I am proud to announce that, as of 22 July 2021, I am serving as a founding member of the Finding Genius Foundation’s Board of Directors. Finding Genius Foundation: www.findinggeniusfoundation.org/ The Finding Genius Foundation was established by Richard Jacobs, with the aim of helping to uncover true breakthrough insights in the science of health and […]
David Olney
In Brief: Why do people have to wait hours to have a COVID-19 test?
Now that Adelaide is in lock-down along with Sydney and Melbourne, I have found myself wondering about why people have to wait hours for a COVID-19 test, what risks this entails, and what could be done about it. Over the last two days I have heard about people having to wait for up to eight […]
First semester completed, with High Distinctions for both subjects!
I just received my final marks for the courses in the first semester of my Master of Media (Strategic Communication) and I received High Distinctions for both of them! I am pleased to have done so well, but am even more pleased that I have learned, and been motivated to learn, skills and knowledge that […]
If we intend to succeed, then we need to combine compassion, courage, and commitment.
When I was listening to Scott Ludlam’s book, Full Circle, I was impressed by the levels of courage and commitment that the activists Scott wrote about demonstrated in the most difficult of situations. In person, Scott was as inspiring as the people he had spent time with and written about, and, after talking with him, […]
How can we effectively choose what we need and what we want?
I recently had an experience related to my Master of Media (Strategic Communication) course that caused me to reflect on how we can effectively choose what we need and what we want, and what can happen even when we make thoughtful choices. I received a mark two percent below a high distinction from the University, […]
What makes a good politician?
On 22 June, 2021, Tim and I had a wide ranging and thoroughly engaging conversation with Barbara Pocock from the SA Greens for Blind Insights, which I will post once the episode is available to listen to. Barbara and I were discussing what prepares someone to be a good politician, and I made my normal […]
What I have learned during my first semester as a Master of Media (Strategic Communication) student
What I can write with confidence, after my first semester of studying Strategic Communication, is that I am glad I decided to enrol in this degree. In February 2020 I knew I loved podcasting, and I knew I wanted to understand why the government communications about the Australian bushfires and looming COVID-19 pandemic were so […]
What do we do in a crisis?
Over the previous week the Australian Federal Government has gone from banning 9,000 Australians from returning from India, because of the COVID-19 situation there, to planning for repatriation flights from India (beginning in mid-May). They have gone from an entirely inappropriate response to a crisis to a barely acceptable response as a consequence of social […]
What do you expect from democracy?
Why so many voters are becoming disillusioned with democracy is an important question that requires a comprehensive and cohesive answer. When I noticed that Anne Applebaum and Ian Bremmer had recorded a conversation about disillusioned voters and contemporary authoritarianism, I was very interested to hear what they had to say. Within their wide-ranging conversation they […]
Why has Australia vaccinated less than 600,000 people in the first month of the COVID-19 vaccination programme?
I just listened to The Signal’s episode on Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Australian media has been discussing the slow rate of our rollout for days, and this episode of The Signal was the most concise and cohesive explanation I have heard so far. By the standards of Australian media, The Signal is always thoughtful, […]