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Big Ideas
Big Ideas
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Feed your mind. Be provoked. One big idea at a time. Your brain will love you for it. Grab your front row seat... more

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Episodes

The future of remembering wars past — school students speak frankly

How should we reflect on wars, past and present? Do the rituals of Remembrance Day and Anzac Day hold meaning... more

11 Nov 2024 · 54 minutes
Ending homelessness is possible

It needs strong leadership and good coordination. But most of all, it needs public opinion to rise up and push... more

07 Nov 2024 · 53 minutes
What's wrong with death? Sophia Club live philosophy with Natasha Mitchell and guests

When you're alive, the idea of dying feels weird, remote, alien. Yet it's the one experience we will all have.... more

06 Nov 2024 · 57 minutes
From Gatsby to Huck Finn — American literature in an age of polarisation

From To Kill a Mockingbird to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there are no shortage of options to include on... more

04 Nov 2024 · 49 minutes
Old, new, best, true — the joy, power and heartache of friends

Friends are among the most important relationships we will have in our lives. So what makes someone a friend, how... more

31 Oct 2024 · 52 minutes
Unconventional women — a hidden story of nuns

Why did acclaimed actor Melissa Jaffer step away from the spotlight and the swinging 60s to enter a strict cloister... more

30 Oct 2024 · 58 minutes
Candice Fox, Matthew Conon, Benjamin Stevenson – on the ethics of crime writing

Literature on crime is huge. Many of you just love to read about a good murder. But do you prefer... more

28 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
SOS Democracy with Jon Faine — Can democracy survive social media?

From mis and disinformation to election interference, parts of the internet have become dystopian, due to a lack of regulation.... more

27 Oct 2024 · 57 minutes
SOS Democracy with Niall Ferguson and Barrie Cassidy — Is democracy doomed?

Ninety years ago, in the face of communism, fascism, and the Great Depression, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, asked the... more

25 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
SOS Democracy with Scott Stephens — Saving democracy with decency

Democracy is in retreat, authoritarianism on the rise. But this has happened before. So how did big thinkers of the... more

25 Oct 2024 · 55 minutes
Spielberg, a tuba, and a shark named Bruce — the cultural impact of Jaws

When you're swimming in the ocean, do you ever startle at a piece of seaweed? Mistake a wave for a... more

24 Oct 2024 · 51 minutes
Brain amoeba, weird worms and the wild world of the parasites (inside you too!)

Remember the 8cm living worm found inside a woman's brain last year? Where the hell did it come from? Parasites... more

23 Oct 2024 · 54 minutes
SOS Democracy with Fintan O’Toole — The US elections and the politics of self-pity

Irish Times columnist and author Fintan O'Toole draws on the Irish experience to explain the rise of populism and authoritarianism... more

22 Oct 2024 · 54 minutes
From pointe shoes to jockstraps – David McAllister lifts the curtain on the secrets of ballet

David McAllister invites you backstage and reveals gloriously gossipy anecdotes about the stars he's met in his long dancing career.... more

21 Oct 2024 · 50 minutes
The dangerous rise in antisemitism – Sharon Nazarian

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has fought against antisemitism worldwide for over a century. It is now documenting a dangerous rise... more

17 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
A plea for peace in the Middle East — Louise Adler and Nasser Mashni

Two Australians who are intimately connected to the conflict in the Middle East, one Jewish, one Palestinian, make their pleas... more

16 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
SOS Democracy with Niki Savva — Can politicians and journalists do better?

One of Australia's most seasoned political journalists Niki Savva has seen the fractures in our democracy up closer than most.... more

15 Oct 2024 · 47 minutes
What makes you a top athlete: science, training or talent?

Are you a gazelle or a grizzly bear when you run? The bounce in your step defines whether you're a... more

14 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
Cemeteries − the parks and public spaces of the future

Can you have a wedding between the graves? Why not! – as long as it's respectful. The future of cemetery... more

10 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
The case for controversial ideas — philosopher Peter Singer with Natasha Mitchell

Renowned and controversial Australian philosopher and bioethicist Peter Singer is no stranger to contentious ideas — wrestling with the ethics... more

09 Oct 2024 · 54 minutes
How Edna Walling changed gardening — with Millie Ross

Big Ideas celebrates the blooming daphne with a look at the life, work and legacy of a pioneer of Australian... more

08 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
From Gaza to Ukraine — is it harder to build peace, than to start war?

The United Nations was established after World War II in an attempt to maintain international peace, security, and cooperation. So... more

07 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
Superheroes, pop stars, and “good enough tv” — The life of a culture critic in 2024

We've lived through the age of peak TV, (and wasn't it glorious). Then cinema was BACK, thanks to the hype... more

03 Oct 2024 · 58 minutes
Gold, Galahs and the Milky Way: unlocking the universe

Does the Milky Way have a sibling and how are stars formed? How can a telescope go back over 13... more

02 Oct 2024 · 53 minutes
Why autistic people make terrific employees

Every autistic person is different, with their own strengths and challenges. We shouldn’t be asking what jobs are suitable for... more

01 Oct 2024 · 52 minutes
Is depression a form of jetlag? Understanding the circadian rhythm

Surveys constantly reveal that a huge number of us are not sleeping well. What is that doing to our mental... more

30 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
Restoring the fine art of traditional trades

The art and ethics of artisanal trades, from stone masonry to roof plumbing to limestone mortar plastering. What can be... more

26 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
What rights for children in care?

