RNZ: Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan

Sir Peter Jackson got everyone talking with his plans to bring back the moa (in in partnership with the Ngai Tahu Research Centre at Canterbury University and Canterbury Museum). But he's not the first to want to resurrect the past, earlier this year Texas company Colossal Biosciences announced it had successfully brought back 3 dire wolf cubs after 10 thousand years of extinction. Jesse talks to a member of the Colossal team, Dr Andrew Pask.

It's the kind of story you can imagine becoming a Hollywood feature film, a German backpacker found alive and well after two weeks lost in the Western Australian outback. Brad Foster shares the latest on the story with Jesse.

Catherine Ross, the Director of Library at Auckland Grammar School, shares her picks for the tweens and teens in your life. For ages 11+, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. For ages 13+, Ordinary Monsters (Book 1 in Trilogy) by J.M. Miro. For ages 14+, Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor; Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. Click here for more information.

With 18 million downloads, "The Worst Idea of all Time" is one of our most successful podcasts. Ali Ventura shares why she thinks it is so good, plus she looks at podcasts Redhanded and Good Hangs.

New Zealand farmers use well over 3,000 tonnes of pesticide annually. But a new genomic study has discovered a way to potentially cut that by 80%. Using DNA sequencing technology, Lincoln University scientists believe it's possible to stop mass applications and instead switch to a targeted approach. Currently the project - led by Lincoln University Associate Professor Dr Chris Winefield - is focusing on vineyards

While some rugby players choose to wear headgear, those thin, foam caps don't prevent concussions, so many choose not to. But now, research has found isotropic materials may offer more comfort and protection for players. Nick Draper, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Canterbury chats to Jesse.

As you've seen across the news, the Nelson and Tasman Districts have been hammered with adverse weather. Homes flooded, properties ruined, and livelihoods turned upside down. There have been lots of stories about the terrible weather events, but according to Bernard Hickey, none of them mentioned climate change. Bernard Hickey asks why not.

Why is it such a battle to get kids to put on warm clothing? In the middle of winter? We talk to the Parenting Place to find out if it's actually okay to let them go out without a coat on.

Violence in movies and video games normalizes a culture of cruelty says Dr. Henry Giroux, a leading voice on education, media, and democracy. He says modern entertainment packages violence as a product, turning brutality into something exciting, routine, and even justified. Dr Giroux explains how the normalization of violence doesn't just dull us to suffering, it weakens democratic values and discourages us from thinking critically about the world around us.

Dr Chaey Leem is an obesity doctor, so he knows all about the challenges of losing weight. He joins us to answer listener's questions about weight loss drugs.

Each week Jesse cold calls an information centre, today the spotlight is on Auckland!

This week Caitlin Cherry is looking at the new show The Waterfront on Netflix and discusses the growing Slow TV movement on YouTube.

Kerikeri couple Sophia and Bob Warren have become the first over-70s world champions in the sport of Hyrox. The competition combines running and strength activities. What makes this story even more remarkable is that the couple only got into the sport six months ago.

The Black Sox have been named runners up at the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup. 

2025 Junior NZ Golden Guitar awards winner Cleo Fitzgerald performed live in-studio.

This week's star critter is called a scorpion fly and yet it isn't actually a scorpion or a fly. Stumped? Us too... Fortunately, Nicola Toki is with to explain what it is.

Our DIY expert Stan Scott answers your DIY questions.

Bastille Day is day's away, so we thought we'd celebrate French cuisine with today's recipe. Julie Le Clerc is with us to share her Buckwheat Flour Galette recipe.

Afternoons' reviewer Dom Corry joins Jesse to talk about these new releases.

Freaky tales from the state of Queensland.

Esther Hone from Water Safety NZ's "Water Skills for Life Programme' joined Jesse.

Australian researcher Dr Eline Schotsman spoke to Jesse.

The initiative by the charity Lifewise was to raise money for its homelessness initiatives and awareness of the issue.

