NZ born civil engineer turned installation artist Mike Hewson thinks that safe playgrounds are dangerous for children.

Renowned scientist Professor Mike Berridge is having his work in cell biology recognised with a doctorate this month. Career highlights have included research he led showing how tumours use mitochondria to grow, and work with blood-forming stem cells.

Author, plant lover and former BBC documentary maker Jonathan Drori joins the show for a chat about some of the latest botanical news.

Edda Mussolini was Benito's favourite daughter and his confidante during 20 years of fascist rule. She acted as envoy to both Germany and Britain, helping steer Italy to join forces with Hitler. UK historian and biographer Caroline Moorehouse's Edda Mussolini: The Most Dangerous Woman in Europe is an account of "the unravelling of the Fascist dream".

One of the country's leading wildlife veterinary experts warns a heavy-handed response may be needed to limit damage if a particularly infectious strain of bird flu reaches our shores.

In response to the largest public protests since Tiananmen Square, Chinese government officials have signaled a shift away from 'Zero Covid' and eased some restrictions.

Listener feedback for 26 November 2022.

Golden Bay freelance journalist and author Gerard Hindmarsh is back with his latest collection of stories, with a focus on Golden Bay's West Coast and Kahurangi National Park.

Hamilton based clinical and research neurologist Dr Matthew Phillips is frustrated by how little he and his colleagues can help patients with degenerative brain disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as well as cancer. Drug treatments can lessen symptoms but there's no effective preventive or curative regime for conditions currently affecting over 80,000 New Zealanders.

Kelly Francis's dream is that every New Zealander has access to a garden of fresh, healthy food to eat and share. From her base in Mangere she's making a vision of community-led food sovereignty a reality, one mari kai at a time.