Nights for Tuesday 8 July 2025
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Hippathy Valentine: Building up to be burnt down
9:25 PM.The 'Temple of Transition' will be publicly, and ceremoniously, burnt into a heaping pile of rubble. Read more Audio
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Shower Thoughts: Why does New Zealand use '.co.nz'?
8:45 PM.InternetNZ CEO Vivien Maideborn joins Emile Donovan to explain. Read more Audio
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High-tech systems garner low opinions at Wimbledon
8:30 PM.Tennis correspondent Dave Worsley joins Emile Donovan to discuss some dubious use of electronic judging technology used at Wimbledon over the weekend. Read more Audio
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Does Elon Musk's new 'America Party' stand a chance?
8:20 PM.David Smith, an associate professor with the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, joins Emile Donovan to assess Musk's prospects. Read more Audio
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Government launches new AI strategy
8:10 PM.Andrew Lensen, senior lecturer of artificial intelligence at Victoria University of Wellington, joins Emile Donovan. Read more Audio
8:10 Government launches new AI strategy
The strategy - which was created with the help of AI - has been praised by Business NZ and other business groups though not everyone is as supportive.
Critics say it focuses on economic gains to the detriment of ethical considerations.
Andrew Lensen, senior lecturer of artificial intelligence at Victoria University of Wellington, joins Emile Donovan.
Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Shane Reti launched the AI strategy today, praising Kiwi businesses at the forefront of AI tech. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
8:20 Does Elon Musk's new 'America Party' stand a chance?
After falling out with US President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk says he's launching a new political party.
Dubbed the 'America Party', Musk says it will aim to capture what he claims are the 80 percent of voters not satisfied with the left-wing Democrats or right-wing Republicans.
David Smith, an associate professor with the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, joins Emile Donovan to assess Musk's chances of breaking into the US's rigid two-party political structure.
Elon Musk gestures to his eye during a news conference with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on 30 May. 2025. Photo: ALLISON ROBBERT / AFP
8:30 High-tech systems garner low opinions at Wimbledon
Tennis correspondent Dave Worsley joins Emile Donovan to discuss some dubious use of electronic judging technology used at Wimbledon over the weekend.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reacts as she plays against Sonay Kartal of United Kingdom during their women's singles fourth-round match on day seven of the Wimbledon Championships. Photo: AFP
8:45 Shower Thoughts: Why does New Zealand use '.co.nz'?
Every Tuesday, we find experts to answer curious questions about the world and how it works.
Tonight: why do New Zealand websites use '.co.nz', while Australians tend to use '.com.au'? Can anyone anywhere buy a New Zealand-specific domain?
InternetNZ CEO Vivien Maideborn joins Emile Donovan to explain.
Photo: Supplied/AFP
9:05 Nights Quiz
Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.
If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.
9:25 Hippathy Valentine: Building up to be burnt down
Imagine building a six-building structure, 120-feet tall at its peak, in the sweltering desert. It's over four months of hard labour, and when all is said and done, the 'Temple of Transition' will be publicly, and ceremoniously, burnt into a heaping pile of rubble.
He's not paid to do it: from first attending Kiwiburn in 2007, Hippathy Valentine has found an artistic outlet in the community, constructing larger-than life-art installations off the back of grants and with the help of other artists.
He describes Burning Man, held in the western United States, as the biggest arts festival in the world.
He joins Emile Donovan.
Photo: Hippathy Valentine / Scott London
Photo: Hippathy Valentine / Cliff Baise
9:45 Pacific Waves
A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.
10:17 The Detail
The HIV outbreak in Fiji and the rising meth crisis behind it, and why other Pacific Island countries are on high alert. Gwen McClure reports.
10:45 The Reading
Tonight, Byron Coll with part one of 'The Tree' by Robin McFarland, from the collection Salt of the Earth.
11:07 Worlds of Music
Trevor Reekie hosts a weekly music programme celebrating an eclectic mix of trans global music, fusion and folk roots.