The word "Tory" is thrown around quite a lot, most publicly and recently by Chris Hipkins making a reference to media company NZME's "Tory owners". So, what is a Tory, and why is it being used here in New Zealand? To explain the history behind the word Jesse was joined by Dr Grant Morris.

We're going to solve some of the world's problems now, and today we're looking at the news, specifically claims of trouble with trust and bias and the resulting fall in audience numbers. Ali Jones knows a thing or two about what makes news great, having worked in the industry and been part of successful shows, and she thinks she might have found a solution.

When it comes to sport and to broadcasting, there isn't much Ric Salizzo hasn't done. 

The Salt Path is a best-selling book, and now film of the same name, that tells the story of a couple who find their lives in ruin and decide to walk Britain's one thousand kilometre South West Coast Path. There has been almost universal praise for the story until now. An investigation by The Observer says much of the story is not true, but does it matter?

Off the back of Jesse's chat with American psychiatric nurse practitioner Allison Sweet Grant about lying to kids about pain, we speak to an expert here about how she deals with children and pain.

With the introduction of a two point super shot this season, NZ netball has undergone its biggest change since the game moved indoors.

Antonia Prebble (Loretta West) talks to Jesse about the legacy of 'Outrageous Fortune' on the show's 20th birthday.

Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa to preview this evening's marlarky.

Last year, 100 flower-shaped rocky structures were installed along the shoreline of Tauranga's waterfront.   These artificial rockpools, called ‘sea pods', are designed to provide habitat for marine life, and boost the biodiversity of the city's harbour.  Justine Murray visits the living sea wall to see what creatures have moved in. 

Actor Michael Douglas is pressing pause on his acting career, for now. While he isn't officially calling it retirement, he has said he worked pretty hard for 60 years. And that workload is something culture critic and author Jessa Crispin has been looking into. She examined some of Michael Douglas' biggest hits and says that blockbusters like Wall Street and Basic Instinct embody the anger and paranoia of men rocked by shifting gender roles. Her latest book is called What Is Wrong with Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything.

Tofu is heralded as an excellent protein option, but it can be intimidating to cook with, and in the wrong hands positively tasteless. Fortunately, Kelly Gibney's got a dish that is great for tofu enthusiasts and for those who still need to be converted. Click here for the recipe

For 12 year Chris Eden has motorbiked solo around the world. Then three years ago, just as he was preparing to ride up through the length of Africa disaster struck. Now - inspired by last week's heading off - he's finally planning to make it back to the only major continent he's yet to touch.

The bunker house in West Auckland's Piha certainly stands out. Designer Chris Tate, the person responsible, makes it looks like a very modern bunker. Now it's up for an award at the World Architecture Festival. Chris chatted to Jesse about the challenges making his vision into a reality.

A recent study has surveyed over 1000 Kiwis to better understand why and how people quit vaping. The findings reveal some interesting trends and some great practical tips for quitting. 

It's well known that New Zealand has a pest problem, and a problem with growing demands for food banks. So, Bay of Plenty's Jasper Osborne decided to do something that he thought could solve both issues.

Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa to preview this evening's marlarky.

Depression, anxiety, and stress are hitting teens and adults harder than ever. But part of the answer is something many overlook or dismiss as unscientific says Dr. Lisa Miller. Spirituality. A psychologist at Columbia University and author of The Spiritual Child and The Awakened Brain, Dr. Miller tells Jesse she uses research to show that spirituality isn't just a belief system, it's a measurable force that shapes how we think, feel, and cope.

The Mushroom Murder trial is the crime story everyone is talking about, to find out what the latest is from Australia, Brad Foster chats to Jesse.

No grit, no gore, just a warm feeling of enjoyment and escape, cosy fantasy is the new sub-genre in the world of books. Catherine Robertson shared details with Jesse along with her latest reading recommendations: Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch (Hachette) Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood (Pan Macmillan) The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan (Harper Collins)