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Nights for Thursday 8 May 2025

8.10 The House

Tonight on our Parliament show - The House - Louis Collins covers the valedictory statement of a longtime Labour stalwart, David Parker, who is retiring from politics.

8:15 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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8:35 Waiting on a new pope

Thousands of Catholics have made a pilgrimage to the Vatican and Rome this week, as 130 cardinals from around the world gather to elect a new head of the Catholic Church.

New Zealand Marist priest Father Ben D’Souza, who is currently studying in Rome, was in St Peter’s Square last night when black smoke rising from the chimney signaled that the first vote had not produced a new pope.

He speaks to Emile Donovan about the atmosphere is like as the Conclave starts its second day.

Cardinals attend a mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff, prior to the start of the conclave, at St Peter's Basilica in The Vatican, on May 7, 2025. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)

Photo: AFP / Dimitar Dilkoff

8:45 The Reading: Someone's Wife

In part four of Someone's Wife, written and read by Linda Burgess

In the reading today, Linda finds that teaching brings her face to face with "the good, the bad and the ugly" of humanity.   

9:07 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

9:25 Philosophy Now

It's time now to delve into the cerebral side of life with Dan Weijers, senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Waikato.

Tonight, he's exploring bucket lists—why we make them, what they say about us, and whether ticking things off really gives life meaning.

Is achievement enough, or is there something deeper worth aiming for?

A man wearing a blue long-sleeved t-shirt stand on a beach holds a mug in his left hand while staring out to sea. The sky is mostly blue filled with light cloud.

University of Waikato philosopher Dan Weijers is interested in the philosophy of happiness, wellbeing, and the ethics of technology. Photo: DAN WEIJERS

9:35 The Reread with Victor Rodger

Once a month, we challenge a member of New Zealand's literary community to go back and re-read a book they read long ago that had a real impact on them, to see what has changed.

Tonight, we are joined in our Wellington studio by playwright Victor Rodger, who has reread Alan Hollinghurst's 2004 Booker Prize-winning novel The Line of Beauty ahead of interviewing Alan at the upcoming Auckland Writer's Festival.

Victor smiles at the camera. He is wearing a navy blazer over a black top.

Playwright Victor Rodger is interviewing British novelist Alan Hollinghurst as part of the Auckland Writer's Festival in May 2025. Photo: Deborah Marshall

10:17 Is it time to rethink education for the age of AI?

Cheating is as old as time, but with the advent of generative AI to answer questions, solve problems and write assignments, one has to wonder if some degrees are worth the paper they are written on.

As academia tries to come up with ways of combating this new form of plagiarism, is it time to change not only the way students are assessed but also the way they are taught?

Mike Grimshaw is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Canterbury University and he speaks to Emile Donovan.

ChatGPT Chat with AI or Artificial Intelligence technology. Woman using computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence asks for the answers wants. knowledge on the internet, e-learning,

ChatGPT Chat with AI or Artificial Intelligence technology. Woman using computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence asks for the answers wants. knowledge on the internet, e-learning, Photo: 123RF

10:30 Studying anxiety in the mind and body

The winner of the Prime Minister's Macdiarmid Science Prize for an emerging researcher is breaking ground in how we understand and manage anxiety.

Dr Olivia Harrison works in the University of Otago's psychology department, where she leads a lab combining neuroscience with fields like physiology and computational modelling to learn more about what is going on in our bodies when we are anxious.

She says anxiety, globally, is on the rise, and New Zealand has the fourth-highest prevalence worldwide.

She joins Emile Donovan to reflect on this milestone achievement.

Olivia Harrison poses for a photo with Minister for Science, Shane Reti, on her right, and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on her left.

Dr Olivia Harrison received the Prime Minister's Macdiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize for 2025 at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 6 May. Photo: Rebecca McMillan

10:45 The PhD student who has discovered 20 new spider species

Spiders freak most people out. But not Kate Curtis.

Kate is a PhD student at Lincoln University and spiders, specifically native jumping spiders, are her passion.

Four years ago, Kate set out to learn more about these little-known arachnids and in the process has discovered twenty new species, including one which falls into a group of its very own.

She joins Emile Donovan.

Kate Curtis in the field

Kate Curtis in the field Photo: SUPPLIED/Bryce McQuillan Photography

11:07 The Mixtape

Trevor Reekie talks to Auckland based music fan and contributor, Harry Russell aka Harry Ratbag who was once described as a legend in his own lunchtime that has taken him on to London and New York where he worked for the enigmatic Rough Trade label and associate with a who's who of very interesting alternative music legends..