Nine To Noon for Friday 4 October 2024

09:05 Evacuations centres filling up in rain soaked Dunedin

Rain continues to pour down in Dunedin where a state of emergency has been in place since last last night. About 100 people were evacuated from homes overnight and evacuation shelters have been opened at the St Clair golf club evacuation centre and Forsyth Barr stadium . Residents are reporting knee-deep water in some South Dunedin homes At least 18 roads have been closed across the city.  Kathryn talks to two South Dunedin residents, Lynn who is keeping a watching brief at home, and  Chris Ford who is disabled and has been evacuated. A red heavy rain alert  for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha remains in place until nine o clock tonight, with the potential for another 70 millimetres of rain. MetService meteorologist, Mmathapelo Makgabutlane will check in with the latest.

09:20 Datacom director on growing data centre power demand 

One of the country's experts on data centres says the use of artificial intelligence will explode the data centre energy demand. It is a boom time for data centres in this country, with predictions that data centres could soon match the Tiwai Point aluminium smelters as the country's biggest power user by 2030. A recent analysis by business consultancy EY found data centres said while data centres could be something of a boon to this country economically, investment is needed to boost the country's electricity generation. There have been several major deals where the data centre company pays for what are essentially certificates to be able to say their product is backed by 100 per cent renewable energy. One example is Contact Energy's Te Huka 3 geothermal plant, which it says is partly funded by its 10-year deal with Microsoft, which is building three data centres in Auckland. But increasing use of AI is expected to surge power demand from these kinds of sites. Datacom's Andrew Green tells Kathryn just how AI explodes energy use for data centres.  

09:35 Kiwi blackcurrant discovery shows promise for mood enhancement

Kiwi scientists say they've found a molecule in blackcurrants that inhibits an enzyme that breaks down chemicals like dopamine in the brain. Researchers from Plant and Food Research and Callaghan Innovation are behind a study that found naturally occurring compound sarmentosin in blackcurrants can hinder monoamine oxidase-B (or MAO-B). It found sarmentosin helped with alertness and reduced mental fatigue. The study's findings have been published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and to talk more about them, Kathryn is joined by Dr Dominic Lomiwes, Science Team Leader for Immune Health and Physical Performance at Plant & Food Research.

09:40 Latest on Dunedin floods

RNZ's Anna Sergant reports from an official briefing in Dunedin where a red heavy rain warning extended for parts of Otago until 11 o'clock tonight.

09:45 Pacific correspondent Koroi Hawkins

The establishment of a Pacific Response Group (PRG) is one of the main outcomes of the ninth South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting (SPDMM) which has wrapped up in Auckland. Chile, France, Fiji, Australia, Tonga attended as members, while Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States attended as observer countries. Members recommitted to enhance their ability to jointly respond to climate-induced disasters, meet the increased demand for rapid and effective Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief response and address maritime security threats.

RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins 

10:05 The end of sex? Predictions for the future of human reproduction

We've all heard of IVF - invitro fertilisation - but what about IVG ? In vitro gametogenesis involves making human eggs and sperm in the laboratory from any cell in a person's body. This means IVG could see same-sex couples have genetically related children. The prospect of course opens the door to a myriad of other possibilities and potential ethical dilemmas. Hank Greely is a professor of Genetics at the Stanford School of Medicine , director at the University's Center for Law and the Biosciences , and chair of its Steering Committee of the Center for Biomedical Ethics. He says science will soon support the creation of life without the need for sex - and indeed that people will choose this form of reproduction in the not-too-distant future.

10:35 Book review:What Feelings Like Best by Tina Oziewicz

Lisa Adler of Unity Books Wellington reviews What Feelings Like Best by Tina Oziewicz published by Puskin Children's

10:45 Around the motu: Samantha Gee in Nelson

Some schools across New Zealand have had their names changed on Google Maps - in what appears to be a prank by internet users occurring around the world.  Nelson College for Girls was renamed Yoza highschool, while in the North Island, Rathkeale College in Masterton has been called the Huak Tuah College of rizzcraft and sigmatry on Google. And Nelson's Tāhunanui Beach will be one of the first sites targeted in new Government funding announced to clean up contaminated sites and vulnerable landfills.

11:05 Music reviewer Grant Smithies​

The Hard Quartet is something of an indie supergroup, comprising members of Pavement, Dirty Three, The Cairo Gang and Superwolf. Their self-titled debut album is released today and we'll hear two key tracks from that, followed by hefty Algerian dancefloor action by Dar Disku and digital rub-a-dub reggae from Tom "Naram" Langford, recorded just up the road from where Grant grew up in Whanganui.

11:25 Dunedin flooding update

A red heavy rain alert for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha remains in force until 11pm. A local state of emergency was declared overnight. Residents in low-lying parts of South Dunedin have been encouraged to evacuate. There are 31  roads closed in Dunedin due to flooding, blocking or other unsafe conditions. A full list is on the Dunedin City Council website. Matt Alley, Emergency Management Otago controller, speaks to Kathryn.  

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Resignations and revelations in the sporting world this week. Sam talks through what Tim Southee's future holds after stepping down as Black Caps test captain, a Kiwi claim's Australian league's top individual prize and troubling times for the Silver Ferns and Black Ferns.

11:45 The week that was

Comedians Te Radar and Michele A'Court with a few laughs, including the story of Joshua the goat who joined a Newfoundland marathon.