The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin
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This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton and editor and commentator, Jo McCarroll joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! Another year, another debate about the state of Easter trading hours. Is it time to move past shutting the shops during the holiday? Do we need clearer rules this weekend? Do workers need the guaranteed time off? Have we got our heads in the sand about AI? The International Monetary Fund has released a survey that revealed AI will impact nearly half of all jobs around the world. Experts here warn we should start preparing for a future where humans are no longer necessary. Should we start preparing for a different world? We're a quarter of the way through 2024- how are we getting on with our New Year's Resolutions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After this weekend's inevitable binge on chocolate and carbs, many will want to get back on the 'straight and narrow' after Easter. The annual excuse to indulge in sugar can spark a lot of guilt by the end of the holiday, and one expert recommends balancing out the intake. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says exercise and moderation are helpful steps to take to cancel out the harm of over-indulging. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MIKE VAN DE ELZEN: GETTING SMOKY FLAVOUR INTO FOOD HOT SMOKING - Food is smoked inside the same unit as a fire source. - In the Engel fire, you can move the fire basket closer or further away from the food being smoked, controlling the temperature. -Making a hot smoker can be as easy as finding a steel cabinet with shelves, drilling a number of holes into the bottom and top. Then creating a small fire in the bottom of the cabinet and closing the box. Or using your gas stove and a heavy steel tray. - Always brine your meats first and ensure you have a certain amount of ventilation in the top of the box to allow moisture out. COLD SMOKING -Food is smoked in an adjoining unit to the fire source. -Here at the school we use a UFO - a small metal cylinder filled with wood chips, connected on one side to a fish pump and the other, an adjoining chamber. - The product you are smoking must be as dry as possible and ideally cut or broken up into pieces, creating more edges for the smoke to stick to. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Charles Darwin confidently stated that male mammals were mostly bigger than females, and this view has been held for over 150 years. New research out this week in the journal Nature Communications, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45739-5however, finds that Darwin's statement isn’t true and there is actually no difference in size between most male and female mammals. In the study, the researchers compared the body masses of 429 wild animal species. They found that in many species including lemurs, golden moles, horses and zebras, the size of both sexes is the same. Contrary to popular opinion, males were typically larger than females in only 28 percent of the mammal species studied. Now there were some species that had significantly larger males in the cohort, including the elephant seal in which the males typically weigh in at three times the size of females. However, to counter that the study also found that female peninsula tube-nosed bats were typically 40 percent larger than the males. So why do so many of us believe that males are bigger? Well part of it is to do with Darwin, but part of it is to do with what we are surrounded by locally and on TV. Many familiar mammals, including pets like cats and dogs as well as livestock like sheep and cows have males that are larger than females. We also tend to watch wildlife documentaries that focus on charismatic species like primates and carnivores which also have larger males as they have great fight and dominance scenes in them. Typically, the male of the species is heavier when the males are required to fight to acquire a female mate. Bias in the scientific literature has played a part in the misconception that males are normally bigger with most of the research being carried out by male scientists. One of the first studies that countered their view was in 1977 by female scientist Katherine Ralls, but her research was drowned out by all of the male dominated opposing studies. The science-backed truth is that in the majority of mammal species, monogamy is the trend and males don’t need to fight for access to females. When this is the case, the females are typically larger which helps them to produce and carry more offspring. It’s also a great lesson in how even scientific evidence can be shaped by our own pre-existing beliefs and why it's important to increase diversity in the science sector. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
and breakout star Sydney Sweeney has stepped into the world of producing in her latest project. , a psychological horror starring Sweeney herself, is based off a decade-old script she discovered- and brought back to life as a co-producer. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains if the result if worth checking out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
is about Detective Sergeant Honey Chalmers who, after surviving a brutal attack goes back to her small home town to care for her mother. In the course of her work she’s become too close to an informant who’s linked to a gang made up of 501 returnees from Australia, and she’s pretty sure the informant, Kloe, is now in trouble. Honey’s private life is complicated and when Kloe turns up in the small town, events converge. This is a terrific thriller, based in our own backyard and I hope will be the first in a series. by Gary Stevenson. Gary grew up in poverty in east London . The one thing he had going for him was his intelligence – he’s a maths whizz and put that to good use to win a place at the London School of Economics where he discovered that rich people think that poor people are stupid – something he then used to his advantage. He got a job at Citibank where he started to make really stupid money and discovered that enough is never enough. He worked incessant hours and had no other life, losing friends along the way - eventually having a breakdown after which he got his life back together. He now campaigns against inequality, having come to realise that while the money was good it can be at the expense of his soul. