Victoria was the first state in Australia to legalise Voluntary Assisted Dying. The law came into effect in 2019.  Western Australian and Tasmania have now passed similar laws, but they are yet to take effect.  After nearly two years of operation in Victoria, how are the laws working, and where is the debate at?

The extent of sexual abuse in our society has been laid bare in recent months. Survivors of abuse have courageously stepped forward to tell their stories in the media and on social media. One of those people is Australian of the Year, Grace Tame , recognized for her campaign to shine a light on the way we deal with sexual assault. Grace speaks to Kerry O'Brien about her personal experience and her call for a national taskforce to deal with this issue.

Stress is one of the big health and wellbeing problems of modern life. It seems there is no way to escape it: too many work demands, social tensions, juggling all the tasks in your day done, financial pressures - even your leisure time can get too busy. On Big Ideas, three experts explain the science of stress: How our bodies and brains react to it and how we can improve coping with it.

The Treaty of Versailles was supposed to bring ‘peace without victory’ and end all wars. Far from it, most conflicts of the past century can be traced back to that unprecedented peace conference in Paris. Big Ideas a panel of historians discusses the shortcomings of the Treaty of Versailles and explain how it more or less laid out the roadmap for the 20th century.

Writer, Monica Dux, grew up a devout Catholic, once telling a high school friend she wanted to be a nun. But, over time, she lost her religion, and eventually became so disillusioned with the Catholic Church she decided to quit. She discovered, “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”.

In just over 100 years the computer has come a long way. Early devices were huge, clunky machines; a 1000-word memory was considered a lot; and the capacity of doing 29 equations simultaneously was a break-through. Despite its limitations, a lot of the old technology is still at the basis of today’s ubiquitous high-tech computers. Big Ideas takes you on a journey through the history of the modern computer.

We can recycle to put materials to new uses not just to replace the original product. We hear how textiles and plastics are repurposed to make building tiles and how the fashion industry is trying to reduce, reuse and recycle. Mass produced clothes currently contribute enormous amounts to landfill and generate pollution in the manufacturing process.

US president Joe Biden has pledged a reformed approach to China and the United States’ relationship with the outside world. So, what would a changing US-China relationship mean for the rest of the world? And does the US look for more cooperation with Europe on dealings with China? A panel of China and international security experts explores the complex geopolitics connecting America and China.

Alan Finkel, Australia's former Chief Scientist, plots a course for moving away from carbon emitting fossil fuels, towards a zero emissions world. Solar, wind, as well as battery storage of renewables, will meet more of energy needs.  But the great hope, down the track, is hydrogen power.

Psychedelic drugs were a feature of 1960s counter-culture and the subject of serious medical research from the 1940s onwards. Research was halted after psychedelics were declared dangerous and banned but new research is finding them to be powerful medicine. And, with the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, why are there so few drugs to treat viruses?