The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
Trump v Biden: What is the likely future of American foreign policy? 🔊
The 2020 American election campaign has seen a distinct lack of foreign policy discussion. However, despite who wins the Presidency, foreign policy will remain a key issue area for the US moving forward.
Replacing the RMA: What are the challenges of the new legislation?
Part two of this two-part series looks at some of the areas where there are concerns about the impact of the proposed new RMA plans.
A red tide: What does Jacinda Ardern’s historic victory mean?
The pre-election polls suggested it might happen. But the fact that Labour and Jacinda Ardern have provisionally won an outright majority and the mandate to govern New Zealand alone is more than an electoral landslide — it is a tectonic shift.
Replacing the RMA: Will it be more of the same or something better?
This two-part series will look first at the demise of the RMA and its review before turning to what issues might arise in its replacement.
What is the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh war about? 🔊
On September 27, fighting along the so-called line of control between Azerbaijan and the region of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted. This area of Azerbaijan is majority Armenian and has been de facto-controlled by the local Armenian population since the end of the war between the two populations in 1994.Â
Is the war in Nagorno Karabakh part of Turkey’s neo-imperial ambitions?
The ongoing war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is part of Turkey’s neo-imperial ambitions in the region and it must be stopped.
Science & Technology
Sustainability Bites: How do trees look after us, and how can we look after them? 🔊
Listen to a conversation between Cate Macinnis-Ng, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, and Niki Harre, professor in the School of Psychology on how trees respond to climate-related stress.
Why are data ethics important? â–¶
In this talk, Professor Tim Dare from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Auckland will discuss why transparency and explainability have become central to data ethics and the reasons there are to question that centrality.
Is New Zealand ready for a COVID-19 vaccine? 🔊
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the world is racing to create a viable vaccine to help control the spread of the virus. Is New Zealand ready for a vaccine? How will it be rolled out? And how effective will it be?
What is eco-anxiety? â–¶
This seminar hosted by the University of Auckland Sustainability Network explores the issue of eco-anxiety and includes speakers from the University of Auckland and AUT who will present current research and approaches to eco-anxiety.Â
How can we learn to adapt to changes in this dynamic world? â–¶
Much of scientific research involves the generation and testing of hypotheses that can facilitate the development of accurate models for a system. In machine learning the automated building of accurate models is desired, however traditional machine learning often assumes that the underlying systems are static and unchanging over time.
Is heat from climate change alone causing coral bleaching? Or is there something more?
Climate change is causing increased large-scale coral bleaching. That’s because when water is too warm, corals expel the algae living in their tissues, causing the coral to turn completely white.
Business & Economics
Replacing the RMA: What are the challenges of the new legislation?
Part two of this two-part series looks at some of the areas where there are concerns about the impact of the proposed new RMA plans.
Fast fashion: What are the hidden costs?
“The textile and clothing manufacturing industry comes with a heavy price including environmental pollution and the well-publicised issues around the income and working conditions for workers.”
Replacing the RMA: Will it be more of the same or something better?
This two-part series will look first at the demise of the RMA and its review before turning to what issues might arise in its replacement.
Is the blockchain revolution coming?
The technology behind cryptocurrency is going to change the way the world handles information.
What will our future look like with AI? â–¶
There’s been dramatic progress in learning skills, such as object recognition, translation and speech, and in difficult but uncomplicated tasks like playing chess, Go and video games.
What does the future hold for law in a COVID world? â–¶
In this webinar hosted by the University of Auckland Law School, four experts discuss the future of law in a COVID world.
Arts & Culture
How have sports shaped the Black Lives Matter movement?
Despite criticism, sports players have used their role and the unique platform of sports to highlight and drive change, from the Springbok tour of New Zealand to the kneeling that Colin Kaepernick did in 2016.
What does the future hold for liberal arts education? 🔊
Universities are increasingly wanting to appeal to students who look to their study as a training period for future employment. However, this has put traditional liberal arts subjects like philosophy and sociology at risk.
Should we be worried about COVID-19 conspiracy theories?
“Polls indicate that the public broadly supports the coalition government’s COVID-19 pandemic response, and public condemnation of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 is easy to find.”
Is the United States haunted by its racist past? 🔊
In recent weeks, the news in the United States has been filled with stories of statues and public spaces being altered or removed. These stories are usually connected with America’s racist past, with a particular eye towards the issue of slavery.
New Zealand universities: What’s the reality in our rankings?
“The Labour Party promises to make all tertiary education free by 2024; and this is an admirable goal; but unless it is accompanied by a serious re-thinking of the nature, purpose, and funding base of our universities it will only lead to further decline.”
What does the future hold for the New Zealand media landscape in a post-COVID world?
New Zealand media faces a conundrum as it tries to create a trustworthy, innovative and sustainable model in the Covid-19 world, while absorbing thousands of job losses.