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PODCAST

Big Ideas

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.

society & culture politics

All Episodes

1:05:14

Scientist Tim Flannery — a Panopticon for our times?

Big Ideas ·

2026/03/04

The Panopticon was a prison design by the famous philosopher and social reformer Jeremy Bentham which placed prison guards in a central tower overlooking inmates. So why does scientist and climate advocate Tim Flannery want us to re-imagine the Panopticon as a path towards a more compassionate society? And why does he find warmth and connection even in conflicted communities angry about climate change policies?This event was hosted by RMIT University and Now or Never, Melbourne's

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0:53:54

Two Visions, One Challenge: Building a better Australia

Big Ideas ·

2026/03/03

Join acclaimed author and human rights advocate Thomas Mayo and media icon Ray Martin AM as they deliver two powerful orations on justice, reconciliation, and the future of Australia. Thomas Mayo invites us to imagine a reconciled Australia that has learned from its history and forged new pathways forward. Ray Martin is demanding we stop talking and start acting on social justice for Aboriginal people. Two voices. Two generations of advocacy. One urgent question: who will we

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0:54:35

Can an arts degree change the world? A defence of the...

Big Ideas ·

2026/03/02

Universities are under pressure — particularly the study of subjects like languages, history, social sciences and the creative arts. This lecture looks back to a time, post war, when governments turned to universities to transform Australia's economy and society, and backed it up with significant investment and oversight. In the face of contemporary challenges, is it time once again to rethink the purpose of universities — and particularly the study of the humanities — to equip

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0:55:20

Dearest Gentle Reader, a very Bridgerton Big Ideas!...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/26

As Bridgerton continues to captivate millions and we just marked the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, the Regency era has never been more thrilling. But how much must you know about corsets and carriages before you can break the rules? What's behind Bridgerton's runaway success? Should we love or loathe what it does with Regency history? Indeed, what would Jane Austen think of it all?Presented at the History Unbound Historical Novel FestivalSpeakersAlison GoodmanWriter of

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0:54:37

The Stoic and the introvert — life hacks from Brigid...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/25

Feeling a little world weary? Is Stoicism the philosophy you need a little more of in your life? Can an introvert be your guide to getting out the front door? Jenny Valentish's latest book is The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House: Solid advice for introverts, awkwards, sociophobes and stand-offishes. Brigid Delaney is author of The Secret and the Sage: A Stoic Conversation to Hold you Together in a Fractured World. What happens when a self-described introvert prepared to go

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0:54:57

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fights for a free Belarus −...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/24

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is calling for a braver response to the actions of the Belarusian dictatorship. She explores the impact of the war against Ukraine on her country, on Europe — and the rest of the world. And what are Putin's strategies for Asia? Has Russia been able to advance its economic and geopolitical interests in Southeast Asia? How did regional states react to Russian aggression against Ukraine and what explains their differing responses to the invasion?"Freedom's

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0:54:37

Backlash against LGBTIQA+ community — why now? Joe Ball

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/23

The hard fought for gains of one generation can pave the way for the next, but the road to equality is never straight. After meaningful progress for LGBTQIA+ people in recent years, that same community is now faced with some setbacks, and a rising hostility, So why are the human rights of LGBTIQA+ people being challenged, curtailed and politicised right now? The 2025 Higinbotham Lecture at RMIT University was recorded on 15 October 2025.SpeakersJoe BallVictorian Commissioner for

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0:55:39

The life of astronauts — with 2026 Australian of the...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/19

What is it really like to be an astronaut? How do you even become one? What happens when an argument breaks out on the International Space Station? And why are big fashion brands clamouring to design for space? As NASA prepares to return humans to the moon for the first time in 50 years, we hear from a panel of superstar astronauts about life in space.This astronauts' forum was recorded at Sydney Science Festival on 2 October 2025, presented by Sydney's Powerhouse

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1:11:59

Harvard firebrand on intellectual freedom Steven...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/18

Harvard psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker is a fierce advocate for intellectual and academic freedom — and one of the world’s most prominent and provocative thinkers about human language, the mind, and how societies work. He joins Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell with an 800-strong Melbourne audience to discuss his latest book When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows: Common Knowledge and the Science of Harmony, Hypocrisy and Outrage. Steven Pinker doesn’t shy away

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0:54:33

What does Labor stand for? With Sean Kelly and Misha...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/17

In its second term, the Albanese Government enjoys a large majority in parliament and an opposition in disarray. But faced with a fragmented, fractious electorate, ever more entrenched inequality at home and volatility abroad, and with an emphasis on a stable and moderate governing style, is this government making the most of its political advantages? Does Labor still have the courage to take on the good fight?This event was recorded at the Hawke Centre at the University of

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0:54:32

What does liberalism mean today?

