Challenges for Countering Violent Extremism in Kenya — Countering Violent Extremism seems intuitive enough. You look at the factors turning individuals into violent extremists and shape an intervention around them. Aid programs within Kenya identify a number of these factors: marginalization, poor governance, and economic deprivation. Yet these programs often fail to account for nuance in Al Shabaab’s…

Imagine that John, having agreed to pick up his friend from the airport, has failed to do so. When his friend confronts him, he makes it clear that his mother was suddenly sick in the hospital. As a result, the amount that John is considered morally responsible for breaking a…

New Zealand’s relationship with Japan has included a strategic partnership for some time. Back in 2018, New Zealand’s Defence White Paper discussed the important link between New Zealand’s security interests in the South Pacific and New Zealand’s relationship with Japan. …

What do recently discovered stars orbiting close to the black hole at the core of our galaxy tell us about relativistic effects? — In a recently published paper in The Astrophysical Journal, a team of European astrophysicists has published results of studying stars orbiting around the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy (Sgr A*). S4711, a cluster of stars determined to be closest in orbit around the black hole are…

Do recent studies of interstellar comets give us clues as to whether a mission to Borisov or Oumuamua is feasible? — Towards the end of 2019, Borisov (C-2019 Q4) made its way through our solar system, crossing the ecliptic and approaching within 2 astronomical units of the sun. A recent study of the trajectory of the comet published in Nature Astronomy showed that “the body travels from a direction far from…

What do recent studies of astronauts working alongside robots tell us about having robots assist on an interstellar journey? — Whether it be R2D2, H.A.L. or Data, the idea of having space travellers work alongside robots is not new. Examples from science fiction show robots may well play a number of roles to assist a future interstellar traveller. Robots have the potential to add convince to ship maintenance or assisting…

What do recent academic papers tell us about the possibility of traveling at the speed of light to a distant exoplanet? — Energy and Method of Light Speed Travel Science fiction plays up the prospect of zipping around the galaxy and raises interesting questions about what a future where the speed of light travel exists would look like. Conventional rockets face a number of different challenges however, that may well still reflect on the prospect of the speed of…

Becoming bilingual was a twisted, unlikely and immersive journey that ended with me as a Mandarin dreamer. — The year I finished university, is the year the financial crisis of 2008 was in full swing. Jobs were impossible to get for a young enthusiastic graduate with a liberal arts degree. If anyone knows that for certain, it is me. …