We've had some of the most original thinkers from around the world on RNZ this year - here are ten of our most popular conversations.
Consumerism: when having is being had
The psychological effects of living within a free market society distort how we value ourselves and others, says American writer Eula Biss.
Eula Biss Photo: Supplied
Salvation or stigma? The case for targeted social intervention
Not identifying vulnerable groups due to the potential for stigma may lead to more harm than good, according to New Zealand's health and social scientists.
Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Niall Ferguson: 'Cold War II is happening now'
The increasing toxicity in the relationship between the US and China is a sure sign that we are now living in Cold War II, says renowned historian Niall Ferguson.
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP
Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz on lessons from the GFC
The disempowering reign of neoliberalism has exposed the US to the worst ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stiglitz says.
US economist Joseph Stiglitz. Photo: AFP / FILE
Peter Gluckman: human innovation and unintended consequences
Humans are very good at inventing things but very bad at anticipating the harmful and unintended consequences of that inventiveness, says scientist Sir Peter Gluckman.
Photo: 123RF
Apocalyptic innovations in birth, food, sex and death
Tech entrepreneurs are selling us solutions to problems that can be solved by simply changing our behaviour, says investigative journalist Jenny Kleeman.
Photo: AFP
George Friedman: America's 'storm before the calm'
In the next decade, the United States will undergo massive upheaval to make way for a new period of stability and prosperity, according to a prominent geopolitical forecaster.
George Friedman Photo: Supplied
How degrowth could save the world
Capitalism accelerates climate change, the decline of biodiversity and inequity around the world, according to economic anthropologist Dr Jason Hickel.
Photo: Public domain
How the middle class pays for globalisation
The Covid-19 pandemic may bring a silver lining for the dwindling and economically-pressured middle-classes, says Canadian economist Jeff Rubin.
Photo: Public domain
Wade Davis: The Unraveling of America
The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated the reputation of the United States and may signal the end of the American era, argues Canadian anthropologist Wade Davis.
Photo: Public Domain
