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
Stan Grant & Coronavirus at the end of history
January 04, 2021 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBJournalist Stan Grant looks at the impact of the pandemic on international relations and democratic freedoms. The pandemic is increasing tension within and between nations . Will the repression of civil liberties and authoritarian governments be a lasting legacy and has the strategic rivalry between the USA and China reached a dangerous new phase ?
Of skateboarding and enjoying life
December 31, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBSkateboarding legend Russ Howell discusses the evolution of skateboarding and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the famed skate park, The Snake Run, in Albany, WA.
Creativity in the digital age
December 30, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBHow to be creative in the digital age? Traditional models of distribution and creative production are falling apart. So can the creative industries evolve? And what does the old world still must offer to the new? Several creatives and artists discuss their tips and tricks and show the way forward.
The Irish uprising 1916
December 29, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBA bit over one hundred years after the Irish Easter Rising, author Colm Toibin recounts the slow movements for independence that peaked in the rebellion in Dublin in 1916. It was the first armed action of the Irish revolutionary period. The British army suppressed the rebellion. But the high number of civilian casualties and the severe punishment of the Irish leaders let to increased support for Irish independence.
Chernobyl and the fall of the Soviet Union
December 28, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBA compelling account of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident . Not only did the fallout contaminate half of Europe it changed the course of history. When the nuclear reactor exploded it set off another explosion that no-one had predicted -the collapse of the Soviet Union.
From COVID Crisis to Renaissance: BBC Reith Lecture 3
December 23, 2020 09:05 - 23 seconds - 374 KBThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced nation states to confront how we value health, wealth, and opportunity, apparently forcing governments to choose between the life of its citizens, and the life blood of the economy. Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England, argues this is a false dichotomy, and that we should be moving beyond a narrow and financially driven reaction, to COVID-19.
From Credit Crisis to Resilience: BBC Reith Lecture two
December 22, 2020 09:05 - 23 seconds - 374 KBIn 2008, the world experienced the near total implosion of the banking system. According to 2020 BBC Reith lecturer, and former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, it was a deeper crisis in our values that underpinned that lurch towards the abyss.
From Moral to Market Sentiments: BBC Reith Lecture 1
December 21, 2020 09:05 - 23 seconds - 374 KBMark Carney’s Reith lectures chart how we have come to esteem financial value over human value and how we have gone from market economies to market societies. He argues this has contributed to a trio of crises: of credit, Covid and climate.
Navigating the new world order
December 17, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBHas Covid 19 created a new world order? At the beginning of the pandemic China took a step back but is now on the front foot. America , meanwhile , is still deep in Covid hell. Can a vaccine and a new president restore America’s place in the world? CNN foreign affairs analyst Fareed Zakaria looks at the future balance of power.
Protest in a time of COVID
December 16, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBPolitical protest is a form of free speech and is seen as fundamental to democracy. In a time of COVID, however, large public gatherings are considered potentially hazardous. And governments have banned certain forms of protest. Is the right to protest being undermined?
The future of international cooperation
December 15, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBInternational cooperation is critical as the world wrestles with the impact of COVID 19. It’s just as important when tackling climate change or security threats by terrorists or cyberattacks. A panel of European Ambassadors reflects on the state of global affairs and international cooperation. Can multilateralism survive emerging regional tensions? How can trust in international organisations be restored.
Fighting bushfires with indigenous knowledge
December 14, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBNo-one wants a repeat of last summer’s devastating bushfires but the risks are increasing due to climate change. So we need to use all the tools at our disposal to manage the size and scale of the fires. An indigenous geographer says we should tap into 60,000 years of indigenous knowledge which uses fire to shape landscapes and other practices to preserve biodiversity.
Our future shaped and changed by Covid 19
December 10, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBRoll on the end of 2020. Next year has to be better! With three Covid vaccines in the starting gate, life can begin to be normal again. But we can’t avoid the legacy of the pandemic. How will it shape our future and the way we respond to the next emergency? Can we make up for lost time in universities, the arts and the economy?
