Afternoons for Wednesday 28 November 2018

Short Story Club

This week we discuss the poem Mere Mare by Emma Neale. It was first published in the Spinoff as one of its Friday poems and is in hte collection The Friday Poem edited by Steve Braunias - and we will give away a copy of that book to the person who writes us the most interesting email about Emma Neale's poem

1:10 First song

1:15 The case for a universal DNA database

Over the years there have been several high profile cases in the US where police officers and investigators have used publicly-accessible DNA databases to catch criminals.

There is debate over whether this is ethical but new research argues a universal DNA database in each country might be less discriminatory than current forensic practice.

Researchers suggest these are biased, as the databases contain DNA from mostly non-white, young people. James Hazel, the author of this paper, explains why. 

1:25 Catherine Tate live in our studio!

Catherine Tate is on tour here in New Zealand for the first time. The British comedian has spent decades making tv audiences laugh with her array of British characters .

she has created many memorable characters including Lauren who can never stop answering back and a Nan who has seen absolutely everything, but can't always remember.

1:35 Sound Archives: The Post Office

New Zealand Post has indicated it wants to shut its last 79 Post Shops, swapping them for counters in supermarkets and pharmacies. 

Today, Sarah Johnston from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision plays us recordings from Sound Archives of the hey-day when the Post Office was a government department with nearly 2,000 branches throughout the country and could boast its own bands, sports teams  - and even an official team of Post Office marching girls.

You can see a documentary about the post office here and a film here. 

1:40 Great album

2:20 Bookmarks with Michelle Langstone

Actress Michelle Langstone is our Bookmarks guest today. She's appeared in the Aussie TV series McLeod's Daughters and many local productions including The Almighty Johnsons and 800 Words which is about to leave our screens with its final series almost over.

She tells us about her favourite shows, music and books, plus Frances, her British Blue cat.

3:10  From microbes to millipedes: The mini wilderness in our homes

Every surface in your house, every drop of water, every breath of air you take in your home is alive.  Our homes are like habitats for bacteria, viruses  and insects.

Professor Rob Dunn studies the organisms that share our living space. He says we need to learn to live with the wilderness in our homes because many of the 200,000  species found in our houses  can benefit our bodies and going to war with them only makes them more dangerous. His new books is called Never Home Alone: From Microbe To Millipedes, Camel Crickets And Honey Bees, The Natural History of  Where We Live.

3:35 Science and environment stories

Stories from Our Changing World.

3:45 The Pre-Panel Story of the Day and One Quick Question

4:05 The Panel with Richard Langston and Leonie Freeman