Radio New Zealand

Quick Hits

12:15   Dementia village

12:30   Birds: blackbird

12:40   Sip and puff sailing

12:50   Driverless cars   

13:15   History of anaesthesia

13:25   CleverMiles

13:50   Tech news

The small print

First up this week, we head to The Netherlands where a radical new way to care for dementia sufferers is being trialled. Dementia's the second leading health concern among adults, after cancer, and dementia rates are set to double over the next 15 years as people live longer. We're off to a care home on the outskirts of Amsterdam with Jon Henley of The Guardian.

At 12:25pm, birdman Hugh Robertson and I go bird spotting. This week, the high flying early settler that was baked in a pie, the blackbird.

Then at 12:40pm technology that assists people with spinal cord injuries to sail; it's called 'sip and puff' sailing.

And before the 1pm news, the days of driverless cars might not be too far away. Loads of the big car-makers are working on the idea, and California's just followed Nevada in making driverless vehicles legal on public roads (from 2015 at least). Dr. Eddy Llaneras of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is principal investigator of a study backed by the US government, looking at how drivers behave and what they do when they aren't actually in full control of their vehicle.

After the 1pm news, it would be unthinkable nowadays to have an operation without the option of some kind of anaesthetic. How times have changed!  We've got a history of painkilling, from tots of rum and bits of leather to chew on to the modern day anaesthetist's extensive armoury of gases and chemicals. With Waikato DHB anaesthetist Aidan O'Donnell the author of 'Anaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction' (Oxford University Press).

Then at about 1:40pm a team of Irish inventors is using a mix of on-board sensors and a clever algorithm to measure how well you're driving your car. As well as safer roads it could mean cheaper insurance premiums for those classed as safe drivers. James McNamara of CleverMiles tell us how the system works.

Before we go, Charles Arthur beams in with technology news and all sorts of new handsets are about to hit the market in time for Christmas. Ho ho ho!

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