The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
Why does the United States rejoining the Paris climate accord matter?
The United States is formally back in the Paris climate agreement as of Feb. 19, 2021, nearly four years after former President Donald Trump announced it would pull out.
An economic divide: What are the myths about poverty in the United States? 🔊
The COVID-19 pandemic in America has exposed distinct economic divides throughout the country. But much of the issue of poverty in the US is based on public images rather than empirical evidence.
Can environmental regulation save human kind from self-destruction?
The role of environmental regulation is to prevent harm to the natural world, not only for its sake but to save humankind from self-destruction.
What will migration look like after the pandemic?
Increased control of people’s mobility because of COVID-19 might not be so easy to undo.
What did Trump’s Tweets really mean?
“I analyzed all of Trump’s tweets to find out what he was really saying.”
What are the economics of happiness?
New Zealand has its own world expert on the economics of happiness. Professor Robert MacCulloch says the pandemic is an opportunity to show how we could do a lot better.
Science & Technology
Why does the United States rejoining the Paris climate accord matter?
The United States is formally back in the Paris climate agreement as of Feb. 19, 2021, nearly four years after former President Donald Trump announced it would pull out.
How can syndemics help us understand disease better?
How is it that an infection can be worse or different depending on whether someone has another disease? Why does it matter where someone lives? Why does history make disease progression different in different places? Thinking about syndemics helps us answer these questions.
Can environmental regulation save human kind from self-destruction?
The role of environmental regulation is to prevent harm to the natural world, not only for its sake but to save humankind from self-destruction.
Why are more contagious COVID variants emerging?
Why are more contagious variants emerging now, more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic?
Cleaning up: Can electricity replace fossil fuels in time?
As New Zealand gets serious about climate change, can electricity replace fossil fuels in time?
How can we cut emissions from transport?
How to cut emissions from transport: ban fossil fuel cars, electrify transport and get people walking and cycling according to Robert McLachlan.
Business & Economics
An economic divide: What are the myths about poverty in the United States? 🔊
The COVID-19 pandemic in America has exposed distinct economic divides throughout the country. But much of the issue of poverty in the US is based on public images rather than empirical evidence.
Is slavery a problem in New Zealand?
International business expert Christina Stringer has lifted the lid on migrant workers facing serious exploitation in New Zealand.
What are the economics of happiness?
New Zealand has its own world expert on the economics of happiness. Professor Robert MacCulloch says the pandemic is an opportunity to show how we could do a lot better.
Should social media companies be owned by the public? 🔊
Social media as it exists currently is an oligopoly, with a handful of private companies controlling the structure and use of the platforms which mediate our communication not only with one another but also with the public sphere.
News ban: Can we regard Facebook as a public utility?
“We have been shocked by Facebook’s Australian news ban because we have been labouring under a misapprehension: We thought it was a public utility.”
How can we cut emissions from transport?
How to cut emissions from transport: ban fossil fuel cars, electrify transport and get people walking and cycling according to Robert McLachlan.
Arts & Culture
What did Trump’s Tweets really mean?
“I analyzed all of Trump’s tweets to find out what he was really saying.”
Why is the Treaty of Waitangi and its history important? 🔊
In 1987, Dame Claudia Orange published her best-selling book The Treaty of Waitangi. In what was a comprehensive look at the Treaty and its history, Orange’s book remains one of the most significant and popular New Zealand history books. It has also now been re-issued with three new chapters taking the history of the Treaty up to the present day.
News ban: Can we regard Facebook as a public utility?
“We have been shocked by Facebook’s Australian news ban because we have been labouring under a misapprehension: We thought it was a public utility.”
How significant was the Treaty of Waitangi Act?
In a new edition of her popular book, The Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi: An Illustrated History, distinguished historian Dame Claudia Orange brings the narrative of the Treaty up-to-date. In this extract, she explores the critical phase in the Treaty’s history that began with the passing of a significant piece of legislation.
Should social media companies be owned by the public? 🔊
Social media as it exists currently is an oligopoly, with a handful of private companies controlling the structure and use of the platforms which mediate our communication not only with one another but also with the public sphere.
What’s wrong with the Anzac mythology?
“In salvaging these stories of bloodshed and terror, heroism and humanity, we must pick apart the grand mythology which has smothered and replaced them.”