Liana Buchanan is a guardian of the rights of our most precious asset - our children. In a keynote speech,... more

25 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
Students win fight for climate justice before the world's highest court

Student activists from the Pacific Islands successfully got the International Court of Justice to define the responsibilities of nations to... more

24 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
Housing as a human right? With Alan Kohler and Kevin Bell

The median Australian house price is now about $800,000 – almost eight times the average income – and well beyond... more

23 Sep 2024 · 55 minutes
Saving winter — the future of snow in Australia's Alpine region

Australia's high country is a spectacular and precious place. It's also a place that is changing, with shorter, less predictable... more

19 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
Busting single motherhood myths

Frequently described as victims, as failures or even as women without morals, single mothers often get a bad rap. They... more

18 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
How history shapes who we are — with Frank Bongiorno and Peter Stanley

History is the stories we choose to tell about ourselves and others. So how have those stories changed over time?... more

17 Sep 2024 · 55 minutes
Why a scary tale is good for you − Angela Slatter, Kathleen Jennings, Naomi Novik and Shelley Parker-Chan

What is the allure of gothic fiction? How does it give shape to your most unsettling impulses? A panel of... more

16 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
Are we taking Orwell's name in vain?

What is the true meaning of Orwellian and what can George Orwell's writings teach us about navigating the 21st century?... more

12 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
How valid is the Australian Constitution today?

It's the living force of the nation, but how much do we understand our Constitution?  Twenty five pages sets out... more

11 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
Gas, tax and the free market — with Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz

The idea of "freedom" is one that's often used in relation to the economy: we have "the free market" and... more

10 Sep 2024 · 56 minutes
A maze with no exits — Ma Thida on Myanmar’s struggle for democracy

Just over a decade ago democracy was within reach in Myanmar, but now the country is in danger of becoming... more

09 Sep 2024 · 52 minutes
So you want to know what’s good for your kids?— with Norman Swan

It's a tough time to be a parent. From screens, to mental health, neurodiversity, gender, diet and schooling, this generation... more

05 Sep 2024 · 55 minutes
Milk — a misunderstood, maligned, miracle food?

From soy to oat to almond, plant mylks are all the rage. But is it possible that we've misunderstood and... more

04 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
From landmines to killer robots — inside the campaigns to ban weapons of war

It was the stuff of scifi blockbuster movie The Terminator in the early 1980s, but now lethal autonomous weapons systems... more

03 Sep 2024 · 45 minutes
Richard Flanagan, Michael Robotham on the hidden costs of cheap books

We all love a bargain, but what is the real cost of those books we buy online or in a... more

02 Sep 2024 · 52 minutes
Caribbean identity in Australia — with Maxine Beneba Clarke and Sienna Brown

The connections between the Caribbean and Australia go back to white settlement, with deep links to the slave trade and... more

29 Aug 2024 · 53 minutes
Tim Flannery and the mystery of Big Meg — why did the world's largest predator disappear?

10 humans in length, weighing 50 small cars, and with a bite that could take out two of you in... more

28 Aug 2024 · 52 minutes
Intellectual influencers — the new generation of social media stars

A new generation of female and non-binary intellectuals are using social media to share their scholarship and reach younger audiences.... more

27 Aug 2024 · 52 minutes
Is bush tucker the future of food security?

Could our continent's ancient past help solve future food security crises? Or even offer new treatments for skin cancer and... more

26 Aug 2024 · 52 minutes
Public broadcasting is not as simple as ABC — with Kim Williams and Kerry O’ Brien

New ABC Chair Kim Williams wants to see change at Australia’s national public broadcaster. In a fragmented media landscape and... more

22 Aug 2024 · 59 minutes
In this climate, having kids is wrong! The Beaker St Festival Great Debate with Adam Spencer, Wendy Zukerman, First Dog on the Moon and more

It's an adults-only hour of high vaudeville to make you laugh and think. Two teams of brainiacs go head-to-head at... more

21 Aug 2024 · 45 minutes
The fairy wrens want to you to hear this. Rewilding our cities and why it matters.

"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot" sang Joni Mitchell.  Let's get wild and urban.  Sometimes nature can... more

20 Aug 2024 · 53 minutes
Insects — nature's ultimate superheroes

Meet the world's smallest superheroes. Insects are ecological warriors, but through the brilliance of biomimicry, they're also inspiring all sorts... more

19 Aug 2024 · 52 minutes
Night Sky LIVE – a wondrous encounter with the dark sky

Join Natasha Mitchell for a very special event live under our stunning Southern night sky, with guests and listeners from... more

15 Aug 2024 · 50 minutes
New Cold Wars — America’s struggle to defend the West, with David E. Sanger

What led to this current era of superpower conflict, and what will the outcome of the 2024 US presidential race... more

