RNZ: This Way Up

For decades Jon Hagstrum has been trying to solve the puzzle of how homing pigeons find their way around so accurately over such long distances. Now he thinks he might have found an answer involving low frequency noise, waves, tectonic plates and Concorde!

The way New Zealanders insure their homes is fundamentally changing as we move from 'total replacement' cover to 'sum insured'. So what does this mean for consumers? With Karen Stevens, the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman, and Tim Grafton, chief executive of the Insurance Council.

The US government's trying to find ways to use tobacco and its existing production system to make biofuel. Christer Jansson, the Senior Staff Scientist at the Berkeley Lab in California is leading the research.

We drop in on preparations for the country's biggest Greek food festival and make pastitsio; it's a bit like macaroni cheese crossed with lasagne, and every bit as good! With Stella Bares, the president of the Greek Orthodox Community of Wellington.

uBiome is a crowdsourced and crowdfunded project to sequence the DNA of the bacteria that live on and in our bodies. Jessica Richman is a Phd student at Oxford University who set it up.

The latest science news with Naked Scientist Dr Chris Smith. This week, a new flu drug, how prescription drugs that end up in river water are effecting fish, and a new way to fool our immune systems to make medicines more effective.

How big is a single scoop of icecream?! We've been measuring scoop sizes at 6 local dairies and the results are shocking. We also speak to Minna Reinikkala, the Group Marketing Manager for Tip Top.

David McNeill reports on Japan's thriving adult adoption industry, its longlasting love affair with the fax machine, and what the recent sale of a huge bluefin tuna for about $2 million says about the state of fish stocks and the sushi industry.

Science journalist Linda Geddes examines some of the most common myths surrounding pregnancy and parenthood.

Charles Arthur beams in with the latest news from the world of technology; this week, driverless cars that rely on laser sensors rather than GPS, and reports that Apple could be planning a move into wearable computing with a wristwatch.

The super-grain quinoa has become hugely popular among vegetarians and food-lovers worldwide. Dan Collyns is a multimedia journalist based in Peru.

Chris Parkin lives in the UK where horsemeat is on the menu, whether you like it or not.

Vincent Lebot is working on a team doing genetic tests on Captain Cook's old sweet potatoes to work out exactly where our modern kumara comes from.

How sales of luxury watches are defying the global downturn and recording record sales. So why are so many people spending thousands on a pricey watch in tight economic times?With Tracy McVeigh of The Observer and veteran watchmaker Ian Young.

Alec Jordan of Jordan Boats is selling flatpack kitset boats all round the world.