Big Ideas

Students are dropping out, academics are burning out, so is enough being done to save higher education? It's a multibillion-dollar sector, employing and educating millions, with expectations it can deliver the solutions and the workers Australia needs. But Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner says universities are in serious trouble.This conversation was recorded at Readings Books on 15 July 2025.SpeakersGraeme Turner Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of QueenslandAuthor of 30 books including Broken: Universities, politics and the public good (From Monash University Publishing's In the National Interest series)Dr Ben Eltham (host) Lecturer in the School of Media, Film and Journalism at Monash UniversityNTEU delegate, journalist and commentatorFrom the Big Ideas archive:Higher education for everyone in Australia — is it doable? - Big Ideas, ABC Radio National, 18 June 2024

Some boys are being radicalised by misogynist online subcultures like the 'Manosphere' and the 'incel' (involuntarily celibate) scene. Parents are anxious and boys are confused. What's happening, why, and what can be done? Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell and guests at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival for an insightful exploration with three influential Australians.SpeakersJess Hill, investigative journalist specialising in gendered violence, author of See What You Made Me Do, and the Quarterly Essay Losing it: Can We Stop Violence Against Women and Children?Thomas Mayo, Indigenous rights activist, maritime union leader, author of Always Was, Always Will Be, editor of Dear Son: Letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons.George Megalogenis, journalist, political and social commentator, and author of the Quarterly Essay Minority Report: the New Shape of Australian Politics.Thanks to Byron Writers Festival artistic director Jessica Alice and team.

Is the world really in the midst of an AI revolution, or is it all just clever marketing, powered by immense amounts of money, capital and hype? This episode arms you to spot AI hype in all its guises, expose the exploitation and power-grabs it aims to hide, and push back against it at work and daily life.The conversation with Emily M Bender was recorded at RMIT University in partnership with Readings books on 1 July 2025.The panel discussion Reboot the Narrative was recorded at the Rose Scott Women Writers Festival on 27 June.SpeakersEmily M Bender — Professor of Linguistics and Adjunct Professor in the School of Computer Science and the Information School at the University of WashingtonCo-author (with Alex Hanna), The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We WantCo-host, Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 podcastKobi Leins (host) — Digital ethics and human rights lawyerAuthor, New War Technologies and International Law: The Legal Limits to Weaponising NanomaterialsTracey Spicer — Journalist and broadcaster, author of Man-Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the futurePaula Bray — Chief Digital officer at the State Library of VictoriaLucy Hayward — Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Society of AuthorsAlly Burnham (host) — Screen writer and novelist, author, Swallow

Barry Jones and Kerry O'Brien - Two titans of Australian political and social commentary share insights into how to think well, how to act well and how to make sense of politics, history, the fragility of civilisation, science and love.Presented at the Byron Writers FestivalSpeakersBarry JonesFormer science minister, Labor member of the Victorian and Commonwealth parliaments, authorKerry O'Brien (host)Award-winning journalist and broadcaster

They cook, make babies, and look impossibly perfect while doing it.Tradwives are using social media to redefine femininity and womanhood… or are they just setting it waaaayyy back?The Tradwives Club was recorded at the All About Women festival at Sydney Opera House.SpeakersMegan Agnew — Senior Features Writer (New York), The Times of LondonRosie Waterland — Comedian, author of Broken Brains (with Jamila Rizvi), The Anti-Cool Girl and Every Lie I've Ever Told, host of podcasts Mum Says My Memoir is a Lie and Just the GistBeverley Wang — National Culture Correspondent, ABC and host of Stop Everything! and Life Matters ABC Radio NationalNakkiah Lui (host) — Writer, actor, director, producer, Black Comedy, Kiki & Kitty, Preppers, Total Control and moreFurther information:Meet the queen of the 'trad wives' (and her eight children) — article by Megan Agnew, The Times

Esther Freud’s first semi-autobiographical novel Hideous Kinky became a film starring Kate Winslet and told the wild story of two little girls living in Morocco with their bohemian mother.  More than 30 years on, those girls are back and growing up fast in her sequel, My Sister and Other Lovers.  Esther joins Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the Byron Writers Festival to explore the ties that bind, that tether, and that can traumatise in complicated families. Esther’s great-grandfather was the psychologist Sigmund Freud, her late father was the artist Lucian Freud, and her sister is the fashion designer Bella Freud. How has fiction helped her make sense of her own family? And what is it about sisterly love that can sustain through it all? SpeakerEsther FreudNovelist and playwrightAuthor, My Sister and Other Lovers (2025) Thanks to festival director Jessica Alice and team.The Byron Writers Festival has a series of author events throughout the year. See their website for details.Thanks to festival director Jessica Alice and team.

