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

Tibetan master Venerable Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche experienced terrifying panic attacks as a little boy. What did he learn about suffering,... more

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

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

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

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

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

The internet was supposed to make the world more open and connected, but things seem to have taken a dark... more

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

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

At a time when family violence wasn't even recognised by the law, a group of women broke into two vacant... more

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

From Vincent Namatjira's painting of Gina Rinehart, to Jonathan Yeo's take on King Charles, what do portraits say about those... more

A freckle-faced kid from Bondi, Pauline Menczer fought the entrenched sexism of the pro-surfing scene to became women's world surfing... more

Do you want to live in Putin’s vision of a world in which ‘the big boys’ dominate …. or in... more

Born a refugee of the Vietnam War, and now a Pulitzer Prize winning American author, Viet Thanh Nguyen unpacks the... more

There's been a move by Australian newsrooms to foster and champion the diversity of their staff. But when it comes... more

Don't miss these previously unheard and powerful stories of ordinary people surviving extraordinary circumstances.  Cyclone Tracy destroyed 80 percent of... more

In outback New South Wales, on the dried up, ancient clay shores of Lake Mungo, is a story that has... more

Can a single seed tell the story of a civilisation? What do the scars on the skins of 200-year old... more

Human rights are meant to be universal, but what happens when those rights conflict with one another? For example, a... more

Rhonda Magee grew up in segregated North Carolina in an abusive household. She knows firsthand the deep divides that define... more

Is menstruation linked to the moon? Do women's periods sync up when they live together? Are girls getting their first... more

Back in 1994, it was a pretty wild pitch for a movie: a troupe of drag queens road tripping across... more

The Australian federal government wants to restrict social media to those aged over 16. Would that work? Adult and teen... more

Is social media a contagious force harming young minds, a life saver helping people find their neurodiverse tribes and support,... more

Mediation in armed conflicts means sitting down with brutal war lords, hiding your true values and in an open dialogue... more

Pressing a full-time  workload into four days sounds like simply adding more stress to your job – even if you... more

She was Andy Warhol's muse, she's been sampled by Notorious BIG, and her music was once voted on the ten... more

The leading playwright Joanna Murray-Smith makes a powerful case for the role of the arts in Australian public life, arguing... more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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