Sydney Ideas

By Sydney Ideas

What's Sydney Ideas about?

Sydney Ideas is the University of Sydney's premier public lecture series program, bringing the world's leading thinkers and the latest research to the wider Sydney community.

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Sydney Ideas episodes:

04.10.2024
Oceanic narratives: Interweaving past, present and future
Delve into the history, science, and beauty of the natural world with Australian author James Bradley, Professor of Marine Biology Maria Byrne, ocean and climate advocate Tishiko King and host Helen Sullivan (Guardian Australia). This event was held live at the...
03.25.2024
Art of good health and wellbeing
Explore how the arts are transforming health and education to improve care and wellbeing with acclaimed playwright Wesley Enoch, poet Selina Tusitala Marsh, nursing professor Brendan McCormack and host Claire Hooker (CREATE Centre). This podcast is a recording of a live...
03.05.2024
Alastair Campbell: Setting The Mental Health Agenda
How do we move the needle on mental health outcomes? Alastair Campbell and leading experts discuss what can be done to influence the appropriate social and political responses. Known for his role as communications director for former Prime Minister of the...
11.24.2023
Activating allies for gender equality
A public conversation about intergenerational perspectives on allyship for gender equality – its importance, how to activate allies, and what effective and accountable allyship looks like. Featuring gender equality champion Elizabeth Broderick AO; internationally recognised diversity and inclusion scholar Mustafa Ozbilgin;...
11.13.2023
What art ought to be
Yorta Yorta woman, composer and soprano Deborah Cheetham Fraillon was joined by some of the country’s most creative minds for an expansive conversation that reflects on the role of the arts in a post-referendum Australia. Australia, at this time following the...
10.20.2023
Introducing The Solutionists, with Mark Scott
In today’s show we wanted to introduce to you a new podcast we think you might enjoy. It’s called 'The Solutionists', with Mark Scott. Big challenges need big solutions. Meet the minds making it happen. Join Mark Scott, Vice-Chancellor and President...
10.05.2023
Zara Seidler in conversation with Phoebe Saintilan
Hear from two pioneering University of Sydney alumni changing the game in news and media: Zara Seidler, co-founder of Australia's fastest growing social-first news service, The Daily Aus; and Phoebe Saintilan, founder of new media technology company Missing Perspectives. Zara and...
09.18.2023
Breaking down disinformation
In this conversation, hear academic experts discuss disinformation – what makes it so influential and problematic, roles and responsibilities of our institutions and platforms, and how to counteract it for better decision-making. Featuring: philosopher Lee McIntyre, digital platforms researcher Joanne...
08.29.2023
Greening healthcare
Can we save lives and save the planet? Hear how the healthcare sector is tracking, finding solutions and making changes, to be more sustainable and green. Healthcare is both significantly affected by, and is a contributor to, climate change. If the...
08.14.2023
Unlocking the housing crisis
Why taking a moral and philosophical lens to understanding housing can help us get out of the crisis in Australia – and create a fairer, sustainable system for all. Author and citymaker Jess Scully hosts this conversation with philosopher Ingrid Robeyns,...
08.09.2023
Voices on the Voice: Marcia Langton
A keynote address by prominent anthropologist and geographer Professor Marcia Langton AO, on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The Indigenous Voice to Parliament is one of the most important discussions taking place in Australia. In the lead up to the...
08.08.2023
The loneliness epidemic
Epidemiologist and population behavioural scientist Melody Ding gives a talk on the trends and predictors of loneliness and why it’s a public health issue. With Professor Stephen Simpson, Academic Director of Charles Perkins Centre, as host. The recording of this talk...
07.19.2023
Rise of the Machines: how worried should we be about AI?
If there’s a 10% chance that human-level artificial intelligence (AI) would lead to existential risk or an “extremely negative outcome”, what would you do? In this public talks event we had the experts weigh in on the development of AI...
05.26.2023
Voices on the Voice: Noel Pearson
Hear a keynote address by University of Sydney alumnus Noel Pearson (BA '87, LL B '93), a proud leader from the Guugu Yimidhirr community of Hopevale on the Eastern Cape York Peninsula, and hailed as one of the best orators...
05.11.2023
Nanotechnology: scalable solutions for climate action
Carbon removal, solar power and clean hydrogen – these are just some of the renewable technologies touted as solutions to fossil fuel. How can these different areas of science and technology work together to be part of a shared solution? Three...
03.21.2023
Pacific influence
How do we meaningfully engage with Pacific peoples and issues across the region? We invite you to this Talanoa (shared conversation) with host Professor Jioji Ravulo and experts in geopolitics, climate and economic security. Much attention is on the Pacific region...
02.06.2023
Ukraine: the country that surprised the world
Hear from acclaimed writer and historian Dr Olesya Khromeychuk, a leading voice on Russia's war against Ukraine. International observers estimated that Ukraine would fall within days following Russia’s full-scale invasion. A year on, Ukrainian society continues to demonstrate extraordinary defiance and...
12.15.2022
Extreme heat and human health
What is the impact of extreme heat and hot weather on human health across the human lifespan? In this Sydney Ideas event, experts from the University's Heat and Health Research Incubator (HHRI) discuss the latest research and provide us with...
10.31.2022
How do our minds work?
What is really going on 'under the hood'? What can we do each day to improve our own - and our collective - mental health? A team of experts share cutting-edge research and explore practical ways to reach peak mind...
10.19.2022
Andrew Leigh - A Zippier Economy
In this talk, The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury shares why he believes that competition policy is fundamental to economic dynamism and rising living standards. Dr Leigh was introduced and joined in a...
09.30.2022
Hostage Diplomacy: who's in control?
2022 Michael Hintze Lecture with Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert British-Australian academic, Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, highlights the complex nature of state hostage taking, and outlines ways in which Australia’s approach can be refined to tackle this insidious and growing global problem. The use...
09.12.2022
Invisible Infrared: Connecting the James Webb Space Telescope & Climate Change
Join Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Professor Peter Tuthill on a guided tour of the latest photos from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – our Infrared Eye in the Sky. The JWST is NASA’s largest and most powerful space science...
08.01.2022
How AI Is Changing Medical Practice
Sydney Ideas welcomes back Professor Frank Pasquale (Brooklyn Law School), a leading author and academic on the law of artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms, and machine learning. He is joined by local experts to unpack the challenges and advantages of AI...
07.26.2022
Can there be a different kind of politics? 2022 federal election series: Part 2
How will the new government deliver on its promises? Respected journalist Nick Bryant hosts this conversation with Sally Sitou, Member for Reid; Kylea Tink, Member for North Sydney; Constitutional reform expert; Anne Twomey; and political theorist Tim Soutphommasane. On being elected,...
07.25.2022
