Big Ideas

Satellites orbiting the earth are put to many uses helping us to navigate, predict the weather and connect to the internet. Not to mention spying on other countries. But it’s getting crowded up there with more rockets , satellites and pieces of space junk and no-one is directing traffic. So who decides the future of space?

The legal system is far from perfect. How can laws be used, or reformed, to help bring about social change? Can they assist indigenous Australians to protect their cultural and intellectual property, or deliver justice to survivors of sexual violence? What are the limits of class action litigation in contributing to a better future for young Australians about to bear the full brunt of climate change? Three lawyers talk about the power, potential, and limits of the law.

After the moon, Mars is the next big thing . So what do we know about Mars and who’s likely to get there first? Spacecraft flying through the atmosphere collect data on Mars chemistry and geography while rovers on the Martian surface act as forward scouts for a human mission. Then there's the tantalizing hope we'll find life.

All animals communicate, but only humans have language. Why only us? Why has language been more important to human success than have our genes?

Make the most of your life and be at peace with death. Easy to say but hard to do. Death is not a topic we’re encouraged to talk about but its shadow shapes many of the things we do. Can you have a happier life if you let go of death anxiety?

Whatever happened to visionary politics, big policy ideas, and governments with bold reform agendas? Australia faces a range of daunting challenges, yet Coalition and Labor governments have been in the grip of policy paralysis. That’s the view of public policy experts, Martin Parkinson and John Daley. Why has policy ambition stalled, and what can be done about to address it?

Australia’s relationship with China is at an all-time low. And you’ll be hearing alot about security and defence in the upcoming federal election. As China’s star continues to rise, politicians warn that China is a threat to Australia’s security.

But is that threat exaggerated? Should we step back and see a more complex picture?

How do you get to the essence of an activity that is part sport, part leisure, and a large part cultural identity?

The world is online and so are the criminals. Police are using artificial intelligence to find the needles in criminal haystacks but should there be limits on what they can do? And how neural implants connect to the brain and the power of the nocebo effect. Nocebo is placebo's evil twin.

Illegal drug taking, alleged bullying and harassment, and deliberately losing matches to gain access to prized young recruits. These are some of the scandals that, over the years, have plagued the biggest sporting competition in the country, the AFL – the Australian Football League.  But despite these, and other, crises, governance of the 700 million dollar a year competition leaves a lot to be desired.  So says investigative journalist, Mick Warner.