Big Ideas

Folgen

• 
  What stops you from becoming homeless? 2026 Australian Homelessness Conference with Natasha Mitchell and guests 21.10.2026 52Min.

  What will stop you slipping into homelessness? In a cost-of-living crisis, it's getting harder to keep a secure roof over your head. And did you know that 14% of people accessing specialist homelessness services in Australia are unaccompanied children? That's thousands of children, homeless, alone. A conversation about what kind of community we want to create together, and how to prevent a crisis before it comes. Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell and guests at the 2026 Australian Homelessness Conference on Larrakia Country in Darwin.  Speakers Professor Kerry Arabena Descendant of the Meriam people from the Torres Strait Managing Director, Karabena Consulting Former co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, Executive Director of Apunipima Cape York Health Council, and Chair of Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne. Former president of Ecohealth International. Rebecca Pinkstone Chief Executive, Homes NSW, NSW Government Non-executive director, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Former CEO of a social housing provider Catherine Robinson Associate Professor in Communities and Social Justice, University of Tasmania Non-executive board director of Homelessness Australia, the Youth Network of Tasmania and Home Base.  Co-host, Filthy Rich and Homeless on SBS TV Further information Reimagining Indigenous Housing, Health, and Wealth report (2020) Example: Denver Basic Income Project (Example of unconditional cash transfers approach) Example: Community of Schools and Services (COSS) model Example: Safe and Connected Youth Program (ACT Conflict Resolution Service) Example: Housing stabilisation initiative (Canada) Better futures: Supported accommodation for unaccompanied children and young people experiencing homelessness (AHURI, 2026) Yes, we see you. Why a national plan for homelessness must make thousands of children on their own a priority (The Conversation, 2023) NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035 NSW Homelessness Strategy Action plan 2025-2027 Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) (organises the biennial Australian Homelessness Conference and National Housing Conference).
• 
  Clive Myrie on what Africa taught a foreign correspondent about our common humanity 20.10.2026 54Min.

  He's covered wars, elections and everything in between. But what happens when a hardened foreign correspondent goes looking for a lighter travel story - and comes home changed? Hear what his road trip to Africa taught him about our shared humanity. This talk was provided by the York Festival of Ideas. The Festival is led by the University of York, UK. Speakers Clive Myrie Multi-award-winning journalist, BBC foreign correspondents, host of Mastermind and Clive Myrie's African Adventure Author of Everything Is Everything: A Memoir of Love, Hate & Hope Joan Concannon (host) Director of York Festival of Ideas
• 
  Bringing Brett Whiteley's studio back to life — with Wendy Whiteley 19.10.2026 53Min.

  A rundown t-shirt factory in Sydney's Surry Hills became the studio and home where Australian artist Brett Whiteley would spend the final years of his life. Now an art gallery, the building has recently reopened after an extensive two-year restoration, with a new exhibition celebrating Whiteley's life and legacy, Coming Home, featuring his artworks and personal items. His former wife, muse and champion, Wendy Whiteley, reflects on the history of the studio, her life with Brett Whiteley, and his artistic practice. This event was recorded at Brett Whiteley's Studio for Art Gallery of New South Wales on 24 July 2026. Speakers Wendy Whiteley  Creator of Wendy's Secret Garden, Lavender Bay, artist, and former wife and muse of Brett Whiteley Wayne Tunnicliffe (host) Director of collections and exhibitions, Art Gallery of New South Wales
• 
  The ethics of transhumanism 15.10.2026 58Min.

  Every day, science and technology are being used to enhance the abilities of human beings — helping people hear, walk, see, think and more. But at the extreme end, transhumanism has become an obsession of the rich and powerful: Vladmir Putin wants to live forever, Elon Musk wants to merge your brain with AI, while eugenics has also become popular again. So what are the ethics of transhumanism? Where do we draw the line? The 2026 Plunkett Lecture for the Plunkett Centre for Ethics was recorded at the Australian Catholic University. Speakers: Jason T. Eberl Hubert Mäder Chair in Bioethics, Professor of Philosophy, and Director of the Albert Gnaegi Center for Bioethics at Saint Louis University
• 
  AI, art, and staying human - is creativity at a crossroad? Evelyn Araluen, Steve Tolz, Kirra Pendergast  14.10.2026 58Min.

