Big Ideas
736 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 40 ratingsBig Ideas brings you the best of talks, forums, debates, and festivals held in Australia and around the world, casting light on the major social, cultural, scientific and political issues
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Episodes
Macho politics and womens rights
March 13, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBA feature of the current wave of populist leaders is the pushback against women's rights and freedoms. Tough-guy politicians, from Russia to South America, use sexual language to put down their female opponents and champion a return to traditional gender roles. The governments they lead chip away at gender equality measures.
The story of Barack Obama
March 12, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBBen Rhodes tells the story of a politician who started from a position of idealism, was confronted by cold realities, and still had to continue to govern.
Giving legal rights to nature
March 07, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBCan nature, rivers, mountains or animals, have legal rights - just like people? Legal rights will change the relationship we have with nature and that’s crucial to really protect the environment.
China's hardline control of Muslims in Xinjiang
March 06, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBOn China’s north west border, the province of Xinjiang is home to the Uyghurs , one of China’s Muslim minorities. Human rights groups estimate that a million Uyghurs are now detained in internment camps for re-education. Beijing aims to make them more amenable to Chinese culture and the goals of the Chinese communist party.
Tim Costello and the lessons of Gandhi
March 05, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBMahatma Gandhi has inspired generations of social justice campaigners. One of our best known, the Reverend Tim Costello, tells us why . Gandhi believed that each of us has the power to make a difference and the moral duty to do so.
Ideas for a better future
March 04, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBTim Dunlop speaks to Paul Barclay about his bold ideas for reinvigorating democratic government, reclaiming the 'commons', and insisting that tech giants pay us for using our personal data.
Vernon Ah Kee on Indigenous art
February 28, 2019 09:05 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBIndigenous artist Vernon Ah Kee calls for Indigenous art to be completely dismantled and build up again from scratch – by black fellas. He criticises the way the visual art world works and the ‘whiteness’ within the gallery context.
Britain and the EU after Brexit
February 27, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBReady or not Britain is on track to leave the European Union in a month. But what happens next? There's no clear exit strategy or common vision for the future of trade and foreign policy. What lies ahead for a post-Brexit Britain?
Time for the state to be entrepreneurial?
February 21, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe prevailing view is that the state should stop interfering in the economy and let the market decide. Economist Mariana Mazzucato takes the opposite approach. She says we need an entrepreneurial state with ambitious goals to shape the economy and solve wicked problems like climate change.
Mental health crisis among children
February 20, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBExperts in Australia and the UK worry about a crisis of well-being and mental health among children and teenager. What’s needed if we want our kids to be happier? What can teachers, parents and policy makers to about it?
Designing the future with artificial intelligence
February 19, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBArtificial intelligence will shape the future of work, the way we live and how we relate to one another. Three computer experts discuss the design of user-friendly robots and apps. Who will have the power to decide what is created and where your data will go?
Epidemics and anaesthesia
February 18, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWhich prospect scares you most: undergoing surgery with a general anaesthetic that isn’t working? Or a global pandemic that wipes out hundreds of millions of people?
Indigenous recognition as a step towards an Australian republic
February 14, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBIndigenous recognition, constitutional reform and a future Australian republic. For Megan Davis it’s all connected. Australia can’t move to a republic before we’ve addressed the issue of Indigenous sovereignty and we’ve dealt with the unfinished business of the past.
Why women think twice about a political career
February 13, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBDoes the conservative side of politics have a problem with women? That's been the argument since the recent resignation of several high profile Liberal politicians. The Labor Party's affirmative action quota system has enabled many more women to enter parliament. Would this work for the Liberals?
The value of bitcoin
February 12, 2019 09:05 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBCould the digital money Bitcoin become the world’s primary currency – pushing out paper money and hard coins? Tone Vays believes that Bitcoin can solve the issues faced by traditional finance institutions.
Are we closing the health gap?
February 11, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MB10 years ago the World Health Organisation called for the ‘health gap’ to be closed in a generation. What’s been achieved in the last decade?
China's military challenge in the Asia-Pacific
February 07, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBAre China and America on a collision course? China has ambitions to be the dominant power in Asia. Is there room for two superpowers or is military conflict inevitable?
Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?
February 06, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBConspiracy theories stretch from the absurd to the dangerous with far-reaching consequences. But what makes them so hard to debunk? Why do people believe in these theories?
Refugee diplomacy
February 05, 2019 09:05 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBFaced with the rising tide of asylum seekers governments are resisting the UN Refugee Convention and building legal and physical barriers to keep them out. Can international law hold governments to account?
What are the ingredients for ageing well?
February 04, 2019 09:05 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBAgeism can adversely affect health outcomes and longevity. Other social determinants of ageing include income, education, where you live, and whether you're marginalised due to gender, sexuality, race, or disability.
Our fascination with ancient Rome
January 31, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe legacy of Ancient Rome is still felt today in western culture in areas such as government, law, language, architecture, engineering, and religion.
Astronaut Steve Swanson flys the international space station
January 30, 2019 09:35 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBDo you have the right stuff to be an astronaut? Retired NASA Astronaut Steve Swanson educates the next generation about a career in space.
The application of space technology to solving problems on earth
January 30, 2019 09:05 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBSpace technology has many spin-offs on earth. Fitness trackers, satellite navigation and swimmers which allow you to swim faster all have their origins in the space program. NASA's Christyl Johnson describes the benefits of space science and the challenge of the mission to Mars.
Exploring space
January 30, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBA space scientist and astronaut discuss the challenges and benefits of space exploration.
Daniel Hannan - identity politics undermines Enlightenment values
January 29, 2019 09:05 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBDaniel Hannan says that the modern form of identity politics moves beyond fighting discrimination. External characteristics like race or gender, now determine whether we’re allowed to say something - not the empirical truth of the statement.
CBC Massey Lecture 2 - Big brother’s hunger
January 22, 2019 09:05 - 19 seconds - 310 KBTanya Talaga explores the legacy of cultural genocide against Indigenous peoples and in this talk she looks at the important role land and being able to live off the land plays.
CBC Massey Lecture 1 - We were always here
January 21, 2019 09:05 - 19 seconds - 310 KBThe rising number of suicides in Indigenous communities is not just a result of social, educational and health inequality. It’s a problem of loss of cultural identity and self-determination.
BBC Reith 5 - Wars fatal attraction
January 19, 2019 04:05 - 23 seconds - 374 KBCan we really call a painting beautiful when it’s inspired by the ugliness of violence and death? Margaret MacMillan talks about the role of artists and writers in shaping our views on war. Due to copyright restrictions we can't provide a download or stream of this lecture.
Music and memory
January 17, 2019 09:05 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBMusic is a powerful memory aid. That's why you can recite the lyrics of a song from years ago but struggle to remember where you put your keys. Even dementia patients respond to music when other memories are lost.
Lemn Sissay on the abuse he suffered in state care
January 16, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBPoet, Lemn Sissay, was taken from his mother and spent 18 years in the state care system in the UK where he was physically, emotionally, and racially abused.
Science is the best source for health information
January 15, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBA vaccination expert pushes back against pervasiveness of pseudoscientists, quacks and dangerously misinformed activists. What are the Dos and Don’ts of successful science communication?
Sarah Krasnostein and the trauma cleaner
January 14, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBSarah Krasnostein talks about the incredible life and times of Sandra Pankhurst, a transgender trauma cleaner.
Algae - a new sustainable resource
January 10, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBAlgae is the new ‘green gold'. On Big Ideas, an expert panel describes the potential of algae as a game-changing sustainable resource for numerous industries.
Self-determination and respect for remote indigenous communities
January 09, 2019 09:05 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBFred Chaney, formerly co-chair of Reconciliation Australia, calls for an end to heavy-handed government policies which disempower remote communities and ignore indigenous culture.
How real are our fictional monsters?
January 08, 2019 09:05 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBThe monsters we create in our classical literature and modern pop culture say a lot about ourselves and our society. They reflect power dynamics, prejudges and irrational fears of their time.
Lawyering on death row
January 07, 2019 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWhat is it be like to be a lawyer who witnesses the execution of your client? Richard Bourke knows the feeling. He represents defendants facing capital punishment, and inmates on death row, in Louisiana in the United States