4 Jul 2019

The Panel with Clare de Lore and Chris Gallavin (Part 2)

From The Panel, 4:05 pm on 4 July 2019

Biologists are having to squash the idea that plants are conscious. Research from more than a decade claims that plants have intentions, feelinsg and even consciousness. Traditional biologists have snapped over the claims, hoping to reassure veryone that they are demonstrably false. The panellists share their plant stories. Do you talk to your plants to help them grow? What are your green thumb tips? Speaking of tech giants, a slightly morbid investigation by RNZ's Max Towle today about the dead on the social media site. Within 50 years, the dead are predicted to outnumber the living on Facebook. That is, accounts stay up of those who have left this mortal coil. And what does it mean for their families and friends and their grieving process? The panellists share their thoughts. Local councils need help to deal with the increasing tourism, the productivity commission says. It delivered a long list of recommendations in a draft of its review of the finances of local councils. A bed tax must be considered for smaller councils, it argues, as they simply can't cope with increasing tourism to their towns. We ask Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull what the issues are. Officers, and even some Defense Department personnel, are worried President Trump's "Salute to America" will politicize the armed forces, on a day that has traditionally been about nonpartisan independence. The panellists look at the awkward position this puts the pentagon in.