The federal government wants to restrict social media to Australians aged over 16. But will it work? Hear from the adults and kids in the know as they debate the arguments for and against. The Great Debate was presented by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia as part of Social Sciences Week, recorded at the National Library of Australia on 10 September 2024. Speakers Kids debate - Years 7 and 8 students at the University of Canberra High School Kaleen Misha, Sienna and Jacob...

Is social media a contagious force harming young minds, a life saver helping people find their neurodiverse tribes and support, or, for better or worse, a bit of both? From the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, join Natasha Mitchell with renowned social psychologist Jean Twenge, neurodiversity advocate Sonny Jane Wise, technology policy campaigner Alice Dawkins, suicide prevention researcher Dr Sandersan Onie.  Young people depressed, distressed, and anxious. ADHD and Autism diagnoses on the...

Mediation in armed conflicts means sitting down with brutal war lords, hiding your true values and in an open dialogue trying to really understand  all sides of the parties involved. In the most pressurised environments, there are nearly always possible pathways to a win-win outcome — but finding the way requires a combination of imagination, goodwill, timing, and street smarts. Reflections on Diplomacy and Peace Mediation was presented at the TheMHS Conference 2024 Speaker Paul...

Pressing a full-time  workload into four days sounds like simply adding more stress to your job – even if you keep your pay. But many people who have tried this model say that one would need to pay them double their salary to make them go back to a standard work week. And businesses enjoy better staff retention and get a completive edge on the job market. Presented by UQ ChangeMakers Speakers Debbie Bailey Consultant Partner, 4 Day Week Global Shannan Quain Chief People Officer,...

She was Andy Warhol's muse, she's been sampled by Notorious BIG, and her music was once voted on the ten best songs to dry-hump to. This is the amazing true story of how Indian-born singer Asha Puthli became a music legend. This event was recorded at Rising Festival on 7 June 2024. Speakers Asha Puthli Singer Adriana Lazaridis (host) DJ

The leading playwright Joanna Murray-Smith makes a powerful case for the role of the arts in Australian public life, arguing that moral righteousness is stifling artistic expression. The last ever Stephen Murray-Smith Memorial Lecture was recorded at the State Library of Victoria on 8 October 2024. Speaker Joanna Murray-Smith Playwright, screenwriter and novelist

How should we reflect on wars, past and present? Do the rituals of Remembrance Day and Anzac Day hold meaning for young people? Natasha Mitchell is joined by a crowd of high school students and special guests with opinions on the future of commemoration. This event was hosted and organised by Victoria's Shrine of Remembrance to mark its 90th anniversary. Speakers: Che Weon (Michelle) Lee Masters of architecture student, University of Melbourne School of Design Granddaughter of Korean war...

It needs strong leadership and good coordination. But most of all, it needs public opinion to rise up and push policy makers to tackle this crisis. Canada can teach us a lesson in how to do that. Homelessness is a systemic housing problem – not caused by mental health issues or drug abuse.  Presented at the Australian Homelessness Conference, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) Speakers Tim Richter Founder, President & CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End...

When you're alive, the idea of dying feels weird, remote, alien. Yet it's the one experience we will all have. Can philosophy help us make sense of that weirdness?  What can talking about death and dying teach us about living? Natasha Mitchell is joined by a philosopher, funeral director, and a First Nations' songman for an uplifting, insightful conversation on death. This event is part of the Sophia Club live philosophy event series, presented by Aeon Media, publishers of Aeon and...

From To Kill a Mockingbird to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there are no shortage of options to include on those lists of "The Great American Novel". But which is the real plot in the story of America? This event was recorded at the University of Melbourne on 24 October 2024. Speaker Sarah Churchwell Professor of American Literature and Chair in Public Understanding of the Humanities, University of London Author, Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and The Invention of The Great Gatsby,...

Friends are among the most important relationships we will have in our lives. So what makes someone a friend, how do we hold on to them, and how do they shape who we are? This event was recorded at the Sydney Writers Festival on 22 May, 2024. Speakers Gyan Yankovich Author, Just Friends: On the Power, Influence and Joy of Friendship Lifestyle editor, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Susan Wyndham Co-editor (with Brigitta Olubas), Hazzard and Harrower: The letters Former Literary editor,...

Why did acclaimed actor Melissa Jaffer step away from the spotlight and the swinging 60s to enter a strict cloister of Australian nuns for 4 years? Sister Marian McClelland is the last of two surviving members of the same Australian order of contemplative nuns. They became nuns at a time of radical change for women worldwide and for the Catholic Church and have extraordinary stories to tell about how faith shaped their sense of identity and purpose. They join Natasha Mitchell with oral...

