Sunday Morning for Sunday 13 August 2023

8:10 Michael Leon: Startling research on scent and brain function 

The link between memory and smell has long been established – but what if you could harness odours to not only maintain cognitive ability as you age, but deter dementia? The result of a University of California Irvine study has indicated just that. For six months a fragrance wafted through the bedrooms of adults 60 years and older. The findings? A 226% increase in cognitive capacity.  

8:35 Kevin Scharfenberg: A private Island for less than the average family home. 

Ever dreamed of living on your own private island? Loon Island on Pavilion Lake – a four-hour drive from Vancouver – is currently on the market for less than half the average price for a home in the neighbouring BC city.  

According to realtor Kevin Scharfenberg, the lake is famous for its brilliant emerald glow in the summer, and that’s not the only natural attraction. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency are currently researching a mysterious karst formation that resembles ocean coral. The island listing boasts 175 metres of waterfront panoramic views, two cabins, and a 2015 solar powered house – your own slice of paradise, for $NZ734,000. 

9:10 Mediawatch 

Mediawatch looks at a report by two senior journalists on how to report on crime and punishment without amplifying the public fear of it and we hear from RNZ's outgoing head of news about his 30 years in the business- and why he's not the only senior news leader leaving the media lately.   

9:40 Karen Kasler: USA Update 

Ohio Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler joins us once again. She takes a look at USA vs Trump following the indictment handed down against the former president while at the same time under heavy scrutiny by media Trump and Biden are pretty well neck-and-neck in polling for the next US presidential election.  

And in Karen’s home state, Ohioans voted down a proposal that would have made it harder to pass future proposed constitutional amendments in the state, including one in November about abortion rights. 

10:10 Robyn Malcolm and David White: Stranger than fiction in Far North  

In 2016, one of Aotearoa’s largest-ever meth busts, was delivered into the laps of some bewildered Northland cops. In a six-part series coming to TV Three, director David White and darlings of the silver screen, Robyn Malcolm and Temuera Morrison, tell the story of a meth smuggling operation that went comically wrong.  

In ‘Far North’, you'll learn how the inept, yet endearing Ahipara smugglers, ended up calling the cops on themselves, in a classic case of when the truth is stranger than fiction. 

10:30 Brett Christopher: Do asset managers own the world? 

Following this week’s announcement that the government is to partner with US asset managers, Blackrock in a $2bn green energy fund, we’re joined by political economist and economic geographer, Professor Brett Christophers who is visiting NZ from the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Sweden's Uppsala University.  

He's the author of several books, including Our Lives in Their Portfolios: Why Asset Managers Own the World. 

11:10 Captain Brett Crozier: Maverick navy captain on leadership and loyalty 

He was commended and condemned in equal measure, but his decision to fight for his troops ultimately saw him walk the plank. In 2020, Captain Brett Crozier disembarked the US Navy’s most powerful aircraft carrier for the last time – relieved of duty after pleading with superiors to protect his sailors from Covid-19.  

As the virus swept through the ship, his letter begging for help hit the headlines. Two years later he retired. In his new book, ‘Surf when you can’ he reflects on his life, his work, and that career defining moment. 

 

11.30 Annie Romanos: ADHD coach on the Kāpiti Coast 

More and more people are working from home under the watchful eye of strangers - and the strangers are being paid for the privilege. According to Annie, the concept of ‘body doubling’ is nothing new: People are more likely to stay focused on work if they know others are keeping an eye on them. Annie speaks to Susana about the principle and its link to ADHD treatment.