This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about the Red Princess of the Silk Road, the colours of Mesozoic animals, and how life might have originally formed on planet earth. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor about continued issues with the school lunch program and the National Party’s refusal to back a bill that would criminalise wage theft by employers.

Producer Amani spoke with General Manager of Kickback, Aaron Hendry on why it is calling for an urgent review of the Ministry of Social Development.

They also talked to University of Auckland Senior Research Fellow Dr Helen Murray about new research which has led to a breakthrough in understanding chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).