Putting the ‘artificial’ in intelligence: the morality of the digital mind
Artificial intelligence is, well, artificial. And the use of ‘intelligence’ in this label is a misnomer. AI machines cannot think.…
I am what I am – a family man
‘I am what I am – a family man. Mother, father, brother.’ Fleetwood Mac, 1987. Are we allowed to say…
The supremacy of feelings
We now have various psychological contexts being determined under regulation in Australia. One example is the workplace, which has changed…
False money, false budget, false hope
Even before the Budget is given, we know it is false. That is because too much of the money on…
Help? What’s that?
I have found myself sitting in gutters a number of times in my counselling psychology career. There is some kind…
A voice of emotion, not reason – of judgment, not mercy
We humans have always been emotional. It is part of who we are as self-conscious beings. But the use of…
The devolution of Western teaching
The National Curriculum is broken. So too is the profession of instruction and teaching. Each new Education Minister – be…
The psychology of moral evasion
I heard the term ‘severe climate anxiety’ again today. It was reportedly used as a defence to help someone achieve…
Can teaching be politically neutral?
Are people involved in a spiritual enterprise when they think, and therefore, when they teach? This might seem a far-fetched…
The Prime Minister is right – and very wrong
Recently, the Prime Minister of Australia has been heard regularly professing, ‘There is enough information about the Voice out there…
There’s a hole in the bucket
Do you know the song, There’s a hole in the bucket dear Liza, dear Liza? ‘Song’ might be too strong…
A (desperate) town called ‘Alice’
The video records of what is happening in Australia’s red centre are disturbing at so many levels. This is a…
Mothers like mine
We said goodbye to my mother last week. We committed her body and then celebrated her life. As I thought…
Happy Energophobia!
It is the New Year season, so I thought we should celebrate around something that will be common to all…
Therapeutic justice: the unreligion of our age
I am not a lawyer, but if I take at face value the description of a number of cases in…
Victoria’s eyes
I recently had the experience of engaging with two Victorias. It was not planned – indeed, both ‘acquaintances’ were well…
Are you not entertained? Politics is the death of sport
I have a confession to make. Sometimes when I drive home, I listen to a sports talk-back radio program. Recently,…
De-radicalisation programs are a nonsense
There is so much confused thinking about thinking. It is some people’s belief that all you have to do to…
Republic: a play for unlimited power?
Like many, the passing of Queen Elizabeth the Faithful has given me pause. The carefully planned and executed traditions of…
Dear Prime Minister, I am confused
It might just be me, but I am confused about the first 100 days of our new Australian Prime Minister.…
The Voice: a hollow gesture?
Australia’s new Prime Minister is sending out what he believes is a clarion call to move on and support a…
St Greta’s school for the environment?
It is conceivable that sometime soon a group of parents and teachers will establish an entire school devoted to the…
The myth of unlimited resources
Money is simply an idea. It is a shortcut to make life, not only simpler, but more dynamic. It is…
Once a socialist, always a socialist
I remember the first time I sat in the old town square in Poznan, Poland. I was so taken by…
ATT: Service NSW – you do not ‘own’ our children
Last weekend I received a notice from Service NSW, which commenced as follows: Hello – Being together in a classroom…