Mother of Lion, Sue Brierley, tells her story
December 09, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBSue Brierley is the adoptive mother of Saroo, the Indian boy whose remarkable story of finding his Indian birth mother is told in the film “Lion”. Sue has now written her side of the story, and she talks to Paul Barclay about her book, "Lioness".
2020 Henry Parkes Oration: A museum for reconciliation
December 08, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBA permanent monument to Indigenous peoples should be built in recognition of their contribution to the modern Australian nation, says Mark Kenny. It’s to complete the symbolic axis in Canberra from War Memorial to Old and New Parliament House. A nation is unable to move purposefully forward, when people, institutions and politicians are not willing to look back. That’s the message of the 2020 Henry Parkes Oration.
Will a Biden presidency revitalize America at home and abroad?
December 07, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBA month after the presidential election and Donald Trump won’t admit defeat. He says he’ll fight on in the courts. So how can America move forward? Political scientist Francis Fukuyama looks at the legacy of the Trump years , the prospects for Joe Biden and the strength of liberal democracy. Can Biden revitalize America's role in the international order and heal divisions at home?
The Palace Letters and the Dismissal
December 03, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBForty five years after the event , the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975 continues to make waves and the release of the palace letters has added a new dimension to the story. Earlier this year, the High Court of Australia overturned the Queen’s embargo on correspondence between Sir John Kerr and the Queen’s Private Secretary. What do these letters tell us about how events unfolded and what the palace knew?
COVID, climate change, and older Australians
December 02, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe planet is getting hotter, due to climate change. As with COVID-19, it is older Australians most at risk from climate-induced health impacts. The pandemic has hit older Australians hard, none more so than those in residential aged care. If this was not enough, the aged care system itself is broken, and in desperate need of repair. How we can address these challenges?
Covid, climate change, and older Australians
December 02, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe planet is getting hotter, due to climate change. As with Covid19, it is older Australians most at risk from climate-induced health impacts. The pandemic has hit older Australians hard, none more so than those in residential aged care. If this was not enough, the aged care system itself is broken, and in desperate need of repair. How we can address these challenges.
Covid 19 & the pandemic of denial
December 01, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWe live in a time when trust is in short supply. We don’t trust our politicians or institutions like we used to and conspiracy theories thrive on social media. Then along comes a pandemic to add fuel to the fire. Conspiracy theories and anti-science deniers were alive and well before Covid-19 and they’ll be there after. So why is denial such a common reaction to uncertainty and threat?
COVID-19 and the pandemic of denial
December 01, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWe live in a time when trust is in short supply. We don’t trust our politicians or institutions like we used to and conspiracy theories thrive on social media. Then along comes a pandemic to add fuel to the fire. Conspiracy theories and anti-science deniers were alive and well before COVID-19 and they’ll be there after. So why is denial such a common reaction to uncertainty and threat?
The end of arts degrees?
November 30, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWhen choosing a university degree is the job market uppermost in your mind? The federal government has reduced the cost of what they say are job-relevant degrees like health and teaching and increased the cost of the humanities. Statistics show that humanities graduates are finding jobs but the government wants graduates to choose courses with clear job links in growth areas like STEM . So are job skills the main game for universities now and , if so,...
Julia Gillard on gender and power
November 26, 2020 09:00 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBAs part of Radio National's The Big 20: Our century so far we remember Australia's first female Prime Minister. Five years after leaving politics , Julia Gillard speaks about the dynamics of power and gender from the boardroom to politics to sexual politics in the workplace. Our image of leadership is still a man in a suit.
Ginger Gorman on how trolling causes real-life harm
November 25, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBCyber trolling is causing serious real world harm and police and social media companies like Facebook and Twitter are not doing enough to combat it.
Ronan Farrow’s insights into the abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein
November 24, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe first two decades of this century will be remembered for the #MeToo movement. It started with the scores of abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein. As part of Radio National's The Big 20: Our Century So Far, Big Ideas brings you Ronan Farrow's harrowing account of his investigation. It’s not a story about sex, but about the abuse of power. He shows up a system created by rich and connected men that’s permitted that type of behaviour. A network...