What happens when the harsh realities of our daily lives — death, war, illness, hardship — invade that most private of realms — our sleep? Four poets and writers explore how things show up in dreams that otherwise can't be expressed, and how they've used the subconscious to inspire their creative work.This conversation was recorded at the Addi Road Writers Festival on 17 May 2025.SpeakersMireille Juchau - Essayist, novelist, critic, author of The World Without Us and morePeter Boyle - Poet and translator, author of nine poetry collections including Companions, Ancestors, Inscriptions (shortlisted, 2025 Prime Minister's Literary Awards)Šime Knežević Poet and playwright, author of the poetry collection In Your DreamsFelicity Plunkett (host) Critic, editor and poet, author of Vanishing Point and moreFurther information:How Dreams Change Under Authoritarianism — New Yorker magazine, 7 November 2019Red Room Poetry Month 2025The neuroscience of sleep and its disorders - Big Ideas, Monday 9 May 2022

With Donald Trump mediating conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, what has become of the United States' strategy in the Asia Pacific region?The event Asia Disrupted: Trump's First Six Months was recorded at La Trobe Asia on 1 August 2025.SpeakersDaniel Flitton — Managing Editor, The Interpreter The Lowy InstituteDr Lupita Wijaya — Research fellow, La Trobe AsiaAmbika Vishwanath — Principal Research Fellow, La Trobe AsiaProfessor Nick Bisley — Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe UniversityProfessor Bec Strating (host) — Director, La Trobe Asia

Even years later, children's books can hold a special place in our hearts, and they also teach, comfort, inspire, and grow young minds, and set kids up for life. Two of Australia's best loved children's authors explore the importance of storytelling for children, and reflect on the books that have changed their lives.This talk was recorded at the Sorrento Writers Festival on 24 April 2025.SpeakersAlison Lester - Author, Magic Beach, Imagine, Noni the Pony, Kissed by the Moon and many more, Inaugural Children's Laureate 2012-13, Ambassador, Indigenous Literacy FoundationJane Godwin - Gogo and the Silver Shoes, Today we have no plans, Red House, Blue House, Green House, Treehouse, Say Hello and many moreFrancesca Carter (host) Sorrento Writers FestivalFrom the archives:Which subjects are taboo in children's books?Big Ideas, ABC Radio National, 11 September 2019

From  finding the right language to connect to Country, making the world a more poetic place for kids, to a Vulcan salute between two lovers — communication makes the world go round. Three brilliantly creative communicators join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival to consider ways we communicate and how we can do it better. With great communication comes deep connection, understanding, meaning and that wonderful feeling of being understood and understanding another. With bad communication comes deep misunderstanding, disconnection, confusion, and conflict.SpeakersDr Debra DankGudanji, Wakaja, Kalkadoon womanEnterprise Fellow, University of South AustraliaAuthor of Terraglossia (2025) and We Come With This Place (2022)Winner of four New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards in 2023, including Book of the Year.Maxine Beneba ClarkWriter, poet, author and children's author of Afro-Caribbean descentMulti-award winning author of more than fifteen books including The Hate Race (2018), Foreign Soil (2017), Carrying the World, Stuff I'm Not Sorry For: 99 poems for young people (2025) and forthcoming in 2025 is Beautiful Changelings.Inaugural Poet in Residence at the University of MelbourneWinner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for PoetryDr Damon YoungAward-winning philosopher, author and children's authorAuthor of thirteen books including On Getting Off: Sex and Philosophy (2020), The Art of Reading (2016), Philosophy in the Garden (2012), and Immortal Gestures: Journeys Into the Unspoken (2025)Our thanks to the 2025 Byron Writers Festival director Jessica Alice and team.

A brass band, goulash cooking in giant pots over open flames, people dancing around a bonfire — a pan-European picnic at the border between Hungary and Austria in 1989 was the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Suddenly hundreds of East Germans stormed the border into the West and freedom. It's a moment in history where the power of ordinary people changed the world.An Escape to Freedom and the Collapse of the Iron Curtain was presented at the Adelaide Writers' WeekSpeakersMatthew LongoAuthor of The Picnic: A Dream of Freedom and the Collapse of the Iron CurtainAssistant Professor of Political Science at Leiden UniversityAnnabelle Quince (host)ABC broadcaster and presenter of ABC Radio National's Rear Vision

Without permission, or payment, artificial intelligence has stolen the published words of thousands of Australian writers, and it seems that they have little power to stop it.  What does this mean for the future of human creativity?Anna Funder's speech was recorded live at the 2025 Sydney Writers Festival.The panel discussion, Can Australian literature survive in the age of streamers & AI? was recorded at Readings bookshop in Hawthorn.SpeakersAnna Funder - Author, Wifedom, Stasiland, All that I AmSophie Cunningham - Writer, artist, teacher, speaker and advocate, Chair of the Board of the Australian Society of Authors, non- executive director of the Copyright AgencyEmily Bitto - Author, The Strays (2015 Stella Prize winner), Wild AbandonJenny Darling - Literary agent, Jenny Darling & AssociatesBen Eltham (host) - Arts, media and cultural critic, commentator and journalist

Marie Curie is arguably the most famous scientist in history, for her breakthroughs in the field of radioactivity. But Curie also redefined what was possible for women in science, inspiring generations to follow her.Dava Sobel's 2025 For Future Reference Lecture A woman's word (about science) was recorded at the State Library of Victoria.SpeakersDava SobelAuthor, The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science and many moreBelinda Smith (host)Award-winning science journalist, Host, Labnotes, ABC Radio National

