2022 Michael Hintze Lecture with Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert British-Australian academic, Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, highlights the complex nature of state hostage taking, and outlines ways in which Australia’s approach can be refined to tackle this insidious and growing global problem. The use of individual citizens of a country as tools of diplomatic leverage in disputes between states is often referred to as Hostage Diplomacy, a form of arbitrary detention that involves the imprisonment and/or convic...
Sep 30, 2022•58 min
Join Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Professor Peter Tuthill on a guided tour of the latest photos from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – our Infrared Eye in the Sky. The JWST is NASA’s largest and most powerful space science telescope ever constructed and Peter Tuthill is the only Australian to have an experiment on it - a tremendous feat! See stars romancing and dancing, being born, growing up, dying and giving birth to new stars. The JWST might even answer the big question – “does life exist o...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Sydney Ideas welcomes back Professor Frank Pasquale (Brooklyn Law School), a leading author and academic on the law of artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms, and machine learning. He is joined by local experts to unpack the challenges and advantages of AI and how it is changing medical practice. The potential for AI and its ability to improve how healthcare is delivered is well documented. From supporting the patient experience and how they access healthcare services, to assisting practitione...
Aug 01, 2022•56 min
How will the new government deliver on its promises? Respected journalist Nick Bryant hosts this conversation with Sally Sitou, Member for Reid; Kylea Tink, Member for North Sydney; Constitutional reform expert; Anne Twomey; and political theorist Tim Soutphommasane. On being elected, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to create a government that doesn’t “seek to divide” and one that will “change the way” politics operates in Australia; to lead with integrity. With a record 10 women in his...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Renowned environmental scientist, Professor Emma Johnston AO, the co-chief author of the 2021 Australian State of Environment Report and the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) is joined by her co-authors to discuss key findings of the report and what is in store for our environment and wellbeing. The extreme weather events from the past few years have shown that our future depends on healthy rivers, forests, soils and seas, which is why it is crucial to understand exactly what is at ...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Why are we a nation that has not yet recognised the First People, and what can we do to take action? Teela Reid, proud Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman, lawyer and the University of Sydney's inaugural Indigenous Practitioner-in-Residence, examines the hard questions that cut to the legitimacy of our democracy on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Uluru Statement from the Heart. Teela was joined in a conversation moderated by Billi FitzSimons, Editor of The Daily Aus. Professor Simon Bronitt, Head an...
May 26, 2022•39 min
Hear from global leader Dr Kakenya Ntaiya, scholar, social activist and 2021/2022 Senior Fellow at Brown University. Kakenya is the founder of Kakenya's Dream, an international nonprofit organisation that seeks to educate girls, end harmful traditional practices including female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, and transform her community. This Sydney Ideas event also features: – Peyian Kortom, final year Bachelor of Science and Liberal Arts student at the University of Sydney – Cynt...
May 24, 2022•59 min
In the lead up to the federal election, as the parties vie for voter’s attention, Sydney Ideas brings together a panel of experts to examine some of the key policy issues that are shaping this election, such as the economy, climate change, and more. FEATURING: – Professor Anika Gauja, Australian politics specialist – Antony Green, ABC's Chief Election Analyst – Associate Professor Elizabeth Hill, political economist – Professor Duncan Ivison, political philosopher – Kishor Napier-Raman, politics...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 1 min
In the aftermath of devastating climate disasters like Australia’s recent east-coast floods, how do communities – those at the centre of the crisis and those on the periphery – support each other emotionally during times of climate distress? Hear from climate emotions experts and residents of Lismore. – Maddy Braddon, community organiser – Professor James Bennett-Levy, mental health expert – Aidan Ricketts, academic and environmental activist – Samuel Savage, emergency services coordinator – Jea...
Apr 26, 2022•51 min
How can artificial intelligence help us solve tough mathematical problems? Delve into the surprising ways that AI can enhance our human intuition with esteemed Australian mathematician Professor Geordie Williamson and MC Adam Spencer. To see the beautiful images and graphs Geordie refers to in his talk, watch the video here: https://bit.ly/3qcTKrE The recording for this podcast is from a live Sydney Ideas event that was held on Tuesday 15 March, 2022. For more information and resources, includin...
