95bFM: The Wire

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science this week, we chat with our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin, about mushrooms and lilliput, the surface of the sun, and laser delivered power.

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with MP Tom Rutherford about the Prime Minister’s Promise for an MMP referendum, and local council amalgamation plans.

Producer Thomas talked to University of Auckland associate professor of psychological medicine Daivd Menkes about direct to consumer advertising for prescription drugs. 

And Alex and Producer Liam headed to the NZ Bakel's Supreme Pie Awards to chat with MC Jeremy Corbett, Multiple time winner Patrick Lam of Patrick's Pies, winning apprentices past and present Beau Corric and Dara Chhom of Euro Patisserie, Celebrity Judge Gareth Stewart, and Media Personality Jeremy Wells about the awards, what they mean for competitors, and what they mean for New Zealand.

he Advertising Standards Authority has recently forced billboards for the weight-loss drug Wegovy to change after it was decided that the fine print on the ad was too small to properly inform viewers.

The decision by the advertising authority has revived discussions about direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising in New Zealand. The United States and New Zealand are the only OECD countries that allow this form of advertising, and the practice has regularly drawn criticism from doctors and researchers.

In 2023, the Labour government at the time introduced the therapeutic products law, which formalised the legality of direct ads, but this has since been repealed by the current government, leaving DTCA of prescription drugs up for debate.

To discuss direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising in New Zealand, producer Thomas spoke to the University of Auckland Associate Professor David Menkes.

Peptides marketed online for everything from weight loss to tanning have grown in popularity, but new testing from the University of Auckland suggests some users may not actually know what they’re injecting.

Researchers found major discrepancies between what was listed on some overseas-sourced peptide vials and what was actually inside, with some samples containing dramatically different amounts or none of the expected peptide at all.

Producer Pranuja spoke to Dr Paul Harris from the University of Auckland’s School of Biological Sciences about what his lab found, and what the results could mean for people buying peptides online. She first asked him about the peptides he tested and the results he found.

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in workplaces and public services, the Human Rights Commission is warning that New Zealand needs to make sure technological development doesn’t come at the expense of people’s rights.

Its new report calls for a human rights and Te Tiriti-based approach to AI, raising concerns around transparency, Māori data sovereignty and whether people can challenge decisions made about them using automated systems.

Producer Pranuja spoke to Sophie Bradwell-Pollak from the Human Rights Commission about what a rights-based approach to AI would actually look like in Aotearoa, and whether our existing protections are keeping pace with the technology.

As electric scooters become more popular in and around the city centres in New Zealand, questions are being raised over their safety and how our cities are developed for their use. While some are calling for compulsory helmet use or restrictions on zones of travel, Auckland University Urban Planning lecturer Dr. Tim Welch says the solution is more complex and involves looking at the way scooters operate within our transport networks. 

To discuss the situation and what scooter safety in a more scooter safe city could look like, News Director Castor spoke to Dr. Tim Welch.

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s proposal for a referendum on MMP and the ACT Party’s policy of expanded powers for pharmacists.

They also spoke to Dr. Tim Welch from the University of Auckland about safety risks on scooters and how they fit into broader transport planning in Auckland. 

Producer Pranuja spoke to Sophie Bradwell-Pollak from the Human Rights Commission about a Te Tiriti based approach to AI in New Zealand.

And she spoke to Dr Paul Harris from the University of Auckland’s School of Biological Sciences about his study on unregulated peptides getting imported into New Zealand.

We’re now halfway through Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani Cook Islands Māori language week, an opportunity to experience vibrant community events and learning initiatives designed to promote and preserve the languages of the Cook Islands. 

But revitalising the languages of the Cook Islands goes beyond just one week a year. A whole range of languages exist within the Cook Islands, but linguicide perpetuated by colonial powers - such as the Government of New Zealand - have traumatised language use for generations of parents. Today, the New Zealand Government is still shirking its responsibility for the revitalisation of Cook Islands languages.

So to learn more about the languages of the Cook Islands, the linguicide they have faced, and what revitalisation means today, Producer Theo spoke to the University of Auckland’s Dr Ake Nicholas.

The government has recently announced a new science investment plan, which will prioritise commercialisation. 

The plan was put forward, as prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said to “brutally commercialise” New Zealand science research.

The focus of research will be around four areas of priority, which will be Technology for Prosperity, Primary Industries and Bioeconomy, Environment Sustainability and Resilience and Healthy People and a Thriving Society. 

Through the new plan, investments into the, technology for prosperity, pillar will gradually increase as a way of investing in areas with “more potential”.

To learn more about how the science community feels about the new plan, how it puts commercialisation at the front and its possible future implications, producer Jude spoke to University of Auckland Physics, Professor Nicola Gaston.

This week on the Wednesday Wire...

Producer Jude spoke to University of Auckland Physics Professor, Nicola Gaston about the government’s new science investment plan. 

Host Theo filled in for Manny, and spoke to the University of Auckland’s Dr Ake Nicholas, on the revitalisation of Cook Islands languages this Cook Islands Language Week.

And Host Theo also spoke to the University of Auckland’s Associate Professor Jeff Smaill about a promising new cancer treatment drug he is researching.

Recent trials of a new cancer drug to treat lung cancer, have showed some promising results. The research, led by Associate Professors Jeff Smaill and Adam Patterson from the Department of Cancer Sciences, along with Malaghan Institute Professor Ian Hermans, have seen a 30 to 60 percent cure rate in laboratory models of cancer.

The drug may even produce a big impact in a range of cancers beyond just lung cancer.

So to learn more about this new drug, and the long process of research before it can be made available for use, Producer Theo spoke to one of the researchers investigating it, the University of Auckland’s Professor Jeff Smaill.