Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

It's time for Freaky Friday, the space for all your weird, spooky, and strange experiences. If you have one you'd like to share please reach out via text - 2101 - or you can email us, afternoons@rnz.co.nz. Neville in Paraparaumu joins Jesse to share his spooky tale.

Jesse spoke with Matthew Stott, a recipient of one of the University of Canterbury's 2025 Research Medals. He's been described as the "Indiana Jones of microbiology," Stott studies extremophiles, life forms that thrive in some of the planet's most extreme environments.

Merv Grewar proves that age is no barrier. He'll be 90 when he attempts to break a rowing world record next Saturday to raise awareness and funds for Dementia Canterbury.

Lynda Hallinan joins Jesse to share her gardening tips.

We're in for a hot weekend! Napiers on a heat alert, Christchurch and Hastings aren't far behind... Records have already been broken for hottest November day in parts of the country this week. It isn't just you lying wide awake, melting into the sheets - hot temperatures actually change the structure of our sleep. Senior Lecturer at the Sleep/Wake Research Centre Dr Karyn O'Keeffe spoke to Jesse.

There's a lot of suspense swirling around Formula 1 this week - especially for kiwi driver Liam Lawson. Red Bull is about to lock in its 2026 line-up, and Lawson is still waiting to find out whether he's part of their future. Red Bull will make the announcement after Qatar Grand Prix this weekend, which I'm sure many New Zealanders will be watching keenly. RNZ Senior Sport Journalist Barry Guy joins us spoke to Jesse.  [picture id="4JXIBK0_PSNEWZ_00318066_0005_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's instalment of The Panel.

We're going to talk history with Dr Grant Morris and this week he is looking at stories of the New Zealanders who have, and who do, identify as Catholic.

Time now to solve some of the world's problems. Dave Armstrong is with Jesse from our Wellington studio and this week he's turning his attention to some of the issues plaguing the capital.

In this week's NZ Sporting History, we go behind the scenes to speak to a man who has coached many of our finest teams in mental toughness - and worked out how to find that winning edge. Author of Become Unstoppable, Gilbert Enoka is best known for his time with the All Blacks - he worked with them for 23 years - during which time they won two Rugby World Cups and dominated the Tri Nations and Rugby Championship series'. Now other international teams are calling on his insight - in fact Gilbert joins Jesse fresh from working with the English cricket team in Australia as they attempt to regain the Ashes.

Okay it is time to talk relationships now, whether romantic, professional or somewhere in between, Jesse is joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology Do let us know if there are any topics you would like Kirsty and Jesse to cover at afternoons@rnz.co.nz.

Not many cookbooks - if any - are launched with a live theatre performance. But then Jade Reidy isn't your average author. Jade has not only been a professional non-fiction writer for 40 years, she is also a Buddhist philosopher, environmentalist and cook, and goodness does she have some stories to share. Jade chats to Jesse.

This afternoon it has been announced where the memorial to honour those killed in the Mt Erebus flight will be built. Jesse speaks to Rev Dr Richard Waugh, the instigator of the National Erebus Memorial and close friend of the families.

Dr Sarah Cameron is a political scientist at Griffith University's School of Government and International Relations and a Chief Investigator on the Australian Election Study. She has found that, for the first time, Australian millennials are becoming more progressive as they age, and identifying with the political "left". Sarah talks to Jesse.

We know the usual pillars of health; sleep, exercise, watch your diet and maintain social connections. Dr Daisy Fancourt says her research shows we need to add a fifth pillar, creativity. She's a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London and Director of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center on Arts. Her research explores the powerful impact of engaging with art in any form, from music and dance to literature, cultural sites, and even street art. She shares what science says about the power of art

This is Kelly Gibney's (simplified) version of Vietnamese cha ca, a dish that originated in Hanoi. Fish is marinated in curry powder, turmeric, fish sauce, sugar and dill. It's then fried and served over rice noodles. The combination of ingredients might sound unusual if you've never had this dish but it's absolutely delicious. Like most Vietnamese food, there's a perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour and fragrant. Be generous with the fresh dill and with the squeeze of lemon or lime you serve it with.

Time for heading off, our weekly travel segment where we hear from you - our afternoons listeners - about some of your amazing adventures. We've travelled the silk road, motorbiked around the world, and kayaked the Yukon. It's been a while since we've had a local adventure though, maybe you are an expert in exploring the West Coast cave systems or a Northland beach aficionado. Whether local or abroad if you've got a story to share, we'd love to hear from you Afternoons@rnz.co.nz. Today we're heading to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. It's an area of Papua New Guinea that Sarah Togher became very familiar with whilst stationed there with VSA.

Every year the New Zealand Society of Authors gives out the President of Honour award. The award is to recognise contributions to writing and to the NZ literary scene. This year's recipient is child & young adult author Fleur Beale. Fleur has written more than 50 books, including I am not Esther, Juno of Taris and End of the Alphabet. Fleur chats to Jesse.

We have 55 thousand kilometres of paper roads across New Zealand. But in our team meeting we discovered that there was confusion about what paper roads are, and why they are important. To help give us the answers is Dot Dalziell, who's a regional field adviser with Herenga a Nuku Aotearoa - otherwise known as the Outdoor Access Commission.

A large study into avoidant and restrictive eating (which is an extreme form of picky eating) in children shows the issue is much more common than we thought. About 6% of children have ongoing restrictive eating patterns, and 2-3% meet the level of clinical concern. A cohort study of over 35 thousand children in Norway also found links between restrictive eating patterns and developmental & emotional difficulties. So how can parents tell the difference between relatively typical fussy eating and something more serious? And how can parents help their children develop healthy eating habits at a young age? Registered dietitian and co-founder of The Food Tree Rachael Wilson has developed a treatment model for children with avoidant and restrictive eating and chats to Jesse.