  In a world where AI rules, what will it mean to be creative? First Nations poet and author Evelyn Araluen (The Rot, Dropbear) is already self-censoring because of AI theft. The characters in Steve Tolz's new novel A Rising of the Lights find weird ways to sabotage the robots amongst them. Digital safety expert and educator Kirra Pendergast is seeing AI reshape childhood - for better or worse - with an important warning for parents, carers, and educators. This event was organised by the 2026 Byron Writers Festival on Bundjalung Country. Speakers  Dr Evelyn Araluen  Goorie and Koori poet, editor, educator  Stella Prize winning author, Dropbear (2021) and The Rot (2025)  Co-editor, Overland literary journal  Senior lecturer of Indigenous arts and culture, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne   Steve Tolz  Booker Prize nominated author for A Fraction of Whole (2008)  Author, A Rising of the Lights (2026)  Screenwriter and producer Kirra Pendergast  Digital safety advisor and educator  Co-founder, Safe on Social and Crlt/Shift  Co-author with Maggie Dent of Digital Freedom: A guide to less screen time for safer, happier and healthier families (2026)  Thanks to Artistic Director of the Byron Writers Festival Jessica Alice, and team.
• 
  China's one-child policy and a true tale of abduction, adoption and separated twins 13.10.2026 54Min.

  In just 32 years, more than 160,000 children were adopted internationally under China's One-Child Policy. About half were sent to the United States — almost all of them were girls.Award-winning journalist Barbara Demick's latest book tells the story of twin sisters who were separated as toddlers, with one adopted by a family in Texas, while the other stayed with her birth family in rural China. This event was recorded live at the 2026 Sydney Writers' Festival at Carriageworks. Speakers: Barbara Demick Author, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: From China to America, a True Story of Abduction, Adoption, and Separated Twins, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (Baillie Gifford prize-winner) and more Katrina Strickland Senior Writer, Good Weekend Magazine (Nine Newspapers)
• 
  Amitav Ghosh and Luke Kemp on learning from collapsed empires 12.10.2026 54Min.

  From the fall of Rome to the climate crisis unfolding right now, history shows up a common pattern for how empires rise and fall. And two important factors are humans’ relationship with the natural world, as well as the unequal distribution of power and wealth. What can the wreckage of past civilisations teach us about avoiding our own?  This event was recorded live at the 2026 Sydney Writers’ Festival at Carriageworks. Listen to Big Ideas – Why civilisations vanish Speakers Amitav Ghosh  Indian-born novelist, essayist, and public intellectual Author of The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis and Wild Fictions Luke Kemp Research Affiliate, Centre for the Study of Existential Ris, University of Cambridge Author of Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse Clare Wright (host) Professor of History and Professor of Public Engagement, La Trobe University and award-winning author
• 
  Students and teachers are already using it — but should AI be in the classroom? With Eddie Woo and Leslie Loble 08.10.2026 54Min.

  Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally reshaping education and learning in Australian schools, with 80 per cent of students and two thirds of teachers now using AI tools. So how can we take advantage of the technology, and avoid the risks? This event was recorded at the University of Technology Sydney on 17 June 2026. Speakers: Leslie Loble Industry Professor, University of Technology Sydney Chair of the Australian Network for Quality Digital Education, Chair of the Council on Early Childhood Development, Deputy Chair of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting Authority Former Deputy Secretary in the NSW Department of Education Author, Artificial intelligence, cognitive offloading and implications for education Eddie Woo High school maths teacher Leader of teacher growth for the New South Wales Education Department Host of the popular Youtube channel Wootube Ultimate Classroom (Channel 10), Teenage Boss (ABC ME) Professor of Practice at the School of Education and SocialWwork, University of Sydney Author, Woo's Wonderful World of Maths, It's a Numberful World: How math is hiding everywhere and more
• 
  You Must Take Part in Revolution — journalist Melissa Chan and artist-in-exile Badiucao 07.10.2026 54Min.

  If authoritarianism was pressing in, what personal choices would you make to resist? Foreign correspondent Melissa Chan and artist-in-exile Badiucao have collaborated on the gobsmacking new graphic novel You Must Take Part in Revolution. It's set in a dystopian near future. A proto-fascist USA is at war with the full-throttled techno-surveillance state of China, with Taiwan wedged in the middle. Three young characters confront questions of loyalty, legacy, and courage. But for Melissa and Badiucao, their fictional scenario started to feel all to real. They know. They've lived it. They join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at their Australian launch event in Naarm/Melbourne. Speakers Melissa Chan Emmy nominated Hong Kong-Taiwanese-American foreign correspondent Co-author, You Must Take Part in Revolution (Simon and Schuster Australia, 2026) Former Beijing correspondent with Al Jazeera Badiucao Chinese-Australian artist-in-exile and activist Walkley-Award-winning cartoonist, The Age Co-author, You Must Take Part in Revolution (Simon and Schuster Australia, 2026) Winner, Human Rights Foundation's Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent. Thank to Readings Bookshop events manager Christine Gordon.
• 
  Bones, CSI, X-Files step aside — here come the real forensic scientists 06.10.2026 54Min.

