Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa to preview this evening's marlarky.

Depression, anxiety, and stress are hitting teens and adults harder than ever. But part of the answer is something many overlook or dismiss as unscientific says Dr. Lisa Miller. Spirituality. A psychologist at Columbia University and author of The Spiritual Child and The Awakened Brain, Dr. Miller tells Jesse she uses research to show that spirituality isn't just a belief system, it's a measurable force that shapes how we think, feel, and cope.

The Mushroom Murder trial is the crime story everyone is talking about, to find out what the latest is from Australia, Brad Foster chats to Jesse.

No grit, no gore, just a warm feeling of enjoyment and escape, cosy fantasy is the new sub-genre in the world of books. Catherine Robertson shared details with Jesse along with her latest reading recommendations: Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch (Hachette) Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood (Pan Macmillan) The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan (Harper Collins)

The "This is Africa" podcast sells itself as a place where thrilling hunting tales, heart pounding safari adventures and raw wilderness stories collide. Evie Ashton has been listening and agrees it's absolutely not for the faint hearted. She tells Jesse about the podcast and Stories of Iceland.

In July 1985, French secret service agents planted two bombs on Greenpeace's flagship Rainbow Warrior resulting in one man's death and the sinking the ship, It's a pivotal moment in New Zealand's history. A new podcast from Bird of Paradise Productions offers new insights into how high up the conspiracy went in France and talks to one of the bombers about how the operation unfolded. Co-creator Noelle McCarthy talks to Jesse.

What do David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Keanu Reeves have in common? They are - by almost anyone's standards - "cool". A new psychology study has been making the rounds, and it tries to get to the bottom of a simple question: What does it mean to be a cool person? The authors widdled the answer down to six specific traits. Caleb Warren is a professor at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, and one of the authors behind this study, he chats to Jesse.

Last week it was announced the University of Auckland's campus bookshop, UBIQ, will close. In 2023 the Victoria University shop Vic Books also closed after nearly 50 years in business. Not only do these stores help stock students with textbooks, but they can also act as social hubs on campus. So, what are students missing out on without a bookshop on campus? And do we need to do more to support booksellers?

One birthday dinner at Melbourne's fanciest restaurant at age nine was all it took for Besha Rodell to get hooked on fine dining. She turned that obsession into a career, becoming a James Beard Award winning food critic for LA Weekly, The Age, and The New York Times. Besha Rodell's new memoir goes beyond restaurant reviews. It's an unflinching account of navigating a high-pressure, male-dominated world where every meal feeds deeper questions of self-worth, longing, and the drive to belong. It's called "Hunger Like a Thirst: From Food Stamps to Fine Dining, A Restaurant Critic Finds Her Place at the Table".

Have you ever been stuck in a situation where a conversionat turns tense, and the person you're talking to just keeps getting angreir, or more passionate? Or strangers have reacted quickly, and badly, and suddenly something small becomes a big deal? Lance Burdett is a former hostage negotiator, turned de-escalation expert at WARN international and an expert on keeping calm.

Reefton calls itself "the town of light", a place for everyone to enjoy. In this week's iSite centre cold call, Jesse finds out what makes Reefton locals light up.

Claire Chitham shares her television picks with Jesse: The Bear, available on Disney/FX; Rivals (Disney) and Smoke (Apple+). Dame Jilly Cooper fans will be thrilled to learn that filming has started for season two of Rivals!

Rheumatoid arthritis, also called RA, is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints. It most often develops between the ages of 25 and 50, and affects more women than men. A research project is getting underway in the hopes of bridging the gap on how women with RA experience perimenopause.

Despite seeming like a universal language, it turns out some of us are using and reading emojis the wrong way. Brittany Ferdinands is a Lecturer in Digital Content Creation at the University of Sydney, she explained to Jesse how different generations read emojis differently.

A Canterbury professor says he has potentially found a better, more humane, option than 1080. Scientist Rudi Marquez-Mazlin discovered a compound that sterilises pests by inducing the early onset of menopause. He tells Jesse how he found the active ingredient by chance when he was involved in cancer research.

It's critter of the week time, and this week we're looking at the Golden Hunter Wasp. It's also known as the red spider wasp because they hunt spiders in a most impressive manner.

Emma Sage is determined to make gardening accessible for everyone, no matter how big, or small, your garden or how little hands-in-the-dirt experience you have. She's the Editor of Sage Journal, a website she started five years ago with a focus on aspirational but achievable projects. Emma joined Jesse to talk about winter gardening projects.

Connie Clarkson is the manager of the Kitchen Project, Auckland Council's emerging food business incubator programme. The idea of the project is to provide mentoring and advice in all aspects of setting up a food business in Tamaki Makaurau. Connie shares her delicious recipe for Peking Braised Lamb. Click here for the recipe. 

Film critic Kate Rodger on the latest Jurassic film and whether it is as stale as the franchise, or a welcome refresh. Kate also shares with Jesse some of the programme for the upcoming International Film Festival.

Time for Freaky Friday. Our weekly showcase of your spooky stories. It could be unexplained apparitions, a freaky coincidence, or just something weird you can't explain. We've also mysterious religious experiences, healing hands, and a woman who found her recently deceased daughters name written on a rock. If you've got a story to share please get in touch. 2101 on the text or afternoons@rnz.co.nz via email.