Two teams of heavy-hitters debate the fate of human creativity in a world of artificial intelligence. In a Big Ideas first, two A.I debaters are taking to the stage, and with strong opinions! Are the bots coming for Boticelli and the Bronte Sisters? Will humans be thrown in the dustbin of civilisation as our artistic expression is usurped by silicon? Or, will the bots help you unleash your creative potential like never before?

Dame Jacinda Ardern's rise to the top wasn't down to destiny. In fact, the first job she wanted was to be a clown. Then she tried (and failed) in a Lord of the Rings audition to be a hobbit. 

But what would come later would be a bigger role that would eclipse any of her prior attempts at a life on screen. After an unexpected election victory in 2017, she became the world's youngest female leader (and a global media sensation). 

For many, Jacinda's story channels what people in New Zealand know as Mana Wāhine -- a Māori phrase that refers to women of strength. It's something that was explored in a recent panel where women across the arts, sport and politics came together to reflect on their journeys, and the responsibilities that emerge once you're at the top.

Geopolitics and climate change now have immediate consequences for national and international security interests across the Arctic and Antarctic. The world's polar regions are contested and strategically central to geopolitical rivalry. At the same time, rapid political, social, and environmental change presents unprecedented challenges for governance, environmental protection, and maritime operations in the regions.

Why did an earless lizard make politicians take to the podium? (And could it have heard them anyway?). What makes a pygmy possum randy?  (The nose knows).  Why are Africa’s sacred cows so vital? (More than a meaty issue). Genetics to the rescue with hopeful stories and science from three trailblazing women. Join Natasha Mitchell at the Melbourne Museum for the 2023 International Congress of Genetics. 

What gives you the ick? Though of course, that is inherently subjective. What may be someone's ick could be someone's kink. Jesse Bering is a psychologist specialising in evolutionary psychology and human behaviour whose work has tried to understand what lies beneath 'normal'.

In this talk from Vivid 2023, Jesse explores the complex dynamics between repulsion and attraction, and how sexual 'deviance' has evolved over time.

You see more long braids, a touch of makeup and some curves in professional sports. Women are finally starting to assert their place on the field. But as our expert panel says, creating pathways to inclusion for women and gender diverse people with intersecting identities and abilities remains an urgent task at both grassroots and elite levels.

Who doesn't dream of being loved dangerously, thrillingly free from the tethers of restraint? It's a question journalist and author Kate Legge asked after the discovery of her husband's affairs. He was a high-powered media CEO, and she was a veteran journalist who was assured the infidelity was singular (more were to be discovered on the home PC).

Having tried (and failed) to keep the marriage going, Kate started to write about it, only to discover infidelities spanning four generations on his side of the family. The resulting book, Infidelity and Other Affairs asks why some choose restraint, while others choose wild abandon.

Many precolonial kingdoms and dynasties of Africa, have shaped cultures across the continent to this day. But they have been terribly ignored and marginalised throughout history. A pity really – because we could learn so much from their approach to wielding power: like how to reign with mystical stories and through generosity instead of oppression; and instead of wars over borders have the people chose under what king they want to life. 

Frank Bongiorno is always adventurous with the way he unearths the history of Australia. He's written a history of Australian sex lives, Australia in the 1980s, and now he'll surprise you again with stories of the dreamers and schemers who have shaped Australia's political history. 

With a change in government, there comes a new orientation for Australian foreign policy. Under the leadership of Foreign Minister Penny Wong — the first Asian and overseas-born Australian to hold that office — there has been attempts to reset many of Australia's relationships in the region, particularly with China.

But a hard reset isn't exactly on the agenda — the Albanese Government is continuing the AUKUS deal and remains steadfast in deepening the US-Australia alliance. So what new directions in foreign policy can the Labor Government define in this moment?