Nine To Noon for Friday 24 May 2024

09:05 Calls for vigilance as bird flu cases hit Australia

Conservation and health authorities are urged to remain on high alert as two instances of bird flu hit Australia. A child in Victoria came down with a severe infection from the highly contagious H5N1 strain, after returning from India. And hundreds of thousands of birds at an egg farm in the state had to be euthanised, after an outbreak of a different strain. Distinguished Professor of infectious disease epidemiology and public health, Nigel French, says avian influenza is truly surrounding the country now. 

09:20 Making waves: Gisborne-based research centre a global MRI pioneer

Mātai Medical Research Institute - a not-for-profit research and innovation centre - first opened its doors in Gisborne-Tairāwhiti in 2019. Five years later, it has a brand new purpose-built campus and is being hailed a world-leader in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). New Zealand-born California University emeritus radiology professor Graeme Bydder has gone as far as to call the techniques a 'third wave' in MRI. Research to date includes, the impact of meth on the body - using MRI to visualise changes in the heart and brain caused by the drug, and a world-first longitudinal study using MRI - the Tairāwhiti child well-being study. Dr Daniel Cornfeld is Mātai's Clinical Lead.

09:30 Singing researchers investigate cross-cultural patterns in music, language

Singing researchers have been investigating cross-cultural patterns in music and language. Although music and language are universal, scientists have never compared how they are similar or different around the world. Now, a global study published in Science Advances has examined the cross-cultural relationships - comparing song, speech, and instrumental music from around the world. University of Auckland psychologist and musicologist Dr Patrick Savage and psychology Professor Suzanne Purdy talk about the findings.

09:45 Asia correspondent Ed White

Taiwan has a new president - who is William Lai, and how is Beijing responding to his election and inauguration? The US-China trade war is back in full-swing after Joe Biden’s latest comments on green technology exports. And researchers in China are developing a new AI chatbot based off the thoughts of the country’s leader, Xi Jinping.

Ed White is a correspondent for the Financial Times, based in Shanghai.

10:05 Cameroon born refugee fighting for equal treatment of asylum seekers in NZ

Trained as a lawyer, Bernard Sama spent time in a Cameroonian prison in 2005 after advocating for human rights in his home country. The African nation is a Francophone and Anglophone country and Dr Sama is from the minority Anglophone region in the South. After his imprisonment he managed to leave the country via Chad and successfully sought asylum in New Zealand. He is the chair of the Asylum Seekers Support Trust and a member of the Refugee Alliance. Earlier this month he graduated the University of Auckland with a doctorate in Social Work. The focus of his PhD thesis was on  improving health and well-being in New Zealand refugee law and legal processes.

 

10:35 Book review: The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

Kim Pittar of Muirs Bookstore reviews The Coast Road by Alan Murrin published by Bloomsbury

10:45 Around the motu: Simon Wilson in Auckland

Simon details the rates rises facing Aucklanders, mounting concern about crime and safety in the inner city, traffic calming measures out West and  blockbuster turn out to the Auckland Writers’ Festival.

11:05 New music with Jeremy Taylor

 

New music from Justice, Portishead's Beth Gibbons, Polite Company, and a cracker from Gerry Rafferty.

 

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

There's much attention is on rugby at the moment - on and off the field - with Sam dissecting the threat from professional rugby players to walk away from their national union amid concerns over governance. And on the coaching front - Te Korowai - Sport Performance Coaches New Zealand has been established to further support and develop the New Zealand performance coaching sector, and ensure that coaches receive adequate support with a focus on wellbeing. And iconic car race action is looming with the Indy 500 next week. It's been 16 years since Scott Dixon won the Indy 500, and now Scott McLaughlin is sitting in Pole Position after his record breaking qualifying performance.

11:45 The week that was with Te Radar and Elisabeth Easther

Some end of the week levity with comedians Te Radar and Elisabeth Easther.