RNZ: Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan

Research has linked head knocks to neurodegenerative diseases later in life. How often are junior rugby players exposed to head injury? Scientists are following an entire season from start to finish to find out.

Professor Susan Magsamen is the founder of the International Arts + Mind Lab at the Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She and Ivy Ross, he VP of design for hardware at Google, have written a book that explains what happens when we engage with art and why it's so essential for good health. It's called 'Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us.'

Today RNZ's own Elliot Childs talks to Jesse about the podcast, You Must Remember This. It's a series all about Hollywood history and is billed as being about secret and/or forgotten history of Hollywood's first century.

For NZ Music Month, you can go an see all the best images of local artists captured by local photographers - it's called From The Pit.  Organiser Dave Simpson is a renowned photographer he talks to Jesse.

In just 10 days, a crowd of firefighters will put months of training into practice and scale Auckland's Sky Tower.  More than $880,000 has been raised so far with proceeds going to Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.

Muliagatele Vavao Fetui is an educator who has spent his life passing down his knowledge of the Samoan language and culture. At the age of 78 he's added another feather to his cap by graduating with his PhD in Pacific Studies.

A recent study from Otago University, Christchurch supports the need for a stronger strain of immunisations against pneumococcal, know as PVC-13. Co-author of the study, Professor Tony Walls speaks to Jesse.

More than 280 years ago, 250 men would set sail aboard the HMS Wager on a doomed secret mission to capture Spanish silver and gold off the coast of South America.

This week Library Manager at Mt Roskill Grammar School, Catherine Ross, is talking about non-fiction for younger readers. Her list follows: For 8 and up: Horrible Histories by Terry Deary and Case Closed?: Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science by Susan Hughes. For 11 and over: Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children, Edited by Kath Shackelton and A Less Boring History of the World by Dave Rear. For 14 year olds and over: Pandora's Jar - Women in Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes and Vincent and Theo: The Van Gough Brothers by Deborah Heiligman.

Today neuropscyhologist Hannah Korrel talks to Jesse Mulligan about how to communicate with narcissists.

This week is New Zealand Sign Language Week, and it happens to coincide with the launch of the NZ International Comedy Festival, which Ray Bradshaw is performing at. His first language is sign.

In celebration fo Afrika month, Black Creatives Aotearoa are releasing New Zealand's first zine featuring all local African contributors, and launching an art installation. To tell us more about these projects we're joined by Bareeka Vrede, the editor of the zine and a volunteer for Black Creatives Aotearoa.

A surprisingly 'fire-proof frog' has emerged from 2019's Black Summer fires. Lead researcher, University of Newcastle's Dr Chad Berankek talks to Jesse.

Mel Parsons has just released a new single, Tiny Days, which was written as she wrangled three young children at home during lock down.

Parenthood can leave us speechless. But Jessica Urlichs always seems to find a way to put into words the anxiety, exhaustion and unvarnished joy that comes with raising children. She's a poet and children's book author.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a quilt? On our expert feature today we're talking about the art and craft of quilting - which actually dates back to medieval times.

Brad Foster provides a catch-up on a busy week in Australia including news of the passing of Australian MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo, the Aussie connections to the King's Coronation, and discusses a new series that has just hit Netflix - Almost Australian - by Miriam Margolyes of Harry Potter fame.

Television Critic: Pratik Navini

Children's author Lisa Hamilton-Gibbs has a new book out today - The Gubyllub. It's a story about Rose, who learns to stand up to bullying. Lisa talks to Jesse about the book and the interactive cards that go with it.

A new study is unpacking why people become more likely to view themselves negatively as they age. Psychologists at the University of Queensland believe older people are more likely to be exposed to ageism.

A new report on the future of biosecurity reveals climate change could make Aotearoa better suited to farming new exotic crops.Hugh Rose chairs the Tropical Fruit Growers of New Zealand and he talks to Jesse.

May 2 was World Tuna Day so this week we're talking about the endangered southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii. Tuna have been dubbed the Ferraris of the ocean because they're sleek, powerful and built for speed. Unfortunately our appetite for their tasty, nutrient-rich meat has made them vulnerable to over fishing.

NZ Gardener magazine editor Jo McCarroll joins Jesse to talk about growing garlic. Now is the time plant the bulbs and she has some useful tips to grow a crop that you can enjoy later in the year.

For a few nights in May, Liberty restaurant transforms into 'Osteria Liberta' with a simple Sicilian menu inspired by the flavours of Pietro Boscia's childhood growing up in Sicily.

Today RNZ Producer Sam Hollis talks to Jesse about Close, out in cinemas next Thursday and John Mulaney: Baby J.

Each week we talk to listeners about their strange stories of coincidence and inexplicable encounters.

The Small Hall Sessions will be held in 16 community halls across the region - from Porangahau in the south to Te Puhoe in the north. Jamie Macphail who's curating it all talks to Jesse.

win sisters, 19-year-old Kaitlyn and Jessica Lamb, the second year students at Canterbury University have just launched 'Compost Club' to show people how easy it is to compost. Kaitlyn Lamb talks to Jesse.

A clinical trial has launched in Auckland aimed at alleviating gut issues which disproportionately impact people with autism. Liggins Institute's lead investigator, Professor Wayne Cutfield, talks to Jesse.

Researchers have discovered a new tool that could impact the understanding and treatment of Parkinson's.  Dr Victor Dieriks, talks to Jesse.

It's a seaside town in Wellington and back in 1840 the New Zealand Company migrant ship the AURORA arrived at Petone Beach. With a population of just over eight thousand Petone is home to Jackson street with it's niche design stores and a popular water spring. Justine Murray joins Liz Mellish to talk about the proper name, Pito-One, that's coming up on Nau Mai Town, a series about Aotearoa place names.

Rest homes are a vital part of modern NZ society. Many New Zealanders live in rest homes and even more visit them on a regular basis. But has this always been the case? Today Dr Grant Morris explores the history of rest homes in NZ.

Today Dave Armstrong talks about the problems which need solving in Wellington including the trains, sporting fees at council facilities and house prices.

NZ Sporting History now and today we're talking to freestyle motocross legend Levi Sherwood. Levi made his debut on the global stage in the Red Bull X-Fighters competition in 2009.

Christchurch academic Nick Maitland says skateparks can be a confronting place for people in their 40s. To challenge the idea that middle-aged people should gracefully resign from the board sports they love, he interviewed 12 men and women who haven't.

A Nelson-based carver is on an ambitious journey to gift every child in state care a pounamu of their own. Timoti talks to Jesse about why he wants the children to have their own pounamu.

Neuroscientists in the US have taken an unnerving step towards reading people's minds. Neuroscientist Alexander Huth talks to Jesse.

Meet the winner of the Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize, Doug Walker. His hands-on experiments, exciting demonstrations, and development of a new general science course have seen science increase in popularity at his Wellington high school.

Meet the winner of the Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize, Doug Walker. His hands-on experiments, exciting demonstrations, and development of a new general science course have seen science increase in popularity at his Wellington high school.

Raising humans is not easy work. We all want pretty much the same things for our kids, to be happy, healthy and successful. Science helps us discern parenting fad from fact says Dr Justin Coulson.

Today Alex talks to Jesse about The Rewatchables and Nuku.

Almost half of New Zealanders feed birds, but what's the best and safest way to attract and nourish our precious native species? Auckland academic Daria Erastova investigated the effects of backyard sugar water on native birds for her PhD. She tells Jesse Mulligan that although the simple concoction isn't as nutritious as flower nectar, it's a great 'supplemental' food to offer during the winter months.