Nights for Tuesday 4 October 2022

7:12 Tech Tent: Why are there so few women in tech?

The boss of Apple, Tim Cook, says there are no good excuses for the persistent gender imbalance in tech. Tech Tent asks women starting their careers in the sector what needs to change. Also, how the European Union is making it easier to sue when AI goes wrong. And Silicon Valley reporter James Clayton takes a ride around the streets of San Francisco in a self-driving taxi.

 

7:30 The Sampler

This week Tony Stamp reviews American musician Santigold's latest album Spirituals - and talks to the artist herself about its creation and influences.

 

8:15 Pacific Waves

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.

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8:30 Food Chain: Who Owns Seeds?

Today's seed industry is dominated by a handful of companies. Approximately 60 percent of the market is controlled by just four companies.

Many of the seeds planted by farmers are controlled by international property rights or patents, that limit how they can be used. Food chain charts the history of the seed industry, from the 19th century, when the US government sent seeds in the post to farmers for free, through to the growth of genetics in the 20th century which set the foundations for today's market. 

 

9:07 Prof Alan Barber: how to prevent a stroke 

Strokes are the second leading cause of death in New Zealand. Around 9000 people have a stroke each year, and as our population grows and ages that number is on the rise.

Professor Alan Barber is chair of Clinical Neurology for the Neurological Foundation and Director of the Auckland Hospital Stroke Service. His research in stroke led to the development of a ground-breaking clot retrieval technique in New Zealand that has saved hundreds of lives.

Professor Barber joins the show to discuss the signs of stroke, how to prevent stroke, and what can be done to improve outcomes for stroke sufferers.

 

9:30 Using positive reinforcement to train your pooch

Puppy season is upon us and those early days are an important time to get your new furry family member well socialised and learning good habits.

Canine behaviourist Darran Rowe is the owner of Mindfulness4dogs and President of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers New Zealand. He joins the show to discuss how positive reinforcement training can have a massive impact on your dog's ability to learn. Darran has some tips for both training puppies and working with older dogs.

Send any questions for Darran to nights@rnz.co.nz or text the studio on 2101 (texts cost 20c).

10:18 Polar blast bringing freezing temperatures 

The month of October would normally mark the middle of spring, but it looks like spring is on pause. Forecasters are warning that a polar blast will sweep across Aotearoa this week and make it feel more like mid-winter.

10:25 Stand Strong, Walk Tall

Stand Strong, Walk Tall (SSWT) is a pilot programme providing specialist therapeutic services for adults in Aotearoa New Zealand who experience sexual attraction to children/young people aged under 16.

The pilot is government-funded, and began in June of this year. Gwenda Willis is an associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist at the University of Auckland, and talks to Karyn about the aim of the programme - to prevent offending in the first place.

10:38 Banks lifting test mortgage rates

It's not the best time to get a mortgage, with banks lifting their test mortgage rates. Homebuyers need to show their bank they can service debt at rates as high as 8 per cent in some cases.

Brad Olsen - Principal Economist and director at Infometrics - is here to explain why this is the case.

10:45 CeleBRation Choir: Singing as therapy

The CeleBRation Choir is a community singing group for adults living with an acquired neurological condition, such as stroke, aphasia, Parkinson’s disease, dementia or traumatic brain injury. The group is led by music therapist and doctoral student Alison Talmage.

11:07 Worlds of Music

Trevor Reekie hosts a weekly music programme celebrating an eclectic mix of trans-global music, fusion and folk roots. This week Trevor talks to Detroit Session guitarist and 'Funk Brother' Dennis Coffey who helped create the Motown Sound. Coffey's psychedelic licks shaped some of the greatest soul records ever recorded.