Nine To Noon

If you can count on one hand, the number of close friends you have, you've probably got it right. Oxford University anthropologist Professor Robin Dunbar reckons five is the magic number. In addition you might have 15 "good friends", who you see for coffee or a regular catch-up, 50 people you might see casually and you might have up to 150 "meaningful contacts". He's also studied the seven factors that are weighed up when making a potential friend, and put it all in his new book Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships.

A home-grown programme teaching mindfulness to tens of thousands of school children around the country is bringing more calm and less anxiety to the classroom, according to an independent evaluation. Pause Breathe Smile is a programme developed by Grant Rix, in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation. It is funded by Southern Cross and deployed in over 340 schools and kura , reaching 90,000 children. An evaluation by Christchurch research consultancy Mindquip has found a range of benefits including an improvement in focus, perseverance, helpfulness and self-motivation and a decline in apprehension, anxiety and pessimism.

A proposal for a land based salmon farm planned for near Twizel was unveiled yesterday, with the government committing $16.7 million to it. Mount Cook Alpine Salmon says the farm will be waste free, returning all the water used in the farm back to source in the same state it was taken. Exported salmon earns the country more than $100 million a year, but the sector faces many challenges - environmental impacts and rising sea temperatures key among them. The country's largest salmon producer, New Zealand King Salmon has had to dump fish, closes farms and let go of staff due to warmer water temperatures brought on by climate change. To discuss the land based salmon farm project Lynn speaks to Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Chief Executive David Cole and Maren Wellenreuther, a marine biologist and seafood scientist at Plant and Food Research in Nelson.

Viewing commentator James Croot joins Kathryn to look at new, star-studded conspiracy tale Amsterdam (cinemas), Lena Dunham's adaptation of Catherine Called Birdy (Amazon Prime), a new twist on Romeo & Juliet in Rosaline (Disney+) and the new - and final - season of Derry Girls (Netflix).

Registered nutritionist and specialist in infant, child and maternal nourishment, Vanessa A Clarkson's new book Motherfood has over 40 recipes to help expectant and new mums rise to the task. They're plant-based, wholefood recipes for drinks, meals, breakfasts, snacks, and desserts (all low in refined sugars). Vanessa is an advocate for healthier food systems. She has worked with Australian supermarket Coles to remove food additives, salt and sugars from everyday foods as part of Australia's Health Star Rating system, and is studying towards a PhD in food system transitions at the University of Melbourne.

Technology correspondent Mahsa Mohaghegh joins Kathryn to talk about targeted advertising; how it works, what the difference is between first and third-party cookies and Google's cookie-replacement developments. She'll also talk about efforts by Elon Musk to activate Starlink in Iran to help combat an internet ban amid mass protests. And why are researchers are teaching robots to laugh? Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh is Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering - Computer and Mathematical Sciences and Director of Women in Technology at the Auckland University of Technology.

Ralph McAllister reviews Undoctored by Adam Kay, published by Hachette.

In his new book Fake Believe, writer and filmmaker Dylan Reeve takes a deep dive into how alternative beliefs are shared and adopted here in New Zealand.

Prime Minister Liz Truss says she won't make any cuts to public spending - but has warned there'll be "difficult decisions" ahead. And the chaos after the 'mini-Budget' is continuing- with the markets in meltdown again today. The Bank of England said it'll end its emergency bond buying bailout - designed to stabilise the markets - on Friday, prompting fresh fears of instability. And King Charles will be crowned on May 6 - but could it be a cut-price coronation?

Art-lovers are stepping over thresholds to see some spectalular works adorning Auckland's offices and corporate foyers, in a tour called The Corporate Contribution offered by Dr Linda Tyler, Associate Professor Museums and Cultural Heritage, in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Auckland, Part of the 2022 Art in the City programme, Linda is walking a group through some of Auckland's major commercial buildings, offering glimpses of the role the city's corporate community plays as patron to the arts. Linda also discusses with Kathryn the lack of understanding some corporates have for art works inherited in newly acquired buildings.