The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
Money, Money, Money: What is the deal with political donations? 🔊
Political donation scandals are dominating New Zealand politics at the moment with the Serious Fraud Office investigating two separate cases involving donations to the National Party and the New Zealand First Foundation.
Why are New Zealand houses so damp and mouldy? 🔊
Is the housing stock to blame? Is it the way houses are constructed? Is it the typology? Lillian Hanley spoke with Philippa Howden-Chapman about the state of New Zealand’s houses and what effect damp and mouldy homes have on people’s health and living standards.
What’s at stake in West Papua?
Dr Mark Busse and Sophie Faber examine West Papua’s history to see what’s at stake politically and economically in the current unrest
Have targeted assassinations become normalised?
According to a new study, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in combat has worked to normalise the practice of targeted assassinations.
What role does the United States play in the Israel-Palestine peace process? 🔊
The United States new peace plan for Israel and Palestine departs significantly from past plans. From altered borders, to decreasing the size of land for Palestine, to a lack of commitment to Palestinian sovereignty this is a new approach to peace.
A crisis no more? Refugee journeys through the Balkans
Is there still a refugee crisis in Europe?
Science & Technology
Bushfires: Can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity?
The impacts of climate change – in particular, the consequences of the increasing frequency of extreme weather events on all life should be abundantly clear.
How do climate-friendly food choices protect the planet? 🔊
New research out of the University of Otago has revealed that increasing the uptake of plant-based diets in New Zealand could have a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Misinfodemic: How serious is the new coronavirus pandemic?
How serious is the new coronavirus pandemic? Are we set for a global pandemic? Helen Petousis-Harris investigates.
What is coronavirus and how can we stop it spreading? 🔊
China is experiencing an outbreak of coronavirus which has so far killed seventeen people and infected a further four hundred and forty.Â
Will volcanic eruptions increase? 🔊
With Climate Change, will volcanic eruptions become more frequent moving forward?
What is the relationship between climate change and wildfires? 🔊
The intensity and breadth of the wildfires in Australia have drawn attention to the effects of climate change and the need for greater commitment to counter the global environmental crisis.Â
Business & Economics
Why are major tech companies being sued for their role in the cobalt trade?
Some of the world’s most powerful companies are being sued on behalf of child labourers either maimed or killed while mining for cobalt, bringing attention to the methods by which the valuable mineral is extracted for global consumption.
What is the future of food?
Gilbert Wong looks at the forces shaping the future of food and how research is contributing to what’s likely to be on our plates in 2030.
What needs to be done to prevent a climate-induced collapse? 🔊
Why do sustainable business initiatives so often fail? What fundamental changes do we need from societies and the economic system to stem a climate change-induced collapsed? What economic systems might work on a planet with a finite capacity to sustain life?
How bad is poverty in New Zealand? 🔊
New research conducted by AUT’s New Zealand Work Research Institute has found that more than 50,000 working households are living in poverty across New Zealand.
Are renewable co-operatives the solution to climate change?
Ben Goldson explores whether renewable co-operatives are the solution to climate change?
E-scooters and human rights: What are the ethical dilemmas in their supply chain and in consumers’ wellbeing?
E-scooters have taken off. But what are the ethical dilemmas in their supply chain and in consumers’ wellbeing?
Arts & Culture
What’s at stake in West Papua?
Dr Mark Busse and Sophie Faber examine West Papua’s history to see what’s at stake politically and economically in the current unrest
Turning off the lights: Is the government to blame if Mediaworks’ TV3 shuts down?
Is the government to blame if Mediaworks’ TV3 shuts down? Peter Thompson looks into the crisis at the struggling network.
Why do people steal art? 🔊
The recent heist at the Green Vault within the Dresden Castle in Germany has been speculated to be one of the largest art heists in history.
What impact will Twitter’s political ad ban have on democracy? 🔊
Last week, Twitter announced it would ban all political advertising from the 22nd of November. Founder Jack Dorsey says that political reach should be earned not bought.
What would a merger between TVNZ and RNZ mean for New Zealand’s media landscape? 🔊
The New Zealand Government is considering significant changes to the configuration of public service media in New Zealand.
Q+A: Scars of the past: What is historical memory and how does it change?
How important is historical memory in politics? What can we learn about how our memories of the past are manipulated to change current and future politics? What can we learn from memory entrepreneurs in places like the former Yugoslavia?