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Afternoons for Thursday 9 May 2019

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1:10 Will Martin performs live

New Zealand singer Will Martin was the youngest artist in history to top the UK classical charts. You might recognise him as the New Zealand national anthem singer for many international rugby matches.

He's set to star as Marius in Les Miserables in Auckland in November and he's about to release a new album, By Request and he performs one of the songs from it live in our studio.

Will Martin

Will Martin Photo: supplied

1:15 University students with helicopter parents

We all now about helicopter parents, but we usually think of them in a primary or secondary school context. But academics in Australia are noticing a steep rise in over bearing parenting in universities. Queensland University education professor Marilyn Campbell is one of them and she joins me now. 

1:25 A celebration of Arcaroc mugs

A small brown mug has united a nation. The Arcaroc mug has been ubiquitous in New Zealand for decades but how much do we know about them and why are they such an enduring symbol in New Zealand. 

Author and journalist John Summers has been putting some serious thought into these mugs and has published them on The Spinoff. He's in our Wellington Studio. 

Arcaroc mugs in the RNZ kitchen

Arcaroc mugs in the RNZ kitchen Photo: RNZ

1:35 RNZ Storytime launches

RNZ has released a new children & young adults collection called Storytime. It holds over 100 stories read out loud and sorted in a super-easy way, so you can search them out by author, listening age or title.

If you want stories about history, magic, dogs or nature they’re grouped together so your kids can find exactly what they want. Just head to Storytime on your phone or computer. 

The man who put it all together is Dave Wright and he tells us what's on offer.

Storytime on RNZ

Storytime on RNZ Photo: RNZ

1:40 Great album: No Secrets, Carly Simon

2:10 Music Critic - Colin Morris

Colin brings us two albums; Songs Of Leonard Cohen & Agricantus

2:20 NZ Biography: Len Lye

Len Lye in his studio in 1958.

Len Lye in his studio in 1958. Photo: Len Lye Foundation Collection / Govett-Brewster Art Gallery

Almost all of Len Lye's creative work was created overseas but his impact on the artworld can be understood by tracing his New Zealand roots.

Len was a forward-thinking painter, sculptor and filmmaker who was concious of how future generations would interact with his work. Roger Horrocks is Len's biographer and his a filmmaker in his own right. He joins Jesse to talk about the man who's life is the key to his work.

Len Lye A Colour Box 1935. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation and the British Postal Museum and Archive. From material preserved by the BFI National Archive and made available by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Len Lye A Colour Box 1935. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation and the British Postal Museum and Archive. From material preserved by the BFI National Archive and made available by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Len Lye A Colour Box 1935. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation and the British Postal Museum and Archive. From material preserved by the BFI National Archive and made available by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Len Lye A Colour Box 1935. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation and the British Postal Museum and Archive. From material preserved by the BFI National Archive and made available by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Len Lye A Colour Box 1935. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation and the British Postal Museum and Archive. From material preserved by the BFI National Archive and made available by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

4095 Len Lye in studio 1958 unknown photographer Courtesy Len Lye Foundation Collection Govett-Brewster Art Gallery

Len Lye at University of California Berkeley 1966. Courtesy Len Lye Foundation

Len Lye Fire Bush 1961 (2007 reconstruction. Courtesy the Len Lye Foundation Collection, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery

Len Lye making film 2 - sent by Roger Horrocks - May 2014

Len Lye Bell Wand 1965 (2011 reconstruction). Courtesy the Len Lye Foundation Collection, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery

Len Lye A Colour Box 1935 4min 35mm Dufaycolour 10.JPG

Len Lye Bell Wand 2011 Photo Bryan James.JPG

Len Lye Waterwhirler-TimGruchy-A459-0149

Len Lye Rotating Harmonic 1959 (2010 reconstruction). Courtesy the Len Lye Foundation Collection, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery

The Birth of a Robot 1936 still Courtesy LLF and Shell Global 2

Len Lye Water Whirler 1961 (2006 reconstruction). Courtesy the Len Lye Foundation. Photo Tim Gruchy

Len Lye Fountain III 1977. Govett-Brewster Collection. Photo Bryan James

The Birth of a Robot 1936 still Courtesy LLF and Shell Global 3

The Birth of a Robot 1936 still Courtesy LLF and Shell Global

The Birth of a Robot 1936 still Courtesy LLF and Shell Global 4

3:10 Link 3

3:15 Solving the world's problems

Hawkes Bay farmer Steve Wyn-Harris answers listener questions about farming and tells us about the his latest batch of dung beetles and the thorny issue of biological methane.

Sheep and cattle are ruminants, and the methanogen microbes in their rumen produce methane as part of the feed fermentation process.

Sheep and cattle are ruminants, and the methanogen microbes in their rumen produce methane as part of the feed fermentation process. Photo: Supplied

3:25 The history of big cars in New Zealand   

The latest passenger vehicle sales statistics indicate that approx 70% of new sales are SUVs (sport utility vehicles).  These 'Remuera/Khandallah/Merivale tractors' are now the most popular vehicle option in NZ.  They are arguably too large for most city roads and not really an environmentally friendly option.  How can we explain this NZ obsession with big cars, especially as petrol prices keep rising?

Historian Grant Morris of Victoria University looks at the history of big cars in New Zealand.

No caption.

Photo: 123RF

3:35 Spoken Feature

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

4:05 The Panel with Stephen Franks and Sue Bradford