Genetics
Defying body clock linked to depression and lower wellbeing
According to a new study, people whose sleep pattern goes against their natural body clock are more likely to have depression and lower levels of wellbeing. Lead author Jessica O'Loughlin joins the… Audio
How exercising your muscles can combat chronic inflammation
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have shown exercise has an innate ability to ward off the damaging effects of chronic inflammation. Nenad Bursac, professor of biomedical engineering at Duke… Audio
Canine obsession: The not-so-secret life of dogs
Author Simon Garfield's latest book, Dog's Best Friend, draws upon history, science art and the writer's own personal experiences with his black Labrador retriever Ludo, to dissect the enduring… Audio
Choosing Calves
New Zealand's largest dairy genetics company LIC says more and more farmers are choosing the sex of their calves. They don't want to put bobby calves on the truck so are happy to pay more so ensure… Audio
The Musical Chair: Jenene Crossan
Kiwi entrepreneur and tech innovator Jenene Crossan has become one of the unofficial faces of Long Covid sufferers in New Zealand, having first been diagnosed with Covid-19 in March, 2020. She's in… Audio
DNA: Will a DNA-based diet help you fit your jeans?
Stacey Morrison finds out just how reliable home-based DNA tests for health and fitness really are. Audio
Are you a facial 'super recogniser'?
Psychologists at the University of New South Wales are hoping a new Face Test will help unearth more of Australia's top performers in facial recognition, known as super-recognisers. Dr James Dunn… Audio
Genetically modified humans: the frontiers and ethics
Anthropologist and author Professor Eben Kirksey explores the frontiers of genetics and what this means for the future of the human species in his new book The Mutant Project : Inside the Global Race… Audio
Hunting for Covid-19 in the nation's wastewater
Geneticist Neil Gemmell is calling for a wastewater monitoring system to find hidden Covid-19 clusters and people who could be asymptomatic carriers of the disease. Professor Gemmell is part of a… Audio
Mystery of 'monstrous' cats reignited in South Island
For more than 50 years the presence of wild puma-like cats in the South Island has been a keenly debated topic. Two sightings of "monstrous" cats earlier this month in North Canterbury have again… Audio
Our Changing World for 17 September 2020
Unlocking the genetic secrets of natural compounds and the evolution of tieke calls. Audio
Is there any science behind the Sirtfood Diet fad?
Following recent photos of the dramatic weight-loss transformation by pop star Adele the Sirtfood Diet has become a hot topic. But what's the catch? Sarah Hanrahan from the NZ Nutrition Foundation… Audio
Hurdles remain in place for teen on $470k life-saving drug
At 15, Bella Powell was told she had only two years to live if her CF went untreated. With nothing to lose, Bella, now 17, started taking a drug called Trikafta, and within hours she noticed results… Audio
Kat Arney on the links between cancer, evolution and genetics
Many of us think of cancer as a contemporary curse, a disease of our own making caused by our modern lifestyles, but it has always been with us. It killed our hominid ancestors, the mammals they… Audio
Keeping the lustre alive
Ravenswood Stud has a long history breeding the hardy English Leicester whose long curly wool has been likened to Bob Marley's dreadlocks. Fiona and John Robinson are continuing the tradition, finding… Audio
Talking Bulls - Wilencote Polled Herefords turns 100
Wilencote Polled Herefords introduced the hornless Hereford breed to New Zealand back in the 1920s and the Humphreys family still runs the stud today, with the fifth generation waiting in the wings… Audio, Gallery
Genetic matchmaker ... for birds!
Conservation geneticist, Tammy Steeves talks to Kathryn Ryan about how she helps some of our highly threatened native birds find 'the one' using DNA to estimate relatedness and make pairing… Audio, Gallery
New blood test shows how quickly you are ageing
A new blood test has been developed to indicate a person's "pace of ageing", meaning it can estimate a person's biological age and help indicate whether they are more prone to develop chronic disease… Audio
Covid-19: Linda Blair on the importance of friendship
Studies show that millions of us are lonely, and it is now more important than ever to be able to rely on our good friends. Clinical psychologist Linda Blair says we've learned a lot about friendship… Audio
Unguarded X: Why women live longer than men
Researchers at the University of New South Wales have found that having two copies of the same sex chromosome is associated with having a longer lifespan. Co-author of the research Zoe Xirocostas… Audio