Open House Interviews

Professor John Warhurst, Emeritus Professor of politics from ANU and regular commentator talks Open House through the change of federal leadership.

As urban Australians rally to the aid of their drought-stricken rural cousins, some are decrying spending on government foreign aid or focus on the needy outside Australia. Is there a hierarchy of care or a moral responsibility to look after 'our own first'? Philosopher Xavier Symons helps us evaluate our responsibility to the rest of humanity.

"The history of climate change in this country is, sadly, a battlefield littered with the dead carcasses of leaders who have been brought down by it." says Grattan Institute Energy Director, Tony Wood, on Open House

After seeing the effects of Alzheimer's Disease on her grandmother, Associate Professor Muireann Irish from the University of Sydney developed a passion to explore the links between brain response and music for patients of dementia.

A researcher from ANU has made a breakthrough in diagnosing malaria and other pathogens that will be life changing in the developing world. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are impressed they are funding further development of the kit. Inventor Dr Lee Alissandratos, from the ANU Research School of Chemistry (who is a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow), explained how it works on Open House.

In 1942, Australian sergeant Sir David “Griff” Griffin was a prisoner of war in Changi Prison, Singapore. With Christmas approaching, the POWs decided to make gifts for the children interned in the prison. Not handy with tools, like the other men who made toys for the children, Griff decided to make a book called The Happiness Box to chase away fear and inspire hope.

Professor Gordon Parker tackles the fake news about antidepressants. The public has been misled and confused by studies that show antidepressants were no more effective than placebos. Depression has many types and Professor Parker says we know biological depression or melancholia shows a 60 per cent response to medication.

Scientists from Australia and the United States have helped to solve the mystery underlying Jupiter’s coloured bands in a new study on the interaction between atmospheres and magnetic fields. On Open House Dr Navid Constantinou from ANU explained the underlying laws of physics are the same on earth or on Jupiter.

Our conversation with author Meredith Lake is one of our favourites. The book we spoke about tells the story of the Bible's widespread influence in Australia's cultural history, It has just won the 2018 Australian Christian Book of the Year!

Australia is now home to 25 million people and no one could be more excited than founder of McCrindle Research, and well-known data lover, Mark McCrindle. On Open House, Stephen O'Doherty asked if he sat up late to watch the "population clock" tick over.