Big Ideas

Ex-chief scientist Alan Finkel's three laws of Artificial Intelligence 16.07.2026 54m

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants AI in Australia's interests, and has announced steps to regulate the technology. So can Australia get the balance right between the opportunities offered by AI, and the risks? Australia's former Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, a serial tech entrepreneur, has some ideas — and argues governments have been asleep at the wheel on AI regulation. This event was recorded at the Woodend Winter Arts Festival on 7 June 2026. Speakers: Professor Alan Finkel Founder, Proudly Human Former Chief Scientist Former Chancellor Monash University Founder of biotech and edtech companies Axon Instruments and Stile Education Former President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) Co-founder, Cosmos Magazine

Could you be a hope punk? Jack Toohey on rebellious hope and why better things are possible 15.07.2026 53m

Jack Toohey was flying high. Then he crashed. But from despair came renewal, and a rebellious hope. In 2023, when his social media post about housing affordability attracted over 20 million views — he knew he was onto something. He joins BIG IDEAS host Natasha Mitchell at the Make Good Festival at Bundanon, NSW to talk about the big ideas in his new book Better Things Are Possible: How Rebellious Hope Can Change the World. He wants to help you stop doomscrolling and reclaim the possibilities for creating a more just world. Speaker Jack Toohey Creative director, strategist, film-maker, and activist Author, Better Things Are Possible: How Rebellious Hope Can Change the World (2026). Jack on Substack Jack on Instagram Thanks to the Bundanon team and guest curator of the Make Good Festival Danielle Harvey

Fear, healing and finding calm – how the ocean can change you 14.07.2026 54m

The ocean calms us. It terrifies us. It heals us. Sometimes all at once. We explore the sea's complex hold on your mental health — from the fear of shark attacks and the medicine of a morning swim to how immersive ocean soundscapes work on the nervous system and ocean grief as part of climate change anxiety. Presented at the Ocean Lovers Festival Listen to Big Ideas — The shark net controversy — hear the debate at Bondi's Ocean Lovers Festival with Natasha Mitchell Speakers Dr Brianna Le Busque Program Director of Environmental Sciences and Geospatial Sciences at Adelaide University Anika Craney Freediver, ocean guide and citizen science research assistant Kate Montague Working with somatic therapy and performance arts, creator of the Audiocraft podcasts Kal Glanznig Youth ocean and climate champion, creator of the documentary RISING UP, co-founded Plastic Free Cronulla, and founder of the project Blue Minds John Ireland (Host) Breath and somatic educator, Founder of Breathwork HQ

Is education policy damaging our democracy? 13.07.2026 53m

We are seeing seismic shifts in our politics, as more people than ever turn away from the major parties. Could public policy failures be to blame? Former politician Dr Susan Close has spent her career in the engine room of democracy, and she believes this trend has been caused by successive government policies that have left people behind, created winners and losers and segregated our community — especially in the way Australia funds its schools. The 2026 Hugh Stretton Oration was recorded at the University of Adelaide on 2 June 2026. Speakers: Dr Susan Close CEO, McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership Member of the CSIRO board Former Member for Port Adelaide 2013- 2025 Former Labor Deputy Premier, Minister for climate science, defence, education and more

These Palestinians and Israelis are talking to each other − determined to make peace real in Gaza 09.07.2026 54m

Palestinians and Israelis are building common ground for peace where most say there is none. Since October 7 and the war in Gaza, the idea of cross-community dialogue seems impossible. But behind the headlines, more than 550 leaders from both communities, across politics, security, business, media, and civil society have come together to shape a peaceful future - for both peoples. What does a just and peaceful solution actually require? Who is doing the work to get there? And is there a role for Australia to play? Presented by the New Israel Fund Australia Speakers Hiba Qasas Founding Executive Director of Principles for Peace, former senior UN official Dr Gil Murciano CEO of the “Mitvim Institute", a foreign policy research organisation in Israel Dr Sally Warhaft (host) Writer, journalist and host of the Wheeler Centre’s The Fifth Estate series

8 Million Ways to Happiness with Hiroko Yoda — what we can all learn about life, love, and loss from Japan’s flexible spirituality 08.07.2026 54m

When writer Hiroko Yoda's mother died, she found herself unmoored. They'd argued a fair bit over the years — as daughters and their mothers can — some things were unresolved. So now what? She found herself setting off an odyssey to understand Japan's surprisingly flexible, practical, pluralistic approach to spirituality, its infinite number of spiritual beings, its affection for angry ghosts, and the curious possibility of embracing belief and non-belief at the same time. She poured it all into a beautiful book called 8 Million Ways to Happiness. Yes, 8 Million! How can that be!? Find out in this poignant conversation she shares with Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell on peace, grief, meaning, and overcoming the mountains within. This event was recorded live at the 2026 Melbourne Writers Festival. To explore more of the festival's events and talks, visit mwf.com.au. Speaker Hiroko Yoda Tokyo-based author, translator, folklorist, and certified kimono consultant Author, Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Find your own way to inner peace with the wisdom of Japan (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2026)

