Join a full house at the Sydney Opera House with Nobel winning scientist Jennifer Doudna and Big Ideas' host Natasha Mitchell to discuss the huge social, ethical, and scientific implications of the CRISPR gene editing revolution. From curative therapies to gene edited babies - will we use it to hack our own evolution? 

Presented by Sydney Opera House, BQI, Sydney Writers' Festival, and UNSW Sydney.

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Cooperation is our superpower, and democracy is a foundation of human progress. But we take them for granted at our peril. In some of the strongest democracies, democratic principles are being undermined while many voices are ignored. In this conversation Nobel Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman tells her story of her determination to bring peace and democracy in the Middle East. Tawakkol is joined by Megan Davis, a constitutional lawyer who is committed to greater indigenous representation in Australian democracy and Nobel Prize Outreach Chief Impact Officer Owen Gaffney. 

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Facts matter. The scientific process matters. The ability to think critically is essential to navigate our world, to make good decisions and to solve some of the world’s most intractable problems. Nobel Prize laureate Saul Perlmutter believes everyone can learn the skills scientists use to think critically so that they don’t fool themselves. Saul is joined by Tim Minchin, a writer, composer and fierce defender of facts and UNSW's Verity Firth to discuss the importance of collaboration, humility and critical thinking in decision-making.

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Breakneck cultural change means growing up today is a completely different experience from growing up in the 1950s, or the 1980s, or even the 2000s. Psychologist and author of Generations and iGen Jean Twenge, researcher and geriatrician expert on ABC’s Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds and Teenagers Stephanie Ward, and co-founder of youth media platform The Daily Aus Sam Koslowski discuss what is driving these changes and where the widening generation gap could take us as a society?

Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas., supported by UNSW Sydney.

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Australia has been a close ally of the United States since 1940, but what does this mean for contemporary politics when democracy is more fragile than ever?

Chaired by Festival favourite Barrie Cassidy, one of Australia’s most experienced political correspondents and analysts, this expert panel features former BBC foreign correspondent Nick Bryant (The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict With Itself), UNSW Sydney Professor of Law and constitutional democracy specialist Rosalind Dixon and Senior Fellow of the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre Bruce Wolpe (Trump’s Australia: How Trumpism changed Australia and the shocking consequences for us of a second term).

Unpack the far-reaching ramifications of this relationship across trade, security, foreign policy and beyond.

This event is presented by the Sydney Writers' Festival and supported by UNSW Sydney. 

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Embark on a journey into the labyrinth of the human brain with Genevra Hart, as she reveals the staggering complexity of our neural networks. Within the billions of dense microscopic neural connections that make up the brain, Hart isolates the importance of dopamine in controlling our thoughts and actions. Drawing from her research on decision-making, she illuminates the pivotal role of dopamine in refining our choices, and creating habits. With a focus on potential treatments for addictions, Hart advocates for advanced techniques such as deep brain stimulation. This exploration underscores the endless possibilities of neuroscience and its impact on our lives.

Progress? is a UNSW Centre for Ideas project, with illustrations designed by Lucy Klippan, video production by AVI and All things All Creatures, and podcast production by Matt Sladen and Kara Jensen-MacKinnon. 

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What can we expect from a world of deepfakes where anything you see or hear might be synthetic and the output of AI? Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW, Toby Walsh unpacks untruths and warns of a future inundated with machine-generated content, predicting that soon, 99% of what we read, see, and hear will be created by AI. Listen as Toby discusses the urgent need for digital watermarks to authenticate online content, proposing that this technology can help restore trust. However, he cautions that building this infrastructure will take time, leaving us in a precarious situation where truth is increasingly contested.

Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

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Carbon markets have been hailed as key pillars in our climate response but in actuality, have turned out to be largely greenwash. Megan Evans, Senior Lecturer at UNSW’s School of Business highlights the flaws in carbon offsetting and questions the effectiveness of emission offsets, revealing that many projects fail to sequester the promised carbon. She emphasises the importance of transparency and accountability in carbon markets, arguing that without criticism and scrutiny, these systems merely perpetuate greenwashing. Listen to the full discussion as Megan urges us to question the status quo and advocate for genuine environmental progress, rather than settling for ineffective measures.

Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

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Associate Professor of Media at UNSW, Michael Richardson examines how technology, culture, and power shape knowledge in war, security and surveillance. He warns that AI’s rapid deployment can lead to catastrophic outcomes in warfare, where algorithms determine lethal targets based on biased data and predictive analytics. Listen as Michael calls for a global resistance against militarised AI, and the need for an ethical standard in technology, as the consequences of these advancements could redefine the very nature of warfare and humanity itself.

Presented as part of The Ethics Centre's Festival of Dangerous Ideas, supported by UNSW Sydney.

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In a witty and provocative talk, Professor of Psychology at UNSW, Brownyn Graham addresses the longstanding neglect of the female anatomy in medical research, exemplified by the late mapping of the clitoris. She highlights how centuries of male-centric studies have led to a healthcare system that inadequately services women and overlooks the critical role sex hormones play in our everyday lives. Listen as Bronwyn urges for a more inclusive, evidence-based approach to medical research.

Presented as part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and supported by UNSW Sydney.

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