Historians have often categorised eras or periods with convenient titles. Thus, we have the Age of Revolutions, the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment and so on.

But we don’t often have recognition of a more powerful strand in human history – ignorance.

Peter Burke, Emeritus Professor of Cultural History at Cambridge, has just published a new book – Ignorance a Global History. Professor Burke has already published a two volume Social History of Knowledge. His last book before Ignorance was The Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vince to Susan Sontag organised around periods and 500 Western polymaths who (as the book blurb says) “have moved the frontiers of knowledge in countless ways” and looking at the individuals not only for their achievements in one area but many. read more

There is a profound irony in the current Voice debate – could Dutton be one of the Yes campaigns significant vote winners?

Dutton is deeply unpopular and deeply distrusted. Given this could Dutton’s opposition to the Voice actually persuade more people to vote Yes than vote No? The data suggests it’s more than possible. read more

Rupert Murdoch has a wicked problem. Many of the politicians who bent, or even grovelled, when his News media outlets blew on them are no longer scared. On the other hand News – particularly Fox – is showing signs that it is scared of its own audiences.

The first sign of politicians losing their fear was Daniel Andrews staring down Peta Credlin, Sky News and Murdoch print media during the pandemic and them during the recent Victorian election campaign. Despite the relentless Murdoch criticism Andrews not only won but increased his majority. read more

‘An Action Plan for Australian Frontier Wars recognition and commemoration’, Honest History, 3 April 2023 Part 2.

This article covers ACTIONS 3, 4 and 5 in a proposed Action Plan. Our earlier article covered ACTIONS 1 and 2. Each ACTION should happen this year, 2023. Memorial Council Chair Kim Beazley’s recent remarks need strong follow through if momentum is not to be lost. read more

The Aston by-election result was clear enough to get most of the media broadly on track about its significance.

First time in a century, Chinese votes, the curious characteristics of Victorian society – all got mentioned. Having looked only at The Sunday Age reporting and the ABC it seemed the ABC was pretty straight and The Sunday Age read as if most of it had been written early in the day and the subs had to frantically rewrite it before publication. read more

With David Stephens of Honest History and Professor Peter Stanley the blog is campaigning to ensure the Australian War Memorial commemorates Australia’s Frontier Wars and honours the First Nations Warriors Defending their Country. This week we have published on the Honest History website part one of an action plan we are urging the AWM to adopt. Part one of the plan follows:  read more

In the history of Australian politics there have been many examples of mendacity, outrageous exaggeration, outright lies and half-truths.

In Victoria, at this time of the year, one example always leaps to mind.

It occurred when the grand prix was moved from Adelaide to Melbourne 22 years ago and the Premier Jeff Kennett promised that it would only be for ‘four days a year’ and that “it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a cent”. read more

For decades Australians were gung ho about going to war – almost any war. Today – despite the best efforts of the Nine Media (Peter Hartcher in particular) and other media – they are now far more apprehensive.

Indeed, an analysis of community opinion from the start of the Vietnam war to the likelihood of war over Taiwan, shows apprehension translates into opposition the longer the war lasts. read more

A couple of decades ago our firm finally established an office in Perth. We had offices in every other State and Territory capital but not WA.

There were many reasons – couldn’t find the right partner, reluctant to work in a State notoriously suspicious of people from the ‘Eastern states’, long way away – but we finally did and celebrated with a function at the Kings Park reception centre. read more

One of the greatest challenges to modern democracies is the spread of misinformation. Yet conventional explanations of how it spreads and why may not be right.

In a new paper – Sharing of misinformation is habitual, not just lazy or biased – by Gizem Ceylan, Ian Anderson and Wendy Wood (PNAS 17 January 2023) argue that while misinformation is a worldwide concern carrying socioeconomic and political consequences we are not so sure about what drives its spread. read more