Sunday Morning for Sunday 23 June 2024

8:10 Mitch McCann: US Correspondent on upcoming presidential debates  

President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump face off in their first debate of the 2024 election cycle later this month. 

On June 27 in Atlanta, the duo will be subject to a raft of new rules introduced by CNN to stop a repeat of the first debate in 2020 when the candidates heckled each other, and the moderator lost control. 

Newshub’s US Correspondent Mitch McCann joins Jim for a preview.  

8:15 The Sunday Morning Quiz with Jack Waley-Cohen   

Our quiz master Jack Waley-Cohen is back for another Sunday Morning quiz.   

Jack is the mind behind the questions on BBC quiz show ‘Only Connect’ which is known for being both difficult to crack and totally obvious.     

It’s Sunday morning, so wake up your brain and have a go!       

8:30 Michelle Wong: The science behind your skincare 

Chemist Michelle Wong is our Sunday Morning beauty science regular. She joins us to discuss her new book The Science of Beauty: Debunk the Myths and Discover What Goes into Your Beauty Routine.  

The book asks those big questions including whether chocolate brings on acne and if “clean beauty” is as healthy as it sounds.  

9:00 Mediawatch 

Pundits have predicted the death of old-fashioned newspapers for years - but they're still here. This week Mediawatch looks at a new history of New Zealand newspapers' golden years, from one hundred years ago until the new millennium when digital technology and devices turned the news business upside down.

9:40 Calling Home: Grace Lewis in Jersey City 

Hailing from Cambridge, Waikato, Grace Lewis now lives just across the Hudson River from the Big Apple, in Jersey City. Having made her way to the US initially on a rowing scholarship, she talks about the life she has made for herself there, marathon running and and her podcast Tall Poppy Talk. 

10:10 Finding joy in familiar routines 

Repetitive tasks or habits fill our lives and while these routines might seem mundane, they can be beneficial in the long run.  

Michael Norton is a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and has published several books including The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions. 

Jim speaks to Michael about finding joy in rituals and habits.  

10:35 The headlines we didn’t read   

Mary Argue is back guiding us through the latest weird and wonderful headlines from the world of science.  

10:45 Rinsing out some mouthwash myths 

There is evidence using mouthwash containing alcohol can cause cancer, promoted by new research from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.  

Murray Thomson is emeritus professor of dental epidemiology and public health at the University of Otago.  

He joins Jim to discuss the research and other investigations into the same subject.  

11:10 Is ADHD an evolutionary adaptation? 

New research suggests traits related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including a propensity to be distracted or become hyperactive, could have given humans an evolutionary advantage when foraging for food.  

Dr David Barack from the University of Pennsylvania led the study. 

11:25 Salt, potassium and your blood pressure 

The number of cases of people with hypertension – or high blood pressure – is growing and the recommendation from health professionals is to curb the amount of salt in our diets. 

One alternative is potassium-enriched salt, which is almost identical in taste.  

Now group of Australian researchers are calling for updated clinical guidelines to recommend patients make the switch.   

Bruce Neal is professor of medicine at UNSW Sydney and executive director of the George institute of Australia.  

11:30 Showing the worldwide referee shortage the red card 

The pressure on referees comes from all angles – but has the vitriol directed at officials reached a tipping point, turning potential referees away from taking charge of grassroots rugby and football matches?  

Mike Hester was New Zealand’s first refereeing representative at a FIFA World Cup and now leads New Zealand Rugby’s strategy for increasing and improving participation at grassroots level. 

Mike joins Jim to discuss how to solve the refereeing crisis.