14 Aug 2024 · 59 minutes
How to overcome the fear and anxiety that are holding you back

Your biological responses to fear are at the core of depression, anxiety, failed relationships and much of human misery. But... more

13 Aug 2024 · 53 minutes
Postmortem — Why forensic science is nothing like CSI

Humans have long had a morbid fascination with murder and other crimes, as shown through the popularity of shows like... more

12 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah: Why we must listen to the Global South

The Global South has vital perspectives in addressing the most pressing issues of our times, including inequality, the climate catastrophe,... more

08 Aug 2024 · 53 minutes
The Men Who Killed the News — Eric Beecher's inside story of how media moguls abused their power, manipulated the truth, and distorted democracy

Eric Beecher joins Natasha Mitchell to discuss his riveting and excoriating new book The Men Who Killed the News: The... more

07 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Meredith Whittaker on big data, mass surveillance and the AI gold rush

Have you been online recently and noticed the internet is changing? Everything from your Google searches to your social media... more

06 Aug 2024 · 56 minutes
If West Germany and Europe could reconcile after WW II − then we all can make peace

Whether in conflicts around the world or within society, irreconcilability seems to be the hallmark of our present times. But... more

05 Aug 2024 · 52 minutes
When world news hits home, with Benjamin Law

World conflicts can be overwhelming, or sometimes they feel very remote. But for many Australians, they are deeply personal, raw,... more

01 Aug 2024 · 52 minutes
Because I Am Not Myself You See — Ariane Beeston speaks fearlessly on mental health, motherhood, and postnatal psychosis

One day Ariane Beeston looked at her baby son in his pram and saw a dragon looking back at her.... more

31 Jul 2024 · 55 minutes
Tony Armstrong's extraordinary objects showcase Australian history

A vintage ute, a novelty cheque, shearing prize ribbons, a household trunk and blanket – even the simplest of things... more

30 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
Lawfare in Hong Kong — the case of Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai was once considered Hong Kong's quintessential rags to riches success story. But now, the newspaper publisher and democracy... more

29 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
Is Australia fit for the Olympics in 2032?

It's only eight years until the torch will be passed on to Brisbane. The countdown is on: Are we prepared?... more

25 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
Nobel scientist Jennifer Doudna with Natasha Mitchell at Sydney Opera House — the gene editing revolution, ethics, and what's next?

Join a full house at the Sydney Opera House with Nobel winning scientist Jennifer Doudna and Big Ideas' host Natasha... more

24 Jul 2024 · 54 minutes
Read all about it! — why local news matters and what we can do to save it

Who's watching your local council, keeping you abreast of issues in your neighbourhood, and celebrating your community's achievements? That used... more

23 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
Moral philosopher Raimond Gaita on Israel, Gaza and the student protests

Moral philosopher and writer Raimond Gaita wrestles with the moral and ethical dimensions of the Israel-Gaza war to try to... more

22 Jul 2024 · 56 minutes
Andrew O’Hagan's defence of literature and truth in the age of the machines

In the shadow of the AI revolution, as the tech giants vie for our data, our attention, and our money,... more

18 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
The surprising bonds that make us, break us, move us — Ceridwen Dovey, Anna McGahan, Ahona Guha

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests for a conversation full of surprises on the bonds that make us and sometimes break... more

17 Jul 2024 · 54 minutes
Barkaa, Steph Tisdell and Rudi Bremer: Indigenous performers are expected to be perfect

For many Indigenous performers publicity comes with the burden of being a role model. Their only options seem to be... more

16 Jul 2024 · 42 minutes
The Australian far right today

Recent elections overseas have shown a rise in the popularity of far-right politics in Europe and elsewhere, fuelled by anti-immigration... more

15 Jul 2024 · 54 minutes
Ann Patchett, Lauren Groff and Tony Birch — when writing and selling books becomes a political act

In some parts of the United States, you're more likely to see a book banned in public libraries and schools,... more

11 Jul 2024 · 52 minutes
A reflection on Indigenous leadership, from Mabo and beyond

From land rights to health and education, working within the system or outside of it, what makes a great Indigenous... more

10 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
State of democracy in Asia

Democracy is not necessarily the winner of the recent elections in Asia. More than a billion people across the region... more

09 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
Black, White, and what next? A case for reconciliation after the Voice Referendum

In NAIDOC Week, is reconciliation between Black and White Australians dead, buried, or in need of re-imagining? The fallout of... more

08 Jul 2024 · 54 minutes
Hugh McKay on Australia today

From loneliness, to our technology addiction, growing inequality and our shrinking middle class, our faith in God, to the complex... more

04 Jul 2024 · 57 minutes
Hope at the coalface — can this coal town thrive in a post-Carbon future?

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests in a coal country heartland. Communities in Muswellbrook and Singleton in the NSW Upper Hunter... more

03 Jul 2024 · 1 hour,
Why civilisations vanish

Throughout history, empires and civilisations have risen to greatness and then fallen into decline and vanish, leaving only ruins and... more

02 Jul 2024 · 53 minutes
Too posh, or not posh enough? — Polly Toynbee on the shackles and privileges of class

Through the lens of her own middle-class family, prolific British journalist Polly Toynbee explores the guilt of privilege, the myth... more

