Nights for Tuesday 17 October 2017

7:12 When Superstars Collide

For the first time, scientists have measured the violent death spiral of two dense neutron stars via gravitational waves. This new discovery from the LIGO-Virgo collaboration comes weeks after the detection of gravitational waves won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. Alan Gilmour former University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory superintendent and Dr J.J. Eldridge, astrophysicist, University of Auckland join us to tell us more about what this important discovery means.

7:30 The Sampler

This week in The Sampler Nick Bollinger reviews an upbeat pop album by Beck, an aromantic manifesto from Moses Sumney and a second set of Yoruba-inspired soul from Cuban sisters Ibeyi.

8:12 Poetry to Music

Poet, short fiction writer, and teacher at Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters, James Brown joins us for his regular poetry discussion - tonight he talks about poetry set to music.

8:30 4CAST

Four comedians, led by Rhys Mathewson, try to predict next week's news headlines and more. Recorded live every Monday at The Classic in Auckland.

9:07 Editing Our Genes

Kim Hill is joined by bioethicist Josephine Johnston, Director of Research and Research Scholar at The Hastings Centre (the world's oldest bioethics research institute), and a panel of experts including Julie Everett-Hincks, Kevin Prime, and William Rolleston. Together they to agriculture, genetic modification and gene editing technologies. This is the third in a series of four public discussions recorded around New Zealand, in association with the Royal Society Te Aparangi

10:17 Late Edition

A roundup of today's RNZ News and feature interviews as well as Dateline Pacific from RNZ International.

11:07 Worlds of Music

Trevor Reekie hosts a weekly music programme celebrating an eclectic mix of 'world' music, fusion and folk roots. Tonight includes new music from French collective Lo Jo who won over a legion of new fans when they played Womad NZ in 2012 as well as a brief eulogy to the recently departed Soul vocalist Charles Bradley… later in the program we include an interview with singer songwriter Paul Kelly considered the Poet Laureate of Australian music about the creative process of delivering his new album Life is Fine.