2020 has brought with it fires, floods, protests and a pandemic. Enough for adults to bear, more than enough for younger generations. And while lockdown and online schooling has challenged the engagement of students, syllabus subjects need to be more nimble to reflect the world around us. Can we get over our cultural cringe enough to teach more relevant literature to help students navigate their future?

Despite recent COVID-19 developments, Australia and New Zealand may become the world-first safe international travel option. But only between themselves. Neither country wants to go backwards, but both want to revive a sector that provides thousands of jobs. What are the challenges that come with the trans-Tasman travel bubble?

'It seems that every generation needs to be told why Black Lives Matter. Here we are again.' Marcia Langton describes the worsening of the justice system for indigenous Australians. Also, is impartiality over-rated when it comes to gender oppression in the Middle East? Journalist turned activist explains the meaning behind the title of her book, We can't say we didn't know.

Australia has been blessed with vast reserves of natural resources. Our enviable standard of living has been bankrolled by agriculture and, more recently, by mining.  But what was once a blessing, may be turning into a curse, according to writer and academic, Judith Brett.

Do you think your family is one of the weirdest? Three prominent Australian authors say that they do, and that it has shaped them as both people and writers. 

Also, the coronavirus has forced other global emergencies to be side-lined but are extremists using the opportunity to strengthen their hold on vulnerable societies through terrorism and radicalisation? When resources are scarce, how can governments make decisions about how to spend their money, health or security?

Our most recent summer brought with it some of the worst Australian bushfires in modern history and it seems there was more to it than climate change alone. 

As a dry–climate nation, we have some degree of fire damage every year, but why were these particular fires so severe? What can we learn from the history of bushfire in Australia, and how can we use that knowledge to plan for the future?

What does science have to do with gambling? Apparently, the two are intertwined. Enter the mathematician, who says if you want to win, you can, by using secret scientific measures to outwit your opponent. So whether you want to beat a casino, win a round of paper-scissors-rock, or just not lose your life savings, science could be the key to your success.

Regardless of how we individually view Captain James Cook and his legacy, his arrival 250 years ago was a moment of great significance. A panel of experts reflect on Cook, his impact on - and relationship with - indigenous people, and how we have commemorated him over the years.

How will this 'boom or bust' of the aviation industry be different from those of the past? Like the coronavirus pandemic, nobody saw this one coming. Head of Qantas, Alan Joyce, has the unenviable task of re-building the iconic Australian airline. What will we see when international travel finally makes a comeback?

The impact of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still acute – 75 years after the events. Survivors have to live with the memories; people in the Asian-Pacific nuclear testing sites are still fighting for compensation; activists are still campaigning to abolish nuclear weapons. And the sale of uranium is still big business and a new nuclear arms race seems to be on the way. A panel of historians reflects on the social and political legacy of the atomic bombings.