Afternoons for Thursday 28 September 2023

1:15 Bill Gates award for New Zealand sustainable rice production

Around a year ago, we interviewed the founded of Palmerston North company BioLumic. They're increasing the yield and productivity of crops with light treatments.

At our current rate, many crops won't be able to keep up with feeding the planet. Rice is a vital staple for more than half of the world's population but it uses an unsustainable amount of water, and BioLumic is hoping to help. 

BioLumic Founder and Chief Scientific officer Dr Jason Wargent talks to Jesse about the exciting news. 

1:25 The creator of the illusive 'black orchid'

Imagine blooming your own hybrid plant and knowing you were the first person ever to see that flower. 

Orchids are one of those flowers where people really can play with hybrids, although it is notoriously hard to create a 'black orchid'.

Our next guest was one of the first people to work out how to do this with his acclaimed orchid After Dark. AKA Fredclarkeara.

Fred Clarke from Sunset Valley Orchids in Vista, California is in New Zealand right now for the Orchids and More festival at Mystery Creek in Hamilton, he talks to Jesse. 

1:35 USD $10m violin and superstar visit RNZ

This is a first, today we have a violin in studio that is probably worth more than the entire Auckland RNZ building. We even had a security contingent.

It's a 1731 ‘Baltic’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin previously sold for just under USD$10m accompanied by multi-platinum award winning violin superstar David Garrett.

David talks to Jesse in the RNZ studio about the instrument and his successful career and plays for us on this incredible and outrageously pricey instrument.

1:45 Great album: Last Splash, Breeders 

2:10 Music Critic: Colin Morris

Colin reviews It Must Change by Anohni, and Wait Till You See Him by Ella Fitzgerald remixed by De-Phazz.

2:25 NZ Sporting History: Dick Tayler 

We replay one of our favourite Sporting History interviews from this year, this 1974 Commonwealth Games and Dick Tayler. 

3:10 Link 3

3:15 Your Money with Mary Holm

This week Mary Holm is back to talk about ways to boost your savings. It's insights she included in her book Rich Enough.

She recommends setting goals that are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable (w)ritten and time-bound. She also talks about having small rewards when you reach milestones.

3:35 Spoken Feature BBC Witness

In September 1993, a peace agreement was signed between Israel and the Palestinians after months of secret negotiations.

The historic handshake between Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin took place on the lawn of the White House.

Mona Juul, Norway's Ambassador to the UK, and her husband were part of the team that planned and orchestrated top-secret meetings that culminated in the signing of the Oslo Accords. She speaks to Louise Hidalgo.

3:45 The Panel with Ian Powell and Penny Ashton