UNBELIEVABLE: 66 | History Defined

UK changes its tune on Israeli policies in the West Bank

There’s been a broad spectrum of reactions to the UK government’s decision to introduce a ban on trade in goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements. These have ranged from “it’s about time”, to “too little, too late” to “pathetic undergraduate politics” (this last from someone I was chatting to…

The Conversation · Sep 11

‘We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans’: if AI labs are so worried about AI doom, why don’t they stop?

Earlier this week, researcher Jacob Coxon quit Anthropic, saying the firm and its competitors are “gambling with our lives”. “We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans,” added current Anthropic researcher Evan Hubinger in a post on X.

The Conversation · Sep 11

Yes, it’s the economy, stupid. But One Nation is outflanking the government on messaging, too

Labor is no doubt dreading the likelihood of further interest rate rises, despite Treasurer Jim Chalmers talking up the economy.

The Conversation · Sep 11

What the backlash to the Industrial Revolution can teach us about handcrafts in the age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t yet causing widespread job losses in Australia. But with some high-profile business leaders still predicting a looming unemployment “crisis” it’s little wonder many people fear AI is coming for their job.

The Conversation · Sep 10

Ratko Mladić: the war criminal who became a martyr for Bosnian Serbs

To most of the world, he was the “Butcher of Bosnia”. A brutal murderer who wanted to eradicate Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in pursuit of an ethnically pure “Greater Serbia”.

The Conversation · Sep 10

‘It’s a strange time to be a man’: in The Castle, Jon Ronson investigates the plight of unanchored men

The ABC’s now-defunct current affairs show Q+A makes an early appearance in Jon Ronson’s The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unravelling Men.

The Conversation · Sep 10

A new video game lets you play out the battle at Gallipoli. Is it trivialising the tragedy of war?

The recent release of BlackMill Games’ Gallipoli: Ottoman Fronts has been met with some pointed questions, including whether the video game is “mimicking the war”.

The Conversation · Sep 10

Can people truly walk away from terrorism? Inside the slow work of rehabilitation

As we reflect on 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 people, terrorism remains an ongoing yet evolving threat that defies easy answers.

The Conversation · Sep 10

How western consumption becomes the Global South’s environmental nightmare

Industrialized countries send millions of metric tonnes of used clothing, electronic equipment and other products to the Global South, and with them, the environmental and health costs tied to producing, consuming and disposing of those goods.

The Conversation · Sep 10

Islamic economics has questioned endless growth for centuries. What can it teach us today?

As climate change and widening inequality intensify, economists are increasingly questioning whether endless economic growth is compatible with a healthy society and a finite planet.

The Conversation · Sep 10