Sydney Ideas

Hear from global leader Dr Kakenya Ntaiya, scholar, social activist and 2021/2022 Senior Fellow at Brown University. Kakenya is the founder of Kakenya's Dream, an international nonprofit organisation that seeks to educate girls, end harmful traditional practices including female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, and transform her community. This Sydney Ideas event also features: – Peyian Kortom, final year Bachelor of Science and Liberal Arts student at the University of Sydney – Cynthia Naiyoma, first year Bachelor of Nursing student at UTS – Lisa McIntyre, Founder of Women for Change – Professor Renae Ryan (host), Academic Director of Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Program at the University of Sydney. This event was held on 19 May 2022. For more information, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3wOLeD7

In the lead up to the federal election, as the parties vie for voter’s attention, Sydney Ideas brings together a panel of experts to examine some of the key policy issues that are shaping this election, such as the economy, climate change, and more. FEATURING: – Professor Anika Gauja, Australian politics specialist – Antony Green, ABC's Chief Election Analyst – Associate Professor Elizabeth Hill, political economist – Professor Duncan Ivison, political philosopher – Kishor Napier-Raman, politics reporter for Crikey – Moderator: Fran Kelly, journalist and political correspondent The recording for this podcast is from a live Sydney Ideas event, presented in collaboration with School of Social and Political Sciences, on Thursday 28 April, 2022. This event is the first part of our 2022 federal election series. Stayed tuned for Part 2, after the election. For more information and resources, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3LFO3v1

In the aftermath of devastating climate disasters like Australia’s recent east-coast floods, how do communities – those at the centre of the crisis and those on the periphery – support each other emotionally during times of climate distress? Hear from climate emotions experts and residents of Lismore. – Maddy Braddon, community organiser – Professor James Bennett-Levy, mental health expert – Aidan Ricketts, academic and environmental activist – Samuel Savage, emergency services coordinator – Jeanti St Clair, journalism lecturer and storycatcher – Moderator: Dr Blanche Verlie, social scientist The recording for this podcast is from a live Sydney Ideas online event, presented in collaboration with Sydney Environment Institute, held on Thursday 21 April, 2022. For more information and resources, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/395MYOC To connect with research, news or join upcoming events at the Sydney Environment Institute, visit https://sei.sydney.edu.au/

How can artificial intelligence help us solve tough mathematical problems? Delve into the surprising ways that AI can enhance our human intuition with esteemed Australian mathematician Professor Geordie Williamson and MC Adam Spencer. To see the beautiful images and graphs Geordie refers to in his talk, watch the video here: https://bit.ly/3qcTKrE The recording for this podcast is from a live Sydney Ideas event that was held on Tuesday 15 March, 2022. For more information and resources, including the transcript, visit the Sydney Ideas website: www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-ideas

Hear from young people and academic experts, including a leading US researcher, who are driving research that is changing the out-of-home care system, using creative methods for social change. FEATURING: – Billy Black, Fostering Lifelong Connections Advisory Group – Expert by Experience – Professor Amy Conley Wright, University of Sydney – Bobby Hendry, Fostering Lifelong Connections Advisory Group – Expert by Experience – Professor Peter J. Pecora, University of Washington – Tegan Whittaker, Fostering Lifelong Connections Advisory Group – Expert by Experience – Host: Professor Judith Cashmore AO, University of Sydney The recording for this podcast is from a live Sydney Ideas public talks event that was held virtually on Thursday 10 March, 2022. For more information and resources, including the transcript, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3CMnCjP

What can the 24 hour economy look like and how might it help future proof the city? FEATURING: – Michael Rodrigues, 24 Hour Economy Commissioner – Sara Saleh, writer and poet – Jess Scully, author, curator and City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor – Carla Theunissen, Senior Manager, Place Activation and Strategy for Sydney Olympic Park – Steph Harmon (host), Culture Editor of Guardian Australia The recording for this podcast is from a live Sydney Ideas public talks event that was held virtually on Wednesday 2 March, 2022. For more information and resources, including the transcript, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3tffsNG

2022. It's a new year yet the same-old. Off the back of the pandemic, there was talk of a Great Reset, a chance to turn a crisis into an opportunity. But looking at the state of play today – in politics, human rights, climate action and widening inequality – has this vision for a paradigm shift fizzled? To get some perspective, we bring together leading thinkers from a range of fields to share their take on how the world might change – or could change – for the better, by the end of year. FEATURING – Dr Arianna Brambilla, Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Co-chair of the cluster Building Efficiencies of the Smart Sustainable Building Network – Associate Professor Melody Ding, epidemiologist and population behavioural scientist working at the intersection of physical activity, epidemiology and chronic disease prevention – Dr Arunima Malik, Senior Lecturer in the Integrated Sustainability. Her expertise is in big-data modelling to quantify sustainability impacts at local, national and global scales – Janan