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton returns with a list of 'crazy and bizarre' travel facts for the weekend. Between the rule that you can't photograph the Sistene Chapel ceiling and the impact cabin pressure has on your tastebuds, there's not shortage of unique travel facts to drop into conversation. Listen to Megan's other unexpected travel facts here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on The Sunday Panel, Chelsea Daniels from the Front Page podcast and NZ Herald Senior Writer Simon Wilson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! Following Princess Kate's shocking cancer diagnosis announcement, do the trolls and speculators need to take a proper look at themselves? What have we come to as a people when our first reaction is extreme theories and to poke fun at doctored photos? The Herald's Liam Dann has asked in an opinion piece if the Government needs to put their promised tax cuts on hold until the country can afford them. Do we agree with this? Have hot cross buns gone too far? Do we really need one with cheese and onions mixed in? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Princess Kate's announcement that she's undergoing cancer treatment confused and shocked people all over the world. There has been a notable increase in cancer in young adults, with people aged 18-49 being impacted more than usual. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you have ever had a teenager in your home, you know that they have their own unique teenage aroma. New research out this week was able to confirm that teenagers typically smell of goats, cheese and urine- and there is a chemical reason why. Published in the journal Communications Chemistry, https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-024-01131-4the researchers sewed cotton wool pads into the armpit area of pyjamas to collect the sweat from 36 volunteers who wore them overnight. 18 of the volunteers were infants aged 3 and under and 18 of the volunteers were teenagers aged 14-18. The extracted sweat was then analysed using both a gas chromatography-olfactometry device for chemical analysis as well as professions human smellers. The infants had their own unique smell which was described as smelling like violets and due to a higher level of the ketone α-isomethylionone. They found that chemically two steroids 5α-androst-16-en-3-one and 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol were only present in the teenage sweat. These steroids are reported to have a smell that is similar to sweat, urine, musk and sandalwood. The teenagers also had elevated levels of six different carboxylic acids which smell of goat, cheese, capsicim and wax according to the professional smellers. The change in the smell of teenagers is due to the onset of activity of sweat and sebum glands combined with hair growth, and microbes on the skin. Sebum is an oily substance that helps to protect your skin and these glands become very active around puberty. While the study didn’t come up with a conclusion as to why the smell of teenagers changes, previous research into stickleback fish found that related sticklebacks dislike each other's smell once they reach sexual maturity which might help them to avoid inbreeding. Whatever the reason – the likelihood is that your teenager stinks and there isn’t much anyone can do about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The 1989 action movie Road House, remembered by audiences as a classic guilty pleasure, has been remade. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and boxer Conor McGregor, in his acting debut, the film promises to give audiences a fresh take on familiar cheesy 80s charm. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains the film further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The insular Greymouth community of Gloriavale has kept Kiwis enthralled as testimonies keep emerging. A new TVNZ documentary, , promises to unveil the stories of people who've left the community- and the struggles they've endured. Co-director Justin Pemberton says Gloriavale is going through a transitionary period following the death of their former leader. "The community is now imploding, it's going through some sort of- either regeneration or collapse, and we don't really know which yet, it's very much a live story. I think that's why we felt so compelled to need to go and visit." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kiwi actress Rachel House has built up quite a screen presence, having appeared in many local and big-budget international films. She's also a dedicated acting coach and she's been a passionate advocate behind getting Disney films translated into Te Reo. And now, she's making her way into the world of directing through her new film The Mountain, arriving in theatres this week. Rachel says her experience as an actress prepared her for directing her first full feature film. "I think more film directors should do theatre, and I think more film directors should do acting as well, because you learn how to break down the beats, you learn how to really dissect a script and you learn how to give performers direction." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A chain of well-known Swedish pharmacies made headlines by introducing age restrictions for certain skincare products. Social media has led to an explosion of under-13s using skincare loaded up with ingredients including retinol, AHAs and peptides, and there's concern surrounding the impact on young skin. Dermatologist Dr Juber Hafiji says these products have their benefits, but there's risk of swelling, itching and flare-ups if people use them too early in life. "The products in and of themselves have benefits for the skin in terms of anti-aging, so reducing fine lines, pigmentation, improving skin texture and the quality of the skin- but it's all in the timing." