Our Changing World

We’d all like to know how to live long healthy lives, and Kim Hill is no different. In this episode of Kim Hill Wants To Know, she talks to geneticist Dame Linda Partridge about the scientific breakthroughs that could mean the end to aging as we know it. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Learn more:In 2023, Our Changing World spoke to researchers about what happens to our muscles as we grow and age.Kim Hill Wants To Know sees Kim back asking questions in her inimitable style. She has conversations with guests from around the world about topics that spark her interest and will do the same for you. Listen to more episodes of Kim Hill Wants To Know.Guest:Dame Linda Partridge, geneticistGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

We all love a good crunchy apple – but how do they stay like that for months after being picked? The Our Changing World summer science series continues with an episode of Here Now. Kadambari Raghukumar travels to Hawke's Bay to find out from South African-born scientist Nicolette Neiman. For plant physiologists like Nicolette, the thrill is in finding ways to make that possible – delivering a crunchy fruit fix to the world almost any time of the year. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Learn more:Read Kadambari Raghukumar's article, How do New Zealand apples stay crisp from tree to table?Here Now is an RNZ podcast about the journeys people make to New Zealand, their identities and perspectives, all of which shape their life here. Listen to more episodes of Here Now.GuestNicolette Neiman, plant physiologistGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week on the summer science series we play an episode of Country Life called Dollars for Nature. Can biodiversity credits fix New Zealand's conservation woes? In June, the government announced they were supporting the expansion of a voluntary credits nature market through pilot projects across New Zealand. Sally Round found out more.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Learn more: You can read more about biodiversity credits in Sally Round's story, Dollars for nature - can biodiversity credits fix NZ's conservation woes?Earlier this year Our Changing World visited the Eastern Whio Link conservation project, which set up its own biodiversity credits scheme - you can listen to that episode here.Country Life is an RNZ podcast that takes you all over the motu to hear the extraordinary stories of everyday rural New Zealand. Listen to more Country Life episodes.Guests:Sean Weaver, chief executive at business consultancy EkosHayden Johnston, general manager for the natural environment at the Ministry for the EnvironmentGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Nobody knows how many feral cats roam New Zealand, but estimates are in the millions and they’re a major threat to our native species. They've infiltrated almost every landscape, from coasts, to farms, to National Parks like Fiordland. Plus they’re wily and trap-shy, making them a tricky predator to tackle. RNZ's In-Depth reporter Farah Hancock speaks to some people on the front lines of the battle against feral cats. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.In this episode:00:00 – 00:59 Introduction to bonus episode01:00 – 03:24 Background to feral cat problem03:40 – 10:30 Playing ‘poos clues’ & trapping cats with hunter Victor Tinsdale10:40 – 15:00 Daniel Cocker on how cats are threatening the dotterels on Rakiura15:20 - 16:20 Farah explains how secondary poisoning works16:30 – 19:42 Objections to 1080 use on Rakiura, and efforts to address these20:18 – 24:08 Brad Windust with cat poo smelling dog Wero24:09 – 24:44 CreditsLearn more:Read the series of articles and see photos on the RNZ Feral webpage.In 2023 OCW spoke to ‘Dotterel Dan’ about the plight of the pukunui, and a tagging study aimed at identifying exactly where they nest on Rakiura.In the Catlins, Forest and Bird pest control officer Gavin Whiteis also battling trap-smart feral cats. While in the Wye valley near Queenstown, the Southern Lakes Sanctuary is hoping that new AI tech will help in the battle.Kākāpō were moved fromRakiura because of predation by feral cats. As the numbers of these manu grow, hopes are that achieving Predator Free Rakiura goals, including eradication of feral cats, will allow them to return.Guests:Victor Tindale, hunterDaniel Cocker, Department of Conservation rangerBrad Windust, trapperGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On three small predator-free islands off the coasts of Fiordland and Southland, preparations are underway for what many hope will be the biggest breeding season ever for the kākāpō. Alison Ballance returns to report on New Zealand’s most famous parrot in the Kākāpō Files Season II. She chats to Claire about why this season of the podcast is shaping up to be quite different to the first. Plus, analysts from the Science Media Centre summarise the massive science sector changes that have happened this year, and what is on the horizon for science in 2026. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details