Human intelligence requires control from human ethics. What to do about artificial intelligence? I’m not religious but have always appreciated the central morality tale drawn from the biblical story of Adam and Eve. To realise their full humanity, they had to fall...
Immigration. It’s the gift that never stops giving to the political right and consequently remains a constant thorn in the side of the political left. While the post-war history of Britain (think Enoch Powell and Nigel Farage) and the United States (think Southern...
Arts worker, unionist and publicist, Seamus Mee, fought the good fight in the arts, politics and the union movement. He died, aged 72, from a heart attack at his home in Maryborough, Queensland in March 2026. While his twin: theatre director, actor and academic Sean...
So, there we were: 19 journalists from ‘rival’ organisations seated in a circle on a sunny autumn morning in April. Usually, there might be a touch of reticence – side eye, even. After all, it’s a competitive business we’re in; and, while reporters like to ask a lot...
A great Tyrannosaurus rex strides through the conifer trees of her territory, sniffing the air. She picks up the scent from the carcass of a dead horned dinosaur, Triceratops, that she was feeding on yesterday. She walks over and strips off some more shreds of meat,...
Intergenerational inequality is one of the greatest current challenges in Australia. This inequality is creating a growing gap in opportunities and well-being between older Australians and younger generations. Addressing that gap is key to a fairer, more harmonious...
After retirement, I did what advisers advise and saw my GP for a check-up. He heard a murmur in my heart so my defective, two-flapped, aortic valve was replaced with a proper three-flapped valve from a cow. Six months later I contracted endocarditis, a heart...
Human connection is imperative to survival. When we were hunter gatherers, being banished from your group spelled almost certain death. These days, doctors report seeing many anxious and lonely people. A quarter of Australian households are occupied by one person and...
One of the saddest moments of being homeless was when a friend said: ‘Maybe you should consider getting rid of your dogs.’ The news that I was losing my rental came suddenly during the Covid pandemic and just before Christmas of 2020. I was grateful to have an old van...
It took me awhile to get my head around the decision of California Governor Newsom to respond to MAGA gerrymandering by overriding California’s independent commission seat maps and drawing ones that greatly increased the odds of electing five more state...
