Episoder
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Australia's unique biodiversity, a product of almost 50 million years of glorious evolutionary isolation, is in freefall. The threats are not just the rabbits, the cane toads, the cats and foxes – the common culprits. Let's not forget the small but impactful smooth newt or the fierce red fire ants, and the many invasive weeds. Twenty new weeds will establish in the wild in Australia this year – and every year to come … unless things change. But is it possible to stop this ongoing invasion? How do we go about it?
Heartlands Conversations was presented as part of the Blue Mountain Music Festival
Original broadcast on May 16, 2024
Speakers
Costa GeorgiadisHost of ABC TVs Gardening Australia and landscape architect
Andrew CoxCEO of the Invasive Species Council
Gregg Borschmann (host)Writer, radio producer and oral historian for the National Library of Australia
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From Vincent Namatjira's painting of Gina Rinehart, to Jonathan Yeo's take on King Charles, what do portraits say about those they represent, those who create them, and the broader context of the time?
The Andrew Sayers Memorial Lecture was recorded at the National Portrait Gallery on 31 July 2024. The National Gallery of Australia's annual lecture with Lindy Lee was recorded on 24 October 2024.
Speakers
Benjamin Law Writer, broadcaster and cultural commentator
Sarah Oakes (host) Director, External Relations, National Portrait Gallery
Lindy Lee Artist
Further information
Watch LIndy Lee's full lecture "A Life of Spirit" here
Catch Lindy Lee at the NGA for Ouroboros (permanent) and her retrospective until 1 June 2025.
Read more about Jordan Richardson's Venus here
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Manglende episoder?
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A freckle-faced kid from Bondi, Pauline Menczer fought the entrenched sexism of the pro-surfing scene to became women's world surfing champion and pave the way...er, waves..for girl grommets today. But all the while she was also fighting another battle inside her own body’s cells. Ironwoman and surf lifesaving champion Bonnie Hancock became the fastest and youngest person, and the first Australian woman, to circumnavigate Australia on a small surf ski, solo. What possessed her to paddle 12,700 kilometres through crocodile and shark-populated waters, mega-waves, and worse? Pauline and Bonnie join Big Ideas' host Natasha Mitchell for a conversation that might inspire you to chase your dreams, big or small.
This event was organised and hosted by the Queenscliffe Literary Festival.
Speakers
Pauline MenczerWomen's world surfing champion Author, Surf Like a Woman (2024)
Bonnie HancockAthelete, professional Ironwoman, dieticianAuthor, The Girl Who Touched the Stars (2024)Ambassador, Gotcha4Life Foundation
Further information
Girls Can't Surf documentary
Australian Surfing Awards Surfing Hall of Fame
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Do you want to live in Putin’s vision of a world in which ‘the big boys’ dominate …. or in one in which smaller nations have a voice? If it’s the latter, so the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel, you need to support Ukraine. This war isn’t just about the borders in Ukraine or security in Europe, it affects the world and our principles of sovereignty, integrity, freedom, and the right of smaller nations to decide their own future. Hear from one of Europe’s foremost voices on global security on the implications of the war in Ukraine for the world.
The 2024 Lowy Lecture was presented by the Lowy Institute. November 26, 2024
Speakers
Petr PavelPresident of the Czech Republic
Dr Michael FulliloveExecutive Director of the Lowy Institute
Further information
Transcript of the 2024 Lowy Lecture as delivered, might vary from the audio
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Born a refugee of the Vietnam War, and now a Pulitzer Prize winning American author, Viet Thanh Nguyen unpacks the refugee experience, and the politics and the personal weight of remembering, and forgetting.
This event was recorded at the Melbourne Writers Festival on 11 May 2024.
Speakers
Viet Thanh Nguyen Author, A man of two faces, The Sympathizer, Simone (children's book) and more
Andre Dao (host) Author, Anam (winner of the 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction)Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Melbourne Law School, University of MelbourneCo-founder, Behind the Wire oral history project (and later the award-winning Messenger podcast)
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There's been a move by Australian newsrooms to foster and champion the diversity of their staff. But when it comes to covering the conflict between Israelis & Palestinians, and the war in Gaza, does this push for diversity only run skin deep? Who gets to shape the story?
The 2024 AN Smith Memorial Lecture was recorded at the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism on 26 November 2024.
Speakers
Nour Haydar Senior Audio producer and co-host, Full Story podcast, Guardian Australia
Andrew Dodd (host) Director, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne
Further information
View the full video recording here
About the AN Smith Lecture in Journalism - University of Melbourne
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Don't miss these previously unheard and powerful stories of ordinary people surviving extraordinary circumstances. Cyclone Tracy destroyed 80 percent of Darwin and killed 66 people. It's impact was harrowing. Beyond the despair are also memories of small blessings and surprising impacts long after that fateful Christmas of 1974.