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A chance to hit the refresh button, and lay down Labour's values now in Opposition. Party Leader Chris Hipkins is giving his verdict on the State of the Nation this afternoon. Senior Political Reporter Sophie Trigger says it's Hipkins' first major speech as Opposition leader, and it's an opportunity for a reset five months on from election defeat. She says he's speaking to party faithful in South Auckland, considered traditional Labour heartland- and he's expected to draw on party values of old, and outline what Labour stands for in 2024. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Telecommunications giant and internet service provider Spark is set to introduce more firewalls, filters, barriers and protections to protect Kiwi users. From April, Spark will be the first New Zealand-based provider to join the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in order to reduce exposure to malware, scams and sexual abuse material. Make Sense co-founder Jo Robertson says Spark will go from blocking a few hundred URLs to blocking at least 6,000 objectionable links per day. "What they're doing is- they're essentially removing so much more child sexual abuse material from their platform than other internet providers." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's been 24 hours since the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis was revealed to the world via social media. Kate Middleton announced yesterday she's receiving preventative chemotherapy, following weeks of speculation about her health and whereabouts. Daily Mirror royal editor and Pod Save the King host Russell Myers says Kate's 'emotional' and 'personal' statement has generated sympathy from all over the world. "Regardless of your opinion of the royal family- we've been poring over the intrigue, the scandal, the in-fighting of them over recent years. But as people in the palace have said to me very recently, they're humans too." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Hunter by Tana French. Sequel to her earlier book, The Searcher though can easily be read on its own. Cal is a retired Chicago detective who’s moved to a small Irish village looking for a quiet life. He befriends Trey, a young girl who’s long lost Dad suddenly turns up with a get rich scheme for the locals which he desperately needs them to fall for. He reckons though without his daughter who has ideas of her own and some big motives for revenge which she is meticulously planning. This is a very fine novel from a writer at the top of her game. The Long and Winding Road by Lesley Pearse, She’s known for her novels – she’s written more than 30 – all of which have strong female lead characters who have challenges to be overcome and she’s beloved by millions of readers. This new one though is nonfiction – it’s her memoir, and reading it it’s very easy to see where she gets both her ideas and her empathy from. She’s really lived a life – spent time in an orphanage as a child before going to live with her father and stepmother; scrounged for survival doing a number of dead end jobs; gave up a child at the age of nineteen; was at the heart of the swinging 60’s in London and eventually published her first book at the age of 48. Anyone who loves her novels will also love this – it reads just like they do. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Travel expert and BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton has been seeing the sights across the ditch in Perth. Megan's been taking in the sights of the city and touring the Swan River- as well as checking out the coffee and indigenous food available. Read more about Megan's recommendations for visiting Perth here. https://www.bloggeratlarge.com/things-to-do-in-perth-australia/ LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on the Sunday Panel, political commentator and Director at Capital, Ben Thomas, and TV producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! Where can the Green Party go from here? They've had a bad year so far, between a change in leadership, Golriz's arrest and Darleen Tama's alleged role in an exploitation scandal. Does the party need a reset? How damaging could this all be? More rumours swirling around Kate Middleton's absence- is the public owed an explanation? Will Kate's disappearance be that damaging? Is the public and media reaction over the top? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New data has confirmed New Zealand is getting fatter every year, with obesity stats reaching new heights. Excess weight is problematic for numerous health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and chronic disease- which impacts our taxpayer-funded health system, Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says the rise in sedentary jobs and the cheaper cost of process food has driven these stats up- and education is key to reducing weight woes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
POTATOES WITH WILTED GREENS AND ANCHOVY CREAM: Cook time: 20 minutes Prep time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 1 kg little farm potatoes, washed 10 cloves garlic 300 ml milk 6 anchovy fillets 2 tsp Dijion mustard 2 tbsp cider vinegar 150 ml olive oil 200 gm winter greens like kale, swiss chard, spinach and wild rocket 2 tbsp sunflower oil Salt Place the potatoes into a pot and cover well with cold water, season with salt and bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just undercooked. Approx 12-15 minutes. Turn the water off and allow the potatoes to sit in the water for 5 minutes before draining. For the dressing, place the milk into a small pot along with the garlic and anchovy fillets. Bring to a simmer and cook until the garlic is soft (around 10 minutes) turn off and pour mix into a blender and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Add in the dijion mustard and cider vinegar. Carefully turn the blender on and blitz, slowly add in the oil and check the seasoning. To serve, heat a cast iron pan until hot. Place the winter greens into the pan along with a tbsp of water and a pinch of salt. Sauté quickly until the leaves just start to wilt. Mix through the potatoes and drizzle over the dressing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For most women, menopause is a natural phase of life and part of biological ageing. While the symptoms that go with it may be challenging, this week new science research finds that the benefits of menopause probably outweigh the hot flashes and weight gain. To