Nights for Tuesday 28 January 2025

8:10 The House

Tonight on our Parliament show, Phil Smith reports that the usual welcome to the new year of Parliament was delayed by a series of farewells to the fallen, including Dame Tariana Turia.

8:15 Pacific Waves

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. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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8:30 Millions feast eyes on world's smelliest flower

A rare corpse flower has bloomed at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney for the first time in 15 years.

The Amorphophallus titanum, nicknamed Putricia, attracted over 20,000 physical visitors keen to lay their noses on its infamous smell before wilting and collapsing a few days later - while over one million people ogled it via livestream.

The Gardens' chief scientist and director of science, education and conservation Brett Summerell joins Emile Donovan to explain corpse flower fever.

8:45 The Reading: Civilisation by Steve Braunias

Today's reading comes from Civilisation: twenty places on the edge of the world by Steve Braunias. The book won the general non-fiction category of  the 2013 NZ Post Book Awards.

In today's reading Steve hangs out on Stoddard Rd and meets some of Auckland's Islamic community.

9:07 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.

9:25 Talking tech with Finn Hogan

Nights' resident tech correspondent Finn Hogan joins Emile Donovan to talk about the shock fall of Chinese AI app DeepSeek, and the race between China and the US to achieve sustainable nuclear fusion generation.

9:35 Shower Thoughts: How do chocolate flavours get invented?

Megan Sinclair has the best job in the world. 

She's the New Product Development Manager at Whittaker's, overseeing the beloved chocolate bar brand's nuts, fruits and treats that go into each different variety.

She joins Emile Donovan to indulge all his questions about chocolate flavour creation.

10:17 Fonterra caught up in dairy product panic

A social media backlash is underway in the United Kingdom with well-known milk brands being poured down drains and people vowing never to buy them again. 

What they're up in arms about is a feed additive that is designed to lower the climate impact of cows.

In December, Arla Foods, a Danish-Swedish company which owns the UK's biggest dairy co-operative, announced thirty of its farms would test the additive, named Bovaer (BOW VE AIR).

At the same time Fonterra posted on social media reassuring customers it is not using a feed additive designed to lower the climate impact of cows.

This is despite the product not being used in New Zealand, because it hasn't shown to be very effective in animals who spend their time mainly grazing on pasture.

Studies have shown the additive is safe for humans.

Independent agricultural advisor Julia Jones joins Emile Donovan to explain how New Zealand got caught up in the issue.

10:30 CIA finds Covid 'more likely' to have originated in a Chinese lab

The Central Intelligence Agency in the US has announced it believes the Covid-19 pandemic was likely created from a virus made in a lab, rather than the prevailing theory of the virus emerging organically in a wet market setting.

However, they have "low confidence" and limited evidence to support the theory.

Since emerging in 2020, the 'lab leak' theory has been largely dismissed by groups like WHO and the mainstream media.

To explain more about the reemergence of the theory and why the CIA is investigating it in the first place, professor of international law Al Gillespie joins Emile Donovan.

10:45 Monarch butterflies not getting the royal treatment in NZ

A new survey shows monarch butterfly populations are dwindling, and advocates are reintroducing a tagging system (yes, you can tag a butterfly) to keep track of numbers.

Jacqui Knight from the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust joins Emile Donovan to explain.

11:07 Worlds of Music

Trevor Reekie hosts a weekly music programme celebrating an eclectic mix of 'world' music, fusion and folk roots.