Mahatma Gandhi lived a life committed to social justice and human rights. In this year's lecture to honour his memory five Australian women talk about their work in indigenous communities, for people with disabilities, refugees , LGBTIQ and campaigns to reduce domestic violence.

Big Ideas - Full program podcast

Five perspectives on the fight for human rights in Australia

When you look in the mirror you might see your mothers eyes or your father’s chin. But have you inherited more than these physical characteristics? Beyond a genetic predisposition to illness , can you inherit a tendency to be religious or obese? Are the life experiences of previous generations shaping the way you behave now?

The science of fate

Is modern capitalism, itself, a threat to the survival of capitalism? Or will corporations always find a way to monetise misery? Paul Barclay speaks to Yanis Varoufakis and Antony Loewenstein

Monetising misery and the future of capitalism

A compelling account of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident . Not only did the fallout contaminate half of Europe it changed the course of history. When the nuclear reactor exploded it set off another explosion that no-one had predicted -the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Chernobyl and the fall of the Soviet Union

Why might the court intervene when a devout Jehovah Witness parent refuses a life-saving blood transfer to their child? What about cultural and traditional beliefs that clash with new ‘norms’ of society? More specific descriptions of what make a family of defines gender for example. Has the law has kept up with the changing society it regulates?

Is the law too slow to reflect how society changes?

Political philosopher Michael Sandel argues that mainstream political parties fail to understand the social alienation that drives people to embrace populist politics.  He says there’s a big gap between the dream of becoming successful through individual effort and talent and the reality of growing inequality.  Social mobility has stalled and people in low socio-economic groups feel ignored and left behind.

Overcoming division with the politics of hope

Refugee advocates are unrelenting in their criticism of offshore detention and turn-back-the boats. Yet successive governments remain unmoved. We welcomed refugees en masse after the second world war and after the Vietnam War. So why is it so different now? Historian Joy Damousi takes the long view on immigration and refugee policy.

Our changing attitude to immigrants and refugees

The objectification of women and sexualisation of their bodies is nothing new. But the proliferation of sexually charged images online, like the sexualised selfie, has taken things to another level. How concerned should we be?

Selfies, sexualisation, and female objectification

Imaging not knowing whether you can pay the next electricity bill, cutting down on food to make it last or not being able to buy your child a birthday present. That’s the reality of living in poverty. Journalist Rick Morton talks about growing up poor in Australia and he provides a condemning account of the class system in this country

Rick Morton: The power of money

Ageing gets a bad wrap in our youth obsessed society but Ashton Applewhite says we're saddled with outdated ideas. Our attitudes to growing older come from a time when lifespans were so much shorter. She promotes positive ageing and campaigns against age discrimination.

Not ageing but getting older

Many young Australians are experiencing 'eco-anxiety': a sense of dread caused by, as they see it, an unfolding, climate change induced, ecological catastrophe. How are they overcoming it? Paul Barclay speaks to 4 young Australians between the ages of 17 and 25.

Overcoming eco-anxiety

This substance relieves pain but costs law enforcement billions of dollars. Opium in all its forms is both celebrated and demonized and we can trace its use and abuse from the Neolithic era to the present day.

The history of opium

Politics and sex scandals are not a good mix. Many politicians have stumbled and fallen over a secret affair. But when are these scandals of public interest - and when is reporting them just gossip? And (about 30 minutes into the program): Romance novels can change the world – maybe even better than other literature because due to a shorter publishing processes it can react quicker to political and cultural shifts.

Sex scandals in politics and love in resistance

We live in a democracy in which we all have a chance to vote. But does voting mean that the views of the majority are truly represented when it can be shown - mathematically - that all voting systems have flaws?  Maths proves that elections can never be truly fair and how easy it is for someone to win who no one really liked and who no one wanted to come first. Be it in elections or the Eurovision Song Contest.

Truly fair elections are impossible - mathematically

Advances in genomics were predicted to lead to a new era of personalised medicine, by utilising individual genetic information. Genomics is currently being employed to improve diagnosis of difficult to diagnose conditions. But will it realise its full potential? What are the ethical quandaries?

Is genomic medicine delivering on its potential?

Big Ideas brings you the best of talks, forums, debates, and festivals held in Australia and around the world, casting light on the major social, cultural, scientific and political issues

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Big Ideas - Full program podcast

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