New 'This Thinking Life' webinar series offers viewers bite sized learning opportunity

The series includes eight 30-minute webinars being held each Wednesday from 6pm. The webinars are designed to be short, engaging ‘bites’ of learning, beginning with a brief presentation followed by live audience questions.

The free online series starts Wednesday 17 June with topics ranging from artificial intelligence and Indigenous knowledge to democracy, neurodiversity and historical perspectives on modern life.

Professor in Creative Communication Elspeth Tilley says there was a very positive response to last year’s webinars, which are now available online as a podcast series. Episodes are also being released on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Facebook page.

“People found that the information was accessible, evidence-based and directly relevant to their daily lives. Viewers told us they really liked being able to ask questions and have them answered on the spot.”

The 2026 This Thinking Life series will highlight the role of humanities and social sciences in helping people think critically, navigate complexity and make sense of new developments.

Speakers will also examine enduring questions about society and identity — from what the classical world can teach us about modern democracy, to how neurodivergent perspectives reshape our understanding of everyday life.

Highlights include Professor Hēmi Whaanga discussing Indigenous perspectives on artificial intelligence, Dr Elle Brittain exploring Indigenous psychologies and wellbeing, and Dr Collin Bjork unpacking how communication shapes trust in a digital world.

Professor Tilley says as well as giving viewers a quick glimpse into some of the programmes, researchers, and lecturers in Massey’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the webinars will be stimulating and informative.

“Following last year’s series viewers said they took away a sense of clarity about topics that have been puzzling them, and a sense of relief that researchers are carefully studying all the dizzying developments of daily life and making sense of them. We hope that will continue with the 2026 series.”

See information on the full series here.

How to join the webinars
Click this link just before 6pm on the scheduled days and we’ll let you into the webinar at 6pm. You can also scan this QR code to enter.

Indigeneity and AI
Wednesday 17 June, 6pm.
Head of Te Pūtahi‑a‑Toi Professor Hēmi Whaanga, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe and Waitaha.
Discover how contemporary AI is not only biased or misused but built on Western conceptual foundations that systematically exclude Indigenous ways of knowing.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.

Indigenous psychologies, psychology and Te Tiriti
Thursday 18 June, 6pm.
Senior Lecturer in Psychology and practising clinical psychologist Dr Elle Brittain, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Rakaipaaka.
Indigenous and Māori psychologies are enriching psychology and we can look to Te Tiriti to imagine transforming psychology for flourishing communities.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.

AI and communication
Wednesday 24 June, 6pm.
Science Communication Senior Lecturer Collin Bjork.
Bringing a critical perspective to our understanding of how AI works shows us the importance of what we do in the humanities in an age of AI.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.

Voting and elections in Ancient Rome
Thursday 25 June, 6pm.
Classical Studies Associate Professor James Richardson.
When we think of the origins of our democracy, we don’t usually think of ancient Rome, and yet Roman voting practices are immediately relevant to our own ― and to our times, in which democracy is increasingly coming under threat.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.

Rethinking ‘normal’: the neurodivergent life
Wednesday 1 July, 6pm.
Psychology Lecturer Sharon Crooks and Senior Lecturer Kathryn McGuigan.
Learn why cognitive diversity matters for the future of society and how neurodivergence can teach us the multiple ways in which humans perceive, experience, and interpret the world as they navigate everyday life.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.

Generative AI, contaminated information, and rhubarb
Thursday 2 July, 6pm.
Media Studies Senior Lecturer Kevin Veale.
Rhubarb leaves have poisoned people due to ‘contaminated information,’ and we need to be very critical of ‘generative AI’ because it’s an engine for producing contaminated information faster than it can be corrected.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.

Challenging the Patriarchy? A Reassessment through the Lens of Ancient Women
Wednesday 8 July, 6pm.
Classical Studies Senior Lecturer Dr Anastasia Bakogianni.
Find out more about the lives of ancient Greek women and how they continue to shape our modern ideas about the roles of women in society and at home.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.

Sounds Historical
Thursday 9 July, 6pm.
Latin American Literature and Culture Professor Leonel Alvarado.
Music is a form of historical memory, especially in societies where official histories have been incomplete, selective, or imposed from above. Join us to learn what music reveals about history, politics, and culture in Latin America.
Event details can be found here.
Join the event here.