Nine To Noon for Thursday 25 January 2024

09:05 Financial turmoil and job losses across universities spell trouble for science sector

Sweeping job cuts across financially strained universities are heaping pressure on the science sector. There have been close to 600 job losses across Massey, Victoria and Otago Universities - a mixture of voluntary and forced redundancies - resulting in some subjects being eliminated from institutions altogether. Much of the financial strife was brought on through the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw student numbers plummet, and remain inconsistent ever since. Scientists fear it will take a toll on the small research sector for many years to come. Physicist Nicola Gaston joins Kathryn Ryan to discuss what has led to this point, as well as Professor Michael Plank, who played a crucial role in the Covid-19 modelling team. NZ Association of Science co-president Troy Baisden also joins Kathryn to share his wider concerns of an impending collapse across Crown-funded research projects.

09:25 Predicting the spread of wildfires in Aotearoa 

As wildfires cause millions of dollars worth of damage each year and disrupt lives, researchers are looking at how to more accurately predict the potential burn path of fires. University of Canterbury associate professor in atmospheric dynamics Marwan Katurji, was an expert witness for the inquiry into the 2017 Port Hills Fire between Christchurch and Lyttelton. Since then, Katurji says wildfire costs have reached $82m, including blazes in the Nelson region, Lake Ōhau and also a more recent Port Hills fire in November last year. And this month, residents near Twizel have been encouraged to create a neighbourhood plan to help reduce the risk of wildfires, with a Fire and Emergency incident controller warning that the Mackenzie Basin area is facing the most challenging wildfire conditions since 2008.

09:45 UK: Leadership snipes, budget watchdog criticises chancellor's spending plans

UK correspondent Matt Dathan joins Kathryn to talk about a scathing attack in the Telegraph from Sir Simon Clark over Rishi Sunak's leadership, an unprecedented attack from the head of the UK's independent budget watchdog on spending plans by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and how more British expats will be able to vote in this year's election for the first time.

Matt Dathan is home affairs editor at The Times

10:05 Kiwi-Nigerian musician Mazbou Q on the science of rap

Mazbou Q is a UK-born, Auckland-raised Nigerian musician, producer and educator. His background is in classical and heavy metal music - but it's hip-hop where he's found his beat, quite literally. He's known as 'The Rap Scientist' on social media, where he breaks down the complex ways rap is pieced together. His analysis of polyrhythm has also seen him guest-lecturing at several US universities including the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He'll be back there later this year for an artists-in-residency programme, while Aucklanders can see him in action on February 10 at AfroFest. He joins Kathryn to talk about his career and share some insights into rap science.

10:35 Book review: Three of the best from 2023 - Victory City by Salman Rushdie, The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt, and Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo

Louise O'Brien reviews three of her favourite books from last year: Victory City by Salman Rushdie, published by Jonathan Cape; The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt, published by Bloomsbury; and Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo, published by Allen and Unwin

10:45 Around the motu: Tess Brunton in Dunedin

Tess has the latest on a cruise ship which has run aground in Doubtful Sound,  and on Queenstown water woes and she talks to Kathryn about the 40th anniversary of historic Southland floods. Also, exciting news as the royal cam albatross has hatched and the rat problem plaguing a supermarket in Anderson Bay. 

11:05 Tech: The good, the bad and the weird at this year's Consumer Electronics Show

Technology correspondent Mark Pesce was at this month's CES show in Las Vegas. The trade show is one of the world's biggest tech events, with over 500,000 exhibitors, inventors, entrepreneurs and buyers. He talks to Kathryn about the most interesting and innovative things he saw.

Mark Pesce is a futurist, writer, educator and broadcaster. 

11:25 Parenting: Boundaries, where to draw the line 

Often parents find it tough to set boundaries for any age,  but particularly holding firm on where to draw the line for teenagers who are needing more autonomy. Sheridan Eketone is a parent coach and presenter at the Parenting Place - she's also the mother of 4 teenagers.

11:45 Screentime: True Detective s4, Death and Other Details, The Holdovers

Film and TV reviewer James Croot joins Kathryn to talk about the fourth season of True Detective (Neon), starring Jodie Foster. He'll also look at new murder-mystery drama Death and Other Details (Disney) starring Mandy Patinkin. The Holdovers (cinemas) is a new movie starring Paul Giamatti, and a new Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop.

James Croot is Stuff's Stuff to Watch editor.