Explaining the times we face
In these days of gloom, doom and constant bad news it seems hard to take it all in. But sometimes it is not just a recitation of the facts we need. Sometimes poetry can sum it up better ...
The Second Coming
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ANZAC Day and a multipolar world: what “lest we forget” means now
On ANZAC Day 2026 I remember the ordinary diggers behind the legend and reflect on Australia’s place in an emerging multipolar world, from Gallipoli to today’s conflicts.
AI, power, and why open institutions matter
Software and AI are never neutral; they can quietly lock in existing systems of control and power. To avoid surrendering autonomy to a few proprietary platforms, we need open, community‑governed institutions that keep AI accountable and share its benefits more fairly.
Beyond AI hype: building new institutions for AI and the Digital Revolution
In history I saw how the English working class responded to upheaval of the industrial revolution by building new institutions Today’s AI disruption raises a similar question: what new institutions do we need for the AI age?
Losing faith in the system: distrust, AI, and the turn to alternative beliefs
Etsy witches, AI, & young people quietly returning to the Catholic Church might look unrelated, but they all signal a crisis of trust in institutions.