Has Putin won in the Ukraine?
By Steve Hoadley The recognition by President Putin of the Donetsk and Luhansk ‘Peoples Republics’ on 21 February is his latest initiative to expand Russia’s influence. Will he prevail? Will he pause or push further? History is rich with examples of ‘irredentism’,...
What are the reasons behind Putin’s invasion of Ukraine?
By Greg Yudin A view from Russia: no sanctions will stop Moscow, and its actions will drive more countries into NATO’s arms. In the near future, a big war will begin – a war that we have not seen in the lifetime of my generation, and perhaps the previous...
What is driving an increase in military coups? 🔊
Military coups have increased over the last year and a half. What is driving this challenge to democracy? How concerned should we be? Regional organisations and powerful states have sometimes played important roles in averting takeovers by military coups. How...
Will Antarctica’s under-ice rivers contribute to sea level rise?
By Huw Joseph Horgan & Craig Stevens Exploring Antarctica’s hidden under-ice rivers and their role in future sea-level rise. Underneath Antarctica’s vast ice sheets there’s a network of rivers and lakes. This is possible because of the insulating blanket of ice...
Are driverless cars bad for the environment?
By Giovanni Circella & Scott Hardman Driverless cars won’t be good for the environment if they lead to more auto use. For years, self-driving car technology has remained tantalizingly just beyond the horizon. Bold predictions notwithstanding, fully automated...
Why won’t carbon farming pine trees truly help mitigate climate change?
By Anne Salmond It’s time for Labour and the Greens to rescue their climate consciences and stop plans to plant vast, environmentally risky pine forests as a way of offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions. In New Zealand, we have a Labour-Green government at...
What cultural values belong in science?
By Julie Rowland The University of Auckland’s Julie Rowland examines the notion that education should be secular and devoid of any form of spirituality. Commentators, here and overseas, have depicted the practice and learning of science as facing an existential...
What does academic freedom mean in practice?
By Jack Heinemann If the use of academic freedom did not create risk, parliament would not have needed to legislate for its protection. But that risk should not be shouldered by Wiles and Hendy, or anyone else, alone. Two high-profile University of Auckland academics...
What is Havana syndrome?
By Robert Bartholomew Robert Bartholomew takes apart the theory US and Canadian diplomats were the target of a mysterious new weapon in Cuba and lays out a much more likely explanation. Havana Syndrome – the mysterious affliction affecting US diplomats and...Subscribe by Email
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