Morning Everyone! Our usual chat with Deputy Leader of the National Party is postponed to another week... so we make up for it with some extra tunes & mischief. Festival reviews, fishing rods & bass guitars.

A recent study at the University of New Mexico has found that there could be a spoon’s worth of microplastics in the human brain. The study found that the extent of the harm to human health is unclear, although an increased inflammation and risk of future adverse cardiovascular events is likely. Amani spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub, Senior Lecturer of Chemical Sciences at the University of Auckland about the prevalence of microplastics in the human body, and what its impacts might be.

Sex-bias in healthcare and research has long been a prevalent issue for women, as clinical trials occurring as recently as 2023 have excluded women, in favour of testing men as “the average person”.

This has had consequences such as women being more likely to experience negative side effects to certain drugs, due to important differences in female bodies being unaccounted for in research.

As today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, producer Athena spoke to Associate Professor, Dr Kelly Burrowes, at the University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute, about the historic and current gender inequities in healthcare and clinical research, as well as The FemTech Revolution.

After a week on hiatus, Sof is back on the airwaves!

She spoke to Sharon Van Etten (USA) about her latest record, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, released last week. They spoke about Van Etten working in full collaboration with her long-time band for the first time, the heavy themes of the album, and who to listen to when you want emotional solidarity. Listen back to their kōrero here!

+ all the usual tunes and chats x

Ngā mihi nui to The Tuning Fork <3

For Dear Science this week our expert Professor Allan Blackman chatted to us about cooking the perfect egg, how fear works in the brain, and which gender talks more. 

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation are urgently calling for more Māori nurses in the workforce, and that the health system could do a better job at incorporating tikanga into practices.

This comes as a new report was released by Nuku on Waitangi Day, emphasising “culturally safe” staffing levels, which should be developed by Māori nurses, and defined by hapū and iwi.

Despite making up 17% of the population, the organisation says Māori nurses only make up 7% of the workforce.

News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the Kaiwhakahaere of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Kerri Nuku (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki) yesterday, about these calls from the organisation.

They started off by asking her why the number of Māori nurses working in the country is such a concern.

Featuring Ready Steady Learn with Dr Bryan Ruddy, brought to you by the University of Auckland, and a snippet of Hunter's chat with Nadia Reid on Short Player thanks to NZOA Music. This week's our Album of The Week is The D4's Out Of My Head, which at longlast has been pressed to vinyl. Tune into Breakfast all week for your chance to win a copy!

Whakarongo mai nei! 

Oto and Jaycee spoke to Alexander L. Brown - a designer, artist, musician and founder of Wrought Material about his experiences working as an Asian artist in the underground arts and music scene, as well as Extreme music in Southeast Asia.

To Jaycee's dismay, Oto played a variety of extreme metal and hardcore punk tracks from across Southeast-Asia.

They also spoke with Alexander L. Brown - A local designer, artist and founder of Wrought Material.

Hosted by PHILLIEE, with the Sound of Sydney by Carlos Avilés, weaving together percussive textures and deep vibrations. Tune in, sync up, and let the momentum take you.

~ Universal Harmony ~

Where sound and movement become one.