Sunday Morning for Sunday 31 October 2021

8:11 Covid-19 update with Professor Gary McLean 

New Zealander Dr Gary McLean is a Professor in molecular immunology at London Metropolitan University and a researcher with Imperial College. He's an international authority on coronaviruses. 
Professor McLean is with us to look at whether vaccinated and unvaccinated people have the same potential to infect people if they catch Covid, the decline of Pfzier's effectiveness and the need for boosters, and if nasal steroid sprays used for allergies or asthma can protect people from severe Covid-19 symptoms. 

8:25 Correspondent Charlotte Bellis on her return to Kabul 

New Zealand Al Jazeera journalist Charlotte Bellis has made her return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan after a previous two-month stint there. 
The intrepid Christchurch-born reporter feels safe on her return to the Afghan capital, despite the fact the hotel that she is staying at has been the subject of threats by ISIS-K, who she says are now the biggest problem in the war-torn nation. 
Bellis is with us to give an overview of her current situation and how ISIS-K are making things harder for the ruling Taliban party than first expected. 

8:39 The Weekend Panel with Anna Fifield and Chris Finlayson 

Joining us on the Weekend Panel this morning are Anna Fifield, editor of the Dominion Post, and former National minister Chris Finlayson. Among other topics, they'll be discussing where to from now with Covid-19, the new changes to the MIQ system, COP26 and the Three Waters Reform.

9:06 Mediawatch

For decades we had too few journalists of Maori, Pasifika and Asian origin in our newsrooms - now there's a new publicly-funded push to turn that round. Mediawatch asks how this will work - and what's the endgame?
Mediawatch also looks at Australian media beating up stories about New Zealand - and did our media keep calm when Covid came to Christchurch this week?

9:37 Calling Home: Patrick Rosevear in Beijing 

Wellingtonian Patrick Rosevear has certainly led a varied life in China since he moved there nearly a decade ago.  
Having fully immersed himself in local culture from day one in Shanghai, including living with Chinese flatmates and taking Mandarin lessons for two hours a day, seven days a week, Patrick has gone on to appear regularly on local TV and establish a brand new rugby club in Beijing (the Beijing Ducks RFC), where he now lives.
His TV work has been, well, varied -- from commentating rugby matches to performing a duet with one of the top contestants (a Chinese-speaking Ukrainian) in a dating show. (YouTube it.) 
Patrick's an Intellectual Property Consultant by day, but his real love is the oval ball game. Along with the Beijing Ducks, he organises two regional club rugby competitions as well as the China national club rugby competition. He also still pulls on the boots each week.

10:04 Why horror movies can be good for us 

Halloween is fast approaching, and for many people that means it's time for an annual dose of cinematic spookiness. 
Horror entertainment, says horror expert Professor Mathias Clasen, aims to evoke fear, anxiety, disgust, and dread in its audience. But there are also wholesome benefits -- for example, horror movie fans reported less psychological distress in response to Covid-19 lockdowns than those who are not fans of the genre. (Which is arguably the most disrespected genre.) 
Danish academic Clasen, who is the director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University, joins the show to discuss horror movies, deriving pleasure from scary situations, and what watching horror can do for us. 

10:25 I'm Listening To This: Meg Mason 

Foxton-born author Meg Mason would be forgiven for feeling like the last 12 or so months have passed in a blur. 
Although it was her second novel (and third book overall), the release of Sorrow and Bliss in September 2020 launched Mason into the international literary stratosphere. In February this year, production company New Regency ('Birdman' and '12 Years A Slave') secured the film and television rights in what was described as a 'competitive' situation. 
Mason is about to feature as a special guest at Verb Wellington, where she'll be taking part in a virtual Q and A with Noelle McCarthy. 
The Sydney-based writer is with us to look at the incredible success of Sorrow and Bliss and pick a classic track that she has found strangely uplifting during the time of Covid. 

11:05 The 'Forrest Gump' of the Captain Cook story 

Author and historian Hampton Sides' latest book, The Exotic: Intrigue and Cultural Ruin in the Age of Imperialism, tells the remarkable story of Mai, a central figure in the story of Captain James Cook but one who is rarely mentioned in other books on the famous explorer. 
A Tahitian war refugee who hitched a ride with Cook and became the first South Seas islander to set foot on English soil in the 1770s, Mai was treated like royalty when brought into the heart of the Empire. But he was also paraded around as something of a noble savage, encountering plenty of racist and patronising views along the way.  
Sides says Mai was poked and prodded like a dancing bear, with people taking notes on things like the way he used a fork. And his side of the story has never been told - until now. 
The Santa Fe-based writer is with us to discuss The Exotic and how Mai played something of a Forrest Gump role in Cook's story. 

11:35 My Current Song: Yourego, 'If Your Not Here'  

Yourego were formed in August of this year by veteran musician Paulego - otherwise known as Paul Marshall. 
The group consists of artists based in different parts of the world who combine their talents to blend pop, electronic and hysteria - with seemingly chaotic results. 
Singer, Janeego is a well known artist, rumoured to be from the hit show American Idol but her identity is yet to be revealed. Paulego introduces us to their new song, 'If Your Not Here.'

11:43 How fasting may offer health benefits beyond dieting 

Intermittent fasting has recently become a major health trend, with devotees claiming it can cause impressive weight loss with quick turnarounds. 
But there might be more to the fasting diet than being able to tighten the belt a few notches. 
Researchers out of the University of Wisconsin looking at mice on different diets have found that those who were fed fewer calories in a single daily feeding lived longer than mice eating the same number of calories distributed throughout the day.
Study author Dudley Lamming has long studied the effect of restricted diets on metabolism. He's with us to look at the study, published in Nature Metabolism, how eating less helped improve the health and lifespan of rodents, and whether it's likely to be the same for people.