Mar 17, 2022•50 min
Hear from young people and academic experts, including a leading US researcher, who are driving research that is changing the out-of-home care system, using creative methods for social change. FEATURING: – Billy Black, Fostering Lifelong Connections Advisory Group – Expert by Experience – Professor Amy Conley Wright, University of Sydney – Bobby Hendry, Fostering Lifelong Connections Advisory Group – Expert by Experience – Professor Peter J. Pecora, University of Washington – Tegan Whittaker, Fo...
Mar 17, 2022•46 min
What can the 24 hour economy look like and how might it help future proof the city? FEATURING: – Michael Rodrigues, 24 Hour Economy Commissioner – Sara Saleh, writer and poet – Jess Scully, author, curator and City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor – Carla Theunissen, Senior Manager, Place Activation and Strategy for Sydney Olympic Park – Steph Harmon (host), Culture Editor of Guardian Australia The recording for this podcast is from a live Sydney Ideas public talks event that was held virtually on We...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr
2022. It's a new year yet the same-old. Off the back of the pandemic, there was talk of a Great Reset, a chance to turn a crisis into an opportunity. But looking at the state of play today – in politics, human rights, climate action and widening inequality – has this vision for a paradigm shift fizzled? To get some perspective, we bring together leading thinkers from a range of fields to share their take on how the world might change – or could change – for the better, by the end of year. FEATUR...
Feb 24, 2022•55 min
Hear from researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), who are working at the cutting-edge of nanoscience. Professor Zdenka Kuncic shares how the research team is delivering cures for neurological diseases by rethinking interventions in the nervous system. Dr Shelley Wickham is working on a project building autonomous, programmable robots that can detect disease early for treatment and prevention. Professor Chiara Neto talks about developing a low-cost method to capture ...
Nov 29, 2021•56 min
How adaptable are our big city birds to the urban environment and what impact we humans are having on them? Discover some significant citizen science projects and how you can get involved. Drawing on the latest research, in this Sydney Ideas event you will hear powerful short talks about our local birdlife. Featuring: – Professor Dieter Hochuli, ecologist at the University of Sydney, on the brush turkey; – Dr Holly Parsons from BirdLife Australia on the powerful owl; – Dr John Martin, research s...
Oct 29, 2021•57 min
As Australia looks to reopen, and in the week NSW emerges from lockdown, we examine the path to reopening and how we can rebuild Australian society looking forward. Drawing upon the work of the Open Society, Common Purpose taskforce hosted at the University of Sydney, we ask: What do we need to get right? Featuring: – Professor Catherine Bennett, epidemiologist, Deakin University – Dr Nick Coatsworth, infectious disease physician, ANU – Dr Luara Ferracioli, Senior Lecturer in Political Philosoph...
Oct 14, 2021•57 min
How do changes to our sleep and body rhythms affect our health, wellbeing and diseases of the brain? In the lead up to Mental Health Month, discover some fascinating new research emerging from the University of Sydney and beyond. Fran Kelly, Breakfast presenter on ABC Radio National, moderates an expert panel featuring: – Associate Professor Sean Cain, circadian rhythms expert from Monash University – Dr Jacob Crouse, post-doctoral research fellow with the Youth Mental Health & Technology Te...
Sep 27, 2021•54 min
After being involved in two decades of occupying the country, what responsibilities does Australia owe to the people of Afghanistan? What more needs to be done by the Australian and other allied governments? This conversation brings together Afghan Australians Mujib Abid who recently escaped from Kabul with his family, and Shukufa Tahiri, former Policy Officer with the Refugee Council, as well as leading academic experts to share their insights. Hear from our panel including: – Mujib Abid, Unive...
Sep 08, 2021•59 min
A philosopher, an improv comedian, a psychologist and an economist walk into a Sydney Ideas webinar... to discuss happiness. Can we find ways to be happier than we were before, while in the face of ongoing uncertainty and a global pandemic? Happiness. There are entire industries dedicated to helping us find it. Endless social media advice, self-help books and gurus promising health, wealth and happiness if only you do that one thing. But it can be hard to feel happy in the face of a pandemic – e...
Sep 01, 2021•40 min
Vaccines offer a way out of COVID but its success is not without challenges. How do we overcome the gaps in understanding so that we’re backing the best chance we have in keeping ourselves and the community safe? Facilitated by ABC’s Tegan Taylor (co-host of Australia's chart-topping health podcast, Coronacast), this discussion is grounded in the science, with insights from experts from the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, including: – Professor Cheryl Jones, paediatri...
