Counterpoint

Were we actually traumatised by Covid? Dr Michael Scheeringa, author of The Trouble with Trauma says the expanding definition of trauma and PTSD is affecting the world of psychology and psychiatry. Also, Irish writer Aiden Hart takes us on a trip through the big things of history, an underground movement in Britain is helping save the beaver and the moon is moving away from Earth, but no need to s...

Cancel culture is an echo of heresy, it is encouraging  fundamentalist attitudes that threaten freedom of speech. Are there signs of a social revolution in North Korea? We should remember that AI for all its cleverness is still just a tool. Diaries are often the most important record of what was really happening in an era in history.

How is the Global South responding to the war in Ukraine and  rising tensions between China and The U.S? Should you retract a paper even if the findings are correct? Do bushfires change peoples perceptions on climate change? Hmmm it depends and time for a bowl of hot home made soup.

What do we think of ourselves, our nation and the future? The 2023 Lowy Institute Poll knows all. Why are we talking through and over each other and not to each other. Cancelling people isn't new so how did it happen before and why was Stalin so good at it. Plus the terrible effect bushfires have on invertebrates. 

Who is Xi Jinping? What was his childhood like and how much has it effected the man he has become? NATO Is moving into the Indo-Pacific, what does that mean? Nobody likes being duped and the fear of it can make us anxious, why?  

What is the cost of dissent? Why are Indian trade practises holding the country back? Are we all reading news and opinions we agree with and have new niche markets made the polarisation of news even worse? Why did people in ancient Mesopotamia bury their dead under the floor?

Are we moving towards a new world order? What happened when China and Kenya built a railway and should we be naming plants and animals after people? Why do Canadian Jays throw their siblings out of the nest? 

When it comes to social mobility what's more important class or race? Is A. I. really a scary beast? Instead of being woke how about being compassionate? The best fire management system in the world is right here in Northern Australian.

Tackling key social, economic and cultural issues in Australian life, challenging assumptions.

Just how effective can a new treaty on high seas conservation be? Is colonialism all bad and is irritation the song of anger? Plus Pygmy Possums and Bogong moths.

Russia is moving troops from the Chinese border to fight in Ukraine. What will Xi do?  Focusing on yourself is all the rage but where does it leave the rule of law? Why the era of building dams is over and what's best a tractor or a drone? 

Do trigger warnings do more harm than good? Why does South Korea want nuclear weapons? The remarkable story of Hope and what do birds and humans have in common? 

Are there limits to Libertarianism? Are economic sanctions always bad and why are English Departments around the world in crisis. Plus nature repair markets.

Why can we visit Gallipoli site and why does Turkey take such good care it? Why has language become a battlefield in Ukraine and how do you define masculinity? 

Is it time to end multilateral agreements and enter into minilateral ones? China is transforming from a factory to a market place, what does that mean. Cute authoritarianism is every where but it's not very cuddly.

Is social media really to blame for all of our ills? What happens to solar panels after they have stopped working and how to have a difficult conversation and still be heard and understood.

Can we compare Stalin and Putin and does AUKUS really matter? Why is Europe looking to Africa for fuel and some animals are back from the brink of extinction. How?

The looming demographic problem in China and corruption in Cambodia. Medieval baby care and the collapse of concrete.

Can China become a media superpower and can Australia and India become better mates? Is banning words and rewriting books really necessary? Can cold blooded  survive in a warming world?

We should be using more not less energy to help mitigate the effects of climate change. What is disturbance ecology and how was it shaped by the nuclear tests of the 1940's on.  The Japanese concept of hitozukuri, ie a 'made person' was used in their education policies. How did it go? 

Who has the most power in Asia right now? Why are Putin and his cronies getting richer and richer? Why is it so hard to quit coal and the terrible experiences of women scientists in Australia have to go through if they want to work in their field.

Tackling key social, economic and cultural issues in Australian life, challenging assumptions.

Should we be preparing to fight wars that we can win? Why do people and countries crack up? What is Italian food really and what's happening at the North Head Sanctuary in Sydney? 

Is Beijing in retreat? What are optimistic nihilists and what do they think of the world? Are you normal? There is no such thing. Bio-plastics were supposed to help but they don't, they make it worse.

Can right-wing terrorist funding be compared to whac-a -mole? Are people who glue themselves to artwork moral toddlers? Why do some seemingly successful farmers fail and what happens when a ship is caught shark finning illegally?