“Not one Australian child will live in poverty” said Hawke in 1987 – is that the case today?
    6+

    Poverty is a global problem. the most vulnerable are also affected by climate change. Education can address both issues.

    Asked by:
    Carolyn Eccleston
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    If light actually slows down, even a tiny bit over millions of years, does that mean the universe isn’t expanding, it just looks like it is?
    10+

    It’s a question I came up with that I’d love an expert to explain. I like to question the assumptions that other assumptions are based on but over time are seen as fact.

    Asked by:
    tim
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    In the context of homage, sampling and remixing creative works, how do we decide what constitutes originality?
    5+

    New media offers great opportunities for play but creators should continue to be rewarded for their original work, including those creators showing originality in sampled or remixed works. But how do we determine what homages, samples and remixes demonstrate genuine originality and creativity? It matters to me because I work in the arts sector alongside creators and creative works, and others should care about it because the world is going to become a boring place if creators start doing something else because they feel their work just gets ripped off by others without reward or recognition.

    Asked by:
    Sharon Mullins
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    Why is becoming an economy more important than a society?
    22+

    We are constantly outsourcing social tasks, child care, aged care, any care actually. Our level of tolerance and sense of community is constantly diminishing, causing more depression and social problems. Why aren’t we encouraging mothers to spend time with their kids instead of putting them in care? Why aren’t we supporting adult children in looking after their aging parents. Why don’t we help each other more? Is it all about money? Appearances? Lack of tolerance?

    Asked by:
    Renee
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    Why does the law, endlessly, fail to bring justice?
    15+

    The flaws in our Australian law system, reflect the inequity on a world basis. If Australia, a relatively new country, that has a fresh start, is already in a conundrum with it’s inefficient and biased laws, then what hope is there for transparency and justice on a world level? To illustrate, I lent a friend $45,000 for a mutual project. They refused to pay it back, admitting they just spent it. We made a signed legal contract and I have a bank paper trail. Also, a witness who verified his actions signed an affidavit. Yet, this is not enough for me to retrieve my money or for them to go to jail. This person, continuously cons others with small amounts of money, so that legal fees make it unviable to retrieve the lost money. It is clear that I was conned and that they are thief, yet the justice system has no effective recompense for these serious situations. This person should be in jail and working to pay for my loan. I tried going to the local court and followed the procedure of a small claim. After the sheriff failed to find him, nothing could be done. This is a ludicrous system that fails to protect the vulnerable in our society.
    I believe there is a long overdue overhaul of our justice system, which protects the unjust, provides extreme wealth to the judiciary and fails to facilitate justice.
    I tried Legal Aid, etc and they were unable to assist me.
    What do the great thinkers think?

    Asked by:
    Christina Parris
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    Do you believe creativity & self expression is the key to a happy life and a happy world?
    5+

    It is something I have been grappling with in recent years, and have come to believe that this is true.

    Asked by:
    @MelissaRymer1
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    Is the universe really as big as we think it is?
    8+

    The concept of light years, billions of stars in our galaxy and then billions of galaxies outside of the Milky Way is just too big to get a grip on. Maybe there is another concept of distance in a physical law that we haven’t discovered yet, and that will make more sense of these distances and scale? Maybe the micro-world is as big relatively to the universe, that is, the relative distances between individual components of atoms and molecules is just as vast as the universe is big? How can there be an end to the universe – where is it located if it is confined in some way? We know so much – why don’t we know this?

    Asked by:
    Peter Martin
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    How long have we got ?
    9+

    Because I reckon humanity won’t see this century out.

    Asked by:
    Robert Tuttleby
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    We often talk about threats to humanity in today’s world – but what do you see as our greatest opportunity?
    9+

    I believe we need to seriously consider a set of complex problems – economic, social, and scientific – that pose great threats to our world. However, if we continue to talk about these problems in ways that create fear rather than inspiration, and look for protection rather than for possibilities, then we may always default to fearing the unknown, rather than embracing change. I also believe that no one perspective or discipline, neither side of politics, nor any one country or group, can solve the world’s problems alone – so I would love to have the Brains Trust’s diversity of experience and expertise applied to identifying the modern world’s great opportunities.

    Asked by:
    @EmmaKAllen
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    The absence of integrity has pervaded every part of society. How do we inspire and infuse integrity, from here on?
    11+

    Lack of integrity has led to self-interest before social interest. As a species, if we continue we will obliterate ourselves and earth. This includes endless personal consumption, regardless of the environmental impact to the world, money before medical care, power and glory of national leaders before a love of and duty to their people, country and the world. Extreme poverty can be truly alleviated if world leaders would work together. War works, while the arsenal is manufactured by countries without integrity. Banks make gluttonous profits, while so many slave over a mortgage all their lives. Those born with the innate capacity of cognitive brilliance, who become scientists, leaders, inventors, business achievers, should be the carers of those with much less ability. How do we inspire and deliver integrity again?

    Asked by:
    Christina Parris
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    What are the implications on the psychological state of people generally if Time is discovered to have physical causality?
    2+

    I am quite interested in the metaphysics of physics and in particular time.

    Asked by:
    @innerversitysou
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    Should librarians & archivists be at the front line fighting for intellectual freedom?
    16+

    As mass surveillance by companies and government increases, digital privacy becomes more and more important. Information professionals have many skills that can contribute to educating and informing citizens about the importance of intellectual freedom.

    Asked by:
    @jayechats
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    How do we motivate men to participate in a movement to positively change the macho culture?
    7+

    concerns re domestic violence escalating.

    Asked by:
    Barbara Semler
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