Afternoons for Friday 17 February 2017

1:10 First song

1:15 New Zealand Upgraded to Continent Status

A study by New Zealand scientists has led to the possibility that a region of the Pacific Ocean east of Australia which includes New Zealand and New Caledonia, may be considered a continent. Jesse talks to one of the geologists who took part on the study Dr Nick Mortimer of GNS.

1:25 Returning Kōkako to Mt Pirongia

Our native kōkako could soon be on the move. Back to Mt Pirongia in Waikato, where it's been absent for 21 years. The Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society has provisional approval from the Department of Conservation to start relocating kōkako from the Pureroa Forest and the Hauraki Gulf island sanctuary, Tiri Tiri Matangi. Diane June is the secretary of the Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society.

1:35 Detecting Autism

Autism could be detected in children long before symptoms start to show, meaning intervention could start much earlier. At the moment, the earliest that children tend to be diagnosed is at the age of two, or later. But scientists have used brain scans, to detect the condition in the first year of life. Dr Heather Hazlett, is from the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina, and she's been researching brain development in autism.

1:45 Favourite Album: Bob Dylan, Modern Times

Today's favourite album is chosen by musician, Shona Laing.

2:10 Film Review

Richard Swainson reviews 50 Shades Darker and Moonlight

2:20 New Zealand Live:  The Company

Today, in our Auckland studio, a Bluegrass band based in Brisbane, Australia but with an ex-pat Kiwi at the helm.  George Jackson left New Zealand at sixteen.  He moved to the BIG COUNTRY with his family and today, despite touring with his Australian quartet, he is actually based in Music City USA; Nashville, Tennessee.

3:10 Pomegranate Kitchen

In our food segment today, we meet one of the team behind Pomegranate Kitchen, a social enterprise where refugees to New Zealand cook meals for Wellingtonians, using recipes from their homeland

3:25 Critter of the Week: Mokohinau stag beetle

Our critter this week is only found in one location in the world and the total population size is unknown. One catastrophic event - a fire or effects of climate change, could as good as exterminate this species.

Nicola Toki's DoC's Endangered Species Ambassador, talks about the Geodorcus ithaginis, or Mokohinau stag beetle

3:45 The Panel Pre-Show

4:05 The Panel with David Farrar and Diane Robertson