Professor Neal Curtis talks about how his academic career in comics started and how it led to collaborating with brain researchers and illustrators to raise awareness of brain tumours. Neal also discusses Batman as an example of sovereignty and how Wonder Woman's origin story is connected to the history of women's reproductive rights. *Neal mixed up the names of mother and daughter in Marston's story. Olive was Marston's partner while Ethel was imprisoned for handing out leaflets to women about contraception. She went on a hunger strike and was released from jail after her sister Margaret Sang ..read more

With the announcement of Newshub closing, Associate Professor Luke Goode discusses what this means for us and what the future of media could look like.  ..read more

With the US presidential election fast approaching, Associate Professor Jennifer Frost discusses the history of youth voting rights and how young people could make a difference.   Jennifer's book "Let Us Vote!" Youth Voting Rights and the 26th Amendment is available here:  https://www.paperplus.co.nz/shop/books/non-fiction/education-reference/literature/let-us-vote-1117795 ..read more

Author, scholar and former Poet Laureate Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh discusses the origins of her award-winning children's book series Mophead. In this episode, she talks about the third instalment of the series, Wot Knot You Got? Mophead's Guide to Life. She explains how the idea of Mophead came about and how the books have resonated with children and adults alike. Selina’s new book is being released on 9 November, click here to order your copy: https://aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz/wot-knot-you-got-mopheads-guide-to-life ..read more

Dr Rowan Light discusses how Anzac Day has transformed from a quiet veterans’ reunion in 1965 to a popular and deeply meaningful national event.  ..read more

Dr Rebecca Phillipps discusses a ground-breaking project using an AI programme to identify stones that have been modified by early humans to use as tools. Academics from archaeology and bioengineering have collaborated to train AI to recognise features of human-modified artefacts and speed up the classification process ..read more

How do your views align with New Zealand’s political parties? Associate Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment discusses the relaunch of Vote Compass ahead of the election on 14 October. Used by almost half a million people during the last election, the online tool is backed by the Electoral Commission and delivered by the University of Auckland and Victoria University. She also talks about her new book, which illustrates the challenges facing political staff in democracies around the world. Find out more: Vote Compass The Human Resource Management of Political Staffers ..read more

John Middleton discusses the impact of climate change on low-lying atolls like Tokelau and the challenges they face in maintaining their language due to the possibility of forced migration ..read more

Dr Carisa Showden shares insights from Fierce Hope: Youth Activism in Aotearoa, a new book that explores the motivations and experiences of young activists in New Zealand ..read more

Dr Tom Gregory discusses the weaponisation of civilian protection in conflicts like Afghanistan. He highlights the impact of shifting perspectives on civilian casualties, which came to be viewed more as a strategic setback than a humanitarian crisis by coalition forces ..read more