01 Jul 2024 · 54 minutes
AC Grayling on philosophy and life

You wouldn't be human if you hadn't from time to time wondered what the meaning of all of this is.... more

27 Jun 2024 · 55 minutes
The radical work of mourning — a toolkit for planet dwellers

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests for a poetic discussion on the ways you can create space to grieve for species... more

26 Jun 2024 · 54 minutes
Highway to Hell — Joelle Gergis on climate change and Australia’s future

Leading Australian climate scientist Dr Joelle Gergis takes a timely look at Australia's perilous future in a warming world. "Most Australians... more

25 Jun 2024 · 52 minutes
Marc Fennell on stuff the British stole

A huge number of ancient artefacts, First Nations' ceremonial objects and precious art sits in museums, galleries, private collections all... more

24 Jun 2024 · 54 minutes
Don Watson on democracy

Author, essayist and speechwriter Don Watson says that the price of democracy is energy, imagination, and unstinting hard work. Through... more

20 Jun 2024 · 53 minutes
The incredible saga of the world’s first peace treaty — it comes from the Middle East

On the doorstep of Gaza comes the remarkable story of the world's first peace treaty — a 3200-year-old text. Egyptologist... more

19 Jun 2024 · 54 minutes
Higher education for everyone in Australia — is it doable?

Disadvantaged and marginalised students often don't get the financial and teaching support that they need. Equity everyone, regardless of their... more

18 Jun 2024 · 54 minutes
Creativity in the Sri Lankan diaspora

Award winning playwright S. Shakthidharan has described his groundbreaking theatre work Counting and Cracking as "a radical act of belonging".... more

17 Jun 2024 · 52 minutes
Andre de Quadros on freedom dreaming

Drawing on his experiences working across continents in the "shatter zones" of society — jails, war zones, refugee shelters –... more

13 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ocean bounty — deep sea mining, Sea Shepherd sagas, and seaweed solutions

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests at the 2024 Ocean Lovers Festival in Bondi. From deep sea mining to illegal fishing... more

12 Jun 2024 · 58 minutes
Queer journeys through the law

It took until the late 1990s for Australia to decriminalise homosexuality. Since then, the law has changed and evolved in... more

11 Jun 2024 · 52 minutes
What are the secrets to a long and happy life?

Firstly, make sure you become a grandparent. It apparently adds five years to your life. And it can make you... more

10 Jun 2024 · 46 minutes
The Art of Opposition

It's often said that democracies can't function well without a strong opposition to hold the government of the day to... more

06 Jun 2024 · 52 minutes
Uprooted and unprotected — 110 million displaced lives

From stopping the boats to building a wall, countries have gone to great lengths to stop the flow of people... more

05 Jun 2024 · 55 minutes
Is nuclear power the fastest way to decarbonise the planet?

Humanity faces two existential threats: catastrophic climate change and nuclear annihilation, according to former US Deputy Secretary of Energy turned nuclear... more

04 Jun 2024 · 53 minutes
Laura Tingle — Off course discourse

Laura Tingle delivers the 2024 John Button Oration at the Melbourne Writers Festival, looking at how our public discourse has... more

03 Jun 2024 · 44 minutes
Why we drink — the past and present of Australia’s relationship to alcohol

Australians love a drink, or at least, that's a perception that's deeply ingrained in our national identity... but how true... more

30 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Where is the soul in science?

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests to grapple with some gritty paradoxes about science and religion. In this era of misinformation,... more

29 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Not drowning, fighting — life on the front lines of the climate crisis

When you're faced with the reality that your home, livelihoods and culture will be swallowed up by the rising seas... more

28 May 2024 · 52 minutes
Evolution can explain why humans are such weird animals

You might think humans have escaped biology and evolution altogether with our strange and different ways: Women live well past... more

27 May 2024 · 54 minutes
How to make the Global North and the Global South play nicely together

As violence continues in Europe and the Middle East and as positive collective action on urgent global-scale issues seems out... more

23 May 2024 · 43 minutes
From panic attacks to finding freedom — Tibetan master Mingyur Rinpoche joins a Sufi scholar and an Indian philosopher of mind

Join Natasha Mitchell as she speaks to Tibetan master Venerable Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, along with an Indian philosopher of mind... more

22 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Fareed Zakaria on how economic and technological progress leads to revolutions

You would think that times of intense progress and technological innovation are good for societies, but history shows that's when... more

21 May 2024 · 54 minutes
Girt by Sea — Australia’s maritime security

Since the announcement of the AUKUS plan for nuclear submarines, we’ve been hearing a lot about Australia’s maritime security. But... more

20 May 2024 · 52 minutes
Costa Georgiadis on how to stop Australia's invasion by feral species

Australia's unique biodiversity, a product of almost 50 million years of glorious evolutionary isolation, is in freefall. The threats are... more

16 May 2024 · 53 minutes
A new future for Black and White Australia — Thomas Mayo, Margo Neale, David Marr with Natasha Mitchell

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests for a robust conversation about forging a shared future between Black and White Australians through deeper... more

15 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Anne Manne - Crimes of the Cross

For more than half a century, the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle allowed and covered up an extensive network of paedophile... more

