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The Big Q

What are tipping points and what do they mean for our ecosystems?

What are tipping points and what do they mean for our ecosystems? What are tipping points and what do they mean for our ecosystems? , 43.7 MB
Tue 19 Jun 2018

The science of tipping points: what do they mean for our planet and our ecosystems on land and in water? What causes these sudden changes and how can society be better prepared for such events? Maria Armoudian discusses the phenomenon that is tipping points with Peter Ward, Simon Thrush, and George Perry.

The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org 

What are the social implications of storms and disasters?

 What are the social implications of storms and disasters? What are the social implications of storms and disasters?, 22.26 MB
Mon 18 Jun 2018

Unprecedented storms and fires are ravaging communities and destroying lives, all the while revealing power dynamics in society, politics and economics. What are these risks and revelations? What needs to be done? Steve Matthewman and Naomi Zack discuss with Maria Armoudian how disasters reveal hidden social arrangements and power dynamics in society.

The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org 

Are our oceans under threat?

 Are our oceans under threat? Are our oceans under threat?, 40.4 MB
Thu 14 Jun 2018

Our fates are tied to the fate of our oceans, which generate half of the world’s oxygen, as well as provide water, food, recreation, culture, and some $24 trillion of the global economy. But ocean life is under threat by multiple stressors — climate change, acidification, plastics, pollution, overfishing, overexploitation, and dead zones.

In this roundtable discussion, top scholars reveal and explain the realities facing our seas and the strides we are making to protect, restore and recover our seas.

The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org 

Back from the dead? The science and ethics of bringing species back from extinction

Back from the dead? The science and ethics of bringing species back from extinction Back from the dead? The science and ethics of bringing species back from extinction , 30.09 MB
Wed 13 Jun 2018

With mass extinction upon us, some scientists are working on bringing certain species back from the dead. But their ability to do so raises ethical and practical issues. Are we playing God? Could this process go terribly wrong? Should we focus on conservation instead or in tandem with de-extinction? If we do de-extinct some species, which ones should we bring back? Three scientists, Michael Archer, Douglas McAuley, and Susan Haig, all experts in the field of de-extinction, discuss the science, the progress, and the ethical and practical concerns of bringing back to life some of the species that have gone extinct with Maria Armoudian. 

The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org 

What's really going on with North Korea?

What's really going on with North Korea? What's really going on with North Korea? , 19.48 MB
Tue 12 Jun 2018

What are the realities of the politics of North Korea, and what is the proper response of the US and the international community? Maria Armoudian discusses these issues with Stephan Haggard, Jacques E.C. Hymans, and Charles K. Armstrong.

The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org 

Can we end the silence on science?

Can we end the silence on science? Can we end the silence on science? , 25.79 MB
Mon 11 Jun 2018

Shaun Hendy discusses his nano-technology research and the complications in science communication and science funding with Dr. Maria Armoudian.


The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org
 

Does the "Charitable Industrial Complex" help or hinder humanity?

Does the "Charitable Industrial Complex" help or hinder humanity? Does the "Charitable Industrial Complex" help or hinder humanity? , 19.09 MB
Thu 7 Jun 2018

Between 2001 and 2011 the number of non-profit charities increased by 25 percent. $316 billion was given away in 2012 in the United States alone. Yet inequality has grown, and nations are struggling to deal with a refugee and migration crisis. This is part of what Peter Buffett, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett and head of the NoVo Foundation, provocatively calls the “charitable-industrial complex” – and it may be perpetuating global poverty. Maria Armoudian spoke with Buffett about the charitable industrial complex and the concept of philanthropic colonialism.


The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org
 

Do free markets camouflage their real cost to our society?

 Do free markets camouflage their real cost to our society? Do free markets camouflage their real cost to our society?, 8.63 MB
Wed 6 Jun 2018

Do free markets camouflage their real cost to our society? Blinded by prices and the so-called free market, Raj Patel says market theory has not only failed, but has also acted as a camouflage for activities that are not about markets at all, and that prices have little correspondence with their value or even their cost. Maria Armoudian discusses how to reshape market societies with Patel. 


The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org
 

Does the West's oil consumption fuel dictatorships?

Does the West's oil consumption fuel dictatorships? Does the West's oil consumption fuel dictatorships? , 21.3 MB
Tue 5 Jun 2018

How does most of what we buy and consume help create wars as well as prop up dictatorships and systems of oppression? How can we change this? Maria Armoudian talks to Leif Wenar about blood oil and consumer choice. 

The Big Q Website: www.thebigq.org

What effect is the private military industry having on war?

 What effect is the private military industry having on war? What effect is the private military industry having on war?, 27.27 MB
Wed 30 May 2018

Over the past decades, privatised military contracts have grown to unprecedented levels, a change that has challenged the standing ethical doctrine known as ‘Just War’ theory. How is the privatisation of military activities compromising international conduct in conflict? What does it mean for international law and ethics in conflict? Amy Eckert discusses the multi-billion dollar, private military industry with Maria Armoudian.


The Big Q Website: http://www.thebigq.org/