What is the role of the writer in troubled times? Tony Birch with Michael Williams on the ethical imagination 07.07.2026 1h 9m

Writers have access to endless worlds, perspectives and experiences — both real and imagined. So what should they do with that privilege? Do they have a responsibility to try to change the world? To cultivate empathy and understanding? Or to simply bear witness? The Melbourne Writers Festival closing night address was recorded on Sunday 10 May 2026. Speakers: Professor Tony Birch Author, The White Girl, Women and Children, Ghost River, Blood and more Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at the University of Melbourne Historian, activist, teacher, long distance runner Michael Williams (host) Editor, The Monthly magazine Host, Read This podcast

If a river is declared a legal “person” — can it talk, remember, feel? 06.07.2026 54m

What if the way we think about rivers as resources to be allocated, infrastructure to be managed, problems to be solved, is just fundamentally wrong. What if they are in fact living entities with rights? From Indigenous law to ecological soundscapes to frontline water justice, this panel of Indigenous leaders, scientists and artists share stories, sounds and strategies for protecting and changing your relationships with waterways. River Listening 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. Listen to Big Ideas – Students win fight for climate justice before the world's highest court Speakers Dr Dan Hikuroa Māori earth systems scientist, Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, UNESCO NZ Commissioner for Culture Grant Rigney Ngarrindjeri man, current Deputy Chair and past Chair of the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) Dr Leah Barclay Award-winning sound artist, researcher and environmental activist Jo Shulman (host) CEO of the Environmental Defenders Office

Is the cosmos unravelling? With theoretical physicist Tony Padilla 02.07.2026 54m

Forget climate change, forget nuclear Armageddon, did you know that the universe is unravelling? It's probably aeons away, but according to physics, dark energy could end us all. Join award winning theoretical physicist Tony Padilla at this Sophia Club live philosophy event, to explore the torrid birth of the early universe, traverse the twisted hearts of black holes, skip through the harmonic vibrations of string theory, and ponder how, according to physics, it all might one day end. This event was recorded for the Sophia Club live philosophy in London on 21 April 2026. Speakers: Tony Padilla Professor of physics, University of Nottingham Associate Director of the Nottingham Centre of Gravity Host, Numberfile Author, Fantastic numbers and where to find them: A Journey to the Edge of Physics Sally Davies Editorial lead for the Sophia Club Editor, AEON magazine Music by Oliver Coates Cellist, film composer and electronic music producer (Pillion, Aftersun and more)

A song for every feeling? Pub Choir founder Astrid Jorgensen has a big story to tell (REPEAT) 01.07.2026 1h 4m

Need a mid-Winter pick me up? Well this is the conversation for you! You could call Astrid Jorgensen a choir conductor, but that really doesn’t capture what she does and the global phenomenon she’s created. On any one night, anywhere in the world, you’ll find Astrid on a stage in front of a few thousand people singing their hearts out. She’s the founder, the composer, and the host of Pub Choir — which has been described as the world’s biggest one night stand in song. But for a while there she could have become a nun. Yes, there's so much more to her story, and she joins Big Ideas' host Natasha Mitchell to tell it. This event, organised by Northern Books, was held at the Fitzroy Town Hall in Naarm/Melbourne. This episode was first aired on the 10 December 2025. Speaker Astrid Jorgensen Founder and conductor of Pub Choir Author, Average At Best (Simon and Schuster Australia, 2025) Further information How Astrid Jorgensen turned a suburban pub choir into a worldwide musical phenomenon (Australian Story/ABC News, 2025) Watch Australian Story episode about Astrid on Youtube (2025)

The gambling industry is targeting your children - how, why and what can be done? 30.06.2026 55m

The gambling industry is targeting young people through digital platforms, personalised algorithms and the blurring line between gaming and betting. But also off-line, at the pokies, we see younger faces. We explore the strategies behind this trend, the human costs and what it would actually take to change the culture and the regulation around gambling in Australia. This conversation is a cooperation with Shaun Micallef's Going for Broke, the new ABC three-part documentary series that you can find on ABC iView. Speakers Dr Charles Livingstone Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University Mark Kempster Lived Experience Advocate with the Alliance for Gambling Reform Reverend Stu Cameron CEO and Superintendent of Wesley Mission Dr Sally Gainsbury Associate Professor of Psychology and co-Director of the University of Sydney Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic Steve Cannane (host) Reporter with the ABC's Investigations Unit ABC Four Corners by Steve Cannane – Losing Streak Further information National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858 Wesley Mission Gamble Aware