#Hashtag Outrage
November 23, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBWe live in an age of constant outrage. On social media, many people seem to be almost continually offended and outraged. As part of Radio National's The Big 20 : Our century so far we ponder the uses and abuses of social media. While we're busy shouting, retweeting, and "piling on" have we lost the ability to tell the difference between genuine injustice and online feeding frenzies?
The Robesons tour Australia & the future of work
November 19, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBIt's 60 years since African Americans Paul and Eslanda Robeson toured Australia. Despite entrenched racism, Paul became a world famous singer and actor and both were political activists promoting racial equality, workers rights and womens rights. We also look at how the pandemic has made us rethink the way we work as life expectancy increases and we live and and work longer.
Governing during the COVID crisis
November 18, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBHow has Australia has been governed during the COVID-19 crisis? Political journalist Katharine Murphy interviewed the major political players in her Quarterly Essay, “The End of Certainty”. She discusses how politics and governing changed during the pandemic, and how it didn’t.
Governing during the covid crisis
November 18, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBHow has Australia has been governed during the covid-19 crisis? Political journalist, Katherine Murphy, interviewed the major political players in her Quarterly Essay, “The End of Certainty”. She discusses how politics and governing changed during the pandemic, and how it didn’t.
Is there an end in sight for the global pandemic?
November 17, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBYou might be suffering pandemic fatigue but at least Australia doesn't have a dramatic spike in cases. Virus numbers are surging in Britain, Europe and America. Is there an end in sight ? How long before the world gets on top of the coronavirus? That’s the question for America’s top infectious disease specialist , Dr Anthony Fauci and Professor Sharon Lewin from Melbourne’s Doherty Institute.
China from top to bottom
November 16, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBAn army of rural and regional workers are the engine of China's manufacturing boom but there's a growing gap between the urban rich and the rural poor which could slow China's development. At the helm is Xi Jinping, the most powerful leader since Mao. Despite the pandemic his grip on power and the central role of the Communist Party is secure.
Indigenous deep history and Covid catch-up in schools
November 12, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBArchaeologists in Western Australia are discovering the 50,000 year old story of indigenous occupation and advocating stronger heritage legislation to preserve it. We also look at the learning losses caused by school closures during the pandemic and a government funded tutoring scheme in Britain to help disadvantaged students catch up.
How do nations confront their racist past?
November 11, 2020 09:05 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBHow should a nation confront its racist past? Should public monuments linked with racial injustice be removed? These questions are being asked all over the world. Susan Neiman’s book, “Learning from the Germans”, charts Germany’s attempts to grapple with its Nazi past. It also examines the legacy of racism in America’s Deep South.
Modern socialism in Latin America
November 10, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBStephen Hicks and Gloria Alvarez discuss socialism of the 21st century. 'Democratic socialism' is supposed to be the answer to free-market failures of the past. A new wave of leftist ideas is sweeping across Latin America. What are the reasons behind anti-liberalism and the obsession with socialism in many Latin American countries?
What the convicts tell us about prisons
November 09, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBDo you have a convict ancestor? Imagine standing trial in the Old Bailey and waiting for the sentence: either a British jail or transportation to Australia. The convicts had no way of knowing whether they’d be better off in Britain or the new penal colony. But armed with the historical record, criminologists can now make a judgement. They can also compare the effectiveness of the convict system and modern prisons.
Can we avoid a new Cold War?
November 05, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWhen the Berlin Wall came down we all breathed a sigh of relief. It signalled the end of the Cold War. But is there a new Cold War on the horizon? Conflict between China and the United States is escalating in the Asia-Pacific and allies like Australia could be collateral damage. Australia's relationship with China is also being tested on many fronts as we attempt to navigate our way between our economic and strategic interests. ...
Pine Gap and the protest by the "peace pilgrims"
November 04, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBSix non-violent activists faced the prospect of jail time after entering the Pine Gap military base, in an act of protest. Was their trial political? What do we know about the operations of Pine Gap?
Making sense of the issues and challenges as Americans cast their vote for president
November 03, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWill it be Donald Trump or Joe Biden? The choice that Americans make will be felt around the world. So what are Americans thinking? In the Trump White House it's rule by Twitter , a high turnover of advisors and a disregard for political conventions and institutions. Has the last four years changed the political landscape forever? To find out, Kerry O'Brien speaks to former US ambassador Jeff Bleich.
