Big Ideas

Our criminal justice system has certainly changed since the First Fleet unloaded its cargo of convicts in 1788. But is our prison system doing any better in reducing crime and returning offenders to society? That’s the question explored in this lecture by the Honourable Kate Warner Governor of Tasmania and Professor Emeritus of Law. She compares Australia’s original convict system with current crime and imprisonment rates.

Almost no question is of greater significance for Australia’s future than the emergence of China as an economic and military great power. How should Australia react?

How Iraqi refugee Munjed Al Muderis became a world famous orthopaedic surgeon.

Fiona Wood developed spray-on skin to reduce scarring and recovery time in burns patients. In 2002 she headed the burns team at Royal Perth Hospital when they were called upon to treat victims of the Bali bombing. The daughter of a Yorkshire miner Fiona Wood talks about her passion for medicine and the importance of helping others as a guiding principle in life.

Love, hate, fear, shame, guilt, joy, disgust, and empathy. Animals can feel and express these emotions – just like us. The idea that animal share the same emotions as humans was a taboo in scientific research for a long time. Frans de Waal sets the record straight.

Bees are important crop pollinators and farmers are worried by a decline in bee populations. Global honey production has also suffered because of bee diseases and hive collapse. Australian native bees and honey bees are faring better but habitat loss threatens bee numbers and species loss. Farmers and gardeners are encouraged to be bee-friendly by planting native vegetation.

The fascinating backstories and controversies behind two architectural icons: the Sydney Opera House and the Parliament House.

Do corporations, mercenaries, and rogue states now hold more power than the nation-states? The strategies of conventional wars don’t work in a world of disorder: global terrorism, international criminal empires, dwindling natural resources and bloody civil wars.

What we will be eating in 30 years and where it will come from? Climate change is causing havoc for Australian food producers. Then there’s consumer concerns about how food is produced. And the pressure to feed a growing population. So how are Australian farmers responding and will indigenous foods form a greater part of our diet?

While trade is still strong, recent events have made us see China in a different light.  China’s attempt to influence Australian politics and detention of critics who are dual citizens has made us uneasy about its intentions. So how do we put our relationship back on a firm footing? Three prominent Australians respond to the idea of a new China narrative which seeks to build a constructive relationship aligned with our goals and values.