14 May 2024 · 53 minutes
10,000 puffs — how vapes got the next generation hooked on smoking

Through sinister marketing and loose regulation, the tobacco industry has hooked a whole new generation of kids on smoking. How... more

13 May 2024 · 54 minutes
What Oppenheimer can teach us about regulating new technologies

What lessons can we learn from J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the nuclear bomb? How should we govern and... more

09 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Superpowers and superpeacemakers — your guide with John Lyons, Sam Roggeveen, Ilaria Walker and Natasha Mitchell

Smaller conflicts than those we're witnessing right now have set off world wars. Who will be the crucial superpowers and... more

08 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Helen Clark on how to build a healthier future for all

We are living in an "age of crises," says former New Zealand prime minister, Helen Clark. With her leadership experience... more

07 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Tenacity and two squat houses — how an Australian movement was born for women leaving violence

Women’s refuges are now a central part of our response to family violence, with hundreds operating across Australia. But that... more

06 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Donald Trump, American authoritarianism and how journalists should cover it

As Donald Trump makes his case for re-election in 2024, under a cloud of criminal prosecutions, how can journalists better... more

02 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Jonathan Rosen, Patrick McGorry with Natasha Mitchell— friendship, madness and the tragedy of good intentions

New York writer Jonathan Rosen’s memoir The Best Minds: a story of friendship, madness, and the tragedy of good intentions... more

01 May 2024 · 53 minutes
Slowing down fast fashion with Aja Barber

You don't need that dress, you need a hug. Or so says fashion activist and writer, Aja Barber.

30 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
Mariana Mazzucato — a moonshot guide to changing capitalism

It took 400,000 people to land man to the moon. And it's using that example as inspiration that the influential... more

29 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
Is it time to change Australia's security strategy for South East Asia?

Could Asia Pacific be with China within a couple of years? Is the independence of Taiwan worth for Australia to... more

25 Apr 2024 · 54 minutes
How to challenge political spin with straight talk — Richard Denniss, Joelle Gergis, Yanis Varoufakis, Tom Keneally with Natasha Mitchell

Join host Natasha Mitchell and guests for some straight talk that cuts through spin and jargon. Has the way politicians speak... more

24 Apr 2024 · 55 minutes
Dr Norman Swan with biotechnology pioneers on what's next for medicine

Only 50 years ago, if you were 60 years old your chance of dying was the same as an 80-year-old's... more

23 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
It's personal! — field stories from the frontline of Australia's Ambassador for Gender Equality

Gender equality isn't just about equal pay, it's a health and safety issue. Women perceive safety very differently to men,... more

22 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
Trees as an alternative crop — the future of forestry in Australia?

How valuable are trees as an alternative crop? And what's the role of agroforestry in the future of sustainable farming?

18 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
The shark net controversy — hear the debate at Bondi's Ocean Lovers Festival with Natasha Mitchell

They use of shark nets to protect us from sharks is highly controversial. Do they work, what do they do to... more

17 Apr 2024 · 54 minutes
Life on Mars — and beyond

It's a question that has focused the minds of astronauts, scientists, space entrepreneurs and enthusiasts alike – is there, could... more

16 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
A heart-to-heart with Eric Bogle — his songs and his life

Folk legend Eric Bogle is opening up and talks about his life, his thoughts about death, friendship and love and... more

15 Apr 2024 · 54 minutes
The war in Gaza, Palestinians, and Israelis – what can we learn from the past about the future?

What is the future of Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza strip and surrounding region? Can the past help us... more

11 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
A mummified mystery! This ancient Egyptian coffin was closed for years. Then Australian scientists opened it.

A wooden sarcophogas is sold in a Cairo market in the late 1800s, transported to Australia, and held in a... more

10 Apr 2024 · 57 minutes
Mary Beard — Empress of Rome

For decades, Mary Beard has forged her own path through the male dominated field of academia, from the ruins of... more

09 Apr 2024 · 54 minutes
Michael Gawenda on Jewishness, the Australian Left, and the State of Israel

The best of talks, forums, debates, and festivals held in Australia and around the world.

08 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
Cheng Lei, Sean Turnell and Kylie Moore-Gilbert on the ruthless practice of hostage diplomacy

What is the best response to hostage diplomacy? Pay the ransom? Sanction the responsible country, or individuals? Go public, or... more

04 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
Ripples, resilience, and rivers – the politics of water with Natasha Mitchell and guests

Water is life. Rivers give life. But water and the rivers it flows down are also heavily politicised, and at... more

03 Apr 2024 · 54 minutes
Forging a fire ready future

Australia’s bushfires are more intense, more frequent, and more costly. So how can we prepare for the inevitable – what... more

02 Apr 2024 · 54 minutes
What makes a charity successful?

Many of you are involved in a charity: Handing out meals to homeless people, caring for surrendered animals in a... more

01 Apr 2024 · 53 minutes
Julia Baird on how grace saves us from a dark world

Grace is a hard word to define, but in her latest book, author, journalist and broadcaster Julia Baird explores the... more

28 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
The Deficit Myth with Stephanie Kelton — what to ask when governments can't afford to fix things.

