As sunny days slowly return many of you will be getting out the gloves and shears to spend the weekend in the garden. Well, here's an idea that'll have the neighbours talking ...an initiative called 'Stems of Wonder'. It's a delivery service for curious gardeners, and every couple of weeks they receive unique seeds to plant, sourced from all over the world. Jo Parkin explains to Emile how she got it off the ground
Aug 15, 2025•6 min
We talk to former Tall Black Casey Frank about the Tall Blacks upcoming semi final against China on Sunday morning at the FIBA Asia Cup. Then Glen Larmer joins Emile to chat about the Warriors, the All Blacks and those new America's Cup rules.
Aug 15, 2025•16 min
Mary Holm is here which means it's time to talk money matters and today we're going to talk about emergency money. According to sorted.org, almost half the population doesn't have a rainy day savings fund, and according to Mary, that's an issue. She tells Jesse how much money is enough and where you should keep it.
Aug 14, 2025•16 min
Jesse explored the nations favourite takeaway. He's joined by critic and food historian David Burton, YouTube Fish & Chip shop reviewer Alby Wilson & 4th generation shop owner Yoti Ioannua from Theo's in Christchurch.
Aug 14, 2025•28 min
Jesse spoke with University of Canterbury student Emmalee Abbott-Joe about addressing the waste generated by the haircare industry, drawing inspiration from the science behind laundry sheets.
Aug 14, 2025•11 min
The best pies in New Zealand were crowned at 2025 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards last week and bakers with Cambodian heritage won seven out of the eleven categories. So why do Cambodians make such great pies? To find out, Jesse spoke to the legendary pie maker Patrick Lam from Patrick's Pies Gold Star Bakery in Tauranga Patrick has won the prestigious Supreme Pie Award an incredible 8 times over the years.
Aug 14, 2025•11 min
Something a bit different to kick things off today - we're going to talk about the UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship. UFC is the largest Mixed Martial Arts promotion in the world, and in a relatively short time, it's become a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise. This week they added another feather to their cap, signing a multi-billion dollar deal with Paramount for exclusive broadcasting rights in the US. This news may cause some to wonder why MMA - which is undoubtedly among the most v...
Aug 14, 2025•13 min
Forgetting a name is embarrassing. Forgetting a face takes that awkwardness to the next level. Renowned author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell forgets faces all the time. He has face blindness, which affects about 3% of people. His Revisionist History podcast producer, Lucie Sullivan is the opposite. She's a super-recognizer who almost never forgets a face. They shared their experiences on a recent podcast episode. Jesse talks to Lucie Sullivan and Harvard psychologist and Face Blindness expert D...
Aug 13, 2025•26 min
Time for Bookmarks where each week we get an interesting person, and ask them to recommend some of their favourite books, TV shows, films, music and anything else they want to share. Today Jesse is joined by Neil Finn, you might know him from bands like Split Enz, Crowded House and a stint in Fleetwood Mac.
Aug 13, 2025•34 min
Kelly Gibney joins us with a lovely mid week recipe. This week it's a pasta and we're including broccoli and spinach to add nutritional punch to the sauce. Adding lightly cooked broccoli and fresh baby spinach is an easy way to super-charge pesto. Recipe is here
Aug 13, 2025•6 min
Today we're heading off to the Chatham Islands where the annual Festival of Science has just kicked off.
Aug 13, 2025•7 min
The United Nations was created in 1945, after the end of World War II. Fast forward to today, is it remaining true to its founding document, the UN Charter?
Aug 13, 2025•15 min
The average PhD thesis tends to clock in at about 100,000 words. So, how would you go if you had to condense that to three minutes?
Aug 13, 2025•8 min
The Good Sex Project is a podcast about good sex, good relationships and how to have them. This season they're looking to cover a range of topics including age gaps, rise of singledom, male loneliness and more.
Aug 13, 2025•16 min
Wall Street Journal tech reporter Sam Schechner says he first suspected artificial intelligence was eating his brain when he used ChatGPT to help write an email to his son's basketball coach. He lives in Paris, and speaks fluent French, but Schechner started asking AI for help with emails, summarizing legal documents, even texting friends. Soon French words didn't come as easily when effort was optional and mental concentration was offloaded to AI. He writes about his experience in a piece for T...
