Big Ideas

Does the traditional travelling circus have a future in Australia?

Will the working class become the useless class as technology destroys millions of jobs?

Where would we be without spectacles, light bulbs and windscreens? How many lives were saved through germ identifying microscope lenses? And how pleasurable would life be without windows, computers or telephones?

How is genomics changing medical practice?

The frozen and fragile continent of Antarctica needs international attention.

With increasing state rivalries, environmental concerns, and the need for resources, is the Antarctic Treaty System in need of reform?

How much is Western culture is derived from the Abrahamic religions and traditions? And are some core Islamic values at odds with the contemporary materialistic world? A panel of experts tries to explain Islam.

The search for identity and the search for self.

Lost memories and the historical record.

In Afghanistan, two lovers, Zakia and Ali, friends since childhood, elope: defying the wishes of their families, cultural norms, and Afghan and Islamic Law. Zakia’s family vows to kill her, to restore the family’s "honour". The couple is forced to run away and live a life of fugitives. Former New York Times bureau chief in Kabul, Rod Nordland, met the couple, and helped protect Zakia. He tells their story in “The Lovers”. What does the story tells us about women’s rights in Afghanistan, post Western intervention? And what happens when you cross the line from dispassionate journalist, to being entangled in the lives of your subjects? Paul Barclay interviews Rod Nordland.

A panel of journalists and community leaders look at how media portrays marginalised groups and how they can shape social cohesion – for the better or worse.

How is our cosmos finely tuned and just right for life? It's time to ask some of the deep questions about our place in the cosmos.