Wild weather, lost land and persistent pollutants
Renowned environmental scientist, Professor Emma Johnston AO, the co-chief author of the 2021 Australian State of Environment Report and the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) is joined by her co-authors to discuss key findings of the report and what is in...
05.26.2022
Teela Reid: Reconcile what? Why white Australia needs to rectify its wrongs
Why are we a nation that has not yet recognised the First People, and what can we do to take action? Teela Reid, proud Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman, lawyer and the University of Sydney's inaugural Indigenous Practitioner-in-Residence, examines the hard questions...
05.24.2022
Dr Kakenya Ntaiya: Empowering girls and women in education
Hear from global leader Dr Kakenya Ntaiya, scholar, social activist and 2021/2022 Senior Fellow at Brown University. Kakenya is the founder of Kakenya's Dream, an international nonprofit organisation that seeks to educate girls, end harmful traditional practices including female genital...
05.02.2022
2022 federal election series: Part 1
In the lead up to the federal election, as the parties vie for voter’s attention, Sydney Ideas brings together a panel of experts to examine some of the key policy issues that are shaping this election, such as the economy,...
05.02.2022
2022 federal election series: Part 1
In the lead up to the federal election, as the parties vie for voter’s attention, Sydney Ideas brings together a panel of experts to examine some of the key policy issues that are shaping this election, such as the economy,...
04.26.2022
A flood of emotions
In the aftermath of devastating climate disasters like Australia’s recent east-coast floods, how do communities – those at the centre of the crisis and those on the periphery – support each other emotionally during times of climate distress? Hear from climate...
03.17.2022
Maths, AI and intuition
How can artificial intelligence help us solve tough mathematical problems? Delve into the surprising ways that AI can enhance our human intuition with esteemed Australian mathematician Professor Geordie Williamson and MC Adam Spencer. To see the beautiful images and graphs Geordie...
03.17.2022
Young people as experts: creating change in out-of-home care
Hear from young people and academic experts, including a leading US researcher, who are driving research that is changing the out-of-home care system, using creative methods for social change. FEATURING: – Billy Black, Fostering Lifelong Connections Advisory Group – Expert by Experience – Professor...
03.04.2022
Lights on: bringing the nightlife back to our city
What can the 24 hour economy look like and how might it help future proof the city? FEATURING: – Michael Rodrigues, 24 Hour Economy Commissioner – Sara Saleh, writer and poet – Jess Scully, author, curator and City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor –...
02.24.2022
The shape of things to come
2022. It's a new year yet the same-old. Off the back of the pandemic, there was talk of a Great Reset, a chance to turn a crisis into an opportunity. But looking at the state of play today – in...
11.29.2021
Big solutions on the nanoscale
Hear from researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), who are working at the cutting-edge of nanoscience. Professor Zdenka Kuncic shares how the research team is delivering cures for neurological diseases by rethinking interventions in the nervous...
10.29.2021
For the birds
How adaptable are our big city birds to the urban environment and what impact we humans are having on them? Discover some significant citizen science projects and how you can get involved. Drawing on the latest research, in this Sydney...
10.14.2021
What will living with COVID look like?
As Australia looks to reopen, and in the week NSW emerges from lockdown, we examine the path to reopening and how we can rebuild Australian society looking forward. Drawing upon the work of the Open Society, Common Purpose taskforce hosted...
09.27.2021
Body clocks and the science of sleep
How do changes to our sleep and body rhythms affect our health, wellbeing and diseases of the brain? In the lead up to Mental Health Month, discover some fascinating new research emerging from the University of Sydney and beyond. Fran...
09.08.2021
Australia’s responsibility to Afghanistan and to its people
After being involved in two decades of occupying the country, what responsibilities does Australia owe to the people of Afghanistan? What more needs to be done by the Australian and other allied governments? This conversation brings together Afghan Australians Mujib Abid...
09.01.2021
What is happiness
A philosopher, an improv comedian, a psychologist and an economist walk into a Sydney Ideas webinar... to discuss happiness. Can we find ways to be happier than we were before, while in the face of ongoing uncertainty and a global...
08.20.2021
The case for vaccination
Vaccines offer a way out of COVID but its success is not without challenges. How do we overcome the gaps in understanding so that we’re backing the best chance we have in keeping ourselves and the community safe? Facilitated by ABC’s...
07.28.2021
Pandemic fatigue: young people and mental health
What does lockdown 2.0 mean for younger people and how does it impact on their mental health? Hear from our panel of passionate mental health experts and leaders including: – Dr Marlee Bower, Research Fellow at the Matilda Centre, whose work explores social...
07.14.2021
Kate Crawford: Atlas of AI
Hear from Kate Crawford, Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney and one of the world's foremost scholars on the social and political implications of artificial intelligence. Timed for the Australian launch of her new book, 'Atlas of AI: Power, Politics,...
06.30.2021
COVID-19: What we know now
COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the world we live in. Moving forward, how might we navigate work, health and wellbeing, and safety with COVID as an ongoing and evolving factor in the long-term? Hear from academic experts at the University of Sydney,...
06.18.2021
What COVID forgot: orphans of the pandemic response
During the pandemic last year, many of us delayed our health check-ups, from going to the dentist to cancer screenings, and much more. This has major flow on effects across all parts of society. So this discussion is the health...
12.16.2020
What happened to 2020? The year in review
It's been a big year. We’ve put together a few of our key talks, with leading thinkers from the University of Sydney and beyond to reflect on 2020 and what might lie ahead in 2021. Take a listen, and dive...
12.03.2020
Heart of darkness: black holes and the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics (2 December 2020)
Black holes are the most mysterious objects in the universe; matter and space folded into an enigmatic knot from which not even light can escape. The 2020 Nobel Prize awarded research into black holes, thinking about the unthinkable, and seeing...
11.02.2020
Charging ahead with clean energy (30 October 2020)
The science and economics tells us sustainable energy alternatives make sense. So, what’s the missing link in the path to a clean and prosperous future? FEATURING: – Matt Kean MP, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, offers perspective into the economic...
10.28.2020
Vision for the future (28 October 2020)
This year has seen a complete restructure of how society conducts its business. The shift from traditional "face-to-face” work environments has been both unsettling and disruptive. But for some, particularly people with blindness or low vision, it’s proof that flexible...
10.22.2020
Bruce Pascoe: Perennial Soil
It has never been more important to be sharing Indigenous knowledge. So many solutions to the problems we face today can be found in that wisdom. Bruce Pascoe delivers a lecture on Indigenous farming and land management. The 'Dark Emu' author...