Presented by the Northern Territory Writers Festival
Speakers
Richard Creswick Author and former ABC journalist
Derek PughHistorian and author
Jared ArchibaldCurator of Territory History at the Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory
Kylie Stevenson (host)Award-winning journalist and audio producer
Further information
Website with memories of Cyclone Tracy
YouTube - When Will the Birds Return
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In outback New South Wales, on the dried up, ancient clay shores of Lake Mungo, is a story that has become emblematic for profoundly deaf Worimi man Dr Scott Avery: what can it teach us about disability inclusion, leadership, and excellence?
The 2024 Disability Leadership Oration was recorded at the National Archives of Australia on 26 November 2024.
Speakers
Dr Scott Avery Professor of Indigenous Disability and Wellbeing at the University of Technology Sydney
Christina Ryan (host) Founder and chief executive, Disability Leadership Institute
Further information
Disability Leadership Institute
ABC News page on people with a disability
Australians with disability tell their stories for International Day of People with Disability 2024ABC Press release
United Nations 2024 International Day Of Persons With Disabilities (IDPD)
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Can a single seed tell the story of a civilisation? What do the scars on the skins of 200-year old whales tell about our ancestors? Can ancient trees reveal hidden histories of human frailty and fabulousness? Can Nature be a timekeeper? Joining Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell are Dave Witty (author of What the Trees See: A Wander through Millennia of Natural History), Fiona McMillan-Webster (author of The Age of Seeds: How Plants Hacked Time and Why Our Future Depends on It) and Satyajit Das (author of Wild Quests: Journeys into Ecotourism and the Future of Animals).
This event was hosted by the Brisbane Writers Festival.
Speakers
Satyajit DasAuthor, former banker, consultant
Dr Fiona McMillan-WebsterScience writer and scientistDave WittyAuthor
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Human rights are meant to be universal, but what happens when those rights conflict with one another? For example, a religious school's right to practice its faith, versus the right of others to be free from discrimination?
The 2024 Higinbotham Lecture was recorded at RMIT University on 21 October 2024.
Speaker
Justice Mordy Bromberg, President, Australian Law Reform Commission
Further information
Read the full report Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws from the Australian Law Reform Commission
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Rhonda Magee grew up in segregated North Carolina in an abusive household. She knows firsthand the deep divides that define America right now. She draws on her life, and her work as a law professor and leading mindfulness meditation teacher in her book The inner work of racial justice: Healing ourselves and transforming our communities through mindfulness. Mariam Tokhi is a writer and GP in a refugee and asylum seeker health service in Melbourne. She has created a trailblazing narrative medicine course to help doctors use the power of storytelling to fully see the humanity of their patients and themselves.
This event was organised by the Contemplative Studies Centre, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne.
Speakers:
Rhonda MageeAuthor, The inner work of racial justice: Healing ourselves and transforming our communities through mindfulness (Tarcher, 2019)Professor Emerita of LawMindfulness meditation educatorFounding director, Center for Contemplative Law and EthicsUniversity of San Francisco.Dr Mariam TokhiGP and writer Utopia refugee and asylum seeker health serviceNarrative medicine lecturer, University of Melbourne Medical School
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Is menstruation linked to the moon? Do women's periods sync up when they live together? Are girls getting their first period younger? Why don't we talk about menstruation and menopause more? Popular US-based physician and bestselling author Dr Jen Gunter is on a mission to change the conversation about women's health.
This event was recorded as part of National Science Week at the University of NSW's Centre for Ideas on 15 August 2024.
Speakers
Dr Jen Gunter Obstetrician and gynaecologistAuthor, Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of MenstruationThe Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism and more
Professor Caroline Ford Lead, Gynaecological Cancer Research Group, University of NSW
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Back in 1994, it was a pretty wild pitch for a movie: a troupe of drag queens road tripping across the Australian outback, in a lavender bus named Priscilla. But The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, put the Australian film industry on the global map, and these days it's become an icon of Australian cinema.
This event was recorded on 11 September, 2024, at the Capitol Theatre, RMIT University, as part of Social Sciences Week.
Speakers
Rebel Penfold-Russell Executive Producer, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Tim Chappel Costume designer, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Academy Award for best costume along with Lizzy Gardiner)
Cerise Howard Program Director, Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Kristy Kokegei History Trust of South Australia
Stephen Gaunson (host) Senior lecturer in Cinema Studies at RMIT University
Further information
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at 30: more important, enjoyable and vital than ever - by Stephen Gaunson, The Conversation, 5 September 2024
Donate to the Save the Queen campaign - History Trust of South Australia
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The Australian federal government wants to restrict social media to those aged over 16. Would that work? Adult and teen experts mount their arguments for and against social media and its harms and benefits.
The Great Debate was presented by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia as part of 2024 Social Sciences Week, recorded at the National Library of Australia on 10 September 2024.
