Sunday Morning for Sunday 9 August 2020

7:10 'Investors should always have some precious metals in their portfolios' 

The price of gold has hit US$2000 an ounce for the first time, making it one of the world's best performing assets. The record price is in part due to investors moving cash into precious metals while Covid-19 cases rise in the United States. Meanwhile, silver, platinum and palladium prices have also risen sharply, with some predicting silver may soon overtake gold. OANDA senior market analyst for Asia Pacific Jeffrey Halley joins the show to discuss the situation and explain why investors should always have some metals in their portfolios. 

7:19 Do bicycles slow cars down on low speed, low traffic roads? 

New research out of Portland State University shows that bikes do not significantly reduce passenger car travel speeds on low speed, low volume urban roads without bike lanes. And the researchers say the key findings will relate anywhere in the world with similar traffic volumes and conditions, including New Zealand. Co-author Jaclyn Schaefer joins the show to discuss. 

7.32 The House

The 52nd Parliament is drawing to a close with the final debate setting the tone for the next six weeks of election campaigning. Our parliamentary programme The House gives an overview of how the debate went and what was said.

7:44 Calling Home: Christopher Foulkes in Kabul, Afghanistan

Christopher Foulkes moved to Kabul in 2014 for a five-week assignment, and he has been drawn back ever since. A support officer with the UN's International Organisation for Migration, Christopher lives in a compound with his co-workers and can only leave in armoured vehicles with bullet-proof glass. Despite these restrictions, he says that Afghanistan's stark beauty rivals that of New Zealand.

8:10 Why the 8-hour workday is an outdated, counterproductive lie 

How many hours in a typical eight-hour workday do you actually work? For most people, it's not even close to eight (or seven with an hour included for lunch). Are we even designed to work eight hours a day? Mexico City-based science journalist Lizzie Wade isn't so sure. In fact, she thinks it's impossible to actually work eight hours a day in the jobs so many of us have. 

8:23 The Weekend Panel with Jane Clifton & Richard Harman 

Our Sunday Morning panellists Jane Clifton and Richard Harman offer their thoughts on the past week's news from Aotearoa and abroad. They'll be looking at Covid-19-related matters, including whether we should be letting more people back in to the country and the likely economic outlook, and the launch of the respective election campaigns in NZ.  

8:45 Covid-19 update with professor Michael Baker 

Experts are saying there is a very high chance that Covid-19 will start being transmitted through the community again soon and that it is only a matter of time before New Zealand goes back to alert level two. Professor Michael Baker is back to discuss what the coming weeks and months might look like, and whether we should be stocking up on masks.

9:06 Mediawatch

This week on Mediawatch: the media have had a lot to say about politicians lately - amid a surge of scandals and resignations. But this week MPs quitting politics took a swipe at the media on their way out. Also: how the media coverage of a damning report from the Operation Burnham Inquiry - and Newshub's strident campaign to secure a costly drug for 500 people.  

9:37 Study shows Millennials more interested in income, advancement than Gen Xers 

A landmark 35-year research project out of the University of Alberta has returned some surprising insights into how we change as we age. Among other findings, the study debunks the myth of the midlife crisis and suggests Millennials are more interested in personal income and career advancement than Generation Xers. Psychologist Nancy Galambos shared authorship on the study.

10:06 Kiwi author's debut novel gains instant Hollywood attention  

New Zealand author Rose Carlyle considers herself to be an ordinary person who wrote a book. But that book, her debut novel, The Girl in the Mirror is not ordinary in the slightest. In fact, her thriller novel was picked up by a Hollywood movie company before it was even published. Rose joins the show to discuss how she has gone from a stay-at-home mother of four teenagers to the next big thing in New Zealand writing.    

10:28 Top skincare tips from 'the most powerful woman in beauty' 

British blogger Caroline Hirons has just seen her new skincare tips book, Skincare: The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide, become the first beauty title to top the Sunday Times Bestseller chart in 18 years. The trained aesthetician, who boasts almost one million followers on her social media channels, joins the show to discuss the new book, why we need to rid ourselves of face wipes and sunbeds, and how people can get great skin on any budget. 

11:05 How humankind has become an increasingly peaceful species

Homo sapiens can be the nicest of species and also the nastiest, according to Harvard University biological anthropologist Professor Richard Wrangham. In his book, The Goodness Paradox, Professor Wrangham compares human aggression with other primates, the role of language, and what impact capital punishment has had in the rise of human culture and civilisation. He explains how humankind has evolved to become a peaceful species in daily interactions despite its capacity for devastating violence.

11:30 Pretty Girl: The biggest song of 1970

Wellington's self-described skiffle pop band Hogsnort Rupert were pleasantly surprised when they went gold with their wholesome 1970 hit 'Pretty Girl'. By the end of the year, the Peter Dawkins-produced tune was the highest-selling single in New Zealand, outdoing The Beatles' hit 'Let It Be', as well as scooping the Loxene Golden Disc Award. Founding member Dave Luther joins the show for a wander down memory lane.

11:51 Young Kiwi lives her teen dream dancing for Lady Gaga

When Emma-Kate Putnam saw Lady Gaga performing at Auckland's Vector Arena in 2010, she had an epiphany. From that point on she knew she wanted to be on stage with the mega star. After heading to New York with zero connections, the young dancer worked towards living her dream and eventually got the chance to feature in the video for 'Rain On Me', a collab between Gaga and Ariana Grande. But when Covid-19 started enveloping the globe, Emma-Kate knew she had to put her goals on hold and come back home.