Afternoons for Wednesday 20 January 2021

 

1.12 First Song:

 

1:17 COVID mutations fast and many

Scientists doing genome sequencing of COVID-19 are finding that the virus is mutating at an alarming rate with many more mutations than would have been expected.

Jesse talks to Dr David Welch, a senior lecturer at Auckland University's school of computer science about what he has seen during genome sequencing of the virus.

1:27 Inauguration eve in the US

On the day before a new presidents is sworn into office in the U.S, Feature Story chief correspondent Simon Marks talks to Jesse about the legacy of the outgoing administration.

He also explains how different tomorrow's ceremony will be against a backdrop of a pandemic and threat of violence by far right extremists.

1:37 Why we can't plant our way out of climate change

Arguments are flowing for why New Zealand needs to do more than plant trees to be effectively fighting climate change.

Newsroom senior political reporter, Marc Daalder, talks to Jesse about the experts he's interviewed for his latest work, which criticises the approach of offsetting carbon emissions by planting trees rather than reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses we produce.

1:55 Foul smelling large rare flower blooms in Auckland and Dunedin

Nature lovers have queued  up to inhale the scent of rotting corpses emitted from the rare Amorphophallus Titanum blooming in Auckland and Dunedin this month.

Among them was native carnivorous plant researcher Taylor Davies-Colley, who talks to Jesse about the rare bloom and other plants that like to eat animals.

2.12 Podcast Critic Molly Jones

Uncover: The Village.
Produced by CBC media

Scam Goddess
Produced by Earwolf
 

2:25 Bookmarks with Nathan Rarere

Our guest on Bookmarks this week has just been announced as the new presenter of First Up on RNZ, broadcaster Nathan Rarere.

Some gen Xers may remember him as the host of Ice TV with Jon Bridges in the 1990's, he's also been a television sports presenter and has had many stints in radio as well.

He joins Jesse in the studio to talk about his favourite books, movies, tv shows, music and podcasts.

 

3:10 How kindness can make you live longer

Diet and exercise are great, but if you really want to live longer start tracking your social life instead of your steps. A strong support network of family and friends  does more to lower mortality  risk  than exercise. 

This is what science journalist Marta Zaraska has discovered after pouring over hundreds and hundreds of studies from around the world. She shares the evidence about how leading a good life can lead to a long life in her new book,  Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism, and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100

 

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World.

3:45 The Panel with