find out more about menopause, researchers looked at five whale species that go through menopause and compared them to 27 related species to see if they could find any insights, and their findings were published this week in the journal Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07159-9 Menopause is rare in the animal world, and only a handful of mammals experience it, including humans, one population of chimpanzee and some whales. It’s much more typical for female animals to stay fertile and keep producing eggs up until the end of their life – helping to increase the chance that their genes will be passed down to the next generation. The scientist looked at whales that go through menopause including killer whales (Orcas), false killer whales, beluga whales, short-finned pilot whales and narwhals and found that when compared to related species like dolphins and sperm whales, the menopausal female whales lived for 40 years beyond their predicted lifespan. The researchers noted that menopause occurred in social species and found that non-fertile grandmother whales took part in babysitting calves and shared food with their grandbaby whales. The grandmother whales also led their pods on long journeys to find food if it was scarce. It seems that rather than compete with their daughters for the same resources by being pregnant at the same time, menopausal whales increase their ability to pass down more of their genes by supporting their daughters to bring up their genetic grandbaby whales. In exchange for this grandmother help, the older female is able to enjoy her postmenopausal time by living for an extra 40 years. While this study was on whales – not humans, the social dynamics and projected lifetimes are very similar. For example, female killer whales (like humans) can breed until their 40’s but can live until their 90’s! These numbers aren’t far off what a human female goes through which could lead to a conclusion that while menopause symptoms are tough – they might be buying you an extra 40 years of life. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Research shows an estimated 70 percent of people will experience impostor syndrome at least once in their lives. It's been revealed that several big names have been impacted by this condition- including Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga and our own former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Author and expert Dr Bex Bell unpacks the nature of imposter syndrome in her new book "It really struck me how prevalent the imposter syndrome is in students in an academic setting- and I knew from my own lived experience how much it sort of hammered me while I was at university as well." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The award-winning director behind and the James Bond vehicle has returned to his Kiwi roots in his newest film. After wowing audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, gives viewers a look into a long-running blood feud between Māori tribes in the 1830's. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says many familiar local Kiwi faces can be found starring in this film. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More bad press for the Greens, as one MP has been caught at the centre of an exploitation scandal. Green MP Darleen Tana ha been stood down after allegations of migrant exploitation at E Cycles NZ, a business owned by her husband. NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse says the party's co-leaders, Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick, will want to want to make sure things are more settled among the Party going forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A registered psychologist believes more action needs to be taken to help neurodiverse learners in the classroom. Next Monday marks the second-annual Neurodiversity Celebration Week- and this year, the focus is on training teachers to educate neurodiverse students. DivergenThinking co-founder and psychologist Anton Ashcroft says he's seen the fallout from an education system that fails to support neurodiverse tamariki. "I think the challenge is- that when you've got a huge number of diverse children in your classroom, responding as just one teacher to those individual needs is really quite a challenge." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Abraham Verghese is a renowned infectious disease doctor, a professor and vice chair at Stanford University and a recipient of America’s National Humanities Medal. He's also made headway as a best-selling author, having written , and all smash hits in the literary world. He's been confirmed as one of the big names set to appear at the 2024 Auckland Writer's Festival, and he's 'excited' to join this line-up of writers. "I've never been, I've never been to that side of the world before, that's particularly exciting for me." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A call to action from Consumer NZ to help get on top of false environmentally-friendly claims on our products. It says issues of 'greenwashing' are rising, and it needs the public's help to send in examples to determine the full scope of the problem. Almost half of Kiwis find it difficult to decipher whether a product's green claims are true. Consumer NZ's Head of Advocacy and Research, Gemma Rasmussen, says it's easy for products to enter the market without any checks run on sustainability claims. "It takes our investigative team hours to look at a product, go to the website, talk to the manufacturers and really try to keep up with what is going on- and I think that is part of the problem in New Zealand." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Westpac Bank says New Zealand will need to ramp up house-building prowess to keep up with increased migration. The bank estimates 125,000 homes will need to be built within the next 5 years to meet demand amid soaring post-pandemic migration. Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod says even if migration slows down to more average rates, the population is likely to increase by 300,000. "Just thinking about the number of people that's going to be required to be housed- it pushes it up to those really high levels of building over the next few years." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
