Features

Brewing your own beer used to be a hobby fraught with undrinkable results, but these days homebrew can cut it with the professional stuff, says a brewery founder.

Australian broadcaster and musician Ed Le Brocq extolls the virtues of learning a musical instrument - at any age. Audio

Dental hygiene is a long game that rewards daily commitment.  Audio

Dan Slevin singles out five titles that should be essential viewing for film fans in Pōneke.

Auckland hip-hop artist and academic Mazbou Q is becoming an international authority on the burgeoning science of rap. Video, Audio

In May 2022, Kiwi journalist Claire McCall and her partner set off on an epic walking adventure to tackle a freshly minted long-distance trail called the Hexatrek in its pioneer year.

A veteran television producer has described the arrival of colour television as one of the biggest broadcasting breakthroughs of the time. Audio

If 2023 was the year of unpredictability, speed will be the hallmark of 2024, says British journalist Tom Standage. Standage, deputy editor of The Economist, edits the magazine's annual special edition called The World Ahead. Audio

RNZ takes you on a tour inside a giant bouncy castle complex with a difference that’s currently on show this weekend in Otautahi Christchurch. Video, Audio

While she was writing her book Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet, Dr Hannah Ritchie had a picture of her younger self by her computer. Audio

The US Embassy in London has intervened over a controversial tea recipe by an American academic. Audio

For Kyiv resident Iryna Zhygalyuk, the war with Russia is both a constant struggle and the background noise to daily life. Audio

Widescreen - The Boys in the Boat, the underdog story of the Washington State eight-man rowing crew in 1936, really is the kind of film they don’t make anymore, says Dan Slevin.

Our Changing World - Giant kelp is disappearing from Wellington Harbour and Love Rimurimu is aiming to restore lush underwater kelp forests with an ambitious and collaborative replanting effort. Audio

The new CEO of Chamber Music NZ, Michelle Walsh, talks to Bryan Crump about some of her favourite tunes and the art of marketing 'intimate' classical music. Video, Audio

Bloating, constipation, wind, and other gut issues are hot right now. How do you know if you've got Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or something else? 

Former prime minister Helen Clark, who is the attending World Economic Forum in Davos, warns that New Zealand needs to "keep its head" when it comes to signing international statements they've had little input on. Audio

Widescreen - Old friends rekindle their teenage friendship in a film that belatedly discovers some bite, reports Dan Slevin.

Healthy or Hoax - The idea of using sound for healing has been around for a very long time. But what does it all mean and what does it do? Video, Audio

The lack of cicadas in some parts of the country is nothing to worry about, a bug expert says. Audio

In her new book Sleepless, Annabelle Abbs explores insomnia as a source of inspiration and creativity for herself and other women throughout history. Audio

In Denmark people can go to the doctor and instead of getting a prescription for a drug, they can get a prescription for a concert, artistic director of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Tecwyn Evans tells Bryan Crump. Audio

The Sampler - Tony Stamp reflects on ten of his favourite reissues and compilations from last year. Video, Audio

Japanese-American musician Rachel Andie takes us on a tour of Philly, from Delco folk and big brass, hip hop to jazz and the cities sprawling Porch Festival. Audio