Aug 20, 2021•54 min
What does lockdown 2.0 mean for younger people and how does it impact on their mental health? Hear from our panel of passionate mental health experts and leaders including: – Dr Marlee Bower, Research Fellow at the Matilda Centre, whose work explores social determinants of mental health and understanding loneliness; – Lucinda (Lucy) Brogden AM, Chair of National Mental Health Commission – Swapnik Sanagavarapu, University of Sydney Student Representative Council President and Arts/Law student; – ...
Jul 28, 2021•56 min
Hear from Kate Crawford, Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney and one of the world's foremost scholars on the social and political implications of artificial intelligence. Timed for the Australian launch of her new book, 'Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence', Kate speaks with Fenella Kernebone to explore how artificial intelligence is not objective or neutral but a technology of extraction. Hailed in Nature as an essential read, Kate's book ...
Jul 14, 2021•53 min
COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the world we live in. Moving forward, how might we navigate work, health and wellbeing, and safety with COVID as an ongoing and evolving factor in the long-term? Hear from academic experts at the University of Sydney, as they share insights into lessons from the pandemic and what it might mean for us all into the future. We discuss: – What we’ve learned about COVID-19 in the past 18 months – Australia’s approach to managing the health crisis – What a long-term ...
Jun 30, 2021•55 min
During the pandemic last year, many of us delayed our health check-ups, from going to the dentist to cancer screenings, and much more. This has major flow on effects across all parts of society. So this discussion is the health check we need today: What issues were left unaddressed by Australia's pandemic response? How do we reset the agenda, and rethink the health system - to provide better care, and prevent further strain? Hear from experts in oral health, ethics, lifestyle and chronic disease...
Jun 18, 2021•50 min
It's been a big year. We’ve put together a few of our key talks, with leading thinkers from the University of Sydney and beyond to reflect on 2020 and what might lie ahead in 2021. Take a listen, and dive into the longer talks. Sydney Ideas will be back with more talks and ideas in the new year! FEATURING: – Mark Scott AO, The road ahead [00:00:00] – Professor Tim Soutphommasane, Combating viral panic [00:00:27] – Professor Ian Hickie, COVID-19 and mental health [00:0035] – Professor Julie Leask...
Dec 16, 2020•4 min
Black holes are the most mysterious objects in the universe; matter and space folded into an enigmatic knot from which not even light can escape. The 2020 Nobel Prize awarded research into black holes, thinking about the unthinkable, and seeing the unseeable. But just what did these extraordinary scientists do? Tune in as we try to unravel the puzzle. FEATURING – Professor Geraint F. Lewis, University of Sydney. Geraint's research focuses on cosmology, gravitational lensing and galactic cannibal...
Dec 03, 2020•40 min
The science and economics tells us sustainable energy alternatives make sense. So, what’s the missing link in the path to a clean and prosperous future? FEATURING: – Matt Kean MP, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, offers perspective into the economic impacts and benefits of investing in alternative energy sources. – Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience and a world leader in perovskite solar energy cells, shares insights into solar photovoltaic research and its poten...
Nov 02, 2020•54 min
This year has seen a complete restructure of how society conducts its business. The shift from traditional "face-to-face” work environments has been both unsettling and disruptive. But for some, particularly people with blindness or low vision, it’s proof that flexible or alternative working is a marker of both efficiency and productivity. We bring together a panel of individuals with lived experience to explore new ways of working amid disruption; and how organisations adapt to support and deve...
Oct 28, 2020•58 min
It has never been more important to be sharing Indigenous knowledge. So many solutions to the problems we face today can be found in that wisdom. Bruce Pascoe delivers a lecture on Indigenous farming and land management. The 'Dark Emu' author is also joined in a conversation with plant breeder and agricultural scientist Dr Angela Pattison. Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services) at the University of Sydney, chaired this public talks event. This ev...
Oct 22, 2020•54 min
COVID-19 has ushered in a global economic slump, which may lead to a global depression. But is the coronavirus just the trigger for a financial crisis that was waiting to happen? Globalisation and the economic policies of recent decades have produced a fragile system best described as rentier capitalism, characterised by a global class structure with rapidly growing precariat, and an increasingly deteriorating income distribution system. A basic income as an economic right suggests an alternativ...
Sep 25, 2020•57 min