David Marr on preaching to the converted 29.06.2026 55m

The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but not without a whole lot of committed individuals doggedly banging on about it. Even when no one's listening, even when it's boring, even when it takes years or even lifetimes. So in this time of division and fracture, when hearts and minds seem out of reach, is there still value in preaching to the like-minded? The 2026 Sheila Drummond Memorial Lecture was recorded at the Woodend Winter Arts Festival on 6 June 2026. Speakers: David Marr Present Late Night Live, ABC Radio National Author, Killing for Country: A Family Story, Patrick White. A Life, Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott (Quarterly Essay) and more

The God we made — safeguarding humanity in the age of AI 25.06.2026 58m

It is replacing our work, our relationships, even our capacity to think. It's the combined sum of all human knowledge — so how long until artificial intelligence surpasses our own? Are we already there? In her latest Quarterly Essay, Anna Goldsworthy confronts a near future where humans are no longer the most intelligent beings, inviting us to consider what is irreplaceable in us, in what we do, and what we want for our lives. This conversation was recorded on 8 June 2026 at Woodend Winter Arts Festival. Speakers: Anna Goldsworthy Author, The God we made — the threat and promise of artificial intelligence, Quarterly Essay #102 and many more Classical pianist, founding member, Seraphim Trio Dean of the Elder Conservatorium of Music and School of Performing Arts, Adelaide University, and incoming Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music Jacqueline Ogeil Harpsichordist, conductor, music teacher Founder and director, Woodend Winter Arts Festival Further information: Magnifica Humanitas - on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence - Encyclical letter by Pope Leo XIV

The art of forgiveness and why it's not what you think it is — with Rachael Coopes and Natasha Mitchell 24.06.2026 56m

Is there an art to forgiveness? Join Natasha Mitchell with popular Play School presenter, writer, actor, yoga and meditation teacher Rachael Coopes to explore why it's so hard to forgive people, why it's not what you think it is, and how it can be good for your health to try. Forgiveness may be hard work, but so is hanging on to hurt, hate, or a grudge — that can eat away at you or keep you tethered to the original harm — with consequences for your wellbeing, your relationships and your ability live to your full potential. Rachael Coopes has written a new book The Art of Forgiveness: Let Go, Find Peace. Join her and Natasha for this rich conversation about a complicated act. This event was held at the 2026 Make Good Festival at Bundanon in NSW, on the traditional lands of the Dharawal and Dhurga people. Speaker Rachael Coopes Actor, author, presenter of the long-running children's ABC TV show Play School Yoga and meditation teacher Author, The Art of Forgiveness: Let Go, Find Peace (2025) Thanks to Make Good Festival guest curator Danielle Harvey and the whole team at Bundanon, NSW.

Whose recipe is it anyway? A nourishing conversation about food and culture 23.06.2026 54m

They say we are what we eat, and in this big, migrant nation, every dish tells a story, about culture, about connection, about identity. But when traditional cuisines become mainstream, does cultural appreciation risk becoming cultural appropriation? Can you own a recipe? This event was recorded at the Oz Asia Festival in Adelaide. Speakers: Durkhanai Ayubi Author, Parwana: Recipes and stories from an Afghan kitchen and She Who Tastes, Knows Elana Benjamin Author, Indian-Jewish Food: Recipes and Stories from the Backstreets of Bondi, and My Mother's Spice Cupboard: A Journey from Baghdad to Bombay to Bondi Dr Sukhmani Khorana (host) Associate Professor of media and cultural studies, University of New South Wales Co-Director of the university's Media Futures Hub Author, The Tastes and Politics of Inter-Cultural Food in Australia and more

Errol Flynn — discover the dark secrets of the Australian Hollywood star 22.06.2026 54m

He is considered the first Hollywood action hero and had a rapid rise to stardom. But Errol Flynn also was on trial for rape and had relationships with underage girls. Behind the Hollywood legend — the sword fights, the swagger, the smouldering screen presence — is a far more complicated and surprising story. This conversation was part of the Meet the Author series at the Australian National University. Listen to Big Ideas – The rise of Australian actors in Hollywood Speakers Patricia O’Brien Adjunct Professor in the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University; Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University Author of Errol Flynn: The True Story of Australia's Hollywood Icon Frank Bongiorno (host) Donald Horne Professor of History and Public Ideas, University of Canberra

The future of democracy? With Jon Sopel, Nick Bryant and Rosalind Dixon 18.06.2026 58m

