Labour Day for Monday 26 October 2020

8.12 The countdown to the U.S. Elections

With the US Elections just over a week away, we catch up on the latest news coming out of the States with correspondent Jagruti Dave.

 

8.22 Armageddon Expo marks its 25th anniversary

Gamers, anime fans and cosplayers are out in full force this long weekend as the annual Armageddon Expo marks its 25th anniversary. Held at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland, the event has had to adapt to restrictions caused by Covid-19, which means many of the international guests could not appear in person. We hear from founder Bill Geradts about how the weekend has gone so far, and what the final day holds.

 

8.35 Preserving the endangered Tokelauan language

Less than 4000 people speak Tokelauan, and the majority of them live in New Zealand rather than in Tokelau itself. The ongoing destruction of the South Pacific atolls due to climate change makes for a unusual cultural situation – the survival of the Tokelauan language is dependent on a different part of the world. Tokelauan language researcher John Middleton from the University of Auckland joins the show to discuss.

 

9.06 What cheese can teach us about human evolution

The world’s oldest example of solid cheese was found in an Ancient Egyptian tomb, and has been dated at around 3200 years old. However, it is thought humans started consuming dairy products around 4500 years ago, during the Neolithic period when we started living alongside animals  — but we didn’t always have the stomach for it. Dr Penny Bickle and Dr Jessica Hendy join the show to discuss our early love of cheese.

 

9.30 Is ‘eight hours rest’ outdated in today's society?

'Eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest' is the slogan that arose as part of the eight-hour day movement, but in our modern lives is it still applicable? The workforce has changed, technology has exploded, and life moves at a completely different pace from when that mantra originated. Should our sleep patterns reflect this? Associate professor Leigh Signal from the Sleep/Wake Research Centre joins the show to discuss. Text your sleep questions to 2101.

 

9.55 RNZ Concert starts Settling the Score

Our friends over at RNZ Concert have tallied the votes to find out listeners' favourite piece of Classical Music for 2020, and are playing the countdown between 6am-7pm. Nick Tipping gives us a bit of an overview, and shares a special classical tune selected for Labour Day.

 

10.04 The unsung heroes behind the hand-painted photos of NZ's past

Peter Alsop’s new book Wonderland collects some of the striking hand-coloured photographs captured around New Zealand in between the 1950s and 1970s. At one point, these scenic vistas adorned offices and lounges across the country and changed the way we saw Aotearoa. Peter joins the show to share the story of Whites Aviation and women who painted their photographs.

 

10.28 Are horror fans coping better with the pandemic?

A recent study suggests that people who enjoy consuming frightening fiction may be better adapted to cope with the fear and anxiety surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Coltan Scrivner  from The University of Chicago's Institute for Mind and Biology joins the show to discuss morbid curiosity, and why those who have it could develop better psychological resilience in times of uncertainty.

 

11.04 Geoff Knorr: creating the soundtrack to Civilization

First released in 1991, the Civilization video game series allows players to take control of one of dozens of historical civilisations and guide them through human history, from the stone age right through to the modern era. In the newest edition of the game, Civilization VI, you can even choose to play as Kupe - the leader of the Māori civilisation. Chief composer for the series Geoff Knorr joins the show to chat about creative freedom, the importance of having authentic instrumentation, and the challenges involved in reinterpreting the ka mate haka for a Hollywood orchestra.

 

11.37 Karena Kelly: Translating Dr Seuss into te reo Māori

Over the decades Dr Seuss books have remained firm favourites on children’s bookshelves thanks to their wordplay and sense of whimsy, often paired with moralistic life lessons. Dr Karena Kelly, a specialist in Māori language and linguistics, took on the task of translating Seuss’ last book published before his death Oh, The Places You’ll Go for Kotahi Rau Pukapuka. She says the a project she says was a labour of love, and also a gift for her young son Asher.