Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

Dr Elizabeth Dunn and PhD student Dunigan Folk from the University of British Columbia decided to study the studies that claim to understand what makes us happy and found some surprisingly results.

Jese is joined by Michael Rennie, a member of the Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara nations and a presenter and senior producer for NITV, the National Indigenous branch of Australia's SBS.

Afternoons book reviewer Catherine Robertson offers her latest literary recommendations.

Comedian and podcast titan Tim Batt delivers the latest in the world of tech. Today Tim and Jesse discuss Australian's new social media ban.

A Hawke's Bay bird-watching experience has been voted one of the top 15 family-friendly excursions in the world.

After 15 years the hogs have come back to the Canterbury A&P Show.

Released in 1984, Vigil was a watershed moment for the New Zealand film industry.

If genius is the ability to see things exactly as they are, singer, songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen fits the bill according to Professor Christophe Lebold. For 20 years, Lebold has traveled in Cohen's footsteps and poured over his writing. The two became friends after a chance meeting and spent time together before Cohen's death. In a biography that is part analysis, part ode to the beloved troubadour, Lebold excavates how the man and his music shines a light in the darkest places. The biography is called Leonard Cohen: The Man Who Saw the Angels Fall.

Every week Jesse calls an information center, out of the blue and at random.

Rachel Antony is the CEO of Greenstone TV and is ready to answer your questions about TV and how to make it. 

Our TV critic Dominic Corry reviews the spinoff Dune: Prophecy and checks in on The Simpsons.

We all like to think we've touched the lives of others in some way, but it's hard to go past Reverend Barbara Walker.

The last 12 months have not been easy for our fresh produce producers, says United Fresh.

Last week it was reported that former heavyweight boxer Dave Letele's South Auckland foodbank would not have enough stock to last until Christmas.

Is it a bird or a bug? The answer is neither! Ladybirds or ladybugs are beautiful beetles that are a great help in the garden, where they can eat up to 100 aphids per day. This week's critter is the papapa kopure or orange-spotted ladybird (Coccinella leonina), an endemic species with a glossy black body and bright orange spots. Ladybirds are beloved creatures. Since the Middle Ages, they have been associated with the Virgin Mary, and many people still believe they bring good luck.

Rachael Quinn is a professional organsier and housekeeper, she's here to answer any and all questions around cleaning and keeping the house shipshape. Today she's talking about ways to create a schedule for yourself, so you avoid the frantic rush to clean the house or grocery shop just days before hosting a Christmas party.

Sabato's director Jacqui Dixon shares a special delicious stuffing recipe just in time for Christmas. 

Live from the Otautahi, Christchurch studio RNZ presents Goodwill, the latest project from Will McGillivray.

Hotshot producer and film review Sam Hollis reviews Jason Reitman's Saturday Night Live and Aubrey Plaza's latest:  My Old Ass.

Greg tells a tale of a scared stand of trees and the spookiness that ensued.