Jonathan Firbank, Author at Think Magazine

Is Now the Time for a Wealth Tax?

In the face of ever-worsening wealth inequality, one solution for Malta (or elsewhere) could be a tax on wealth. Jonathan Firbank speaks to Dr Charmaine Portelli about why this idea is flawed, and yet, why this flawed idea might still be necessary for today’s world.

Campus Sustainability: University of Malta Leads the Way

The University of Malta (UM) has set out to become a sustainability ‘Living Laboratory’. Jonathan Firbank speaks with Prof. Maria Attard about the Committee for Sustainability at the University of Malta, C-SUM, and its role in this interdisciplinary, interdepartmental experiment.

C-SUM Committee for Sustainability solar panels sustainability university of malta waste management

What’s That Noise?

Malta depends on subterranean groundwater for agriculture, industry, and a large population. A University of Malta initiative, Project SIGMA, is monitoring groundwater sources not by digging for them, but by listening.

aquifers geosciences groundwater Seismic Signals SIGMA sustainability

The Soft Power of Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was an important part of Britain’s ‘soft power’, and her death symbolised and contributed to its decline. James Farrugia is a Maltese diplomat and UM PhD student. He speaks with Jonathan Firbank on the subject, its relevance to Malta, and his professional experience of Queen Elizabeth II’s state visits.

colonialsm King Charles II Queen Elizabeth II Soft Power

True Happiness

What kinds of happiness are there, and what kinds of happiness should we prioritise? Jonathan Firbank explores Masahiro Morioka’s ‘happiness drug’ thought experiment in the face of an increasingly medicated world.

ethics Happiness idea Masahiro Morioka Social Well-being SSRI

Refugee Students

Learning Diversity: A Case Study of Refugee Students in Primary School is an international project created to provide information about the unique needs of refugee students, their obstacles to success, and the interventions and good practices applied to help them. Jonathan Firbank speaks with lead coordinator, Prof. Simone Galea, about the study’s ethics, methods, and findings.

education Refugee Social Well-being

The Worth of your Time

Jonathan Firbank investigates the conditions that led to the ‘Great Resignation’, where millions of people resigned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He discovers that it is less a consequence of an ‘anti-work movement’ and more a result of the mental health issues that workplaces can cause.

Anti-work Emotional Well-being idea The Great Resignation work-life balance

Games, TAMED, and AI Empathy

TAMED is a University of Malta project developing ‘affective computing’ in video games, which would enable them to interpret human emotions. Jonathan Firbank goes into detail with Dr Konstantinos Makantasis.

artificial intelligence Emotional Well-being institute of digital games Konstantinos Makantasis TAMED

The Terror and Incompetence of Russia’s Warfare (Part 2)

Throughout Russian and Soviet history, autocratic incompetence has sabotaged invasions and subjected civilians to horrific war crimes. Jonathan Firbank recounts Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, then speaks with historian Simone Azzopardi about its place in Russia’s history of terror and incompetence.

History Invasion of Ukraine Putin Simone Azzopardi

The Terror and Incompetence of Russia’s Warfare

Throughout Russian and Soviet history, autocratic incompetence has sabotaged invasions and subjected civilians to horrific war crimes. Jonathan Firbank recounts Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, then speaks with historian Simone Azzopardi about its place in Russia’s history of terror and incompetence.

History Invasion of Ukraine Putin Simone Azzopardi