Afternoons

Today we're going to focus on the brain. We'll be talking about brain development, how it controls or bodies and our senses, and what happens when it isn't functioning as it should. Our expert today is Professor Maurice Curtis. Maurice is Professor of Neuroscience and Director of Human Anatomy at the University of Auckland, as well as Co-Director of the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank. If...

Every Monday afternoon we hit the clubs. We've been to lots of amazing places this year, but we're always keen for more so if you have a club or society you'd like me to visit do get in touch .. 2101 on the text or email jesse@rnz.co.nz Today Jesse is joined by Cherie Hames. [picture id="4KH74W7_farnham_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Afternoons contributor Brad Foster joins Jesse to tell him what's hitting the headlines in Australia. [picture id="4KH74W7_farnham_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Do you find yourself speaking less than you used to? We're asking because a new study has revealed that daily conversations are shrinking, with some people speaking 300 fewer words each day. To find out more we're joined by one of the lead researchers, Dr Valeria Pfeifer, she is an assistant professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City.

This week is te wiki o te reo Māori, and to mark it, journalists Eugene Bingham and Adam Dudding have released a new podcast called Reo Journeys: Te Pou Herenga Tai. Along with musician James Dansey, the three hosts take their reo Māori learning from the classroom to the cycleway. Across five episodes, they meet with kaumatua, historians and artists in Northland communities and discuss the revival...

We want to start with some positive news, because it's been a big week for Tikipunga High School at the AIMS Games. For the first time in more than a decade, the small Whangarei school sent their netball team .. and while they didn't stand out for their on court skills .. finishing 127th out of 132 .. their off court behaviour did get them noticed. They are the winners of the coveted Ripple Effect...

A tiny (extinct) bush wren and a cautionary tale as the Bird of the Year kicks off today. The Stead's bush wren is a symbol of how vulnerable our small ground dwelling birds are, and how crucial island biosecurity and predator control continue to be in NZ. The story of this wee wren helped shape our modern conservation practice and is a poignant reminder of what's at stake for our wildlife.

Connie Clarkson joins Jesse to share her recipe for Lime and Coconut Mussel Hot Pot. A 'Little bit Country little bit Rock and Roll" moment. Savory coconut and aromatics - garlic, onions, ginger, celery, peppers then hit with an uplifting bolt of limes wrapping around that taste of the sea from Green Lip Mussels. Finished off with a whiff of curry leaves. [picture id="4JIGZRV_Lime_and_coconut_muss...

Music 101 producer Tony Stamp joins us to reveal the runners up in the 2026 Kiwi Cover Song Contest. The winning song will be revealed on Monday's show.  

Former professional netballer turned successful musician JessB joins us in Studio 5 to celebrate the release of her second album 'Matters Of The Heart".

Dom Corry reviews 'Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant', 'Fall 2: Deadpoint', & 'The Whisper Man'. [picture id="4JOPDCE_eede4344_c9dd_4de7_b926_9a507dbd069a_jfif" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Freaky Friday is the place for your spooky stories and terrifying tales. Please get in touch if you have your own tale to tell, you can text 2101 or email afternoons@rnz.co.nz. Today we hear from Sarah in Epsom [picture id="4PTYVTZ_30602028_l_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Abby Leterri's new book ' 'Perfectly Themselves' looks examines our relationship with horses. To write the book - which was completed as a PhD thesis at the International Institute of Modern Letters - Abby visited Iceland, Mongolia and the Outer Hebrides. [picture id="4JIIN6M_Perfectly_Themselves_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

For some, motherhood can be a lonely journey, something Mercedes Swann knows well. After the birth of her child she suffered from a sense of isolation. Now she advocates for better support for new mothers 'Mama Talanoa' is an online safe space for Pacific mothers. A place they can openly share the highs and lows of parenthood without fear of judgement. [picture id="4JJ0MLY_Screenshot_2026_08_31_21...

Caroline Andrews is a New Zealander living in New York City. On September 11 2001, at 9:03am, Caroline witnessed the second hijacked plane hit World Trade Centre's south tower. Three-thousand people died at the attacks on the World Trade Centre in Manhattan and Pentagon in Washington DC. Caroline then witnessed a changing America as the US mourned and responded with its war on terror. 25 years on,...

We're all aboard the Warriors bandwagon here on Afternoons, as the Wahs chase their first premiership in the club's 31-year history. But first, they've got to get past the Dolphins at Go Media Stadium. A win would send the Warriors straight through to the Grand Final in Sydney. Rugby league journalist and author of The Warriors Life Substack, Will Evans, joins Jesse to break it all down. [picture...

Wallace and Susanna star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

No. 11 Jonah Lomu - was the youngest to ever wear the black jersey when he took to the field as an All Black at the Rugby World Cup in 1995. There's a documentary out now 'Lomu' by directors Vea Mafile'o and Gavin Fitzgerald premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival after a massive outdoor screening in Tonga. And now there's a stunning children's book 'Giant Heart - How Jonah Lomu B...

Electoral Commission figures show enrolment among younger voters has steadily declined over the past decade. At the moment 43% of eligible 18-24-year-olds are unenrolled to vote in the upcoming general election. Approximately 187,000 young people are missing from the roll. Is there a historical precedent for this and what is the history of young Kiwis voting (or not voting)?

Every second Thursday we try to wrong some rights and solve some of the world's problems. Journalist Simon Wilson joined Susanna to discuss perimeter housing?

Time for NZ Sporting History, where we dig into the great names and moments in Kiwi sport. Today though, we're keeping it contemporary, because New Zealand athletics is having a moment right now. At the recent Commonwealth Games our track and field team came away with medals across sprints, jumps and throws, while a new generation of athletes is rewriting national records and making themselves kno...

Susana Lei'ataua is joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology.

Several galleries at The Auckland War Memorial Museum are set to remain closed until 2029 The immediate issue is asbestos - 1000s of taonga have to receive specialist cleaning. The museum is also using the opportunity to upgrade its ageing infrastructure. But there is a bigger issue sitting underneath the surface. Who pays for the upkeep of New Zealand's cultural institutions? And how? Like other...

Dame Juliet Gerrard was New Zealand's Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor for six years from 2018. She served during the Christchurch Mosque attacks, Whakaari/White Island eruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In her new book, she assesses the big policy decisions made during that period. Dame Juliet looks at science communication, in an age of growing misinformation and scepticism. The book is...

Thousands of young athletes. Nine different sports. And six weeks of competition right across Auckland. The Auckland Secondary School Winter Series is in full swing ... an event that's grown from a single week into a six-week sporting showcase Over the series, children will be competing in hockey, basketball, wrestling, karate, skateboarding, cycling, weightlifting, duathlon and rugby league. And...