As a first world country, Australians experience a high quality of life. Yet everybody suffers and hurts, and could our experience of suffering, through illness, abuse, loss, break-up, poverty, discrimination, fear etc be put into a different framework where it is recognised for what it can bring and enable, individually and on a bigger scale? The biggest national identities of white Australia seem to be based on and through hardship and suffering.

Loneliness is something that I have been grappling with lately, and I have noticed an up-tick in think-pieces about technologies effect on social relationships between people and a loss of community. The connections people have with others has been a perennial interest of humankind.

Yay for discovering water on Mars and flying past Pluto and all that, but should we be looking at WTF is happening on our own planet a bit more?

Just wondering.

Whether it’s gun control or bicycle helmets, Australia’s Common Law leads to a duty of care. What would the world look like if this was adopted internationally?

This matters to me because our community, and individuals within it, tend to be labelled and stereo-typed based on aggregate statistics. I believe this matters as we can’t talk about empowering and engaging while disempowering and perpetuating stereo-types.

This is the elephant in the room whenever the question of vaccine safety is discussed on public media.
I that people who are coerced into vaccination by public campaigns have the right to know accurate information about the safety and effectiveness of vaccination.

When I was young and read Macbeth In highschool I was obsessed with humanity’s ‘black and deep desires’, and since growing up I’ve realised they are closely woven with emotions that are positive. Examples of this are the idea that suffering is always an element of desire, that control and love are so linked, and pain brings greater joy. As I’ve become more articulate about the tumble of emotions that reside within me like a thunderstorm, I’ve discovered that destruction is a temptation of love. And I won’t to know why.
(PS I am a big fan of Cheryl Strayed and want her to tell me a life story that will explain this).

This question is important because it reflects on the debates, thoughts and conversations that occur across Australian society, which influences public opinion and government policy. It is particularly important when we consider ideas about social progress and human advancement.

Like many others, my husband and I are increasingly convinced that living like this is the best thing we can do for the planet. However, I recently read an article that spoke of the many who believe the opposite. They argue that developing increasingly sophisticated technologies, such as higher levels of artificial intelligence, is the best solution to most, if not all, of our problems – and they have the money and power to make these technologies reality. The article also posited the question, ‘Would I want a future foisted upon me by [Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc] Andreessen and his fellow founders?’ This prospect frightens me – as it would many others. Can we resist this vision of the future?