Literature on crime is huge. Many of you just love to read about a good murder. But do you prefer a soft touch around violent scenes? Or do you want to read it in the drastic, graphic language that shows crime the way it is? Writing crime stories can be a minefield: Do authors have to tell people, if they want to use them in their book? Particularly if they want to paint 'your character' the villain? Can you re-traumatise a victim when you turn their painful experience into a bestseller? A...

From mis and disinformation to election interference, parts of the internet have become dystopian, due to a lack of regulation. What is this doing to our democracies, and how are governments around the world trying to reign the tech giants in? The 8th annual Sir Zelman Cowan Centre Oration was recorded on 10 October 2024. Speaker Jon Faine Vice Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne Former ABC Radio host Author, Apollo and Thelma

Ninety years ago, in the face of communism, fascism, and the Great Depression, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, asked the question 'Is democracy doomed?' Today, we're asking that same question – with some answers that might surprise you. The 2024 Robert Menzies Oration was presented by the Robert Menzies Institute, recorded on 23 October 2024. The 2024 Henry Parkes Oration was recorded at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House on 22 October 2024. Speakers Sir...

Democracy is in retreat, authoritarianism on the rise. But this has happened before. So how did big thinkers of the past respond to the threats to democracy, and what can we learn from them? The Humanities Research Centre 50th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture was recorded at the Australian National University on 31 July 2024. Speakers Scott Stephens Co-presenter (with Waleed Aly) The Minefield Digital editor, ABC Religion and Ethics Co-author of Quarterly Essay 87, Uncivil Wars: How...

When you're swimming in the ocean, do you ever startle at a piece of seaweed? Mistake a wave for a fin? Does the thought of sharks cross your mind at all? Nearly 50 years ago, a little movie by the name of Jaws, changed everything. This event was recorded at the National Film and Sound Archive, in partnership with the Australian National University, on 28 February 2024. Speakers Dr Hannah Calich Postdoctoral research fellow, Australian National University Professor Kenneth Lampl Convenor,...

Remember the 8cm living worm found inside a woman's brain last year? Where the hell did it come from? Parasites have bizarre and whacky stories to tell. Join Natasha Mitchell to meet three scientists listening to what they have to say. The science, medicine, and mayhem of parasites. You'll have a whole new respect for these clever survivors and their biology. Thank you to the event organisers, the 2024 World Science Festival Brisbane and Queensland Museum  Speakers Professor Katherine...

Irish Times columnist and author Fintan O'Toole draws on the Irish experience to explain the rise of populism and authoritarianism in the United States. This event was recorded at the Vice-Chancellor's Democracy Forum at University of Technology Sydney (UTS) on 26 September 2024. Speakers Fintan O'Toole Columnist with the Irish TImes Literary Editor with the New York Review of Books Author of We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Ireland Since 1958, Heroic Failure: Brexit and the...

David McAllister invites you backstage and reveals gloriously gossipy anecdotes about the stars he's met in his long dancing career. But it's not all tutus and tiaras: ballet is at the top of transforming sport science. Presented at the Brisbane Writers Festival. Speakers David McAllister Guest artistic director of the West Australian Ballet, former principal dancer, former artistic director of The Australian Ballet Author of Ballet Confidential: A personal behind-the-scenes guide, Thames...

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has fought against antisemitism worldwide for over a century. It is now documenting a dangerous rise in antisemitism, and the connection between conspiracy theorists, white supremacy, pro-Palestine anti-war protests, and hate speech. ADL board member, prominent Iranian-American Jewish philanthropist and academic Dr. Sharon Nazarian presents the inaugural Gahl Hodges Burt Lecture in Policy at the American Academy in Berlin. Speaker Dr Sharon Nazarian  Board...

Two Australians who are intimately connected to the conflict in the Middle East, one Jewish, one Palestinian, make their pleas for peace, and share their deeply personal stories of how it has affected them. The 13th annual UN International Day of Peace Brisbane lecture was recorded at St John's Anglican Cathedral on September 21, 2024. Speakers Peter Cat Dean, St John's Cathedral Brisbane Louise Adler Director, Adelaide Writers Week Nasser Mashni President, Australians for...

One of Australia's most seasoned political journalists Niki Savva has seen the fractures in our democracy up closer than most. Hear her timely advice for journalists, politicians and citizens. This 2024 Speaker's Lecture was recorded at Parliament House in Canberra on 9 September 2024. SOS DEMOCRACY airs on Tuesdays 8pm and Saturdays 10pm in October and November, and on the ABC Listen app. Speakers Niki Savva Columnist, Nine Newspapers Author, The Road to Ruin, Plots and Prayers and...

Are you a gazelle or a grizzly bear when you run? The bounce in your step defines whether you're a stronger sprinter or long-distance runner — and choosing the right sport for your biomechanics determines whether you can get to the top of the podium. Find out more about the secret weapon of biomechanics, the theory of optimal speed control within racing endurance, and how performance psychology has an impact both on and off the track. The Science of Sport was presented at the York Festival...