Big Ideas

Many people no longer relate to the left and right divide in politics. They see politics through the lens of their identity: ethnicity, religion, gender or race. But will playing politics this way achieve transformative social change? Analyst Kenan Malik says that solidarity not difference is the way forward.

Worldwide there are more than 25 million refugees. But their suffering doesn’t end once they reach a safe place. They continue to fight the experience of torture and trauma.

Vince Kadlubek on how a weird anarchist art collective from Sante Fe, New Mexico, became a cultural juggernaut and 'alt Disney' enterprise.

Some consumers will go out of their way to avoid genetically modified produce. Despite reassurance from GM scientists, the debate about GM food goes on. As Tasmania reviews its moratorium on genetically modified crops we debate the pros and cons of GM agriculture.

Ex-Australian Greens leader, Bob Brown, in conversation. He discusses why the environment is our most pressing concern, the impact of big money - and the Murdoch press - on politics, and more.

War crimes and human rights abuses are nothing new but have we lost the will to fight them?  An advocate for Human Rights Watch says that atrocities have become the new normal as governments and militias act with impunity.  Despite laws and conventions, the international community seems unwilling to stop the persecution and to make the guilty pay.  Why has this happened and can we turn it around?

As music gets quiet, so too must listening. Deep Listening is a philosophy that treats musical work as immersive soundscapes. The music, the environment of the performance and the audience form an interdependent listening experience.

Did you know that music has played a role in shaping our periodic table of chemical elements? Yes – chemistry is intrinsically linked to music. Big Ideas celebrates the 150-year anniversary of the periodic table.

It's the 150 anniversary of the periodic table chemical elements and music has played an important role in shaping it … and you’ll hear about the art of deep listening.

Our driverless future and designing robots to mimic humans