Features

Breaking news for dog lovers. A new study has found two music genres most favoured by dogs. Audio

Donald Trump's win came as no surprise to Chris Arnade, who for five years has travelled deep into small-town America, photographing the poorest people in the country. Audio

Sin, guilt and the demonic are all in a day's work for Professor Paul Morris. He’s teaching a course about evil – and its converse, salvation ­– at Victoria University. Audio

The film and its performances are undeniably excellent. So why doesn’t Manchester by the Sea’s star deserve an Oscar?

Nick Bollinger reviews The Eversons expat-pop album Stuck In New Zealand, where the decades all get smooshed together in a blender. Audio

Predicting World Cup football results, escaping captivity in mysterious ways and a fondness for skylights, the octopus is a complex and short-lived creature. Audio, Gallery

In 1999 women held all of the top-ranking positions in New Zealand, but that is far from the case now. Audio

Simon Morris takes us inside the first pop hit factory – New York's fabled Brill Building, host to rock 'n' roll songwriters who dominated the charts through the early '60s.

English, Cantonese and Māori intertwine in new opera, The Bone Feeder, about a young New Zealand Chinese man trying to trace his identity. Audio

Could passports become a thing of the past? Australia is looking at making radical changes to its international airports. Audio

New research has found that informal settlements in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, are expanding and a better approach is needed to manage their growth. Audio

Alarm is being raised in Guam following allegations that the US military sprayed the toxic chemical Agent Orange on the island during the Vietnam War. Audio

Trevor Reekie spins tracks from Italy, India and Barcelona, plus a bit of English folk rock, and has a quick chat with award-winning Māori musician Rob Ruha. Audio

Quantum mechanics describes how our universe behaves at an atomic level - deep-sea bacteria use it to harvest light very efficiently. Audio

Searing, soothing, always captivating, Polly Jean Harvey drew the crowd in with a whisper then pinned them back with a howl.

Polly Harvey and her nine-piece band delivered spellbinding performances this week. Tony Stamp reports back on the Auckland show.

Way, way off the beaten path, there are bizarre and amazing places to visit that aren't listed in most travel brochures. Audio, Gallery

Comedian Ren Lunicke’s performances explore the myriad labels for sexuality and gender. Audio

Politics and the corporate world have long been guilty of egregious crimes against language, but this obfuscatory jargon is now creeping into everyday speech.     Audio

Warming temperatures and increasing ocean acidity are looming climate change threats in Antarctica - and scientists are looking at their effect on Antarctic starfish. Audio

Feudal Japan is the setting for the second movie in Dan Slevin’s odyssey through the top 50 films of all time.

Dr Craig Stevens from NIWA is back from the white continent where he led a team sampling the ocean water of the Ross Ice Shelf. Video, Audio, Gallery

This month's free classical podcast is Beethoven's Third Symphony played by the NZSO conducted by Edo de Waart.

Mark Rogers features classic tracks from Hank Williams and Karen Dalton, The Willard Grant Conspiracy covering Johnny Cash and something new from local outfit Tweed. Audio