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Big Ideas

ABC listenwww.abc.net.au
Feed your mind. Be provoked. One big idea at a time. Your brain will love you for it. Grab your front row seat to the best live forums and festivals with Natasha Mitchell.

Episodes

I've Been to a Parallel World

Hear from four “many worlds travellers” who have visited parallel worlds to explore themes of Indigenous rights, disability, gender and the climate crisis, to show us that a different way is within reach.

Mar 14, 202455 min

The education gap between rural and metropolitan Australia is costing us billions

Can you put a price tag on regional education? In fact, you can. The large difference in the quality of education between people who live in rural and regional Australia compared to those who live in the cities is costing our economy over 55 billion dollars…. AND we also talk about the role of advocates in conflict situations, in particular lawyers, speaking truth to power and speaking up for the weak.

Mar 13, 202454 min

Solving the mysteries of the universe − with philosophy

From dark energy to the nature of time, some of the most baffling mysteries in cosmology point to a surprisingly complex answer: The idea that alternate layers of reality might exist beyond the reach of our current physics, and perhaps even outside the Universe itself. Philosophy can help navigate the many enigmas of physics. In fact, there is a long history of the entanglement of the two.

Mar 12, 202454 min

How Russia’s war on Ukraine ends

Two years since Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine, the risks are as grave as ever, including the possibility of war spilling into Europe, and the nuclear threat. What next for the Ukraine war?

Mar 11, 202454 min

Spending time with Laurie Anderson

Pioneering electronic musician and performer Laurie Anderson invites you contemplate the wonders of time. Time is one of the most impermanent forms of measurement that humans have invented to help manage our lives. We couldn't function without it. Do you feel like you're running out of time? Which way is time going? Are you able to stop time? What is the role of time in ethics, or how you experience trauma? Laurie shares a creative conversation with twice-Booker-shortlisted author Tom McCarthy a...

Mar 06, 202454 min

Finding your creativity with Holly Ringland

Best-selling author Holly Ringland says that everyone can be creative – yes, even you! Be it painting, cooking, knitting a jumper or writing a song. It's often self-doubt and the fear of criticism and judgement that's holding you back. The voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough. It doesn't have to be like this.

Mar 05, 202454 min

Nature for people – how the natural world affects our health

Most of us know that exposure to nature is good for us, because we’ve experienced it ourselves. Doctors can even prescribe time in nature to patients, for the health benefits. But increasingly, we’re understanding – and measuring - just how nature helps us – our minds, bodies, and society. This event is brought to you by the Australian Land Conservation Alliance as part of the National Private Land Conservation Conference held in Canberra on October 17, 2023....

Mar 04, 202454 min

Swiftposium – the academics of Taylor Swift

Celebrities, and their fans, wield tremendous economic, cultural and political influence – and none more so than US pop superstar Taylor Swift. Academia is getting on board, with university courses now entirely dedicated to studying the icon. But celebrities and their fans have not always been taken seriously, by academia, or broader society – particularly when it’s someone idolised by young girls. Well, these academics are trying to change that. Ahead of Swift's record-breaking Australian tour,...

Feb 22, 202454 min

Intuition — the science of knowing WHAT without knowing WHY

Have you ever followed your intuition, or been guided by a gut feeling? Is intuition real or imagined? Can it be learnt and harnessed for good in our lives? Neuroscientist and psychologist Joel Pearson wanted to find out. He joins Natasha Mitchell to discuss his book The Intuition Toolkit – the New Science of Knowing What without Knowing Why.

Feb 21, 202454 min
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