Yesterday
Europe could end up more like 1980s Qld than 1930s Germany
There’s a problem with being on the lookout for a rerun of the 1930s: you could miss what’s actually happening.
This Month
For a revealing insight into Nvidia, this book is unrivalled
Jensen Huang’s brainchild, Nvidia, has had astronomic success making microchips. Stephen Witt’s “The Thinking Machine” tells the inside story.
Under Trump, America is becoming unrecognisable
Understatement and confidence, decency and expectation; that certain idea of the United States for which the country was once so admired, is evaporating.
Minecraft’s creator sold it for a fortune. Then things got strange
Markus ‘Notch’ Persson built the world’s biggest video game. He sold it for billions for the sake of his “sanity”.
What is Elon Musk’s IQ?
The questionable measure of intelligence has now been uncoupled from any test and functions as a general-purpose human ranking system that implies invincibility, prosperity and virility.
Inside the Gen X career meltdown
“It’s the end of work as we knew it”: When they should be at their peak, experienced workers in creative fields find that their skills are all but obsolete.
Why Trump’s tariffs won’t last long
The cumulative pressure from households, businesses, markets and Republicans on Trump will mount even faster now that the tariffs are in full flow.
Albanese ‘uncomfortable’, Dutton ‘no interest’: Our foreign policy fail
Both major parties tell us that Australia today faces its most dangerous international environment since World War II. Both want to do nothing about it.
The White Lotus is the first great post-‘woke’ piece of art
The show canvasses the last remaining taboos and puts them all on-screen, with a luxury hotel or a superyacht as the backdrop.
Elon Musk applies physics to politics. What could go wrong?
What is Elon Musk’s endgame at DOGE, and where does his political philosophy ultimately lead? It’s not clear anyone knows — including Musk himself.
Turkish democracy is fighting for its life
The jailing of President Erdogan’s main political rival Ekrem Imamoglu follows a familiar trajectory. It could also backfire spectacularly.
What rusting Russian tanks teach us about the group chat debacle
When a national security establishment prioritises political loyalty over professional excellence – armies fail and many, many people die.
The case for Palestinian pragmatism
It’s time to reject violent extremism and embrace Israeli security as complementary to the pursuit of freedom, dignity and independence in Gaza and the West Bank.
‘Just not feminism’: The rise of ‘conservative Cosmo’
The Evie reader can work. She can be a mother. It’s her choice. It’s just not feminism.
Is Lex Fridman the world’s most dangerous podcaster?
Five years ago, he was unknown – now he’s poised to meet Putin. And his soft-ball interviews may be the future of political journalism.
March
Why the Trump-Putin bromance could finally topple Iran’s ayatollahs
The question is: will Russia defend the clerics in Tehran, or sacrifice their regime on the altar of Russo-American rapprochement?
The Careless People won
A controversial new book about Facebook serves as a window into our current moment, a field guide to tech autocracy.
What happens when men prefer porn?
The heterosexual man can now have what many see as a rich sex life without ever needing to deal with an actual woman.
Gen Z’s babytalk slang isn’t just childish, it’s dangerous
Childish internet slang is undermining the increasing political and social upheaval of our time.
Trump is unlikely to turn on Australia. But what if he does?
If Trump turns on us, it might force Canberra to think about what there is to Australian foreign policy other than the US alliance, writes James Curran