Big Ideas

Helen Garner, a celebrated Australian author known for impactful works like "Monkey Grip" and "The First Stone", shares her insights on life, family, and Australian Rules Football. She humorously reflects on the joys and challenges of being a footy fan while documenting her grandson's growth in the sport. Garner discusses the invisibility of older women in a male-dominated realm and explores the emotional lessons learned through football. Her anecdotes blend the dynamics of family, the complexities of masculinity, and the rich tapestry of community tied together by sport.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Dr. Emma Shortis, Dr. Nick Bryant, Allan Behm, and Dr. Prudence Flowers unpack America's potential political collapse under Trump's influence. They explore the shift from governance to authoritarianism, the implications for global order, and the future of U.S.-Australia relations. The guests analyze Trump's impact on the Republican Party’s values and the alarming dismantling of public institutions in America. They reflect on how Australia might navigate a world where the U.S. no longer guarantees its security.

In this engaging discussion, Hugh de Kretser, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and Lizzie O'Shea, founder of Digital Rights Watch, delve into the complex world of digital privacy. They humorously illustrate how our daily lives are ripe for data collection while emphasizing the urgent need for stronger privacy reforms. Topics include the biases in AI, the societal impacts of surveillance capitalism, and the pressing necessity for Australia to catch up with global privacy standards. Their insights call for a balance between individual responsibility and governmental action on privacy matters.

Europe needs to rethink its strategies and policies to protect the continent in the future. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's predatory mercantilism, and the rise of populist neoisolationism in the United States mean that depending on the status quo won't cut it anymore. But after decades of neglect, restoring Europe's military capacity, economic competitiveness, and strategic autonomy will be difficult. Can NATO evolve into a more balanced team, and may the time finally have come for a European pillar within it? Can increased trade and economic dynamism be squared with increased security and international competition?Presented by the American Academy in BerlinSpeakersGideon RoseFormer editor and managing editor of Foreign Affairs; 2025 Axel Springer Fellow at the American Academy in BerlinAdjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; adjunct professor of political science at Columbia UniversityDaniel BenjaminPresident of the American Academy in Berlin

Humans have a conflicted relationship with animals: We love our pets and admire our wildlife. But we continue the industrial production of dairy, meat and eggs, that often leaves animal suffering in dreadful conditions. We create a division between US and THEM, if it suits us. What does that say about how we value animals in our lives?Presented at the Byron Writers FestivalSpeakersPeter SingerBioethicist and author of Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, and The Buddhist and the EthicistFounder of the charity The Life You Can Save and co-hosts of the Lives Well Lived podcastJames BradleyAward-winning author of Deep Water: The World in the OceanLaura Jean McKayAward-winning author of The Animals in That Country and GunflowerDr David RolandClinical psychologist and honorary associate with the School of Medicine, University of Sydney

Seeing a whale in the wild takes your breath away. But so much of what they do remains mysterious. Join Natasha Mitchell with two world leading whale researchers unearthing the secret world of cetaceans. You'll want to change jobs when you hear what they get up to!  Thousands of humpback whales will soon leave their Summer feeding grounds in Antarctica with full bellies to begin the world's longest mammalian migration. How do they live, breed, behave, survive, thrive?  Commercial whaling might have declined, but can we work out what these magnificent creatures make of what's happening in their home now — from offshore oil drilling and seismic testing to ship collisions and climate change?   This event was hosted by the Island Whale Festival Phillip Island. Find out more about the festival held annually in July. Listen to the rest of our special series Animals — Us and Them?SpeakersDr Barry McGovern Cetacean scientist Australian Research Associate, Pacific Whale FoundationDr Pete Gill Cetacean scientist Founder and CEO of The Blue Whale Study

Cherished companions, or cunning predators? Cats kill five million native animals in Australia every day — so how can we better manage our feline friends?Listen to the rest of our special series Animals — Us and Them?SpeakersAlex Patton Invasive species ecologist and PhD candidate, University of TasmaniaNoel Hunt CEO, Ten Lives Cat CentreDr Catherine "Cat" Young Biodiversity coordinator, NRM SouthDr Tiana Pirtle (host)Conservation officer, Invasive Species CouncilFurther information:Cats in Australia - Invasive Species CouncilCat Management Actions for Eastern Quoll on Bruny Island - NRM SouthThreat abatement plan for predation by feral cats - Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Zoos are changing — they are no longer just places for us humans to gawk at animals in cages. In the midst of a global extinction crisis, they are now playing a vital role. So what is their future?This event was recorded at the International Society of Behavioural Ecology Congress in Melbourne on 2 October 2024, with thanks to organiser Professor Andy Bennett from the University of Melbourne.Listen to the rest of our special series Animals — Us and Them?SpeakersDr Sally SherwinDirector of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos VictoriaProfessor John WoinarskiConservation biologist, Charles Darwin UniversityAuthor, A Bat's End: The Christmas Island Pipistrelle, Cats in Australia: companion and killer and  moreDirector, Australian Wildlife ConservancyCo-chair, IUCN Australasian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist GroupMember of the science advisory committees of Zoos Victoria and of Invertebrates AustraliaAssociate Professor Lee BergerMelbourne Veterinary SchoolFellow of the Australian Academy of ScienceProfessor Dan BlumsteinProfessor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Professor in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los AngelesDr Jen Martin (host)Associate Professor in Science Communication, and founder of the Science Communication Teaching Program, University of MelbourneHost, Triple R community radioAuthor, Why am I like this? The science behind your weirdest thoughts and habits

Satyajit Das presents a provocative examination of the use and abuse of images of wild animals, and how they shape our relationships with the natural world. These pictures can create an impression of abundance and untouched ecosystems, and lull us into a false sense of security, at a time when the natural world faces ecological calamity.The Attenborough Effect — Shaping Our Relationship With Wild Animals was presented by the Australian National Maritime Museum.SpeakerSatyajit DasAuthor of Wild Quests. Journeys into Ecotourism and the Future for Animalsformer banker, recognised as one of the world's leading financial thinkers.

We’re past the brink of civilisational collapse. And many environmentalists are pushing a “fake green fairytale”. Jem Bendell’s arguments have inspired the Extinction Rebellion movement’s civil disobedience pushing for climate change action. But Jem doesn’t think protest is enough now. Find out why the self-confessed eco-libertarian and author of Breaking Together: A freedom-loving response to collapse thinks we should break together not apart. Jem joins Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the 2024 Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI)SpeakerJem Bendell Author, Breaking Together: A freedom-loving response to collapse (2023)Author, Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy (2018, 2020)Co-founder of Bekandze Farm - Regenerative Training CentreFounder, the Deep Adaptation ForumBand member, the Barefoot StarsEmeritus Professor of Sustainability Leadership, University of CumbriaSenior Distinguished Fellow, Schumacher Institute