Aug 12, 2025•25 min
Roy Harper has released 32 albums, performed at five Glastonbury's, and been cited as a an inspiration by Led Zeppelin, Pete Townsend, Kate Bush and more. Recorded Music NZ's Paul Kennedy takes us inside Roy's world.
Aug 12, 2025•28 min
This week Brad will touch on Australia recognising Palestine as a state; the hunt for a huge meteor spotted in Victoria and other news that's got Australians talking.
Aug 12, 2025•6 min
Claire Mabey reviews some brilliant picture books that should entertain both kids and adults. A Guide to Rocks by Sacha Cotter & Josh Morgan (HUIA) Pukeko Who-Keko by Toby Morris (Penguin). Mother of the Nation: Whina Cooper and the long walk for justice by David Hill and Story Hemi Morehouse (and translated into re reo by Stacey Morrison).
Aug 12, 2025•14 min
SNAFU with Ed Helms - Season three looks at prohibition in the USA. Pop Culture Parenting - Australian parenting podcast hosted by Dr Billy (a developmental pediatrician) and Nick (a developing parent). Both picks are available wherever you get your podcasts.
Aug 12, 2025•8 min
University of Canterbury student Jade Luxton has identified a critical gap in New Zealand's livestock vaccination process - which is costing farmers millions annually and raises animal welfare issues. Jade Luxton was still in high school when she came up with the idea for Steerineedle - a portable holster that sterilises needles in seconds. She chats to Jesse.
Aug 12, 2025•9 min
From the brand of coffee you drink, the song you like to sing, to the car you drive .. examples of intellectual property are everywhere. Which means there are also disputes over them. Right now there are two TikTok stars fighting over who owns, and I quote, "clean girl aesthetic" From October, a dedicated judicial process will be introduced in our Courts to streamline such arguments. Kate Wilson has written a book called 'The Hidden Mechanics of IP: Demystifying Intellectual Property', and tells...
Aug 12, 2025•10 min
The move to recognise Palestine as a state is growing traction, with Australia joining France, Canada and others in backing the idea at the United Nations General Assembly next month. Our Government's confirmed its weighing its position on recognition and will decide in the next month. Prime Minster Chris Luxon has described the situation in Gaza as an "absolute human catastrophe". Dr. Maria Armoudian, who is an associate professor in politics and international relations at Auckland University, ...
Aug 12, 2025•15 min
Follow the money in the gaming industry, and you'll discover incentives that shape the games and the ways they keep kids hooked. Young players are logging into gaming platforms and landing in Nazi camps, school shooting reenactments, strip clubs, or acting out a teacher-student romance. It's all part of a business model built to keep kids playing and spending. NYU researcher Bennett Sippel explored them firsthand. He's the co-author of a piece on the substack After Babel that helps parents under...
Aug 11, 2025•20 min
Today we are talking all things Dinosaur. Did they really have feathers? Could they talk to each other? Did a T-rex and a velociraptor ever meet? To answer those, and whatever else you can throw at him, Jesse is joined by Te Papa's Dinosaur expert Felix Marx.
Aug 11, 2025•26 min
As regular listeners will know, we like a cold call here on Afternoons, a chance to add a little suspense to the day .. will they answer .. will they be allowed to chat? But also, to chat the people who help turn our towns and cities into communities. Today Jesse chances his luck at Ngati Porou FM.
Aug 11, 2025•15 min
Let's talk about what's on the box and Philippa Rennie is here with her recommendations. Philippa was the Executive Producer of TV show Escaping Utopia and producer on Fresh Eggs, as well as Heaven and Hell: The Centrepoint Story.
Aug 11, 2025•10 min
Australian country music phenomenon Brad Cox is with Jesse today, and he brought his guitar.
Aug 11, 2025•13 min
The Blokes' Book Club existed in Hamilton for a few years now, so what's the appeal?
Aug 11, 2025•11 min
Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest to preview this evening's marlarky.
Aug 08, 2025•10 min
It's just after three thirty which means it's time to talk critter of the week, the segment where we focus on an endangered creature. Today the spotlight is on the Western Tiger Moth. As the name suggests, the moth has black and orange markings, well the males do, the females look completely different. Forest and Bird's Chief Executive Nicola Toki Here explains what makes both the male and female so special.
Aug 08, 2025•17 min
