In 2011, Jenny Holzhaider of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and her colleagues looked at an even more distantly related species, New Caledonian crows.

WSJ: Why Are Our Kids Useless? Because We're Smart

To build such a heart, Dr Noble has joined forces with Raimond Winslow, of Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, (who has been doing similar work) and Peter Hunter, of the University of Auckland, in New Zealand.

ECONOMIST: Model behaviour

According to Jian Yang, of Auckland University, New Zealand, nationalism plays less of a part in technical areas such as economics, which may matter as much, if not more, to China's leaders.

ECONOMIST: Less biding and hiding

In New Zealand, the University of Auckland lost more than 20 faculty members to American universities in the 1990s, says Mr Alexander.

ECONOMIST: University education