Big Ideas

Stan Grant tells Paul Barclay we live in age of grievance, where identity divides, rather than unites, us. He believes liberal values still matter, and changing the date of Australia Day would be a mistake.

China has developed its own version of the internet. The government blocks access to foreign websites like Facebook and Google and it employs a cyber army to monitor social media and censor sensitive topics. Other countries are now looking at adopting the Chinese model.

Don’t skimp on your eight hours of sleep each day! Sleep has a direct impact on social behaviour, mental health and obesity. In fact, you die if you don’t sleep — quicker than you starve to death.

Reith lecturer Jonathan Sumption argues that law has expanded to fill the space once occupied by politics. He wants to revitalize the public's interest in politics but says complaints about political elites are misguided. He weighs up proposals to change the constitution and voting systems.

The internet has fragmented communities, proliferated fake news, distracted children, and led to disengaged citizens, according to Peter Lewis. What happened to the digital Utopia?

After decades of the one child policy who will take care of China's elderly? 350 million people will be sixty-five plus in China by 2040. The one child policy was abolished in 2015 but China's birthrate hasn't increased as expected so aged care may not be any easier for the next generation.

Do you want children and, if so, how many and when? Despite lifestyle choices, there’s still the expectation that you’ll find a partner, make a commitment and become a parent. But it’s not exactly going to plan. The birthrate’s going down and more women are choosing to be childfree.

Did you know that sharks have very distinct personalities? That they have social networks and a ‘home’? A panel of marine scientists tries to change the public perception of sharks. Understanding sharks better can help find the right balance of shark-human interaction.

The American Bill of Rights is held up as the best way to protect civil liberties and minorities. But entrenched rights from a document written hundreds of years ago can have a downside. Reith lecturer Jonathan Sumption gives his view of the pros and cons of constitutional rights. Are they the best protection against the excesses of the State?