Sunday Morning for Sunday 19 November 2023

8:10 Jack Watling: The Future of Warfare 

As conflicts erupt around the world, the technology of war and warfare is evolving. 

Dr. Jack Watling is no stranger to Sunday Morning on RNZ. Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, he has regularly provided his expert analysis on the war in Ukraine both from an academic perspective and as someone who has also been to the frontline. 

In his new book, The Arms of the Future, he examines the ways modern technology is reshaping the weapons of warfare.

8:40 Rachel McAlpine: Is life worth living after 90? 

Is life worth living after 90? Ask the experts! 

Writer Rachel McAlpine was shocked to the core when her GP predicted she would live to 99. Like most people, she had opinions about very old age but no experience. 

She asked local people in their 90s about their lives and found their revelations broke all the stereotypes. She also walked the footpaths of Wellington asking people how they see their life unfolding at 90. 

Her new play The Secret Lives of Extremely Old People erupted from those conversations. 

9:10 Mediawatch 

This week, Mediawatch looks at producers putting pressure on the incoming government to tax the likes of Netflix and Amazon - and the legacy left by old-school newspaper editors.  

Also: as we wait for a new government, one election did deliver a clear-cut result this week 

9:40 Benjamin Rogers: Becoming your own hero 

If you want to make your life feel more meaningful, try seeing it as a hero’s journey.  

Researchers have found that the hero’s journey is not just for legends and superheroes, but that individuals can achieve greater well-being and resilience by ‘restorying’ their lives.  

Lead researcher Benjamin Rogers is an assistant professor in the Management and Organization department at Boston College's Carroll School of Management. 

10:10 Calling Home: Sue McGregor in Zambia 

Originally from Green Island, Dunedin, Sue McGregor speaks to us from Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. 

Sue (or Sister Sue as she’s often known) initially thought she’d be there for a year. That was in 2004. 

She lives in the Presentation Sisters convent and works with people in the city affected by substance misuse. 

10:30 Russell Foster: Circadian rhythm and the science of our body clocks 

Once considered a fringe science, circadian rhythms have gone mainstream.

Professor Russell Foster is the Director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford. 

His book Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock, and How It Can Revolutionize Your Sleep and Health, has been a surprise best seller. Jim Mora finds out why. 

11:10 Phillip Norman: The Reluctant Beatle 

Author Phillip Norman has written biographies of many musical greats including Mick Jagger, Elton John, and Eric Clapton. His books on The Beatles are considered by some as definitive.  

After biographies on John Lennon and Paul McCartney, he now tackles “the quiet one”, George Harrison. 

11:30 Ben Campbell: What I’m Listening To 

We find out what’s in the headphones of New Zealand Golfer, Ben Campbell, after his win at the Hong Kong Open.