When governments say they can't afford to fix climate change or lift kids out of poverty are they speaking the... more

27 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Bessel van der Kolk on The Body Keeps the Score

Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world's foremost experts on trauma, discusses his pioneering research into traumatic stress and... more

26 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Why are young people more unhappy and worried?

Different generations agree that youth mental health is in decline, but disagree about the causes. We explore generational attitudes to... more

25 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Are we all liberals at heart?

Liberalism isn't just a political philosophy but the basis of a truly meaningful life. That's the bold statement of philosopher... more

21 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Imagination and Mindset, and The Importance of Doubt (Boyer Lectures 3 and 4)

Quantum computing is all about physics, but for those looking to pioneer and revolutionise science, there are certain human qualities... more

20 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
The Atomic Revolution and the Quantum Promise (2023 Boyer Lectures 1 and 2)

Imagine a machine with more power than all the computers in the world combined. This is the promise of quantum... more

19 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
Trump vs Biden vs the world — what will it mean for Australia?

The US has claimed that it has “no greater ally than Australia”, but with the stability of its democracy in... more

18 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
I've Been to a Parallel World

Hear from four “many worlds travellers” who have visited parallel worlds to explore themes of Indigenous rights, disability, gender and... more

14 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
The education gap between rural and metropolitan Australia is costing us billions

Can you put a price tag on regional education? In fact, you can. The large difference in the quality of... more

13 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
Solving the mysteries of the universe − with philosophy

From dark energy to the nature of time, some of the most baffling mysteries in cosmology point to a surprisingly... more

12 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
How Russia’s war on Ukraine ends

Two years since Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine, the risks are as grave as ever, including the possibility of... more

11 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Corruption at the crossroads in Australia

We hear from the nation's anti-corruption leaders, including NACC Deputy Commissioner Nicole Rose, about the state of corruption in Australia.

07 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
Spending time with Laurie Anderson

Pioneering electronic musician and performer Laurie Anderson invites you contemplate the wonders of time. Time is one of the most... more

06 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
Finding your creativity with Holly Ringland

Best-selling author Holly Ringland says that everyone can be creative – yes, even you! Be it painting, cooking, knitting a... more

05 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Nature for people – how the natural world affects our health

Most of us know that exposure to nature is good for us, because we’ve experienced it ourselves. Doctors can even... more

04 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Swiftposium – the academics of Taylor Swift

Celebrities, and their fans, wield tremendous economic, cultural and political influence – and none more so than US pop superstar... more

22 Feb 2024 · 54 minutes
Intuition — the science of knowing WHAT without knowing WHY

Have you ever followed your intuition, or been guided by a gut feeling? Is intuition real or imagined? Can it... more

21 Feb 2024 · 53 minutes
Uncivil society – polarisation and breakdown in our conversations

What has happened to civil debate and the reasonable exchange of competing ideas in public, to conversations that might lead... more

20 Feb 2024 · 53 minutes
How to tell stories that change the course of history — from slavery abolition to gaming culture

There's nothing like an innocent story to rupture reality! Fiction is a literary seismograph for social conflict and stories can... more

19 Feb 2024 · 53 minutes
A queer love letter to libraries

Public libraries are for everyone, but last year, the LGBTIQA+ community became a target for exclusion by anti-queer campaigners, when... more

15 Feb 2024 · 54 minutes
Be the change you want to see — Chanel Contos, Isabelle Reinecke, Semara Jose, Sarah Brown

Some things feel impossible to change without money and power. Meet four trailblazers didn't let that stop them. Fighting corporations.... more

14 Feb 2024 · 53 minutes
Nazanin Boniadi — fighting for women's rights in Iran

Women and girls in Iran continue to take to the streets and protest gender oppression and human rights abuses. And... more

13 Feb 2024 · 54 minutes
Caroline Polachek on the art of pop music

US singer, songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek is known as one of the most inventive pop musicians working in the... more

12 Feb 2024 ·
How to speak freely about topics no one wants to talk about

Speaking freely isn't only about Freedom of Speech legislation, it's equally about social norms, loving your family and courage. Authors... more

08 Feb 2024 · 53 minutes
A new way to fix the hot mess of housing in remote Aboriginal Australia?

Housing is a hot mess in many remote Aboriginal communities,  including Tennant Creek, and the rollercoaster of government policies and... more

07 Feb 2024 · 54 minutes
Psychedelics – from magic to medicinal

Psychedelics were once the domain of hippies and cults, but these drugs have come long way from the ‘turn on,... more

06 Feb 2024 · 53 minutes
Gabriel Krauze on Who They Was — his wild life in crime and literature

Finishing your undergraduate assignments in English Literature in breaks between selling drugs … fighting and hurting people and committing crimes... more

05 Feb 2024 · 54 minutes
Does Australia need more tiger parents?

Tiger parents: do their methods raise happy and successful human beings, or burnt out, damaged therapy cases? In this hyper... more

01 Feb 2024 · 51 minutes
When I grow up I want to be ... why we all need to reimagine aging.

From the moment we’re born, we all age. So why limit the possibilities? The latest Intergenerational Report describes Australia's ageing... more

