Nights for Thursday 7 October 2021

7:12 Toxicologist Leo Schep on MDMA 

Toxicologist Leo Schep joins Bryan to talk about the nature and history of MDMA. He looks at how poisonous it is and how it has been perceived over time. 

7:35 Cultural Ambassador - Denver Grenell  

Our 'horror-spondent' Denver Grenell is in to talk about the power of Halloween. Denver has been looking at the influence of the film and how Halloween traditions have evolved. He's also got a batch of fresh horror fiction goodies to recommend. 

8:08 What on earth is an NFT 

Tech teen correspondent logs in to explain to Bryan what an NFT is, and also maybe what a meme is? 

8:15 Pacific Waves

Follow this podcast

Koroi Hawkins presents a daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world.

8:30 People Fixing The World 

Police forces in the US are turning to futuristic technology to tackle a rise in violent crime and murder across the country. In one area of California, they are even using robots to patrol the streets. There, the police are claiming it's led to a reduction in crime and an increase in arrests. In New York they even experimented with a robot police dog, but with mixed results. This and other cutting-edge technologies are helping the police - and the public - stay one step ahead, but they are often controversial. The BBC World Service has been investigating. 

9:07 Our Changing World

This week on Our Changing World, stories from the field of bioengineering - which looks for applied solutions to medical problems.  

Claire Concannon visits the 3D bioprinter at the University of Otago to speak to Dr. Jaydee Cabral (Kabrawl) and her PhD student Mina Rajabi about the wound dressing and bone healing scaffolds they are working on. 

And Katy Gosset talks to Student Engineer of the Year, Francis Pooke, from the University of Canterbury, whose tracheostomy kit design has halved the time it takes the carry out the procedure. 

9:30 UK correspondent Andrew Learmonth 

UK correspondent and Holyrood Magazine journalist Andrew Learmonth joins Bryan from Scotland to discuss Christmas shortages, covid passports and a change in conversation over climate change. 

Late Edition 

10:17 The alcohol industry toasts to a boon in lockdown 

The country has entered its heaviest drinking quarter  An extra hour of daylight and the build towards the festive season typically means we drink more from October onwards. This has Alcohol Harm watch groups worried. While the public have faced a loss of liberties during Covid-19  - the Liquor barons have been enjoying increased freedoms with spikes in online liquor sales and the uptake of delivery services to bring booze to your door. Communities Against Alcohol Harm secretary Grant Hewison says the really dark side of lockdown has been the increase in harmful drinking at home. He joins us to discuss.

10:40 Perseverance pays off with a call to rugby leagues world stage

The Rugby League World Cup was meant to kick off in England in two weeks time but after New Zealand and Australia withdrew due to concerns over Covid-19, it has been postponed to 2022. It's not all sad news as this afternoon the Kiwis' Rugby League World Cup Wider Squad was announced. One of those named in the line-up is none other than Glenora Bears junior and now Cronulla Sharks prop Braden Hamlin-Uele.

11:07 Music 101 pocket edition

In this week's Pocket Edition, we take a tour through the new Christchurch Art Gallery exhibition celebrating the art of Flying Nun and we meet the man behind the Buena Vista Social Club.