It may be the least worst form of government, but faith in its leaders and its institutions is waning. From the US to the UK to Australia, democracy has also paradoxically delivered representatives who are proudly anti-democratic and openly undermine democratic institutions like electoral systems, the judiciary and a free media. So why do people see the likes of Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, and Pauline Hanson as the answer? The Future of Democracy was recorded at the 2026 Sydney Writers Festival in partnership with the Resilient Democracy Lab at the University of New South Wales. Speakers: Jon Sopel Co-host The News Agents Author, Strangeland: How Britain Stopped Making Sense, UnPresidented: Politics, Pandemics and the Race that Trumped All Others and more Former editor, BBC North America Nick Bryant (co-host) Host, Saturday Extra, ABC Radio National Author, The Forever War: America's Unending Conflict with Itself and more Former BBC Washington Correspondent Rosalind Dixon Professor of Law, University of New South Wales Founder, Resilient Democracy Lab Author, A People's Guide to the Australian Constitution

The future of TRUTH — Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales, philosopher A.C Grayling, journalist Barbara Demick, AI scientist Toby Walsh 17.06.2026 54m

A power panel on the future of truth. In a world of AI hallucinations and corporate algorithms, state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, and misinformation spreading like wildfire on social media — the truth feels more elusive than ever. What can we do to get the truth out of trouble? Join Natasha Mitchell with guests at this event recorded live at the 2026 Sydney Writers Festival at Carriageworks on Gadigal Country. Speakers Jimmy Wales Entrepreneur and Founder of Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia Author, The Seven Rules of Trust: Why It Is Today's Most Essential Superpower (2025) Barbara Demick Journalist, former Beijing and Korea bureau chief for the LA Times Author, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: From China to America, a True Story of Abduction, Adoption, and Separated Twins (2025); Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (2010), Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town (2021); Professor A.C Grayling Philosopher and founder of Northeastern University London. Author, The Challenge of the Future: What Should We Keep from Yesterday as We Rush into Tomorrow? (2026); For The People: Fighting Authoritarianism, Saving Democracy (2025) Professor Toby Walsh Scientist, Scientia Professor and head of the UNSW AI Institute, University of New South Wales Author, Faking It: Artificial Intelligence in a Human World (2023), The Shortest History of AI (2025) Thanks to Artistic Director Ann Mossop and team at the Sydney Writers Festival.

Can Art, artists and activists save Australia’s famous multicultural experiment? 16.06.2026 54m

The fabric of multicultural Australia is under a kind of pressure it hasn't faced in a long time. Can it be renewed? And what role do artists, activists, and migrants have to shape what comes next? The landmark work The Elgar Companion to the Arts and Global Multiculturalism is asking exactly those questions. It traces multiculturalism from its origins as a political philosophy and as lived cultural practice right through to the complicated present. And it makes a case that the arts have been central to this story all along. Presented at the Greek Australian Writers Festival Speakers Professor Nikos Papastergiadis Director of the Research Unit in Public Cultures at the University of Melbourne Co-editor of the book The Elgar Companion to the Arts and Global Multiculturalism Dr Alexandra Dellios Senior Lecturer, Centre for Heritage & Museum Studies, Australian National University Andrew Jakubowicz Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Technology Sydney Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos (host) Journalist, academic and Director of the Greek Australian Writers Festival

Pride or shame? Searching for the story of Australia — with Tony Abbott, Mark McKenna and Sally Warhaft 15.06.2026 54m

Two authors. Two books. Two very different histories of Australia. Tony Abbott's Australia: A history and Mark McKenna's The Shortest History of Australia were released within weeks of each other. They share similar references, but diverge in key areas, especially when it comes to how the country should reconcile with its Indigenous past. So what is the real story of Australia? The conversation Australian history's great divide: how writers view our past was recorded at the Sorrento Writers Festival on 23 April 2026. Speakers: Tony Abbott Author Australia: A history and more Australian Prime Minister 2013 to 2015 President, Australian Liberal Party Mark McKenna Author, The Shortest History of Australia and more Professor of History at the University of New South Wales Sally Warhaft (host) Anthropologist, writer and broadcaster Editor, Well May We Say…The Speeches That Made Australia Further information: The Australian Wars with Rachel Perkins and Henry Reynolds — a watershed event at the Australia War Memorial Big Ideas, ABC Radio National, 4 February 2026 Who can we become? Thomas Mayo and Ray Martin speak Black and White about Australia's future Big Ideas, ABC Radio National, 3 March 2026 Victoria's new treaty with First Peoples — a turning point for Australia? Big Ideas, ABC Radio National, 9 December 2025 A new future for Black and White Australia — Thomas Mayo, Margo Neale, David Marr with Natasha Mitchell Big Ideas, ABC Radio National, 15 May 2024