Speakers
STUDENT DEBATEFeaturing Year 7 and 8 students at University of Canberra High School Kaleen
Host Ivy Affirmative team Misha, Sienna and Jacob
Negative teamUmar, Addy and Shreya
ADULT DEBATE
Lisa Given Professor of Information Sciences, RMIT University
Anthony Elliott Distinguished Professor of Sociology, University of South AustraliaAuthor, Algorithms of Anxiety: Fear in the Digital Age
Ginger Gorman (host) Journalist and author of the book Troll Hunting: Inside the World of Online Hate and Its Human FalloutHost of the Seriously Social podcast
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Is social media a contagious force harming young minds, a life saver helping people find their neurodiverse tribes and support, or, for better or worse, a bit of both?
From the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, join Natasha Mitchell with renowned social psychologist Jean Twenge, neurodiversity advocate Sonny Jane Wise, technology policy campaigner Alice Dawkins, suicide prevention researcher Dr Sandersan Onie.
Young people depressed, distressed, and anxious. ADHD and Autism diagnoses on the increase. All at record rates. Is it a renaissance in awareness, enabled by social media, or are people reaching for labels that risk losing meaning?
Speakers:
Jean TwengeProfessor of psychologySan Diego State UniversityAuthor ofiGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood (2017)Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future (2023)Alice DawkinsExecutive Director, Reset.Tech. Au
Dr Sanderson OniePsychologist and suicide prevention researcherBlack Dog InstituteUniversity of NSW
Sonny Jane WiseNeurodiversity advocateAuthor, We’re All Neurodiverse (2023) and The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills (2022)
Thanks to Danielle Harvey, Director of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and the festival team.
Further information:
Not Just Algorithms: Online Safety, Children and Young People, Data Security, Privacy and Data Protection report (24 March, 2024)
Festival of Dangerous Ideas on-demand audio and video archive selected from over a decade of provocative events
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Mediation in armed conflicts means sitting down with brutal war lords, hiding your true values and in an open dialogue trying to really understand all sides of the parties involved. In the most pressurised environments, there are nearly always possible pathways to a win-win outcome — but finding the way requires a combination of imagination, goodwill, timing, and street smarts.
Reflections on Diplomacy and Peace Mediation was presented at the TheMHS Conference 2024
Speaker
Paul DziatkowiecDirector of Mediation and Peace Support, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Listen to Big Ideas - Is making war more humane in fact prolonging the fighting?
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Pressing a full-time workload into four days sounds like simply adding more stress to your job – even if you keep your pay. But many people who have tried this model say that one would need to pay them double their salary to make them go back to a standard work week. And businesses enjoy better staff retention and get a completive edge on the job market.
Presented by UQ ChangeMakers
Speakers
Debbie BaileyConsultant Partner, 4 Day Week Global
Shannan QuainChief People Officer, Australian Digital Health Agency
Associate Professor James KirbyClinical Psychologist and the Co-Director of the Compassionate Mind Research Group, University of Queensland
Professor Tyler Okimoto (host)Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, University of Queensland
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She was Andy Warhol's muse, she's been sampled by Notorious BIG, and her music was once voted on the ten best songs to dry-hump to. This is the amazing true story of how Indian-born singer Asha Puthli became a music legend.
This event was recorded at Rising Festival on 7 June 2024.
Speakers
Asha Puthli Singer
Adriana Lazaridis (host) DJ
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The leading playwright Joanna Murray-Smith makes a powerful case for the role of the arts in Australian public life, arguing that moral righteousness is stifling artistic expression.
The last ever Stephen Murray-Smith Memorial Lecture was recorded at the State Library of Victoria on 8 October 2024.
Speaker
Joanna Murray-Smith Playwright, screenwriter and novelist
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How should we reflect on wars, past and present? Do the rituals of Remembrance Day and Anzac Day hold meaning for young people?
Natasha Mitchell is joined by a crowd of high school students and special guests with opinions on the future of commemoration.
This event was hosted and organised by Victoria's Shrine of Remembrance to mark its 90th anniversary.
Speakers:
Che Weon (Michelle) LeeMasters of architecture student, University of Melbourne School of DesignGranddaughter of Korean war veteran(Michelle's Shrine design is linked to below)
William MuhlhauserYear 9 student, Haileybury CollegeMember, ‘Winjeels’ student club, Moorabbin Air MuseumRecipient of 2024 Spirit of Anzac Prize
Zackary MelvaineYear 11 student, Mill Park Secondary CollegeAustralian army cadetMember of Australian Defense Force's National Drone Racing TeamYouth Mayor of the City of WhittleseaRecipient of 2023 Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize
Thanks to Sue Burgess and Laura Thomas at the Shrine of Remembrance.
Further information:
"First Songline" Che Weon (Michelle) Lee's design for the Shrine of Remembrance for her Masters degree in ArchitectureVictoria's Shrine of Remembrance 90th anniversary events
Drone warfare, technology and the psyche: an insider speaks [this episode of Science Friction by Natasha Mitchell is mentioned in this program]
What it's really like to live with drone warfare [illustrated feature]
Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize
Shrine of Remembrance Young Ambassador Leadership program
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