Big Ideas

We’re past the brink of civilisational collapse. And many environmentalists are pushing a “fake green fairytale”. Jem Bendell’s arguments have inspired the Extinction Rebellion movement’s civil disobedience pushing for climate change action. But Jem doesn’t think protest is enough now. Find out why the self-confessed eco-libertarian and author of Breaking Together: A freedom-loving response to collapse thinks we should break together not apart. Jem joins Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the 2024 Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI)SpeakerJem Bendell Author, Breaking Together: A freedom-loving response to collapse (2023)Author, Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy (2018, 2020)Co-founder of Bekandze Farm - Regenerative Training CentreFounder, the Deep Adaptation ForumBand member, the Barefoot StarsEmeritus Professor of Sustainability Leadership, University of CumbriaSenior Distinguished Fellow, Schumacher Institute

For 30 years, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia exposed corruption and wrong doing in her country. Her youngest son, Paul Caruana Galizia, details the impact of her life, her assassination in a car bomb explosion in 2017, and how her legacy lives on.

The British Empire was once the biggest in the world. But now, some countries are cutting ties, and some want reparations. So just what is the legacy of British imperialism?This event was recorded at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in October 2024.SpeakersSathnam SangheraAuthor, Empireworld: how British Imperialism shaped the globe and Empireland: how Modern Britain is Shaped by its Imperial Past, and moreColumnist with the Sunday TimesGill Westaway Owner-operator at Villa Karingal, Lombok, IndonesiaFormer British Council employee

Being who we are in public (with our mental illness) is the only way to create lasting change. Amanda Tattersall, co-founder of the campaigning organisation Get-Up, speaks powerfully about her experience of living with bipolar disorder and its role in driving social change. Hear how storytelling, sharing lived experiences, and forging solidarity through difference can make all the difference.Her keynote address: Making Change and Mental Illness — reimagining how we make a difference from the inside out was presented at the 2024 TheMHS ConferenceSpeakerAmanda TattersallAssociate Professor of Practice, Urban Geography, School of Geoscience University of SydneyCo-founder of GetUp, founder of the Sydney Alliance, host of the ChangeMakers podcast

Cancel culture has ruined careers and lives — but did they deserve it? What consequences should people face for what they say and do? And what does redemption look like in the digital age?This event was recorded at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney on 25 August 2024.SpeakersRoxane GayEditor, social commentator, contributing opinion writer for The New York TimesAuthor, Bad Feminist, Hunger: A Memoir of My Body, Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business and moreMegan Phelps-RoperFormer member, Westboro Baptist ChurchAuthor, Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to HopePresenter and co-producer, The Witch Trials of J.K. RowlingAndy MillsReporter and podcast producer, Reflector, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling and formerly The Daily, Rabbit Hole and CaliphateDavid BaddielComedian, screenwriter and television presenter Social Media, Anger and Us (BBC)Author, Jews Don't Count, The God Desire and moreTim Dean (host)Senior Philosopher and Manos Chair in Ethics at The Ethics Centre

Sara Shams had both legs amputated at age six — it became her superpower. 15-year-old Taylor Ladd-Hudson turned a shark experience into something bigger. Amy Parry got subversive after she was told women's stories on screen were too niche. Jody Rallah wanted to make sense of the world and art led the way. And Anisa Nandaula turns it all into performance poetry. Meet these changemakers joining Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the Women of the World (WOW) Festival in Brisbane in October 2024.SpeakersTaylor Ladd-Hudson15 year old environmentalist, shark conservationist, social media influencerAmy ParryFilm-maker, producer, screenwriterJody RallahArtist and yuggera-yugggerabul and biri-bindal womanSara ShamsPharmacist, disability advocate, speaker, modelAnisa NandaulaSlam poet, stand-up comedian, writerAuthor, Melanin Garden

