Sunday Morning for Sunday 1 June 2025

8:10 The Sunday Morning Quiz 

Our usual quizmaster Jack Waley-Cohen is taking a break this week - so former champion of TVNZ's Mastermind programme and former Mayor of Whanganui, Hamish McDouall, has kindly stepped in. 

8:25 Ruth Shaw: Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World 

Ruth Shaw joins us for a captivating conversation about her latest memoir, Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World.  

In this beautifully written sequel to 'The Bookseller at the End of the World', Ruth invites us back to the shores of Fiordland, where her tiny bookshops have become havens of connection, reflection, and the unexpected ways books can bring people together in even the most far-flung corners of the world. 

9:10 Mediawatch 

Mediawatch looks at the state of climate change reporting in a changed political climate - at a time when the media have their own existential emergency.  Also - how the Run It Straight phenomenon went from social media niche to news media headlines. 

9:40 Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger on turning 90 

Paddy Gower is joined by the Right Honourable Jim Bolger and gets to wish him a happy 90th Birthday. 

10:10 Fred Schneider of The B‑52’s Talks Fresh Collab & Iconic Antics 

The inimitable Fred Schneider of The B‑52’s joins us for a chat about a new version of Love Shack,  in collaboration with Kingston Sound System.  It's the latest single on the album CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE

Don’t miss this first-hand glimpse into what makes Fred and The B‑52’s forever vibrant—and what’s next on the horizon. 

10:40 Getting kids hooked on STEM subjects 

STEM education is more than just science, technology, engineering, and maths—it's about equipping the next generation with the tools to solve real-world problems.  

We speak with Morgan McKeen, a leading voice in STEM education, about how hands-on learning, inclusive classrooms, and a passion for curiosity are shaping the future. 

11:10 What if the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning? 

We’re joined by theoretical physicist Niayesh Afshordi—professor at the University of Waterloo and associate faculty at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics—and science communicator Phil Halper, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society whose stunning astronomy images have appeared in The Washington Post, BBC, and The Guardian.  

Together, they’ve co-authored Battle of the Big Bang New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins, a book that challenges the boundaries of what we think we know about the origins of the Universe. 

11:40 Calling Home: Ruby Stobart in the Barossa Valley 

We're heading across the ditch this morning for Calling Home this week… and for any listeners perhaps looking for a winter getaway, we're touching base with Ruby Stobart in the Barossa Valley…where she has lived for close to 20 years.