Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Castor Chacko, Oto Sequeira, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Virtual reality has been around for quite a while now. It was created in the late 1960’s and became commercially available in the 1990s. However, Virtual Reality is still a very new technology that is continuing to be explored in many different avenues. One of those avenues, for example, is in treating mental health conditions. According to a new study led by Computer Science Senior Lecturer, Dr. Nilufar Baghaei, and co-authored by PhD student Vibhav Chitale, VR has been found to be an effective treatment method for anxiety and depression. This study examined the ways VR interventions and exposure can affect a person’s mental health, and how effective they have been as a treatment method.
Zazi spoke with the lead researcher in this study, Dr. Nilufar Baghei. She is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and the Director of Games and Extended Reality Lab at Massey University. Her research interests include Game-based Learning, XR, and AI in Education and Persuasive Technology. Zazi spoke with her to hear more about this research surrounding Virtual Reality and mental health, to see what this new research could mean for the future of mental health treatments.
On this week's segment of Dear Science Frances was joined by AUT Professor Allan Blackman. They spoke about the exciting discovery of ammonia synthesis in a ball mill, one thousand year old vikings in North America and what happened in the world of synthetic fibres on October 27th in 1938…
This week Stella and Isla tell each other their favourite instances of a good old fashioned pivot in the lab. They discuss the invention of Viagra, sticky notes, slinkies and more, all discovered through open-minded approaches to what may be perceived initially as failed experiments.
Last Friday the government announced it’s Covid-19 Protection Framework. Aotearoa will move to the new framework when 90 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated in each DHB region. However, critics have said that the 90 percent vaccination target for DHBs is unfair for Māori and Pacific communities. This is because Māori and Pacific vaccination rates across the country are still significantly lower than non-Māori and non-Pacific.
News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston speaks to Dr Rhys Jones, a public health physician and senior lecturer in Māori health at the University of Auckland about this critique. They discuss Dr Jones' position on the government’s new traffic light system, what Māori and Pacific vaccination rates are looking like and whether the 90 percent threshold is equitable.
Compulsory Treatment Orders, or CTO’s, are legally mandated orders which require mentally ill patients to undergo psychiatric treatment. CTO’s have been regarded as a contentious and coercive form of mental health treatment for patients struggling with serious mental illnesses, as the practice has been criticised for imposing restrictions on patients which impact their own personal freedom.
A study from University of Otago that explored CTO’s found that the treatment leads to fewer and shorter hospital admissions. Joe talks to Dr Ben Beaglehole, a Senior Lecturer from the University of Otago and co-author of the study, on the matter.
This week on the Tuesday Wire, Jemima Huston speaks to Dr Rhys Jones from the University of Auckland about the government’s new Covid Protection Framework and whether the 90 percent vaccination threshold appropriately addresses the needs of Māori and Pacific communities.
Christina Huang continues her regular segment with the Waitematā Local Board. This week she speaks to Deputy Chair Alex Bonham.
Joe Wickins talks to Ben Beaglehole from the University of Otago about his study surrounding compulsory treatment orders for mental health patients.
Finally, on Tomorrow’s World, Isla Christensen and Stella Huggins look at scientific accidents and the inventions that came from them.
Ilena spoke to Kerri Nuku, the kaiwhakahaere for the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, about the Pae Ora(Healthy Futures) Bill. The legislation was introduced into parliament by Health Minister Andrew Little on Wednesday.
The Bill, which is expected to pass next year, amalgamate the 20 District Health Boards across New Zealand into a singular ‘Health New Zealand’ organisation, which will work in partnership with a Māori Health Authority.
Kerri spoke about the benefits of the bill, as well as the concerns that the NZNO have for nurses and patients.
This morning the government announced significant changes in New Zealand's response to Covid-19. Noah Ferguson-Dudding spoke to Professor Nikki Turner, Director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre, and Professor Michael Plank, an epidemiological modeler from the University of Canterbury about their reactions to the announcement.
Ilena had her regular catch up with Shane Henderson, who this week talked about how water restrictions in Auckland will ease from tomorrow. Auckland has been under varying forms of restriction since May last year after a long period of drought, but recent rainfall events have had a positive impact on Auckland’s water stores.
Shane also talked about the new bipartisan Labour and National announcement which aims to make it easier to build houses and intensify close to city centres.
This morning, Ilena talked to Golriz Ghahraman, the Green Party spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, on the need to urgently introduce legislation to better regulate the export of military products that could be used to breach human rights in other countries.
At the beginning of this year, it was discovered by journalists that Air New Zealand staff helped maintain and run vessels from the Royal Saudi Navy while they were enforcing the blockade of Yemen. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had signed off on the export of military-use equipment in Saudi Arabia.
The report from a recent independent review by MPs has a number of recommendations to hold companies and exporters to account.
Golriz talks about why better regulation is needed and what recommendations are in the report.
The Healthcare exec Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked assailant last week.
The crime has gained significant controversy and attention online, with many using it to restart the debate on the inequities of the United States healthcare system.
And this week Yale University was the latest college to commit to divesting from weapons manufacturing after a student vote.
For State of the States this week Wire Host Caeden speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about both of these topics.
The government as announced their plan for the Cook Strait ferry a year after they scrapped Labour’s plan, including cancelling the ferries the Labour government had ordered.
And a new report from the Ministry of Social Development has revealed nearly a quarter of beneficiaries are not receiving their correct entitlements.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
For City Counselling this week, producer Sofia caught up with Councillor Shane Henderson about proposed time-of-use charging to solve congestion problems in Tāmaki and Council selling their remaining Auckland Airport shares last week.
The Green party recently released He Ara Anamata - the Green party’s emissions reduction plan.
The document covers more than 10 areas of the economy and energy Sector that a Greens-led government would be looking to adapt to minimise carbon emissions and protect the natural landscapes of Aotearoa.
It also comes 5 months after the government released their own draft emissions plan. Numerous experts pointed out that the government is behind on their own plan’s targets to meet the crucial emissions budget for 2031-2035.
For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the party’s new emissions reduction plan and how they would address climate and the economy in a greens-led government.
Last election, one of the National Party’s main campaign promises was to be ‘tough on crime’, promising to increase police coverage and penalties for crimes. A target was set to increase the number of police officers by 500 by November 2025, however some police leaders today say this goal is unrealistic.
The government also announced this week some shakeups to insulation standards, which they say should make houses more affordable.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor spoke to him about police staffing targets and new insulation standards.
This week on Dear Science, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about what latrines teach us about people, climate variation affecting Chinese dynasties, and invasive species becoming threatened.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
Last week it was revealed that two of the ten participants in the government's pilot bootcamp programme were on the run.
The youth were two months into the community rehabilitation phase of the programme, following the three month youth justice residence phase. Both teens were found in the weekend, but had allegedly reoffended, and are now set to come before the court.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, who have been heavily advocating for this programme, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about this incident.
She also talks to him about proposed changes to employment law which would give employers the power to dismiss workers earning over $180,000 without the employee refuting the decision.
And finally, she talks to him about David Seymour’s incumbent run as Deputy Prime Minister, which is set to begin in May of next year.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about changes to Auckland Transport’s responsibilities, nationwide bus and train fare hikes, and concerns over the opening of the City Rail Link.
For State of the States this week, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, who was due to be sentenced next week for three felony charges.
They also discuss Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, who is the latest in a long list of unorthodox picks for government positions from Trump
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