Sydney Ideas

Sydney Ideas recently presented pop-up talks at Parramatta Lanes, one of Sydney's most exciting street festivals. Now, some of the talks are available on-demand. Hear from Dr Jadey O'Regan on what makes a great song hook, and artist Nadia Odlum on the politics of space and play. Hosted by ABC News journalist Nandini Dhir.

We know what happens in the brain to drive addiction and addictive behaviours. Can we wrest back control to kick unhealthy and harmful habits?

Hear from Brain and Mind Centre experts as they reveal insights into how our brains are wired for risk and reward, and the ways this can work against us in environments with easy access to addictive stimuli such as drugs, nicotine, digital media and games, and more.

In this conversation, explore what we could do to stem this tide by harnessing technology and novel approaches. Featuring neuroeconomist Agnieszka Tymula, digital interventions and mental health researcher Louise Thornton, and neuroscientist Morgan James. Hosted by Sana Qadar.

This event was presented on Wednesday 23 September 2026 with the Brain and Mind Centre, a flagship multidisciplinary intiative at the University of Sydney addressing child development, youth mental health, and ageing and neurodegeneration.

[Content warning: Please note there is mild coarse language]

What can we say about the common good in a world marked by deep moral, philosophical, and religious disagreement? Join University of Sydney political philosophers Luara Ferracioli and Alexandre Lefebvre for a spirited discussion, hosted by Fenella Kernebone.

Held on 16 July 2026 at the University of Sydney, this was the second event in a new public series, 'Conversations for Good', which explores how we find shared understanding, respect for different viewpoints and have conversations that can make a real difference, for good.

Visit the Sydney Ideas website for more: https://go.sydney.edu.au/K0i9iP

What happens when Indigenous knowledge systems are elevated? Leading thinkers from the University of Sydney, Professor Reuben Bolt and Associate Professor Michael Mossman, discuss the creative potential and ways this can be realised in practice, from the fields of science and technology to architecture and design.

This event was held live at the University of Sydney on 21 May 2026. For more details and resources, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://go.sydney.edu.au/Y53Q0S

Does the rise of AI mean the death of the humanities? Hear from University of Sydney star academics Sophie Gee, Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer; with music from Titus Grenyer.

For centuries, the humanities and technology have existed alongside and augmented each other. If we dive into their shared story, we can learn valuable lessons about how to both embrace our humanity and engage with new technology.

Explore a story 600-years in the making that will surprise, inspire, and help you thrive IRL in our tech-inflected future.

Presented by Sydney Ideas, this event was held live at the Sydney Opera House on 19 May 2026.

For more info and resources, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://go.sydney.edu.au/wGRDGA

Dr Joanne Gray and Dr Rebecca Huntley discuss public discourse, digital platforms and democracy. Hosted by Fenella Kernebone.

Is big tech skewing our views and undoing our capacity for tolerance? What actually divides Australians and more importantly, what brings us closer? How do we create – and regulate – spaces for dialogue that encourage open exchange, not outrage; that expand our worldview, not retreat into echo chambers?

Held on 22 April 2026 at the University of Sydney, this was the first event in a new public series, 'Conversations for Good', which explores how we find shared understanding, respect for different viewpoints and have conversations that can make a real difference, for good.

Visit the Sydney Ideas website for more: https://go.sydney.edu.au/aj9QAR

What stories have taken hold in the public imagination about sharks and marine animals? How does this shape attitudes and policy responses to ocean conservation?

Hear political scientist Christopher Pepin-Neff and Australian wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta discuss Australia’s relationship with the ocean. Hosted by Helen Sullivan, Senior Journalist at the BBC.

This recording is from a public event held on Wednesday 11 March at the University of Sydney, presented by Sydney Ideas with Sydney Environment Institute during Climate Action Week Sydney.

How, and for what, should life be optimised? Is the growing culture of optimisation leading us towards the homogenisation of culture?

These days we're using technology to help us write, make decisions, as well as augment, biohack, sculpt and transform our bodies, inside and out, to look and feel younger and fitter. As we seem to optimise virtually every aspect of our everyday lives, do we somehow end up creating more labour and inefficiencies?

The pursuit of human development and self-improvement is a perennial subject of fascination and study, from Aristotle’s eudaemonia to Confucian ethics, Maslow’s theory, and now, in a form familiar to many: self-help. What does it signal though, when the dominant messages of the marketplace today, and the markers of success and progress of experience, are defined by terms like efficiency and maximum engagement?

Marking the year-end – and with a new year around the corner – we're examining what it means to optimise life. Hear hot takes from Infinite Scroll 荧屏沉溺 curator and creative technologist Thea-Mai Baumann, philosopher Emily Hulme, comedian and writer Alex Lee and computer scientist Elliot Varoy. Hosted by Steph Harmon, Culture Editor of Guardian Australia.

This podcast is a recording of a live public event held on 10 December 2025. For more links and resources, including the transcript, visit Sydney Ideas website: bit.ly/48Rdjg5

How can we eat well to live longer, feed future populations, and sustain planetary health? What's the science behind creating the world's most resilient hybrid wheat?

Food makes us who we are. The ways we eat together change lives and communities. In this Sydney Ideas event, we bring together some of the best brains to cook up new ideas and solutions to shift how we think about food for the better. They serve inspired visions for changing the way we eat, produce and understand why food is so important.

- Alice Gibson, researcher exploring emerging hybrid food environments, with expertise in the prevention and dietary management of chronic health diseases;

- Peng Zhang, who is using advanced biotechnology and genetic techniques to grow resilient and disease-resistant crops such as wheat;

- Sophie Gee (host), English professor, co-host of the popular literary classics podcast The Secret Life of Books, and author of The Barbarous Feast: Writing and Eating in the Eighteenth-Century World (forthcoming, Princeton University Press);

This Sydney Ideas event was presented on 22–23 October at Riverside Theatres, with the support of City of Parramatta as part of Parramatta Lanes, one of Sydney’s most exciting street festivals, transforming the city's streets, laneways and car parks into a playground of Eats, Beats and Art.

This podcast is a recording of a live public event held on 23 October 2025. For more links and resources, including the transcript, visit Sydney Ideas website: bit.ly/3LRYhNV

How can we eat well to live longer, feed future populations, and sustain planetary health? What's the science behind creating the world's most resilient hybrid wheat?

Food makes us who we are. The ways we eat together change lives and communities. In this Sydney Ideas event, we bring together some of the best brains to cook up new ideas and solutions to shift how we think about food for the better. They serve inspired visions for changing the way we eat, produce and understand why food is so important.

- Juliet Bennett, a researcher applying critical social theory to systems of food production and consumption;

- Rebecca Cross, rural and environment geographer with insight into sustainable, regenerative farming and agricultural practices;

- Shadia Djakovic, a dietician bringing extensive experience in nutrition and health promotion;

- Sophie Gee (host), English professor, co-host of the popular literary classics podcast The Secret Life of Books, and author of The Barbarous Feast: Writing and Eating in the Eighteenth-Century World (forthcoming, Princeton University Press);

This Sydney Ideas event was presented on 22–23 October at Riverside Theatres, with the support of City of Parramatta as part of Parramatta Lanes, one of Sydney’s most exciting street festivals, transforming the city's streets, laneways and car parks into a playground of Eats, Beats and Art.

This podcast is a recording of a live public event held on 22 October 2025. For more links and resources, including the transcript, visit Sydney Ideas website: bit.ly/3LRYhNV