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Nine To Noon for Wednesday 14 August 2019

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09:05 Census debacle - absence of iwi data "absolutely dire"

Last year's botched census saw a 20 per cent drop in the response rate among Maori to 68 per cent - the worst ever.
The head of Statistics NZ, Liz MacPherson, resigned yesterday following the release of a highly critical report into the botched survey which found too much focus on a digital-first approach, and not enough staff on the ground or paper forms in many communities, particularly affecting Maori. Andrew Sporle is an Auckland University sociologist and statistican and a founding member of Te Mana Rauranga - the Maori data sovereignty network. He tells Kathryn the botch up will have lasting implications for Maori.

Blurred Crowd of People On Street, unrecognizable crowded population as blur urban background, Vintage Toned Image.

Photo: Igor Stevanovic/123RF

09:30 Sexual violence courts a success: evaluation 

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Photo: 123RF

An evaluation of the country's first sexual violence court finds cases proceed to a jury trial a third faster than on average. The pilot was established nearly three years ago in the Auckland and Whangarei District Courts  - for all serious sexual violence cases. An evaluation of the first two years of the pilot has just been released. Kathryn talks with Judge Jan-Marie Doogue who was the Chief District Court Judge who initiated the two pilot courts, after a 2015 Law Commission report. She will be sworn in as a High Court Justice next Monday.

09:45 China compared to Nazi Germany and press freedom 

Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst reports on the stabbing in central Sydney yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is at the Pacific Islands Forum as a rift opens in Australia's ruling coalition over an MP's comparison of the rise of China to that of Nazi Germany and media bosses front a parliamentary inquiry into press freedom after police raids in June.

Police investigate inside a building near the scene of a knife rampage in Sydney.

Police investigate inside a building near the scene of a knife rampage in Sydney. Photo: AFP

10:05 Explosive science: What's really going on inside a volcano?

Today's feature guest has really got to know some of the world's hot spots. Ben Kennedy is a volcanologist based at the University of Canterbury and his research has taken him around New Zealand and the world - to volcanoes in Iceland, Hawaii and Vanuatu. He enjoys mixing science with fun and was part of a group of U-C scientists that developed a hi-tech game to help high school students understand the inner workings of volcanoes. In 2017 he won the university's highest award for tertiary teaching excellence, the UC Teaching Medal. He'll tell Kathryn about what he's working on now: a project drilling into magma beneath the Krafla volcano in Iceland to investigate its geothermal energy potential.

Ben in Hawaii filming Lava Chasers for Discovery Channel in a moon suit - that still didn't stop the burns.

Great exploding balls!

Teaching students on Mt Tongariro.

Seeing a volcano up close is just part of the job.

10:35 Book review - Whatever it Takes by Paul Cleave

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Photo: Upstart Press

Louise O'Brien from New Zealand Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa reviews Whatever it Takes by Paul Cleave. This book is published by Upstart Press. 

10:45 The Reading

Last Day, Last Chance, Forever And Ever by Noel Harrison (episode 3).

11:05 Music With Yadana Saw

Music correspondent Yadana Saw looks at songs getting a second lease at life including: Kirin Callinan's version of The Waterboys' The Whole of the Moon, The Bird and The Bee's take on Van Halen's Panama and finally Okay Kaya's remake of Cher's Believe.

11:20 Rat's tale: The history of Australia's native long-haired rodent

It's hard to find a more maligned animal than the rat, but a new book examines whether Australia's native long-haired rat deserved to be caught up in the rodent bias settlers often brought with them to the country. The long-haired rat, dubbed the 'plague rat' due to the great irruptions associated with La Nina rains, was actually viewed quite differently by the Aboriginal people. Professor Tim Bonyhady joins Kathryn to talk about his new book The Enchantment of the Long-haired Rat: A Rodent History of Australia.

Professor Tim Bonyhady and the cover of his new book.

Professor Tim Bonyhady and the cover of his new book. Photo: Supplied

11:45 Glow-in-the-dark sharks and self-driving bikes

Science commentator Siouxsie Wiles looks at a study which discovered why sharks glow in the depths of the ocean, researchers have created an artificial 'eye-on-a-chip' complete with a blinking eyelid and move over self-driving cars - self-driving bikes are here.

Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.