Imagine a world where your brain is enhanced through cutting-edge technologies and next-generation AI, blurring the lines between organic and digital realms … and unlocking unprecedented potential. We are already some steps on the way in such a future. What would this mean for intelligence, human agency and consciousness?Your Brain on AI From organoids to consciousness was presented by the Sydney Opera House.SpeakersPaul DaviesTheoretical physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist, Arizona State University and best-selling authorDr Inês HipólitoAssistant Professor of Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, Macquarie UniversityDr Brett J. KaganChief Scientific Officer at Cortical LabsDr Sandra PeterDirector of Sydney Executive Plus, Associate Professor the University of Sydney Business School

With more than 3 billion people playing video games worldwide, they have the potential to wield tremendous power and influence. So is it time to take video games more seriously?This event was recorded at the Melbourne International Games Week on 3 October 2024.SpeakersGeorge OsbornFounder, Half-Space ConsultingRad Yeo (host)Television and podcast presenter, video game critic, and technology journalist

When Kasey Chambers was growing up, her dad had one simple, yet profound piece of advice. Just don't be a d***head.This event was recorded at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne, with thanks to Readings bookshop.SpeakersKasey Chambers Musician, 13th album BackboneAuthor, Just Don't Be A D**khead And Other Profound Things I've LearntYoungest female inductee, ARIA Hall of Fame (2018)24-time Golden Guitar winnerClare Bowditch (host) MusicianAuthor, Your Own Kind of Girl

President Donald Trump’s administration is already muzzling government-funded scientists. Closer to home, Australian scientists have their own stories to tell about science censored, stymied or watered down when its findings aren’t convenient to industry or politicians. Should scientists stand up as things fall down? A Tasmanian panel argue why scientists should speak up, and consider the tensions between advocacy and impartiality when they do. SpeakersAlexandra de BlasScience and environmental communicator, consultantMember, Tasmanian Independent Science CouncilLouise CherrieEnvironmental management consultantDr Lila LandowskiNeuroscientist and science communicatorCollege of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaBoard director, Science & Technology Australia The Honourable Megan (Meg) Webb Independent Member for NelsonTasmanian Legislative CouncilRobyn WilliamsHost of The Science Show, ABC Radio National Dr Lisa-ann GershwinBiologist, marine scientist, authorMember, Tasmanian Independent Science Council

From the inner cities to the outer suburbs, to rural and regional Australia, just what is going on in minds of voters as we embark on another federal election? This event was recorded at the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre at the University of South Australia.SpeakersGeorge Megalogenis Journalist, author, Quarterly Essay #96 Minority Report: The New Shape of Australian PoliticsTory Shepherd (host) Senior reporter, Guardian Australia

Australia resettled fascists, even war criminals after World War II as part of a worldwide program led by the International Refugee Organisation. The background of these immigrants was known to all political parties, but they were regarded as cheap – and white – labour. Historian Jayne Persian explores the impact of these characters on the trajectory of postwar politics — a phenomenon well documented in other parts of the world but with which Australia has barely begun to reckon.Presented by the Brisbane Writers FestivalJayne PersianAssociate Professor in History, University of Southern QueenslandAuthor of Fascists in Exile: Post-War Displaced Persons in Australia and Beautiful Balts: From Displaced Persons to New AustraliansAnthony CooperAuthor of best-selling Darwin Spitfires and Dispatch from Berlin, 1943

Take folly, friction, pain and empathy … mix well, and you get wise governmental decisions. If only it was that simple. Zachary Shore looks at the personal qualities, group dynamics, and historical conditions that have made wise decisions more or less likely to arise. The world’s current troubles would be more manageable, he contends, if we understood more clearly what produces wisdom and how to apply it. So what can we learn from history? A Wiser World: The Global Quest for Good Judgement was presented by the American Academy in BerlinZachary ShoreProfessor in the department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School, National Security Visiting Fellow at the Hoover InstitutionDaniel BenjaminPresident of the American Academy in Berlin

