UNSW Centre for Ideas

What would a future with better more equitable healthcare look like? Professor Michael Kidd explores the pivotal role of UNSW in shaping the future of Australian health care. Professor Kidd will explore the university's innovative research, cutting-edge technologies, and commitment to addressing the nation's most pressing health challenges.

By emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, highlighting how UNSW's integration of medicine, engineering, and data science can lead to groundbreaking advancements in patient care. Through real-world examples and forward-thinking strategies, Professor Kidd paints a vision of a future where Australian health care is more accessible, efficient, and equitable, driven by the pioneering efforts of institutions like UNSW.

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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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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Biographer Brigitta Olubas and journalist Susan Wyndham have edited a collection of the letters of eminent novelists Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower.

Reflecting on the correspondence of two important writers, they’ll share what they have learned about the art of writing letters and the relationships that they can sustain, and destroy.

Presented by Sydney Writers' Festival and supported by UNSW Centre for Ideas.

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Ever wondered what makes us tick as individuals, or why societies thrive or fall apart? Michael Muthukrishna, the mind behind the groundbreaking A Theory of Everyone has the answers. By blending psychology, anthropology, and economics into a revolutionary framework Muthukrishna dives into how cultural evolution and social learning shape everything from our daily decisions to the fate of entire civilisations. 

Whether you’re curious about the roots of human behaviour or looking for fresh insights into global challenges like inequality and cooperation, this talk with UNSW Scientia Professor Rob Brooks provides a blueprint for a better future.   

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Despite rapid technological advancements, increasing affluence and population growth continue to strain our planet. Currently not a single country in the world is operating at sustainable level of resource use – and yet that is what we need to aspire to if we’re going to slow climate change, reduce inequality and increase our quality of life. So, how do we get there?  

Listen to UNSW’s sustainability scientist Tommy Wiedmann and Professor of Law Bronwen Morgan, CSIRO researcher Sabrina Chakori, and former Deputy Lord Mayor and author of Glimpses of Utopia Jess Scully as host, discuss sustainability and the urgent challenge we face to create a world which ensures human needs are met without sacrificing a sustainable, inclusive future. 

Presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas.

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Why do we know so little about women’s bodies? Over half the world’s population have had a period or could be having a period right now – so why do menstruation and menopause remain such medical mysteries? And why are doctors still scratching their collective heads when asked to explain how female anatomy works? Well, New York Times bestseller Jennifer Gunter is hoping to change that.  

In conversation with Caroline Ford, Jennifer will unpack why she’s sick of women being sidelined by the medical profession, and outline the steps we need to take to put women’s bodies and healthcare in the spotlight.

Presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas and UNSW Medicine & Health as a part of National Science Week. 

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