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/16

Liberalism is one of the most influential — and contested — political philosophies of the modern age. But what does it actually mean in contemporary Australia? Is it a philosophy of individual freedom and limited government? A cultural attitude toward diversity and change? Or has it become something else entirely? A panel of practitioners and philosophers, current politicians and historical scholars explores liberalism as a set of political and cultural ideas, as a practical

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1:00:00

Moral revolution — Dutch historian Rutger Bregman's...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/12

Humanity is facing an existential risk posed by unchecked tech and AI. But what if these technologies were used, not to increase the wealth and power of individuals, but to shape a better future — for everyone.Rutger Bregman's fourth BBC Reith Lecture, Fighting for Humanity in the Age of the Machine, was recorded with a live audience at Standford University in the United States, and first aired on the BBC on 16 December 2025.SpeakersRutger Bregman Historian, author, Humankind: a

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1:00:00

Moral revolution — Dutch historian Rutger Bregman's...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/11

Do you dare to dream of a world that is different? From the Fabians to the Neoliberals, small groups with big ideas, perseverance and long-term vision, have conspired to transform societies, systems and governments. Where are they now?Rutger Bregman's third BBC Reith Lecture, A conspiracy of decency, was recorded with a live audience in Edinburgh Scotland, and first aired on the BBC on 9 December 2025.SpeakersRutger Bregman Historian, author, Humankind: a hopeful history, Utopia

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1:00:00

Moral revolution — Dutch historian Rutger Bregman's...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/10

Do you have the power to change the world? Do you think the world needs changing? In the past, eras of corruption gave birth to transformative movements, such as the 19th Century campaign to abolish slavery. A look at history shows us that small, committed groups can, and have, sparked moral revolutions.Rutger Bregman's second BBC Reith Lecture, How to start a moral revolution, was recorded with a live audience in Liverpool and first aired on the BBC on 2 December

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0:56:30

Moral revolution — Dutch historian Rutger Bregman's...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/09

Rutger Bregman believes we are living in a time of moral decay, in a world governed by un-serious elites. But history shows us that we have been here before, and just like in past times, we can overcome it again.Rutger Bregman's first BBC Reith Lecture, A Time of Monsters, was recorded with an audience in London and first aired on BBC Radio 4 on 25 November 2025.SpeakersRutger Bregman Historian, author, Humankind: a hopeful history, Utopia for Realists (and how we can get there),

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0:54:37

The history of money — with Irish economist David...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/05

It makes the world go round, but it's also the root of all evil. It hasn't always had a great rap, yet most of us would like more of it. From clay tablets to coins, credit cards to crypto, for 5000 years, money has shaped our world.This podcast episode was originally recorded on 8 October 2025 at The Wheeler Centre. Discover more talks and bold conversations by following The Wheeler Centre wherever you get your podcasts or at wheelercentre.com.SpeakersDavid McWilliams Economist,

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0:56:52

The Australian Wars with Rachel Perkins and Henry...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/04

For decades, a debate has been waged over whether the colonial massacre and resistance of First Nations Australians should be recognised and memorialised by Australia's most important war museum. Don't miss this watershed event at the Australian War Memorial with trailblazing filmmaker Rachel Perkins and eminent historian Henry Reynolds for the launch of their groundbreaking new book The Australian Wars: The truth about the bloody battles fought to establish the nation.This

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0:54:37

Bob Brown on the role of defiance in the climate...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/03

For more than 50 years, Dr Bob Brown has been breaking and making laws to protect the environment. Now aged 81, he is hoping to give strength to new generations who are facing the climate and extinction crises front on.This event was recorded at the Theatre Royal Hobart on 1 October 2025.SpeakersBob BrownPresident, Bob Brown FoundationFormer Greens Senator for Tasmania (1996-2012)Author, Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its DefendersHannah Moloney (host)Presenter, Gardening

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0:54:22

War is changing and the laws meant to protect...

Big Ideas ·

2026/02/02

International humanitarian law, the law of armed conflict, was meant to protect civilians from the worst of war. But in today's wars civilians have become targets, and the rules meant to shield them are breaking down. What happens when the law of war no longer works? And can it be rebuilt to protect civilians once again?Presented by the American Academy in Berlin.SpeakersOona HathawayGerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law, and Founder and Director of the

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0:57:13

Stan Grant — when words fail us, reclaiming the...

Big Ideas ·

2026/01/29

Most of us, in our lives, will witness things we cannot comprehend, when words fail to do justice to the moment. In those moments, to whom or what can we turn? To God? To philosophy? To music? To ourselves, or to our fellow humans? In a noisy world, Stan Grant wrestles with the fragility of language, and the power of silence, and of listening, to find a path to connection, compassion, and love.The Simone Weil Lecture on Human Value was held at the School of Philosophy at the

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