Despite increases in living standards and access to technologies, like the internet and social media, measures of happiness haven’t increased. Is social media making people feel connected but actually making them more isolated?

This is a question that propels my research (at RMIT University), e.g. I co-edited Life Without Money: Building Fair and Sustainable Economies (2011, Pluto Press, London)

I was once asked and gave a quick and definite answer. I have, however, wondered about my answer ever since.

El nino and la niña are natural weather phenomena. Climate change is not. Is a scientist or two measuring co2 in the australian atmosphere so that we can mitigate our behaviour and transit to market in a considered way. This affects peoples living standards. Let’s avoid poverty!

In Australia we’ve got the dominant view that hung parliaments and large cross benches are ‘unworkable’ and ‘feral’. Why? In Europe hung parliaments are normal, and there are often many parties represented in the parliament.

Would we benefit from more diverse parties and viewpoints in parliament?

It seems as though more and more of us live a life of conformity and order, and few now life a live of ‘being wild’; of throwing caution to the wind; of taking a chance to follow their dream; to embark on an adventure. What is this doing to our evolution as a species? Where will humanity be in a hundred, a thousand years if we give up ‘being wild’ because our fears prevent us foresaking the safe places?

It seems as though tips are expected now – even when the service is bad and restaurant wages are liveable.

It is one of the things that keeps me awake at night the suffering of innocent creatures to feed the ego driven need of humans to reproduce themselves with no consideration but ther own desire or ignorance.
We cannot call ourselves civilised while we continue down this path.

If we all tapped away at pianos rather than computers, maybe we’d all be happier.

I need to know, and so does the whole of humanity. What exciting ramifications might come from an affirmative?

Regional areas in particular are being devastated and families are being torn apart. What is the heart of the issue? Boredom? A lack of other outlets in regional areas?