It's Team Wellness Warriors versus Team Medical Miracles. Hear the arguments and you decide! The wellness industry is booming. It's worth billions and its influencers are all over social media spruiking miracle pills and mystery remedies, crystal healing and cancer cures. Some are even steaming their vaginas (hellooooo Gywneth Paltrow!). Have they done the research that mainstream medicine refuses to? Is your doctor really the best person to help you be the healthiest you can be? Or ... are many wellness influencers shysters and swindlers, selling hoax cures, making unproven claims, and putting your bank balance and your health at serious risk? Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell from the stage of the 2025 World Science Festival Brisbane for an hilarious hour of science and comedy. Laughing is good for your health, that's for sure.SpeakersTEAM WELLNESS WARRIORSDr Joel Gilmore Clean energy expert, physicist, and science communicatorAssociate professor, Griffith UniversityDr Lily BentleyMarine biologistUniversity of QueenslandTing LimStand-up comic and star of ABC TV's FiskTEAM MEDICAL MIRACLESStacey Thomson aka TV's Ranger StaceyHost of the former long-running TV show Totally WildDr Mike TodorovichMedical educator and host of the Dr Matt and Dr Mike Youtube channelAssociate Professor of Medicine, Bond UniversitySteven OliverComedian, poet, playwright, cabaret performer, and star of ABC TV's Black ComedyThanks to event producers Jane O'Hara, Dr Rob Bell, and the whole World Science Festival Brisbane team.

The American essayist, philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said that all life is an experiment, and the more experiments you make, the better. So can experimenting with your career, your health, where you live or who you love, improve your life, by helping you to make better decisions?This event Test and learn: living an experimental life was recorded at the University of Sydney's Raising the Bar night.SpeakersMay Samali - Founder and CEO of the Human Leadership Lab

Their closest relative is the elephant; they eat about 60 kg of sea grass per day; and there are only three dugongs in captivity in the world. One in the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. Big Ideas deep dives into the mysterious world of dugongs — with fascinating stories and surprising insights.Presented at the World Science Festival Brisbane in the Queensland Museum.Big Ideas — Turning a third of our oceans into marine parks. A good idea?SpeakersDr Janet LanyonWorld authority on dugongs, Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at The University of QueenslandDr Merrick EkinsCollection Manager of Sessile Marine Invertebrates at the Queensland MuseumBrooke WitherbySea World Marine Education OfficerMichael Balk (host)Actor, and television & radio presenterFurther InformationSea World Dugong Population ResearchThe Sea World Rescue Team: call on 07 5588 2222 (9:00am to 5:00pm) or 07 5588 2177 (After Hours)Dugong Pig at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

In your daily life you use more material than you think: metals, stones, wood, ceramics – the list goes on. We have sufficient resources to support growth, but not enough to support greed. A circular economy could support a more sustainable resource management. Presented by Planet Ark's Australian Circular Economy Hub (ACE Hub)SpeakerJanez PotočnikCo-Chair of UN Environment International Resource Panel, former EU Commissioner for responsible for Science and Research and for EnvironmentDr Nicole Garofano (host)Head of Circular Economy Development for Planet ArkFurther informationReport: Global resource outlook 2024

If you knew the world as we know it was on the verge of collapse, would that change the way you live your life? Author, activist and podcaster Sarah Wilson has found many reasons to believe our post-industrial civilisation is nearing its end. So how does she live with this confronting reality?This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Melbourne Writers Festival. To explore more Melbourne Writers Festival talks, visit mwf.com.au.SpeakersSarah Wilson - Author, First, We Make the Beast Beautiful and This One Wild and Precious Life: A Hopeful Path Forward in a Fractured WorldCarody Culver (host) - Editor, Griffith ReviewFurther information:Read the Collapse Book on Sarah's Substack This is Precious

Foreign spies attempt to infiltrate media organisations, break into restricted laboratories, target public servants on sites such as LinkedIn, approach academics at conferences … the list goes on. On Big Ideas, you have the rare opportunity to hear Mike Burgess give an unfiltered look at the threats of espionage and reveal for the first time the true costs it has on the Australian economy.Counting and Countering the Cost of Espionage, the 26th annual Hawke Lecture presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, University of South Australia.SpeakerMike Burgess Director-General of Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Further informationWhy national security and intelligence is women’s work Big Ideas, 22 October 2022

For the first time in human history, we have the scientific know-how to vaccinate against most of the infectious diseases that killed our ancestors. But an explosion of pseudoscience and disinformation makes people hesitate to accept the shot. And so once contained diseases like measles is on the rise again. Hear why we have to act now, or risk losing centuries of gains that vaccines have brought to the world.Presented at GleebooksSpeakersRaina MacIntyreProfessor of Global Biosecurity at UNSW and an NHMRC Research FellowAuthor of Vaccine Nation: Science, reason and the threat to 200 years of progressDr Norman Swan (host)Host of Radio National's The Health Report and co-host of What's That Rash