Big Ideas

ABC Australia

4.0 (30)
Society & Culture
Updated daily

Your front row seat to big thinkers at the best live events, forums, and festivals. Feed your mind. Be provoked. One big idea at a time. Your brain will love you for it. We love hearing from you about the show or events you are planning. Get in touch! Email: Bigideas@abc.net.au SMS line for ABC Radio National: 0418 226 576 Airs Monday to Thursday 8pm, repeated Tuesday to Friday 12pm, on ABC Radio National.

7 hr ago

Why didn't anyone tell me Australian history was ACTUALLY interesting!? Sita Sargeant, Santilla Chingaipe, Jacinta Mackay, Harini Rangarajan

Think of a history textbook you had at school. Could you relate to the characters inside its pages? These women are proving Australian history contains multitudes. You just have to go looking for the version of Australia that never made it into the textbooks. Meet four women reshaping how and whose history is told. Hidden histories with a Wiradjuri woman and nurse turned oral historian, a South Indian finance student turned storyteller, a Zambian born film-maker and author, and the founder of She Shapes History. This event was hosted at the National Library of Australia in partnership with She Shapes History. Speakers Sita SargeantSocial entrepreneur, author, founder and CEO of She Shapes History2026 ACT Young Australian of the Year Santilla ChingaipeZambian-born filmmaker, historian and author of Black Convicts - how slavery shaped AustraliaHost of the SBS documentary Our African RootsHost of monthly literary and listening events in Melbourne. Find more information at firstchapterpresents Jacinta MackayWiradjuri woman, nurse, researcher and oral historian completing her PhDLecturer, University of Sydney School of Nursing2024 National Library Scholar Harini RangarajanChennai-born, Canberra-raised storyteller, archivist and musicianACT Greens candidate Further information: Relevant reading notes and tips for this event if you're interested to discover more.
1 day ago

What does 'being a man' look like — today?

The conversation around men's mental health, identity and emotional lives is changing. Literature is one of the places where that shift is happening. On the page, writers are exploring what it costs men to conform, to hide, to perform strength they don't always feel. Masculinity and Mental Health was presented at the Newcastle Writers Festival. Listen to Big Ideas: The radicalisation of boys — Jess Hill, George Megalogenis, Thomas Mayo with Natasha Mitchell at Byron Writers Festival Speakers Tyree BarnetteAuthor of Stolen Man on Stolen Land: Being African-American in Australia Brandon JackFormer AFL player and author of Pissants and 28: A memoir of football, addiction, art, masculinity and love Andrew PipposAuthor of The Transformations and Lucky's Michael Williams (host)Editor of The Monthly
2 days ago

Could the 21st century be the greatest age of exploration in the history of humankind? Ocean explorer Terry Garcia thinks so

The ocean sustains all life on Earth, yet we know remarkably little about it. Now, because of technological advances, we could be on the cusp of a new age of exploration. But the ocean is in trouble. As National Geographic's Chief Science and Exploration Officer and deputy administrator for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Terry Garcia has seen the worst humans can inflict on the environment, working on responses to major disasters the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska and BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He says that in order to save the ocean, we need to understand it, and in order to understand it, we need to explore it. The 2026 Talbot Oration was recorded at the Australian Museum on 4 June. Speakers: Terry GarciaPresident of Exploration VentureFormer Executive Vice President and Chief Science and Exploration Officer for the National Geographic SocietyFormer Deputy Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Kim McKay (host)Director and Chief Executive of the Australian Museum
6 days ago

On how fear destroys your relationships — and why love can heal fear

It's the greatest power you all have as human beings — a healing power: to make others feel safe and welcome. It's so powerful because it puts a stop to their fears. The way to do this is learning to regulate your own fear responses. It's crucial to any relationship, but nowhere more so than in the therapy room. Fear makes or breaks successful therapy. Recorded at the York Festival of Ideas and presented by the Complex Trauma Institute. The festival is led by the University of York, UK. Speaker Michael GuildingAuthor of Fear in the Therapy Room. A survival guide for working with complex traumaRetired counsellor and clinical psychotherapist
22 Jul

Angertainment — is it too late to escape the rage bait machine, and why are its roots ancient and evolutionary? With Ed Coper

