Sunday Morning

Slaves to the algorithm - big tech's mathematical maximising of engagement undermines the Christchurch Call three years on; Budget 2022 - public media entity's funding finally made public; Budget 2022 - more for Maori media, but where's the strategy?

Cleaning has never played a bigger role in our lives than it does today. Whether it's wiping down workplace surfaces or disinfecting supermarket trolley handles, we're doing it all more. Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles is with us to discuss.

We've all heard about new Omicron subvariants with such names as BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5. The recent proliferation of variants begs the question: is Covid-19 mutating faster than ever before? Dr Sebastian Duchene explains.

Two weeks ago, Jacinda Ardern announced that our borders would fully reopen (including to cruise ships and international students) on July 31 - two months earlier than initially planned. A new poll shows Kiwis largely agreed.

Australians are waking up to life with a new Prime Minister, with Anthony Albanese and Labor ousting Scott Morrison's incumbent Liberal National coalition in yesterday's election. Political commentator Stephen Mills offers his analysis.

It won't come as a surprise to many people to learn that taking a break from social media can lead to improvements in things like depression and anxiety. But a new study out of the University of Bath has provided some surprising results.

American writer and editor Kate Tsurkan initially moved to the Ukrainian city of Chernivsti to work as a volunteer English teacher four years ago. Now she is living through the Russian invasion of her adopted homeland.

Are you someone who gives things like your phone or car names? When we give things like cars or other important objects in our lives names, we change the way we interact with them, and we may be more likely to appreciate them.

Nihilism has existed in one form or another for hundreds of years, and it's back in fashion. Writer Wendy Syfret joins the show to discuss her new book, The Sunny Nihilist: How a meaningless life can make you truly happy.

Dr Jack Watling is Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institut, a British defence and security think tank. He joins the show to discuss the situation in Ukraine and when, not if, a larger Russian mobilisation could take place.