What people are curious about in New Zealand
The leading searches, their context, and the related questions forming around them.
01
WorldDeclining
asteroid
People are searching to understand recent developments related to asteroids including space missions and planetary defense.
2K+ searches · 1,000% growthLast seen 9 days ago
02
SportsDeclining
spain vs austria
Searches spike as fans follow Spain's dominant 3-0 win over Austria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
2K+ searches · 1,000% growthLast seen 9 days ago
fifaspainworld cup 2026
03
SportsDeclining
portugal vs croatia
People are searching to watch and keep up with the Portugal versus Croatia match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
1K+ searches · 1,000% growthLast seen 9 days ago
fifa world cup brackets
04
WorldDeclining
comanchero motorcycle club
There has been a major police crackdown on the Comanchero motorcycle club in New Zealand involving seizures of drugs, guns, and assets.
500+ searches · 1,000% growthLast seen 9 days ago
05
SportsDeclining
england vs south africa
Fans are following the England vs South Africa Women's T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final cricket match closely with live updates and highlights.
500+ searches · 1,000% growthLast seen 9 days ago
06
TechnologyDeclining
scratch
Scientists have made strides towards building a living cell from scratch, a key breakthrough in synthetic biology.
500+ searches · 100% growthLast seen 9 days ago
World / Explaining | 10 days ago
asteroid
Why it matters
DecliningThis topic was last observed 9 days ago and is no longer part of the current pulse, backed by 2K+ recorded searches. People are searching to understand what happened and why.
Last seen 9 days ago
Reporting and context
Source coverage helping explain why this topic is moving.
Surface CubeSat contracted for Ramses asteroid mission - European Space Agency
Is the SpaceX asteroid about to impact the telco & cable dinosaurs? - bondvigilantes.com
Asteroid Day marks a decade of planetary defense progress, but scientists say we need more eyes on the sky - ABC News - …
2026 June 30 – Unusually Smooth Sections of Asteroid Itokawa - NASA (.gov)
Asteroid Day marks 1908 Siberian impact as scientists prepare for surge of new discoveries - AccuWeather
The wider weekly pattern
Curiosity trail
Related searches that led here, appeared alongside it, or followed.