Is it too late to escape the rage bait machine? And why are its roots ancient and evolutionary? Leading strategist Ed Coper has used all the tricks of the trade to change hearts and minds. He's run some of Australia's and the world's most effective campaigns, advised change-makers like Sir Richard Branson, Shakira, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai and other Nobel Laureates. Now Ed is ringing an alarm bell in a new book called Angertainment: How Social Media Outrage Ruined Everything. This event was held at The Wheeler Centre, Australia's first dedicated centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, and was supported by RMIT University. Explore more discussions like this one on The Wheeler Centre podcast — available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @wheelercentre on the socials for updates. Speakers: Ed CoperCommunications strategistCEO, PopularesAuthor, Angertainment: How Social Media Outrage Ruined Everything (2026), Facts and Other Lies: Welcome to the Disinformation Age (2022) Sushi Das (host)Journalist, lecturer, and former Chief of Staff of RMIT Fact Check, RMIT University
21 Jul

Globalisation and geopolitics – the forces that will make or break Asia

Globalisation has powered the extraordinary economic rise of Asia. But the same components that built this success — open trade, deep supply chains, interdependence — are now fuelling the rivalries threatening to pull the region apart. Globalisation and geopolitics are now moving in different directions, and it will define the future of Asia and the role Australia plays in the region. Speakers Professor Nick Bisley Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University Author of the book Asian Crucible, Globalization, Geopolitics and the Contest for the Future Dr Michael Green (host) CEO United States Studies Centre
20 Jul

Calling out wrongdoing can come at a cost — here's how Australia can strengthen its whistleblowing laws

From Robodebt to the banks, KPMG to the NDIS, whistleblowers have exposed egregious cases of corruption and misconduct. But it's often come at great personal cost, including risks to personal safety, liberty, relationships and reputations. So how could Australia's whistleblower protections be strengthened so that more people speak up when they witness wrongdoing? This event was recorded at the Centre for Ideas at the University of New South Wales on 16 June 2026. Speakers: Kieran PenderAssociate Legal Director of the Human Rights Law CentreFounder, The Whistleblower Project Gabriel ShiptonFilm maker, storyteller, human rights advocate, co-leader of the campaign to free WikiLeaks founder Julian AssangeFounder, The Information Rights Project Lenore Taylor (host)Former editor, Guardian Australia
16 Jul

Ex-chief scientist Alan Finkel's three laws of Artificial Intelligence

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants AI in Australia's interests, and has announced steps to regulate the technology. So can Australia get the balance right between the opportunities offered by AI, and the risks? Australia's former Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, a serial tech entrepreneur, has some ideas — and argues governments have been asleep at the wheel on AI regulation. This event was recorded at the Woodend Winter Arts Festival on 7 June 2026. Speakers: Professor Alan FinkelFounder, Proudly HumanFormer Chief ScientistFormer Chancellor Monash UniversityFounder of biotech and edtech companies Axon Instruments and Stile EducationFormer President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE)Co-founder, Cosmos Magazine

See All (1.4k)

Paul Barclay

Host
Natasha Mitchell

Host
Ed Coper

Guest
Kieran Pender

Guest
Gabriel Shipton

Guest
Alan Finkel

Guest
Brianna Le Busque

Guest
Anika Craney

Guest
Kate Montague

Guest
Kal Glanznig

Guest

4

out of 5

30 Ratings

Always interesting

28/03/2021

Duindobheul

There’s always something interesting or challenging in this podcast. It’s utterly compelling. So many different guests and topics. Fantastic content from ABC. Love listening to this and other content from Australia here at home in Scotland. Thank you for bringing the world closer when everything seems further away.
Love it!

11/06/2014

TanTan91

A great podcast for people who want to be inspired!
covid-19 silence

27/03/2020

picturetalk321

I love this show. I have listened to it regularly and enthusiastically from the UK and Germany for 3 years now. But I am mystifies by the editors' decision to feature nothing on the corona virus. I keep refreshing every two days and can simply not understand it. I've stoppes tuning in. This show is normally so amazingly topical: what has happened? Hope everyone is OK. xx
A short review

06/09/2009

vectr

This is an excellent podcast that presents a counter-balance to the shallow media that predominates discourse. Commendable. As an Aussie living in London, this is the sort of thing that makes me proud even when I'm on the other side of the planet.

Your front row seat to big thinkers at the best live events, forums, and festivals. Feed your mind. Be provoked. One big idea at a time. Your brain will love you for it. We love hearing from you about the show or events you are planning. Get in touch! Email: Bigideas@abc.net.au SMS line for ABC Radio National: 0418 226 576 Airs Monday to Thursday 8pm, repeated Tuesday to Friday 12pm, on ABC Radio National.