  Forensics has gripped pop culture for decades. But what’s the reality of this job? From the crime scene to the laboratory, our expert panel examines the evidence, explains the science and reveals how the truth gets uncovered. In the real world, by people who do this work for a living.  Forensics: The Science of Blood, Body Bags and Biohazards was presented at the World Science Festival Brisbane. The UQ Impact Series is presented in partnership with The University of Queensland. Speakers  Inspector Donna Stewart Quality Manager of the Queensland Police Service’s Forensic Services Group Dr Kristen Clarke Senior Research Officer within the Forensic Services Group at the Queensland Police Service (QPS) Dr Jack Garland Specialist forensic pathologist with Queensland Health Dr Jeremy Watherston Deputy Director, Forensic Operations for Forensic Science Queensland Dr Jonathan Webb (host) Science journalist and broadcaster, Science editor at ABC Radio National
• 
  George Megalogenis on the three shocks reshaping Australian politics 05.10.2026 54Min.

  From the blue-collar man, to the professional woman. From the multigenerational Australian born citizen, to a predominantly migrant nation. From the inner city to the suburbs to the bush. Australia has changed. But have our politicians? This event was recorded at the Hawke Centre at Adelaide University on 20 August 2026. Speakers: George Megalogenis Political journalist, author, Three Shocks: Who We Are Becoming in the 21st Century, The Australian Moment (winner the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non-fiction and the 2012 Walkley Award for Non-fiction), four Quarterly Essays, and more Tory Shepherd (host) Senior Reporter, Guardian Australia
• 
  The legacy of Jane Goodall —from chimp whisperer to changing how science understands primates 01.10.2026 53Min.

  Jane Goodall’s radical ideas that animals have individual personalities, relationships and even emotions reshaped how we understand primates. It also sparked fierce ethical debates that are still playing out today: Do great apes have rights? What responsibilities do researchers carry when studying minds so much like our own? Jan Goodall wasn't just a trailblazing scientist. She became one of the most influential conservationists of the last century and created the foundation of modern primatology.  City of Science: Jane Goodall and Her Legacy was presented at the CUNY Graduate Center Speakers Kristin Andrews Professor of Philosophy, CUNY Graduate Center David Lahti Associate professor of Biology and Psychology at Queens College and the CUNY Graduate Center Jessica Rothman Program director in Human Biology and professor of Anthropology at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center Dr Mark Hauber (host) Professor of Biology and Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center and executive director of the Advanced Science Research Center
• 
  The future of ageing — what will growing old be like in 2076? 30.09.2026 53Min.

  Australia's population is getting older. In fact, by 2076, 45 per cent of us - that's 18 million people - will be aged over 65. What will ageing look like in 50 years time? Will science keep us healthier for longer? What role will older people play in the workforce, in the economy, and in our communities? Will robots wipe our bottoms, or keep us company? How will we respond to major health challenges—like dementia, already our leading cause of death— and the growing burden of chronic disease? This conversation explores the ethical and social challenges facing our ageing country, and the planning, research and policy systems needed to ensure a dignified, safe and healthy life for older people by 2076. This event was recorded at the fiftieth National Ageing Research Institute annual summit with the theme Imagine Australia in 50 years on 22 July in Melbourne. Speakers:  Mark Dreyfus Former Attorney General, MP Member for Isaacs Professor Jenny Waycott Professor and Deputy Head of School (Research) in the School of Computing and Information Systems, Melbourne University Professor Andy Philp Head of the Centre for Healthy Ageing at the Centenary Institute and leads the healthy ageing research at the University of Technology Sydney where he leads the Biology of Ageing Laboratory in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Professor Tim Adair Demographer and Principal Research Fellow in the Nossal Institute for Global Health at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Jacinta Parsons (host) Broadcaster, author and speaker
• 
  Can we change the future by reimagining it? 29.09.2026 53Min.

  What does the future look like to you? How can you prepare yourself for what's coming down the line? And how does what you do today, change what will happen tomorrow? Join three forward-looking thinkers for a conversation about how to shape a better tomorrow, today. The conversation Brave New Futures was recorded live at the annual 2026 WOMADelaide festival, produced and presented as part of their Planet Talks program, held on the traditional lands of the Guarna people. Speakers: Richard King Critic, cultural commentator and author, Brave New Wild: Can Technology Really Save the Planet? Clare Marshall Award-winning futurist, former lead of the National Futures Initiative at The Australian Centre for Social Innovation Grace Vegasana Climate justice organiser and youth advocate, National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC), co-founder of The People of Colour Climate Network Lee Constable (host) Environmental communicator, TV presenter, author, How to Save the Whole Stinkin' Planet: A Garbological Adventure, and more
• 
  Lyse Doucet —The history of Kabul’s finest hotel tells the history of a nation 28.09.2026 54Min.