What's Sydney Ideas about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Sydney Ideas episodes:

Oceanic narratives: Interweaving past, present and future

Art of good health and wellbeing

Alastair Campbell: Setting The Mental Health Agenda

Activating allies for gender equality

What art ought to be

Introducing The Solutionists, with Mark Scott

Zara Seidler in conversation with Phoebe Saintilan

Breaking down disinformation

Greening healthcare

Unlocking the housing crisis

Voices on the Voice: Marcia Langton

The loneliness epidemic

Rise of the Machines: how worried should we be about AI?

Voices on the Voice: Noel Pearson

Nanotechnology: scalable solutions for climate action

Pacific influence

Ukraine: the country that surprised the world

Extreme heat and human health

How do our minds work?

Andrew Leigh - A Zippier Economy

Hostage Diplomacy: who's in control?

Invisible Infrared: Connecting the James Webb Space Telescope & Climate Change

How AI Is Changing Medical Practice

Can there be a different kind of politics? 2022 federal election series: Part 2

Wild weather, lost land and persistent pollutants

Teela Reid: Reconcile what? Why white Australia needs to rectify its wrongs

Dr Kakenya Ntaiya: Empowering girls and women in education

2022 federal election series: Part 1

2022 federal election series: Part 1

A flood of emotions

Maths, AI and intuition

Young people as experts: creating change in out-of-home care

Lights on: bringing the nightlife back to our city

The shape of things to come

Big solutions on the nanoscale

For the birds

What will living with COVID look like?

Body clocks and the science of sleep

Australia’s responsibility to Afghanistan and to its people

What is happiness

The case for vaccination

Pandemic fatigue: young people and mental health

Kate Crawford: Atlas of AI

COVID-19: What we know now

What COVID forgot: orphans of the pandemic response

What happened to 2020? The year in review

Heart of darkness: black holes and the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics (2 December 2020)

Charging ahead with clean energy (30 October 2020)

Vision for the future (28 October 2020)

Bruce Pascoe: Perennial Soil

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