Afternoons for Tuesday 18 February 2025

 

1:15 Saving community newspapers of the past

The Preserving Local History and Educational Trust is calling for the public to assist in their mission to preserve old newspapers. 

Chairman of the trust Andy Fenton says New Zealand had one of the highest per capita numbers of newspapers in the world during the 19th century. 

Andy talks to Jesse about their project 

1:25 Lentil, the cat brought back to life with AI. 

Following the death of his beloved cat Lentil and facing the prospect of spending the Christmas period alone, comedian Robin Wealleans did something slightly unusual.

He froze him and then brought him back to life with the power of AI.

Lentil 2.0, the AI version of the beloved moggy is currently touring New Zealand with Robin for the New Zealand Fringe Festival.

1:35 Super genes: what are they and do we really need them?

Senior Lecturer Dr Sarah Flanagan is trying to understand super genes and if they are necessary to the future of a species.

Supergenes are genes that are linked together like a massive stack of lego and they might very well be the reason why certain traits like color of a butterfly’s wings or the shape of a flower, are passed down from parents to their kids.

But are they make or break for species? Do we need them to survive? 

Dr Flanagan talks to Jesse about her research. 

1:45 Tech Tuesday: smartphones under $1000k

Our tech commentator for today, Pratik Navani, previews tomorrow's Apple announcement. There's speculation that Apple will unveil a new budget smartphone. 

Pratik has recommendations for phones under $1000 dollars that will stand the test of time and do everything you want.

Pratik suggests looking the following brands and models for cheaper smartphones:

Motorola Edge 50 Fusion
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+
OPPO Reno12 Pro
HMD 

2:10 Book Critic: 'creepy' tales for ages 13-18

Catherine Ross is the Director of Library at Auckland Grammar, and today she's recommending books with teenage protagonists. They are all creepy and chilling. Most of them have a supernatural twist but some are creepily psychological, but all aimed for this age group, engaging and readable.

2:20 Update on Oz with Brad Foster

Over in Australia it's not as hot as it has been and mortgage holders are hopeful of an interest rate cut later today - the first in 5 years.

There's also news about the increase in lithium-ion battery fires, LIV Golf in Adelaide, Drake, V8s, and the Back to the Future musical coming to Australia.

2:30 Music feature: Whitney Houston

80s and 90s mainstream pop was blessed with singers with big, powerful voices: Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Bruce Dickinson, to name a few. But for many Whitney Houston is the iconic vocalist of her time. 

In 2023 Rolling Stone named her one of the greatest singers of all time, second only to Aretha Franklin. 

Up until her death in 2012 she was one of the biggest selling female solo artists of the 80s, 90s and 2000s. 

Whitney definitely deserves a feature to herself. Our guide to her music and her career is Josh Ellery.

3:10 Feature interview: why fix technology when we can fix ourselves 

Constant connection comes at a price. Social media doesn't bring out our better angels, but instead feeds our worst instincts says writer and author Nicholas Carr. But he says blaming technology isn't the answer and regulation isn't going to change human nature.  He explains why he believes it's too late to fix the internet, but we can do something about ourselves His new book Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart.

3:30 BBC Sporting Witness 

In 1978 Kiwi Naomi James became the first woman to sail solo around the world via Cape Horn. 

The 43,000km journey took her 272 days, and earned her a damehood.

3:45 The pre-Panel

Wallace Chapman is in the studio to preview tonight's instalment of The Panel. He is joined by producer Tom Riste-Smith for a quirky look at life and society.