Have you noticed mushrooms are having a moment? Merlin Sheldrake's New York Times bestselling bookEntangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures has captivated readers worldwide. Be enchanted by a world unseen – one without which you wouldn't exist - and which might inspire you to re-imagine how you think about yourself and your relationships. Merlin and guests join Natasha Mitchell at the Now or Never Festival of Art, Ideas, Sound, Technology and the Melbourne Museum.Dr Merlin SheldrakeBiologist, writer, speaker, brewer, fermenter, musicianAuthor, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our FuturesDr Tom MayMycologist and Senior Research ScientistRoyal Botanical Gardens VictoriaAuthor, Wild Mushrooming in Australia. Amanda MorganCEO and head of R&DFungi SolutionsThanks to Melbourne Museum event producer Alice Gibbons and to the museum's sound engineering team.

Nicky Winmar's iconic stand against racism was a wakeup call more than 30 years ago. But how much has really changed? Racism on and off the field continues to be an issue across Australia, when we should be celebrating Indigenous sport icons.Presented by the Byron Writers Festival, supported by First Nations Australia Writers Network FNAWN.Listen to Big Ideas - Australia's sporting mythsSpeakersRhoda RobertsProducer, artistic director, journalist and broadcaster and author of My Cousin FrankWoman of the Bundjalung NationNicky WinmarNoongar man, AFL player and author of Nicky Winmar: My StoryNaomi Moran (host)CEO of Koori Mail, First Nations newspaperNyangbal and Arakwal woman from the Bundjalung nation

Almost every country town across Australia has a Chinese restaurant. Why is that? And what role do they play in the story of immigration and multiculturalism, as well as the life and tastebuds of regional communities? This event was recorded at Sydney's Gleebooks.SpeakersJennifer Wong Comedian, writer, tv presenter, columnist, curator, host and co-author of Chopsticks or Fork?Lin Jie Kong Producer, director, editor, co-author Chopsticks or Fork?Annabel Crabb (host) Writer and presenter, ABCFurther informationWatch Chopsticks or Fork on ABC iView

You've got half an hour with Lou Reed/ Nick Cave/ Courtney Love: what do you ask them? Three of Australia's best music writers share their craft, and reveal what it's like to sit down with some of music's biggest names.This event was recorded on 2 November 2024 at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.SpeakersStuart Coupe Author, journalist, radio broadcaster, music commentator, publicist at Stuart Coupe PublicityJane Gazzo Music Journalist, TV Presenter, Author ( her new book is I Hear Motion), MC, Public Speaker, founder and presenter Action Time Vision - ATVMichael Dwyer Music journalist, lecturer and member of David Bowie ukulele tribute band The Thin White UkesZan Rowe (host) ABC Music correspondent, Double J and Take 5 hostFurther information:The exhibition From Medieval to Metal: The art & evolution of the guitar is on at the Art Gallery of Ballarat until 2 February 2024

Meet two men who will change the way you think about an experience most of us fear but will be touched by in some way. In Patting the Shark, surfing writer Tim Baker describes his wild ride to reclaim a sense of control and agency after a cancer diagnosis. Celebrated author and GP Peter Goldsworthy’s memoir The Cancer Finishing School started out as a journal but became so much more.They join Natasha Mitchell for intimate an intimate, revelatory, funny, and generous conversation about the Big C and how medicine needs to change. This event was hosted by the 2024 Queenscliffe Literary FestivalSpeakersTim BakerJournalist, editor, patient advocate, PhD candidateAuthor, Patting the Shark: A surfer's journey — learning to live well with cancer (Ebury Australia/Penguin, 2022)Dr Peter GoldsworthyGP, author, librettist, poetAuthor, The Cancer Finishing School —lessons in laughter, love, resilience (Penguin, 2024)