31 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
Craig Foster on how Australia can pull its socks up on human rights

Craig Foster has a vision for the future: An Australia without racism, with equal access to food and representation and... more

30 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
Escaping the Burrow — Astra Taylor on The Age of Insecurity (Massey Lecture 5)

In her fifth Massey lecture, Escaping the Burrow, self-described "feral intellectual" Astra Taylor explores how insecurity can also offer us a... more

29 Jan 2024 · 58 minutes
Beyond human security — Astra Taylor on The Age of Insecurity (Massey Lecture 4)

An appeal for solidarity with species other than our own, in this fourth Massey lecture by renowned Canadian-American filmmaker, writer, political... more

25 Jan 2024 · 1 hour,
Consumed by Curiosity — Astra Taylor on The Age of Insecurity (Massey Lecture 3)

In her third provocative CBC Massey lecture, Canadian-American filmmaker, writer, political organiser, rock musician  and self-described "feral intellectual" Astra Taylor argues our... more

24 Jan 2024 · 1 hour,
Barons or Commoners? — Astra Taylor on The Age of Insecurity (Massey Lecture 2)

We take certain fundamental rights for granted, but who got to define them and are they enough? You'll find solidarity... more

23 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
Cura's Gift — Astra Taylor on The Age of Insecurity (Massey Lecture 1)

Who was Cura and what's she got to do with how capitalism shapes our lives and psyches? In this year's... more

22 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
Catherine Deveny, Shannon Burns, and Akuch Anyieth on memoir

Three successful authors Akuch Anyieth, Shannon Burns and Catherine Deveny talk about memoir, and why they're interested in the form. Moderator... more

18 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
Will AI render human creativity worthless? The Beaker St Festival Great Debate

Two teams of heavy-hitters debate the fate of human creativity in a world of artificial intelligence. In a Big Ideas first, two... more

17 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
The day the invisible was made visible — Manus Island detention survivors speak

In early 2020, as Australians were being locked down, something strange was happening in an inner-suburban hotel in Brisbane. A... more

16 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
Osman Faruqi — censoring hip hop

It's possibly the greatest ever example of artistic censorship in Australian history. Police have requested hip hop to be taken... more

15 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
Safer beaches and guilt-free seafood

From apps that help us swim safely to using Crispr to cut the genes of box jellyfish to technology that... more

11 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
On ya bike or not? Global movers, shakers, and city shapers reimagining car culture

What do the streets feel like where you live? Unsafe for kids to ride to school, big busy highways, limited... more

10 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
The power, politics and cost of women speaking out

Three influential women explore the power, the politics, and the cost of speaking out.

09 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
Nuclear technology: the shady beginnings and the uncertain future

The history and development of the nuclear industry is shred in secrecy and contradictions. And its future is throwing up... more

08 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
Greek-Australian identity: Are we WHITE yet?

Are Greek-Australian's now considered to be 'white' in Australia's colourful social fabric? A panel of prominent Greek-Australians discusses questions of... more

04 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
I am not my chromosomes — science, rights, and the intersex experience

"Are they a girl or a boy?" That question is often asked about a newborn. But what if you're born with genetic... more

03 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
Why thinking in Deep Time is good for your head

The best of talks, forums, debates, and festivals held in Australia and around the world.

02 Jan 2024 · 54 minutes
It's not as simple as moving house! Meet climate refugees with a (scaly, sticky, furry) difference

Meet some climate refugees of a different kind. From the Western swamp tortoise to honey ants to whales, can they... more

01 Jan 2024 · 52 minutes
Bri Lee and fellow voyagers ponder the ethics of travel

Questioning whether travel is ethical is probably the last thing on your mind when you decide to go on holiday.... more

28 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
George Monbiot's Regenesis — you won't think about dinner the same way again

Would you eat protein brewed in a vat from bacteria instead of meat? "Nom nom nom!", you might say. George... more

27 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
(Too) hot right now — life on a sweltering planet

The planet's hotter than it has ever been. July was the Earth's hottest month ever recorded since records began. And the... more

26 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
Wellmania's Brigid Delaney on the gift of the Stoics

If you can't control it – then don't worry about it. It's one of the core messages of stoicism. Much... more

25 Dec 2023 · 54 minutes
The buff-breasted button-quail: Is one of our rarest native birds still alive?

For more than 100 years, birdwatchers have searched for evidence that one of Australia's rarest native birds is not extinct.... more

21 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
The soul in the machine — anthropologist, technologist, futurist Genevieve Bell and guests

We make machines, but do our machines also make us? And who's in control really? Superstar anthropologist, technologist, futurist, cyberneticist, and Silicon Valley insider Genevieve... more

20 Dec 2023 · 54 minutes
Sigrid Thornton, Rachael Maza, Sophie Hyde, Anousha Zarkesh — about older ladies in the movies

Movie or TV roles for older women accurately reflecting contemporary, society and experiences are rare. Sigrid Thornton, Rachael Maza, Sophie... more

19 Dec 2023 · 54 minutes
Infidelity and other affairs

Who doesn't dream of being loved dangerously, thrillingly free from the tethers of restraint? It's a question journalist and author... more

