The Wire with Manny

The SpaceX Starship rocket launch, which led to a subsequent explosion, can hardly be called a failure. Scientists involved learned a lot about rocket design through the partial launch, and even NASA has lauded the mission as a success. 

Elon Musk has been accused of ignoring advice around the launchpad design that might have led to the failure of the rocket to complete its circumnavigation around the earth, but this remains as conjecture in the astrophysics community. 

Arno spoke to University of Auckland astrophysicist Richard Easther to find out more about the launch: to find out what went wrong, and what went right. Arno started by asking if the launch was expected to fail.

In Aotearoa, drug checking is a free, legal, and confidential service that aims to help people find out what is actually in their drugs so they can make informed decisions about if, when, and how they take them

Last week, the NZ Drug Foundation released its 2022 drug checking data report.

Jack Cormack-Neto spoke to Principal Science Advisor, Emily Hughes, about the impact of their drug checking clinics. 

On the Wednesday Wire with Andre:

Host Andre Fa'aoso spoke with Doctor Arama Rata about the domestic tensions around New Zealand joining the AUKUS security-pact. 

Jack Cormack-Neto chatted to Principal Science Advisor at the NZ Drug Foundation, Emily Hughes, about what they found at drug checking during 2022. 

On The Green Desk, Jack Marshall interviewed Marine Ecologist Aaron Egerhe about the economic value of kelp forests.

Producer Alex Bonham spoke to Chief Executive Officer of Ecomatters Environment Trust, Carla Gee and senior organic waste advisor at the Auckland Council Elise O’Brien, about the potential for food scraps to improve soils and avoid tonnes emissions each year. 

Producer Arno spoke to Richard Easther, astrophysicist at the University of Auckland, about the SpaceX Starship launch. 

Arno also spoke with Ruth Dimes, Business masters programme director at the University of Auckland, about a study comparing students performance to ChatGPT AI. 

Yesterday a protest happened in Mission Bay to call for an end to bottom trawling in the Tīkapa Moana Hauraki Gulf.

Bottom trawling is the dragging of heavy weighted nets across the sea floor to catch fish. It's used frequently by commercial fisheries as it's easier to catch fish in larger quantities.

Caeden spoke to Bianca Ranson (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāpuhi), Forest & Bird's Hauraki Gulf Coordinator, on the protest and why bottom trawling needs to be banned.