  The Inter-Continental Hotel on a hilltop above Kabul has watched Afghanistan’s modern history unfold from its windows. Built in 1969, it has survived Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a civil war, a foreign invasion and waves of Taliban rule. This is the story of that hotel and of Afghanistan itself, told through forty years of visits, world-making headlines, and the people who called the finest hotel in Kabul home. This event was recorded live at the 2026 Sydney Writers’ Festival at Carriageworks. Speakers Lyse Doucet BBC Chief International Correspondent and author of The Finest Hotel in Kabul, A People’s History of Afghanistan, Hutchinson Heinemann (2025) Debbie Whitmont (host) ABC Journalist and author 
• 
  It's an ancient Hindu poem, so why does The Ramayana still resonate? 24.09.2026 54Min.

  It's been called "The Odyssey of the East", and the ancient Hindu poem remains central to Asian cultures and traditions from India to Indonesia 2500 years after it was written. From the names of Thai kings, to traditional Javanese shadow puppets, the ancient temples of Cambodia's Angkor Wat to contemporary Indian politics, the journeys of Rama and his wife Sita are deeply embedded. Why does this story endure? The conversation The Ramayana reimagined: storytelling across cultures was recorded at the Art Gallery of New South Wales as part of the exhibition, Avatar: Forms of Vishnu, on until 5 October 2026. Speakers: Dr. Chaitanya Sambrani Co-curator (with Melanie Eastburn) of Avatar: Forms of Vishnu exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales Art historian, Australian National University Savanhdary Vongpoothorn Painter, sculptor and installation artist Alfira O'Sullivan Artistic Director and solo artist with Suara Indonesia Dance Sunil Badami (host) Writer, broadcaster and academic
• 
  Why literary giants like Margaret Atwood, Nobel laureate Han Kang and Amitav Ghosh wrote books that will never be read in their lifetime 23.09.2026 54Min.

  The Future Library is filled with unpublished books written for readers yet to be born. Every year a new literary work is commissioned to be held in trust in a special room in the National Library of Norway. And in a forest just outside Oslo, 1,000 Spruce are growing - waiting until 2114 to fulfil their role: To be pulped and transform these unseen words into print. This hundred-year literary artwork by Scottish artist Katie Paterson is one of the most internationally acclaimed long-term cultural projects of our time.  Presented at the National Library of Australia in partnership with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Canberra. Speakers Anne Beate Hovind   Norwegian urban developer, curator and cultural producer of Future Library (2014–2114) by Katie Paterson Kathryn Favelle (host) Director of Community Engagement, National Library of Australia in Canberra
• 
  When you trust social media influencers more than your GP — what can only go wrong? 22.09.2026 54Min.

  From doctors spruiking untested therapies to celebrities selling "revolutionary wellness hacks", self-styled health gurus promise results traditional medicine can't. Social media transforms a healthcare system that struggles with GP wait times and short face-to-face appointments. Because when it comes to trust, it turns out fame competes surprisingly well with scientific evidence. Bad Influence: How the internet hijacked our health was recorded at the York Festival of Ideas. The festival is led by the University of York, UK. Speakers Dr Deborah Cohen Broadcaster, journalist and author of Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health Simon Gilbody Professor of Psychological Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of York and the Hull York Medical School
• 
  Alice Pung's Unpolished Gem and her conversations with the teenagers who've studied it 21.09.2026 54Min.

  Alice Pung started writing her first published book as a teenager. Now, it's been read and studied by two generations of Australian teenagers through the school curriculum. On the 20th anniversary of her irreverent, loving memoir of her migrant family's 's everyday struggles and bittersweet triumphs, she reflects on the book's endurance and the various reactions it's provoked in her young readers. The 2026 EW Cole Lecture was recorded by The Wheeler Centre Australia's first dedicated centre for Books, Writing and Ideas. Explore more discussions like this one on The Wheeler Centre podcast — available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @wheelercentre for updates Speakers: Alice Pung Author, Unpolished Gem, Her Father's Daughter, Laurinda, One Hundred Days, Growing Up Asian in Australia (editor) and more Raina Tran 15 year-old writer Marina Sano Co-creator and owner of Amplify Bookstore
• 
  ABC National Forum — migration and the kind of country Australia wants to be 17.09.2026 55Min.

  Migration has shaped modern Australia, but as the country grows, debates around immigrants and multiculturalism are intensifying. Join David Speers for the ABC’s latest National Forum. We bring together Australians from all walks of life to ask: Is our migration system still working? And just what is our National Identity? It’s a big discussion about the kind of country we want to be. Panellists Dr Abdul Rizvi Former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration John Anderson Former Deputy Prime Minister George Megalogenis Journalist and author Nyadol Nyuon Lawyer and human rights advocate Dr Anne Aly Minister for Multicultural Affairs Andrew Hastie Shadow Minister for Industry and Sovereign Capability Barnaby Joyce One Nation MP