For 50 years, women in the United States had a constitutionally enshrined right to abortion. But in 2022, that right was overturned, and now one third of American women live in a state where abortion is banned. So what does Donald Trump's return to the White House mean for reproductive health in America?This event was recorded at Macquarie University in Sydney on Wednesday 13 November 2024.SpeakerDr Angel Foster Professor, University of OttawaCo-founder, Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project

Prepare to have your mind blown with a sweeping saga that connects human evolution, brains, genes, art, music, creativity, knowledge, dyslexia, autism, Indigenous memory systems, and more. A big, beautiful and biological saga about how to learn like a human again. Joining Natasha Mitchell are Australian Senior Memory Champion, scientist and author Dr Lynne Kelly with artist Jane Rusden and musician and educator Hilary Blackshaw. This event was hosted by the 2024 Mountain Festival in Macedon, Victoria.SpeakersDr Lynne KellyScience writerAuthor, The Knowledge Gene: the incredible story of the supergene that gives us human creativity (Allen and Unwin, 2024)Author, The Memory Code (Allen and Unwin, 2016) Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe UniversityHonorary Fellow, School of Physics, University of MelbourneHilary BlackshawMusician and musical educatorBendigo Musical Instrumental ProgramJane RusdenArtist

It's a question that has focused the minds of astronauts, scientists, space entrepreneurs and enthusiasts alike — is there, could there be, life on Mars? The race is on to find out, with NASA hoping to land astronauts there by the late 2030s. Because of its similar conditions to Earth, they're hoping the red planet could hold clues to the enduring mysteries of how life began, and whether we are alone in the universe.This event was recorded at the World Science Festival Brisbane in partnership with the Queensland Museum and the Big Questions Institute on March 22, 2024. Original Big Ideas broadcast on 16 April 2024.SpeakersProfessor Tamara Davis Astrophysicist, University of QueenslandProfessor Kathleen Campbell Astrobiologist, University of AucklandProfessor Martin Van Kranendonk Astrobiologist and geologist, Head of the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin UniversityDr Jorge Vago ExoMars Project Scientist, European Space AgencyDr Graham Phillips (host) Astrophysicist, science journalist, former host of Catalyst (ABC)

New York writer Jonathan Rosen’s memoir The Best Minds: a story of friendship, madness, and the tragedy of good intentions is a story of tenderness, heartache, and horror as he explores the vexed tensions between civil rights, medical power, and the complexities of recognising and treating severe psychotic illness. He joins Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell with psychiatrist Patrick McGorry for a powerful, moving conversation at the 2024 Adelaide Writers WeekOriginal broadcast on May 1, 2024Speakers:Jonathan RosenWriter and editorAuthor, The Best Minds: a story of friendship, madness, and the tragedy of good intentionsPatrick McGorryPsychiatristExecutive Director, OrygenProfessor of Youth Mental Health, University of MelbourneFounding Director, Headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation)Further information and support services:Lifeline Australia24x7 Crisis Support line on 13 11 14Beyond BlueMensLine AustraliaSANE AustraliaReachOut AustraliaAFRAFMI - supporting friends and carers of people with mental illnessOne Door Mental Health (formerly the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW)Hearing Voices NetworkMental Health First Aid AustraliaAustralians for Mental Health - advocating for better mental health policy and services in Australia

For decades, Mary Beard has forged her own path through the male dominated field of academia, from the ruins of Rome to the trenches of Twitter, to become "the world's most famous classicist". From the wise Augustus to the hypocritical Tiberius and the barking mad Caligula, Mary Beard uses these Roman rulers as a lens to examine life in their empire, and asks what lessons they can teach us about the world today.This event was recorded at Adelaide Writers' Week and originally broadcast on Big Ideas on 9 April 2024.SpeakersMary BeardAuthor Emperor of Rome, (also Pompeii, Confronting the Classics, SPQR, Women & Power, Twelve Caesars)Professor Emerita of Classics at Cambridge UniversityJonty ClaypoleWriter, documentary producer and arts administratorCEO, Red Room PoetryFormer Director of Arts, BBC