Research and Reason

What happens when sporting success comes at an environmental cost?The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest in history, with more teams, more matches and more fans travelling from around the world.Dr Chris McMillan from School of Social Sciences joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to explore the intersection of sport, commercialism and climate change. He discusses the climate impact of mega sporting events, the commercial forces driving the expansion of the tournament, and the political complexities around hosting the World Cup across three countries. He also reflects on how we should reconnect with the excitement, hope and sense of community that sport brings us.

Dr Aleisha Ward from the School of Music joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to explore how jazz first arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand during World War One. She shares fascinating stories of the jazz scene in the 1920s, and what life was like for musicians and music lovers during this era. If you're new to jazz and or interested in discovering more classic New Zealand jazz artists or songs, here is a list of recommendations from Aleisha: Nathan Haines: Shift Left (2018remaster): https://open.spotify.com/album/05chi6OdCsi0ufQyd8AJVQ?si=8WguVLvaToW6Tc7Yj2QP7AMark deClive Lowe: Heritage: https://open.spotify.com/album/2NNmcCpVPIGd4hMOYIEm2V?si=eGG2kzSxTUyZc8DqGMzG5QDr Tree: Dr Tree (2024 remaster):https://open.spotify.com/album/7zb8eM4iw8Vhxh65AyD556?si=ezN4-yJXRLCoy3PX8kmbYAThe Quincey Conserve: Epitaph: https://open.spotify.com/album/234bMNJLzYeMNvrprNn2LR?si=waHCB4tTRnKhLpeawCr7MwRodger Fox: X: https://open.spotify.com/album/1DfKlnof6Yd7w4KraNEx1S?si=oB7tdQaQQc2D7TBgFZ6kqA Stu Buchanan and the Garden CityBig Band: Hey! What's the Time: https://open.spotify.com/album/3oUPHgsxzw9561CZ22wVnC?si=Ip1soHHUQE-0-tHz8vY67AThe Jac: Nerve: https://open.spotify.com/album/0UgoyoYYmCAhiufemBhRR6?si=etbLVmbkQk2_oqERdvKdew Phil Broadhurst: Soliloquy (thisis Phil's last album released just before he passed away in 2020): https://open.spotify.com/album/2QunIDrNaQk7UZAFwqXyWH?si=9Rz_bneHThGJ_wTu_9Wdvg

What would happen if a composer collaborated with artificial intelligence to produce new music? Dr David Chisholm, head of the School of Music, put it to the test as part of a new project. He tells our media adviser Julianne Evans how he prompted AI to compose a musical suite and arrange it for a full orchestra. Hear snippets of the work and more in this incisive discussion on the future of music. Click here to read more: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/03/24/as-composed-by-david-chisholm-and-ai.html

*Content warning: this episode includes discussions related to sex and intimacy. Listener discretion is advised. Dr Claire Meehan, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, joins our media adviser, Julianne Evans, to explore how we talk to young people about sex in the digital world. She also delves into her upcoming book on consent in the digital age, including the complexities of AI and deepfake technology. *All opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the guest and don't represent Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland or the Faculty of Arts and Education.

Netball has been the most popular game for girls and women in New Zealand for a century. As a fan and former player, Dr Margaret Henley researches the social history of netball and shares how she tracked down a rare film shot in 1932. Margaret also tells the stories of the sport's pioneers such as Jessie Knapp and the role it has in the intergenerational wellbeing of Aotearoa women. Read more: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2024/09/26/the-pioneers-of-netball.html "Our Game" Exhibition: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/visit/exhibitions/our-game

Professor Kim Phillips is a historian with a special interest in the history of gender, sexuality, and women in the medieval period. Kim’s latest project delves into women who lived in the Middle Ages and the four iconic archetypal images that surrounded them: mermaids, nursemaids, milkmaids, and hags. She discusses the meanings attached to the female body during that time, and how the ideals of beauty shift in the modern, globalised world that we are in. Read more: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2021/05/13/of-mermaids-and-male-fantasies.html

Is Sherlock Holmes actually good at logic? Senior Lecturer Dr Patrick Girard is here to talk about logic. We use logic in everyday decision making and it helps to slow down our thoughts. Patrick discusses his own experience of using logic for a healthy pursuit of common goals, suggests how it might improve our interactions on social media, and whether Einstein's logical decision to write a letter to President Roosevelt was the "right" course of action. You can find Patrick's new book Logic in the Wild and read his blog here: https://www.logicinthewild.com/