The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
What is critical race theory? š
In the last six months, several U.S. states have barred the teaching of critical race theory in schools. Critics suggest this campaign is to eliminate discussions of race in classrooms, while others suggest that critical race theory is poorly understood.
Will sustainable cities look like the places we know today?
A sustainable city could look like the ones we know today. It could look like the ones we see in science fiction movies, or it could look like something which none of us has yet dreamt.
Is it time PÄkehÄ New Zealanders faced their personal connections to the past?
“It is a long since time we PÄkehÄ confronted the unsettled history of the place in which the āteam of five millionā lives. Time we were honest with ourselves. Time we ended the forgetting.”
What is the context behind the protests in Cuba?
In unprecedented protests, Cubans demonstrated against their government and its mishandling of the pandemic, only to be met with repression.
Whatās happening in Haiti?
The 7 July assassination of the countryās president, Jovenel MoĆÆse, has thrown the country into disarray. Hereās what you need to know.
What is the future of MÄori-Pakeha relations?
Instead of seeing MÄori ways as an either/or with existing thinking about the world and its governance, Dame Anne Salmond argues it’s time to bring them together for new institutional forms of order for Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Science & Technology
How can we clean up space?
Space might be the final frontier, but, like all frontiers itās strewn with junk. Luckily, Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, director of the Auckland Space Institute has a plan.
Is cyber security a people problem?
In an age where personal information is the new oil, chief privacy officers in companies shouldĀ be as important as chief financial officers. Gehan Gunasekara explains the human dimension to cyber vulnerabilities – and how we can keep safe.Ā
What’s the right COVID-19 risk to live with?
As Australia looks toward opening its international borders, new virus modelling provides scenarios that can help us decide whatās the right risk to tolerate.
How can we increase electric vehicle usage?
Wireless charging stations set in the pavement for vehicles to park over are closer than you think, for both cars and heavy transport vehicles.Ā
What can we do about climate change? Here are five ways to tackle the biodiversity and climate change crises simultaneously
There are options for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss together – so called nature-based solutions – which are solutions to societal challenges that involve working with nature.
Just how bad is plastic pollution? How can we solve the plastics problem?
Plastics are big news: the Government has just announced they will phase out a range of single-use and hard-to-recycle plastics. Plastic Free July is upon us. But are you someone who wonders what all the fuss is about?Ā
Business & Economics
Taxing the digital economy: what changes can be made? ā¶
In this lecture, Craig Elliffe explains the problems with the existing international tax system and its inability to respond to challenges posed by digitalised companies.
What is the dark side of tourism?
We all know Covid-19 has had a major impact on tourism. Professor Andreas Neef says it’s a good time to have a rethink about the type of tourism the world needs.
Will an international tax on tech giants be enough?
Australia and New Zealand are signing up for an international tax on the tech giants ā but will it beĀ enough?
How can we increase electric vehicle usage?
Wireless charging stations set in the pavement for vehicles to park over are closer than you think, for both cars and heavy transport vehicles.Ā
Will sustainable cities look like the places we know today?
A sustainable city could look like the ones we know today. It could look like the ones we see in science fiction movies, or it could look like something which none of us has yet dreamt.
Are banks days numbered?
The growth of crypto is confounding critics and forcing central banks like New Zealand’s Reserve Bank to investigate their own digital currencies.
Arts & Culture
What is critical race theory? š
In the last six months, several U.S. states have barred the teaching of critical race theory in schools. Critics suggest this campaign is to eliminate discussions of race in classrooms, while others suggest that critical race theory is poorly understood.
How bad was MÄori segregation?
Robert Bartholomew says itās time to educate about a dark chapter of MÄori racial segregation. Because while history may not repeat, it speaks to the present.
Is it time PÄkehÄ New Zealanders faced their personal connections to the past?
“It is a long since time we PÄkehÄ confronted the unsettled history of the place in which the āteam of five millionā lives. Time we were honest with ourselves. Time we ended the forgetting.”
Free speech: Is it really under threat?
We can expect a lot of sound and fury as we start to debate the hate speech provisions that will be aired soon. But hopefully, we can also have an informed debate about the nature of hate, including what occurs online, and the impacts of this on communities, especially those which have been targeted by hate.
What is the future of MÄori-Pakeha relations?
Instead of seeing MÄori ways as an either/or with existing thinking about the world and its governance, Dame Anne Salmond argues it’s time to bring them together for new institutional forms of order for Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Why the current turmoil in Northern Ireland?
This recent period of instability is attributable to a range of factors, both external and internal to Northern Ireland.