In a time of heightened hostility towards experts, academics and scientists, the 2017 collection of the best Conversation articles and essays is a must-read. Articles range from a FactCheck of the claim that Indigenous Australians are the most incarcerated people on earth, to answering questions posed by curious children, to Hugh Mackay's observation that the state of the nation starts in your street. Joseph Paul Forgas writes on the surprising benefits of sadness and Stephen FitzGerald considers managing Australian foreign policy in a Chinese world. If proof were needed that academia makes an essential contribution to public debate, you'll find it in these pages. Contributors include: Michelle Grattan, Hugh Mackay, Stephen FitzGerald, Denis Muller, Joseph Paul Forgas, Thalia Anthony, Alan Collins, Rachel Ong and Eileen Baldry.