The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
What role did Facebook play in the January 6 insurrection?
A ProPublica/Washington Post analysis of Facebook posts, internal company documents and interviews, provides the clearest evidence yet that the social media giant played a critical role in spreading lies that fomented the violence of Jan. 6.
Has the US Supreme Court lost its legitimacy? What kinds of reforms might restore its legitimacy? 🔊
Following the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, the US Supreme Court majority held a conservative worldview that was not reflective of the popular vote and continued the journey of the court in deciding cases that were unpopular among the majority of Americans.
How is Omicron affecting global vaccine distribution efforts and issues of inequity? 🔊
The lack of global vaccinations ode partially to uneven distribution to poorer nations and partially to vaccine hesitancy among certain populations has seemingly given rise to this new variant.
Why did a record number of journalists get jailed in 2021?
Journalists’ Nobel Peace Prize casts a shadow on failures of our democracy.
Why have protests erupted in Kazakhstan? 🔊
On January 2nd, protests erupted throughout the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan. The proximate cause was a drastic increase in fuel prices and a popular discontent against the three-decade rule of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
How did Peng Shuai’s #MeToo moment avoid China’s propaganda machine?
Chinese propaganda officials have tried to shape the global discussion of the tennis player Peng Shuai’s accusations and disappearance, but their top-down strategy has largely stumbled.
Science & Technology
How do heatwaves affect biodiversity?
New Zealand summers are getting hotter – and humans aren’t the only ones feeling the effects.
Lighting the way: How are biophotonics providing solutions to pressing problems?
Researchers in biophotonics tell us how they are using fundamental science to create solutions that improve food safety testing and reduce antibiotic resistance.
What caused the Tongan volcano eruption and what will happen next?
Why the volcanic eruption in Tonga was so violent, and what to expect next.
How can we make cyberspace safer?
As our dependence on being connected to the internet grows, so does our need to protect our data and improve our resilience to cyber-attacks.
Are oceans the key to combating climate change?
Oceans have already slowed the rate of global warming for decades, but unless we shift our approach to focus on them we will lose that capacity to solve the planetary overheating problem.
How can we make our air cleaner and fresher?
Our researchers investigate what’s really in the air we breathe and how we can make it cleaner and fresher in our urban areas.
Business & Economics
What’s causing inflation? 🔊
Since the COVID pandemic, the United States and other countries have faced challenges in terms of economic recovery. This has resulted in issues such as supply chain disruptions and what has been reported as high rates of inflation.
Do we need a right to repair?
Legislative changes must be made quickly to avoid New Zealand becoming a dumping ground for products unable to be sold overseas.
Why did the world’s supply chain fail and how can we make it more resilient? 🔊
The COVID pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of the world’s supply chain, with its emphasis on lowering costs without regard to the resilience of disruptions.
How do rich politicians avoid paying tax?
IRS records reveal how Gov. Jim Justice, Gov. Jared Polis, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and other wealthy political figures slashed their taxes using strategies unavailable to most of their constituents.
Gaining steam or just hot air: What is the role of hydrogen in decarbonising New Zealand’s economy?
To make hydrogen competitive with fossil fuels, the Government would need to use a combination of investment, incentivisation and regulation but these benefits should only apply to certified green hydrogen, produced with renewable energy.
What is the hidden cost of New Zealand’s ‘food basket to the world’ role?
New Zealand’s reliance on pastoral farming as the backbone of its agricultural economy has a hidden cost in the form of phosphate extraction, a non-renewable resource mined at a high cost to our Pacific neighbours and the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara.
Arts & Culture
Why did a record number of journalists get jailed in 2021?
Journalists’ Nobel Peace Prize casts a shadow on failures of our democracy.
What is the metaverse?
What is the metaverse? Two media and information experts explain.
How can we use art to understand war?
Two former official war artists are using art to research how we respond to and cope with, conflict.
Why do some people believe the Earth is flat?
By Anders Furze Although scientific evidence says the Earth is a sphere orbiting the Sun, there are some people around who still think our planet is flat... and social media plays a role. If you type ‘flat Earth’ into Google, you’d be joining a group of people that...
How many decades old is “revenge porn” and how have laws historically addressed it?
By Jessica Lake In the 19th century, a man was busted for pasting photos of women’s heads on naked bodies … sound familiar? A new app can turn anyone into a porn star against their will. All you need is a photo and deep fake artificial intelligence technology will...
Choosing our destiny: why do Pentecostal churches oppose COVID response efforts?
Fraser Macdonald examines why Destiny Church and other New Zealand Pentecostalists oppose lockdowns and vaccination.