https://abbyslabs.com/writes Journal entries from Abby: what she asked, who said yes, who said no, and what she worked out along the way. en-nz Thu, 06 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/government-house-said-no https://abbyslabs.com/writes/government-house-said-no I heard back about my request to interview the Governor-General. The answer was no. Here is what that felt like, and what I learned from it. Thu, 06 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/letter-to-government-house https://abbyslabs.com/writes/letter-to-government-house The Governor-General signs every law in New Zealand. So why does almost nobody my age know she exists? I asked to visit and find out. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/asking-chris-hipkins-about-losing https://abbyslabs.com/writes/asking-chris-hipkins-about-losing Everyone interviews the winners. I want to ask a former Prime Minister what it feels like the morning after you lose. Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-it-takes-to-be-a-police-officer https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-it-takes-to-be-a-police-officer One of you asked about police training. I went looking, found out it is sixteen weeks at a college in Porirua, and got a lot more questions. Tue, 14 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/how-does-mcdonalds-do-that https://abbyslabs.com/writes/how-does-mcdonalds-do-that A reader asked how fast food gets made so fast, so identically, everywhere. It turns out to be one of the best systems questions I have ever been handed. Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/who-should-i-meet-next https://abbyslabs.com/writes/who-should-i-meet-next I asked who I should interview next and my inbox went a bit wild. Here is the shortlist, and the four letters I have actually sent. Tue, 07 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/overheard-at-the-supermarket https://abbyslabs.com/writes/overheard-at-the-supermarket Two adults arguing about the price of Weet-Bix in aisle four. I was just trying to get cereal. I ended up thinking about the whole country. Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/how-i-built-vote-in-the-zoo https://abbyslabs.com/writes/how-i-built-vote-in-the-zoo The story of the Treehouse lab that nearly didn't work. Animals, coalitions, one very stubborn giraffe, and the bit I had to throw out and start again. Sat, 04 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-an-mp-actually-does-all-week https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-an-mp-actually-does-all-week You see them yelling in Question Time on the news. That is about two percent of the job. Here's what the other ninety-eight percent looks like. Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-is-the-news-always-bad https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-is-the-news-always-bad Turn on the 6pm news and it's crashes, crimes, and cost of living. Somewhere in New Zealand today, something good happened. Why didn't it make the news? Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/the-thing-my-teacher-said-that-stuck https://abbyslabs.com/writes/the-thing-my-teacher-said-that-stuck One sentence from a maths lesson that had almost nothing to do with maths. I have been thinking about it for a month. Wed, 01 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-do-politicians-never-just-say-i-dont-know https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-do-politicians-never-just-say-i-dont-know Every interview, someone asks a politician a hard question, and they answer a different question instead. I'm trying to figure out why "I don't know" is basically banned. Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/who-decides-whats-on-the-news-at-6pm https://abbyslabs.com/writes/who-decides-whats-on-the-news-at-6pm There are about a million things that happen every day. Somehow the news picks six of them. Who's choosing, and how? Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-is-voting-on-a-saturday https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-is-voting-on-a-saturday Most countries vote on a weekday. New Zealand votes on a Saturday. There's a reason, and it's older than you'd think. Sun, 28 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-a-coalition-actually-is-snack-version https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-a-coalition-actually-is-snack-version After every MMP election the news talks about coalitions for about a month. Here's what one actually is, using a packet of biscuits. Sat, 27 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-the-reserve-bank-actually-does-ocr-edition https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-the-reserve-bank-actually-does-ocr-edition Every few months the news goes "the Reserve Bank held the OCR at 4.25%" and adults nod like they know what that means. Most of them don't. Here's the kid version. Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-a-select-committee-submission-actually-looks-like https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-a-select-committee-submission-actually-looks-like I said in an earlier post I'd try writing a submission to Parliament. I've started. It's harder than it looks and easier than it sounds. Thu, 25 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/i-built-four-new-media-and-truth-labs-heres-why https://abbyslabs.com/writes/i-built-four-new-media-and-truth-labs-heres-why Headline Decoder, Deepfake Detective, Algorithm Lab, Newsroom Simulator. Four new labs in one drop. Here's what each one does and why I thought they were missing. Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-swimming-sports-taught-me-that-applies-to-politics https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-swimming-sports-taught-me-that-applies-to-politics I spent the weekend at a swimming meet and noticed something about how people react to losing. It reminded me a lot of how grown-ups talk about election results. Mon, 22 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/sorry-its-been-a-minute-school-and-swimming-sports https://abbyslabs.com/writes/sorry-its-been-a-minute-school-and-swimming-sports I haven't posted since the 15th. School got busy, swimming sports got busier, and the laptop has mostly been closed. Quick update on where I've been and what's coming next. Sun, 21 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/the-election-is-coming-and-im-not-old-enough-to-vote https://abbyslabs.com/writes/the-election-is-coming-and-im-not-old-enough-to-vote I'm 11. I can't vote in the 2026 election. That doesn't mean I'm not paying attention - and honestly, half the adults I know are paying less attention than me. Sun, 14 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-everything-costs-so-much-from-an-11-year-olds-perspective https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-everything-costs-so-much-from-an-11-year-olds-perspective A block of cheese is $14. My pocket money is not $14. Here's what I've figured out about the cost of living - and what I still don't get. Thu, 11 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-mmp-actually-means-in-kid-words https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-mmp-actually-means-in-kid-words MMP is just New Zealand's way of making Parliament look a bit more like the country. Two votes, one Parliament, a lot of coalition snacks. Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/how-a-bill-becomes-a-law-in-kid-words https://abbyslabs.com/writes/how-a-bill-becomes-a-law-in-kid-words A bill is just an idea someone wrote down. Before it can boss anyone around, it has to survive three readings, a committee, and a lot of arguing. Fri, 29 May 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-i-would-love-to-meet-the-minister-of-education https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-i-would-love-to-meet-the-minister-of-education If I had ten minutes with the Minister of Education, I wouldn't ask for less homework. I'd ask why we don't learn how Parliament actually works until we're already old enough to vote. Thu, 28 May 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-does-an-mp-actually-do-all-day https://abbyslabs.com/writes/what-does-an-mp-actually-do-all-day I always pictured MPs shouting at each other in the debating chamber. Turns out most of the job is meetings, emails, and electorate clinics. Tue, 19 May 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-the-treaty-lab-took-three-tries https://abbyslabs.com/writes/why-the-treaty-lab-took-three-tries Te Tiriti is the most important document in Aotearoa New Zealand and the hardest one I've tried to make a lab about. Thu, 07 May 2026 21:00:00 GMT https://abbyslabs.com/writes/the-first-time-i-watched-question-time https://abbyslabs.com/writes/the-first-time-i-watched-question-time I sat down expecting a debate. I got something closer to a school assembly where everyone is mildly cross. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:00:00 GMT