The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
Q+A: How did America become the home of mass shootings?
Julia Rallo spoke with Patrick Blanchfield about the epidemic of gun violence and asks the question: do mass shootings emerge from free-speech message boards like 8chan, or from American culture itself?
Q+A: Ihumātao: Can protests really change things?
As peaceful protest and occupation continues at Ihumātao in Auckland, what does the future hold for protest movements of this ilk in New Zealand? How effective can these sorts of protest be in enacting change?
Remapping the order of knowing: The idea of ‘Latin America’ revisited ▶
Is ‘Latin America’ part of ‘the West’? Why ask this question and what do these terms mean for understanding the world today? In this lecture, Professor Walter Mignolo will ask what role the Americas played in forming the colonial matrix of power, introduced by Spain and Portugal in the 16th century.
Q+A: Kashmir: What’s behind one of the most volatile rivalries in the world?
What’s driving the conflict in Kashmir? Would granting the region independence lead to peace? How much is this conflict driven by local actions in the region and how much is it fuelled by policies in Islamabad and New Delhi?
Summer of protest: Are we witnessing a turning point in Hong Kong politics?
As Hong Kong’s summer of discontent passes its tenth week of street protests, analysts agree on one key point: this is the biggest political crisis the city has seen since its reversion from British colony to Chinese Special Administrative Region in 1997.
Q+A: Boom or bust: What is the state of housing in New Zealand?
New Zealand is enduring a housing crisis. The chance of buying a home is out of reach for many, while at the same time rents remain high. Gautami Sithambaram spoke with Dr. Campbell Jones about the state of housing in New Zealand and what initiatives young people can take to get into the property market.
Science & Technology
Q+A: Are we living in a climate of ignorance?
Are we living in a climate of ignorance when it comes to discussing climate change? Joel Rindelaub seems to think so.
Q+A: Do gender categories in elite sport need changing?
New research has been undertaken by a group of Otago University professors who suggest that it is time that existing gender categories in sport be abandoned in favour of a more ‘nuanced’ approach when it comes to the inclusion of transgender athletes.
Sink or swim: How are low-lying Pacific islands adapting to climate change?
Low-lying Pacific islands in atoll archipelagos such as Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati are likely to adapt to the effects of climate change rather than simply sink beneath the waves.
Space Junk: can we clean up earth’s orbit before it’s too late?
Brettina Mrusek asks if we can we clean up earth’s orbit before it’s too late.
How do we measure pain, anyway?
How do we measure pain, anyway? Jeremy Delahanty investigates.
Q+A: How can kelp DNA help us detect earthquakes?
New research involving kelp DNA has suggested a novel way to measure and potentially predict previously unknown locations that may be prone to earthquakes.
Business & Economics
Spotify killed the CD star: How has streaming impacted the music industry?
Sam Smith explores how the growth in music streaming has impacted the music industry.
Does reduced agrobiodiversity threaten our food systems?
Fewer crops are feeding more people worldwide and that is not good according to Karl Zimmerer.
Q+A: Is New Zealand ready to go carbon zero?
In New Zealand, recent policy plans by the government show the first steps towards zero-carbon emissions. Oil and gas exploration has been banned although with controversial stipulations, while a zero-carbon bill is currently going through parliament which proposes putting a price on carbon. Is New Zealand ready to go zero carbon?
What are the implications of the US-China trade war? 🔊
In 2018, the United States and China have been embroiled in a trade war with each country continuing to raise tariffs placed on goods traded between the two nations. But what exactly are Donald Trump’s tariff policies and what will be their effects?
Could a recession be just around the corner?
The U.S. economy is growing at the fastest pace in five years and unemployment is at the lowest level in almost half a century. So why are Wall Street and some economists suddenly worried about a recession?
Brexit: What’s in the deal?
Seven academics discuss Brexit. What is in the deal? And what does it mean?
Arts & Culture
Spotify killed the CD star: How has streaming impacted the music industry?
Sam Smith explores how the growth in music streaming has impacted the music industry.
Memes, manifestos, murder: fascist radicalisation online, and how we can stop it ▶
In a talk given at the University of Auckland, Emmi Bevensee talks about her doctoral research into fascist radicalisation online.
Remapping the order of knowing: The idea of ‘Latin America’ revisited ▶
Is ‘Latin America’ part of ‘the West’? Why ask this question and what do these terms mean for understanding the world today? In this lecture, Professor Walter Mignolo will ask what role the Americas played in forming the colonial matrix of power, introduced by Spain and Portugal in the 16th century.
Taking issue: is social media good or bad for democracy?
We asked three academics to address the question of whether social media is democratising or eroding democracy.
The gospel of kindness: Animal welfare and the making of modern America ▶
Janet Davis talks about the historical and political significance of animal welfare advocacy and the profound challenges of global animal protection.
Black Lives Matter, Otherwise all lives do not matter ▶
In a lecture given at the University of Auckland, Professor Onwubiko Agozino attempts to demonstrates the theory that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. By treating Black Lives as if they do not Matter, the lives of human beings everywhere are threatened and so all should rally in support of Black Lives in the interest of humanity.