Sunday Morning for Sunday 5 December 2021

8:11 Covid-19 update with Professor Gary McLean 

New Zealander Dr Gary McLean is a researcher at Imperial College as well as being a Professor of molecular immunology at London Metropolitan University, and an international authority on coronaviruses. He joins the show for an update on the new Omicron variant. 

8:23 Why your memory is better than you think 

We all get frustrated when we can't instantly recall things. But the theory now is that memory mistakes aren't necessarily a sign that our machine is starting to run badly -- or, worse still, a sign of early onset dementia. 
Indeed, a properly functioning memory system must be as good at forgetting as it is at remembering. And there are plenty of good reasons why we mightn't be able to take on new information. 
Dr Anne Unkenstein is an experienced Melbourne-based clinical neuropsychologist and author of the book Memory-wise: How memory works and what to do when it doesn't. She's with us to look at misremembering and why our memory isn't probably as bad as many of us think it is. 

8:39 The Weekend Panel with Mike Williams and Janet Wilson  

On the Weekend Panel this morning are former Labour Party president Mike Williams and former National Press Secretary Janet Wilson. Among other topics, they'll be looking at guns on our streets, whether the media are giving new National leader Christopher Luxon a fair go, the billion-dollar climate action package, and rates hikes for Aucklanders. 

9:06 Mediawatch

This week Mediawatch looks at how the media amplified objections to a bi-partisan push to build more homes. Also: the launch of RNZ's new music service for younger people - and the name recognition problem for the new National Party leader.

9:37 Calling Home: Dr Francis Hunter

 

10:04 My Current Song: Craig & Rietta, 'It's Christmas, Merry Christmas!' 

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood and celebrated Kiwi entertainer (and Dancing vocalist ) Rietta Austin are in the race for the UK's hotly-contested Christmas #1 market with their new single, 'It's Christmas, Merry Christmas!' 
The song marks the first time Horwood, who is currently playing the wicked stepmother in Cinderella, has released music, although he is a trained singer. And he's warning the other UK Christmas #1 contenders -- including performers like Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John and Adele -- that they are going to have a battle on their hands.   
The best friend duo are with us to discuss their new single, and the strange story behind how they first met.  

10:25 The (largely recent) story of exercise 

It's a fundamental instinct to avoid unnecessary physical activity, so it's no surprise that a lot of people dislike or avoid exercise. 
In his new book, Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding, Harvard professor of human evolutionary biology Daniel Lieberman explains how we evolved to be physically active, but we never evolved to do physical activity that's not rewarding. He says more compassion needs to be shown to people who are simply following their instincts by not setting out for a 10km run before they have their daily breakfast. We just need to find ways to make physical activity necessary in the lives of the exercise-reluctant.  
Lieberman, a pioneering researcher on the evolution of human physical activity, joins the show to discuss the new book and how the act of exercise is essentially a modern, strange phenomenon. 

10:49 Nick Atkinson on 50 years of Smoke on the Water 

In terms of well-worn rock back stories, Deep Purple's 'Smoke on the Water' must just about take the cake. 
The instantly-recognisable rock anthem had its origins 50 years ago today when Deep Purple were in the midst of recording their seminal 1972 album, Machine Head, at a casino in Montreux, Switzerland, when someone set off a flare gun during a performance by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. The resulting fire burned the building to the ground and left the band with nowhere to record. 
The song title occurred to bassist Roger Glover when he woke from a dream a few days later, and the rest, as they say, is history. 
Former Supergroove member Nick Atkinson is with us to look at the song that includes one of the most famous riffs in rock history. 

11:05 Tim Roth: 'Everybody's ghosts live with them' 

Tim Roth gained worldwide recognition for his roles in two Quentin Tarantino films, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, but anyone who has taken more than a passing interest in the British actor/director and Oscar nominee's career will know how rich and varied his roles have been over the years.
In his latest movie, Bergman Island, Roth plays the part of successful and well-known filmmaker Tony who arrives with wife and screenwriter Chris (Vicky Krieps) for a writing retreat on the island of Fårö, in the Baltic Sea, where Ingmar Bergman once lived. 
It's been called one of the best 10 movies of the year by Vanity Fair.  
Roth joins the show to discuss Bergman Island and his experience of living and working in New Zealand on the movie Punch during the first lockdown. 

11:17 Steenkamp's father has "questions" for Oscar Pistorius 

Former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, jailed in 2016 for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was back in the headlines this week after he moved closer to his victim's family ahead of reconciliation talks that could lead to his early release from prison.
Pistorius, known as 'Bladerunner' for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, becomes eligible for parole after serving half of his 13-year sentence. He is set to speak to Steenkamp's parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, in a process known as victim-offender dialogue. 
The Steenkamps' lawyer told a newspaper last month that her clients were very emotional at this stage and not doing well, though Barry has said that he has "questions" for Pistorius. 
Journalist Tim Rohan is the host of the False Idol podcast, which offers a re-examination of the life of the Paralympic gold medalist. He joins the show for an update on the story. 

11:30 How to manage pain better through diet 

Rowena Field is a PhD student in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney whose just-completed thesis investigated the effects of a low-carb ketogenic diet on chronic pain.
It's been a passion project for Field, a physiotherapist with over 25 years' experience. Along with colleagues at her New South Wales south coast chronic pain clinic, she has been working on a new approach to dealing with chronic pain: dietary change. 
With diet affecting the level of inflammation in the body, and the standard Western diet being a recipe for inflammation, the evidence suggests there are clear ways to reduce chronic pain by what and how we eat. 
Field is with us to discuss her research and why people struggling with pain should consider making changes to their diet.