Nights

What is a base isolation system in the context of building construction? Joining Nights to discuss base isolation and its application in a New Zealand context is structural engineer and director of Dunning Thornton Consultants, Alistair Cattanach.

Hayden Donnell hosts this week's Midweek Mediawatch and shares the latest news and happenings in New Zealand's media.

A new e-portal collating decades of Rainbow research is being launched by Auckland University of Technology (AUT) - the first collection of its type in the world. The portal, called Ia, will initially house more than 100 Rainbow-specific dissertations and theses, reports, books and queer themed published research journal articles. Rainbow Initiative spokesperson Professor Welby Ings talks to Mark Leishman about the ground-breaking research portal.

Researchers have sequenced the genomes of a large proportion of the kākāpō population, providing new tools to help the critically endangered bird survive. Biologists at the University of Otago have looked at specific traits to support conservation efforts. The approach can also be used to help other threatened species. To explain how it works, Nights is joined by Professor Peter Deardon, Director of Genomics Aotearoa at the University of Otago.

It's a cold case that's sparked great mystery and intrigue for decades. Way back in 1991, hikers found a mummified body trapped in the ice of the Italian Alps - they had found Ötzi the Iceman, who lived over 5,300 years ago. A new study of ancient DNA extracted from Ötzi's pelvis suggests he still has some secrets to give up. Caroline Smith is Assistant Head, School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster, London.

We all read the bizarre headlines last week, and they were the stuff of nightmares... When a 64-year-old Australian woman was sent to hospital for brain surgery, neurosurgeons were definitely not prepared for what they found - a three-inch red worm was living inside her brain. A rare event, according to scientists. Vincent Ho is Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist at Western Sydney University.

A rare turtle found stranded on a beach in North Wales has been flown home - all the way to Texas. The Kemp's ridley turtle named Tally was noticed by a dog walker 6,000 [six-thousand] kilometres from her tropical habitat. Gem Simmons is the North Wales Rescue Coordinator at British Divers Marine Life Resuce.

Annette Howey and her partner Steve sold their home and business in Timaru last year. They moved into a campervan to live life on the open road. We last spoke to them in April, and they were on the South Island. It's time for an update from the intrepid travellers.

In its heyday, it was a hidden gem of the Waitakere Ranges. The Rainforest Express was a miniature railway that ran 6km through the ranges and transported passengers through beautiful bush to the Upper Nihotupu Dam. Since 2014, the rainforest express and its tramlines have been sitting dormant. But a group of rail enthusiasts are trying to bring the tourist train back... Waitakere ward councillor Ken Turner joins Nights.

Work to replace cyclone damaged infrastructe is well underway. A wiped out bridge on Coromandel's SH25A has caused significant disruption for locals on the peninsula. But things are looking up. Manufacturers are halfway through producing the parts needed for the new bridge. Jayden Mellsop is the General Manager of Eastbridge, a steel fabrication company in Napier.