18 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
The science of happiness

Harvard University has been running the world's longest study into happiness. The Harvard Study of Adult Development has been running... more

14 Dec 2023 · 54 minutes
If a home is a human right — how can citizens and architects seize control of housing design?

Who sets the agenda when it comes to designing houses? More often than not wealthy developers call the shots. The... more

13 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
From The King and I to Miss Saigon, Australia’s new generation of stage makers are de-orientalising the canon

In its simplest definition, orientalism refers to the patronising depictions of the 'Eastern world' — a term that encompasses North... more

12 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
The future of photography under AI

Where once photography gave us images of the world as seen by machines, photography under AI gives us images of... more

11 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
Test tube trailblazers — the story of Australia's pioneering female scientists

While Australian women were among the first to get the vote in the world, their lives were still constrained for... more

07 Dec 2023 · 53 minutes
Being you — a new science of consciousness with Anil Seth

Your internal experience of consciousness – your rich inner life — has had scientists and philosophers completely perplexed for centuries. How... more

06 Dec 2023 · 54 minutes
Has space travel changed what it means to be human? A space archaeologist, poet, theologian, astrophysicist respond

In 1963, as the space race was taking off, the influential political philosopher Hannah Arrendt challenged scientists over their shift... more

05 Dec 2023 · 54 minutes
How calories and coercion do you harm — leading physicians on your healthy body and mind

Mental health problems and chronic diseases are plaguing societies around the world. Both fields need new solutions. We know that... more

04 Dec 2023 · 54 minutes
Food waste is bananas. So let's make fruit salad with these foodies and waste whizzes!

Australians on average chuck out 7.6 billion tonnes of food per year. That amounts to 312 kilos per person, or... more

30 Nov 2023 · 53 minutes
Why do so many of us feel so damn lonely and too ashamed to talk about it?

In a world of hyper-connectivity and social media, why do so many of us feel so damn lonely? Being lonely... more

29 Nov 2023 · 1 hour, 1 minute
David Marr's ancestors massacred Indigenous Australians. Marcia Langton's ancestors were among them.

Many people embark on a journey to discover their family's past in order to contextualise their present. But what happens... more

28 Nov 2023 · 53 minutes
Love, lost minds, and mortality — how two storytellers met two scientists, made magic, and found meaning

What happens when Australia’s best poets and writers walk into the world of scientists? How do they feed of each... more

27 Nov 2023 · 54 minutes
Newsroom ethics and the Israel-Gaza war — part two

A range of media outlets — including the ABC — have been criticised for their coverage of the latest Israel-Gaza... more

23 Nov 2023 · 43 minutes
Newsroom ethics and the Israel Gaza war — part one

A range of media outlets — including the ABC — have been criticised for their coverage of the latest Israel-Gaza... more

23 Nov 2023 · 53 minutes
Photojournalist Andrew Quilty and activist Zahra Karimi want you to see this Afghanistan

Multi-award-winning Australian photojournalist Andrew Quilty went to Afghanistan on a two-week assignment. He stayed for 9 years. At just 25, Afghan-born... more

22 Nov 2023 · 53 minutes
Tracey Spicer: How AI and machine design is failing women

Technology's default setting is 'male' — more precisely a white, or at least, light-skinned male. Tracey Spicer exposes how technology... more

21 Nov 2023 · 53 minutes
There's a sensory world unavailable to humans. So Ed Yong tried to discover it.

In 2020, veteran science journalist Ed Yong intended to write a book about the world of animal senses. But fate... more

20 Nov 2023 · 54 minutes
Sean Turnell — how a nerdy economist was held hostage by Myanmar

If you find yourself locked up in a foreign prison on fake charges, what would you like your government to... more

16 Nov 2023 · 54 minutes
The F Word — is Feminism too white, too middle-class, or a movement for all?

Has feminism been too white and too middle-class for too long? From India to Australia, five trailblazing women spanning generations, geography, and... more

15 Nov 2023 · 54 minutes
What would you sacrifice to give peace a chance?

The road to peace is one littered with compromise. From Belfast to Bosnia, Dili to the Democratic Republic of the... more

14 Nov 2023 · 54 minutes
The genius and struggles of Orson Welles

He was one of the most remarkable producer/director/actors to come out of Hollywood. The cinema wunderkind George Orson Welles. But... more

13 Nov 2023 · 54 minutes
The Doherty's Sharon Lewin on the call that changed the world forever

The director of Doherty Institute for Infectious Diseases was out of office when the first official case of the novel... more

09 Nov 2023 · 53 minutes
I DON’T! Clem Ford argues the case against marriage

Clem Ford, author of bestselling book Fight Like a Girl, Boys Will be Boys, and How We Love, is back with a... more

08 Nov 2023 · 55 minutes
Does sport unite or divide us?

There is nothing like cheering on your favourite sport team; or seeing our Aussie athletes on the top podium at the... more

07 Nov 2023 · 54 minutes
Big Ideas
I DON’T! Clem Ford argues the case against marriage
Big Ideas
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Description

Clem Ford, author of bestselling book Fight Like a Girl, Boys Will be Boys, and How We Love, is back with a firey new read. This... more