Rapa Nui – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

Scientists used drones to produce this 3D model of Rano Raraku, the volcanic crater where 95% of Rapa Nui’s giant statues were carved. Lipo et al., 2025, PLOS One

November 26, 2025

Drones, physics and rats: Studies show how the people of Rapa Nui made and moved the giant statues – and what caused the island’s deforestation

Carl Lipo, Binghamton University, State University of New York

The mysteries of Easter Island, subjects of speculation for centuries, yield to scientific inquiry.

The Rapa Nui people are mostly invisible in the origin story of rapamycin. Posnov/Moment via Getty Images

September 29, 2025

A billion‑dollar drug was found in Easter Island soil – what scientists and companies owe the Indigenous people they studied

Ted Powers, University of California, Davis

Cancer. Diabetes. Aging itself. Rapamycin’s potential to treat an array of diseases has been a source of scientific fascination. But many aren’t aware of its origins – and its complicated legacy.

Covering the ground with rocks is actually a good way to grow some crops in poor soil. Carl Lipo

June 21, 2024

Rocks on Rapa Nui tell the story of a small, resilient population − countering the notion of a doomed overpopulated island

Carl Lipo, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Satellite data shows the amount of food the residents of the tiny Pacific island have grown over time, pointing to a small but stable population.

November 29, 2018

Easter Island statues: international law is shifting against British Museum

Saskia Vermeylen, University of Strathclyde

The indigenous Rapa Nui say the statue is one of their most spiritually important.

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