The Future of socialism
November 02, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBCapitalism has failed. If we maintain our current capitalist system, we will ensure the collapse of our natural environment and of human civilisation, argues business management professor Paul Adler. Democratic socialism is the solution - with public ownership of our most important recourses. To overcome the current crisis, he says, we need to assert democratic control over the management of both individual enterprises and the entire national economy....
Are creative industries essential services?
October 29, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBHave you spent the pandemic binge-watching movies, going through your music collection or attending virtual concerts and galleries? Workers in arts and culture aren’t defined as essential yet their work has been essential for pandemic mental health.But will they survive Covid? What's the outlook for the hard-hit sector as the economy recovers from the pandemic?
How the 'carbon club' stymied action on climate change
October 28, 2020 09:05 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBClimate change policy in Australia has split political parties and brought down Prime Ministers and governments. In the shadows has been the "carbon club" - a group of business leaders, politicians, and climate change sceptics. They have collectively stymied action on climate change, and undermined climate science. So says investigative journalist, Marian Wilkinson
Towards a new European diplomacy in the Balkans
October 27, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBNearly a decade after the promised prospect of EU membership, many countries of the Western Balkans are still waiting to join. Meanwhile Russia and China have become active players in the region. A region that still struggles with territorial and ethnical tensions. History showed again and again that an unstable Balkans threatens the stability of Europe - and therefore has a global impact.
How Covid shines a light on care and loneliness
October 26, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBCovid has exposed gaps in the health, disability and aged care system. These sectors were already strain before the pandemic. We hear from the UK about ways to revitalize the care sector and value the essential work of caring . And we also hear strategies to build connection in a socially-distanced world. Is economist and author Noreena Hertz right when she describes loneliness as the defining condition of the twenty-first century? ...
A Creative Response to Covid
October 22, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe pandemic places new restrictions on our work and lifestyle but those constraints can spark creative solutions and innovations. In lockdown at home people learn new skills and hobbies and join virtual workteams. Businesses meanwhile have reinvented themselves online and home delivery services are more popular than ever. Necessity is proving to be the mother of invention.
Is the Chinese Communist Party Reshaping the World?
October 21, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBPublic intellectual, Clive Hamilton, argues China is engaged in an ideological struggle with the West, including Australia. He believes China's ruling Communist Party is deliberately subverting democracy and employing "discourse control". Paul Barclay speaks to him about his new book, "Hidden Hand".
Water conservation and saving coral reefs
October 20, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBWater is the essence of life. As climate change delivers extreme weather and changes rainfall patterns, water managers are employing new technology to track and trace every drop. And in the ocean, the rising temperature of the water threatens to destroy coral reefs. To climate-proof corals, scientists have decided to take radical measures to speed up the development of resilient corals.
Have we seen better days?
October 19, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBDo you think that we are today worse off than previous generations? There is no easy answer and it very much depends on what aspects of life and society you look at. On Big Ideas, a panel of social commentators tackles the question: Have we seen better days?
Vaccines and viruses: a history of pandemics
October 14, 2020 09:05 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBCOVID19 seems like a contagious virus without parallel, but Australia has been hit by devastating pandemics before. This panel discussion examines the history of viruses and vaccines and their impact on Australian society and science.
How US election laws disadvantage minorities
October 13, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe right to vote is likely the most important right and means for change in a democracy. But the electoral process in the US puts up obstacles that make it hard for minority groups to cast their vote: increased paperwork and cost or absurd ID requirements. Stacey Abrams calls for robust voter protections in the US, an elevation of identity politics and engagement in the census.
Sustainable fashion and the paradox of the pandemic
October 12, 2020 09:05 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe fashion industry thrives on consumers wanting to buy new clothes but the manufacture and disposal of clothes places a big toll on the environment. What does it take to make fashion more sustainable? And the positives and negatives of living through this pandemic. Shopping, learning and working from home has its benefits and drawbacks and these experiences will shape our post-Covid world.