Saturday Morning for Saturday 13 March 2021

8:10 Avi Loeb: Top Harvard astronomer believes in extraterrestrial life

In late 2017 scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed a strange object soaring through our inner solar system.

The object dubbed "Oumuamua" was pancake-shaped, and as big as a football field. It had no tail so wasn't a comet and it was moving too quickly to be an asteroid.

Former Chair of Astrophysics at Harvard University Professor Avi Loeb became intrigued by the object.

He eventually concluded that it was most likely a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilisation.

Professor Leob lays out this controversial theory in his book Extraterrestrial.

9:05 Juliet Stevenson: Pandemic theatre

British actor Juliet Stevenson narrates Blindness, a major international, socially-distanced theatre experience coming to the Auckland Writers Festival.

Blindness is adapted from the novel of the same name by Nobel Laureate José Saramago and is the story of an epidemic that wipes out sight.

Juliet Stevenson has a long career in film, television and stage productions and a few years ago bought a double-decker bus to provide refugee children in Calais with a safe and dry day care centre.

9:30 Jackie Clark and Moeroa Marsters: Surviving domestic abuse

Her Say is a collection of stories told by New Zealand women who have lived in - and escaped - abusive relationships.

Its publication is a long-held dream of Jackie Clark who, in 2013, launched The Aunties, a grassroots charity helping women to rebuild their lives after a period of trauma.

She quit her job, turning her back on her comfortable life, to focus on The Aunties full-time, becoming Aunty in Charge and assisting hundreds of women with material needs and emotional support.

Moeroa Marsters contributed to the book and is chairperson of The Aunties board.

Where to get help:

The Aunties - where to go for help

Women's Refuge: (0800 733 843)

It's Not OK (0800 456 450)

Shine: 0508 744 633

Victim Support: 0800 650 654

HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 &  push 0 at the menu

The National Network of Family Violence Services NZ has information on specialist family violence agencies.

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

10:05 Seeds of Deceit: Joey Hoofdman on being fathered by a fertility doctor

At last count, Joey Hoofdman estimates he has around 90 biological siblings but reckons there are likely to be many more.

His biological father was Jan Karbaat, a Dutch fertility doctor who inseminated Joey's mother with his own sperm, without her knowledge.

Karbaat, who died in 2017, is believed to have fathered possibly hundreds of children in the same way from his clinic in Rotterdam.

Joey Hoofdman is an advocate for the rights of children conceived by sperm donation and he features in the documentary Seeds of Deceit which screened recently at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

10:30 Amanda Symon: Protecting Māori rock art

Amanda Symon is a member  of  Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Rock Art Trust based in Timaru and general manager of the Orokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin.

Her mission is to protect Kā tuhituhi o nehera: the drawings of ancient times.

Ngāi Tahu has identified 761 sites of Māori rock art in Te Waipounamu, with 500 in the Aoraki region.

The Trust aims to protect and preserve the drawings - and tell the stories of the people who created the art.

 

11:15 Refugee and migrant advocate Dr Zhiyan Basharati

Dr Zhiyan Basharati is a finalist for the Young New Zealander of the Year Award.

She came to New Zealand age 11 after spending her childhood in a Kurdish refugee camp.

Now she has a PhD in forensic psychology and is a dedicated advocate for refugees and migrants.

On the day of the Christchurch mosque attacks, Zhiyan was by coincidence at Christchurch Hospital. She quickly made herself known to staff and began organising translators who spoke Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Somali or Kurdish to assist victims and their family members.

She went on to coordinate the welfare centre at Hagley College and set up the Christchurch Victims Organising Committee (CVOC), working around the clock to disseminate information and help survivors and their families in various capacities, including distributing donations and helping with immigration status and visa issues.

The Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards will take place on 31 March.

11:45 Actress & songwriter Chantal Claret

NZ based American actress & songwriter Chantal Claret is best known for her role in the Netflix hit series Love and as lead singer in the band Morningwood.

The daughter of art collectors, she grew up in New York City where, as a teenager, she was a promoter for several clubs.

The mother of young twins, she has written about how pregnancy affected her creative drive.

You can see Chantal Claret and her band on Saturday March 27th at 8:30pm on the Massey Creative Distraction stage of Wellington's CubaDupa Festival.

The festival will feature over 1750 artists from all over Aotearoa across 46 stages.

She's also playing a show at the The Rogue and Vagabond tonight Saturday 13 March

Books mentioned in this show:

Her Say: Survivors of domestic abuse tell their own stories
Jackie Clark and The Aunties
ISBN: 9780143774235
Published by Random House NZ

Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth
By Avi Loeb
ISBN13: 9781529304824
Published by John Murray Press

Music played in this show

Song: Outer Space
Artist: John Grant
Played at: 08.55

Song: Walk
Artist: Ria Hall
Played at:10:38

Song: End of Time
Artist: Chantal Claret
Played at 11:45