Hear from researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), who are working at the cutting-edge of nanoscience. Professor Zdenka Kuncic shares how the research team is delivering cures for neurological diseases by rethinking interventions in the nervous system. Dr Shelley Wickham is working on a project building autonomous, programmable robots that can detect disease early for treatment and prevention. Professor Chiara Neto talks about developing a low-cost method to capture water in the air, to tackle the impacts of drought. Associate Professor, chemist and science communicator Alice Motion is our host, with opening remarks from Sydney Nano Director, Professor Benjamin Eggleton. This recording was from a live event on 25 November, 2021. For links to further resources, including the transcript, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3li5Zk7

How adaptable are our big city birds to the urban environment and what impact we humans are having on them? Discover some significant citizen science projects and how you can get involved. Drawing on the latest research, in this Sydney Ideas event you will hear powerful short talks about our local birdlife. Featuring: – Professor Dieter Hochuli, ecologist at the University of Sydney, on the brush turkey; – Dr Holly Parsons from BirdLife Australia on the powerful owl; – Dr John Martin, research scientist at Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, on the much-maligned ibis; – Professor David Phalen (University of Sydney), who talks about a new study that aims to identify the causes of a devastating disease affecting Rainbow Lorikeets; – Dr Lucy Aplin from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behaviour, explains the unique bin-opening behaviour of clever sulphur-crested cockatoos, and; – Associate Professor Kurt Iveson, urban geographer from the University of Sydney, moderates this event. Visit the Syd

As Australia looks to reopen, and in the week NSW emerges from lockdown, we examine the path to reopening and how we can rebuild Australian society looking forward. Drawing upon the work of the Open Society, Common Purpose taskforce hosted at the University of Sydney, we ask: What do we need to get right? Featuring: – Professor Catherine Bennett, epidemiologist, Deakin University – Dr Nick Coatsworth, infectious disease physician, ANU – Dr Luara Ferracioli, Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy, The University of Sydney – Professor Adam Guastella, Michael Crouch Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health, University of Sydney – Professor Fiona Russell, paediatrician and epidemiologist, The University of Melbourne – Mark Rigotti, Senior Adviser at Herbert Smith Freehills and Chair of the Open Society, Common Purpose taskforce – Professor Tim Soutphommasane, political theorist, The University of Sydney – Professor Marc Stears, Director of Sydney Policy Lab, The University of Sydney This conversation was reco

How do changes to our sleep and body rhythms affect our health, wellbeing and diseases of the brain? In the lead up to Mental Health Month, discover some fascinating new research emerging from the University of Sydney and beyond. Fran Kelly, Breakfast presenter on ABC Radio National, moderates an expert panel featuring: – Associate Professor Sean Cain, circadian rhythms expert from Monash University – Dr Jacob Crouse, post-doctoral research fellow with the Youth Mental Health & Technology Team at the Brain and Mind Centre – Professor Sharon Naismith, clinical neuropsychologist at the University of Sydney This discussion was recorded on 23 September, 2021. For more information and resources, including a transcript, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3CFlfOn – this is where you can also find our music playlist of tracks to wind down to, as recommended by the panel.

After being involved in two decades of occupying the country, what responsibilities does Australia owe to the people of Afghanistan? What more needs to be done by the Australian and other allied governments? This conversation brings together Afghan Australians Mujib Abid who recently escaped from Kabul with his family, and Shukufa Tahiri, former Policy Officer with the Refugee Council, as well as leading academic experts to share their insights. Hear from our panel including: – Mujib Abid, University of Sydney alumnus (Master of Peace and Conflict Studies) and PhD candidate at the University of Queensland. – Professor Mary Crock, Co-Director of the Sydney Centre for International Law. – Professor William Maley AM from the Department of International Relations at ANU – Professor Tim Soutphommasane, Director of the Culture Strategy at the University of Sydney and political theorist – Shukufa Tahiri, Deputy Director of National Refugee Advocacy and Advisory Group (NRAAG) This online discussion is presented

A philosopher, an improv comedian, a psychologist and an economist walk into a Sydney Ideas webinar... to discuss happiness. Can we find ways to be happier than we were before, while in the face of ongoing uncertainty and a global pandemic? Happiness. There are entire industries dedicated to helping us find it. Endless social media advice, self-help books and gurus promising health, wealth and happiness if only you do that one thing. But it can be hard to feel happy in the face of a pandemic – extended lockdowns, the chaos and uncertainty of working from home, of home-schooling, or simply feeling like everything is just relentless. What are we really chasing, and why? What is the difference between being happy with your life compared to being happy in your life Featuring: – Rebecca De Unamuno, award-winning improviser and comedian – Dan Nahum, economist with the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work – Dr Tim Sharp, Australia's very own 'Dr Happy', at the forefront of the positive psychology movem

Vaccines offer a way out of COVID but its success is not without challenges. How do we overcome the gaps in understanding so that we’re backing the best chance we have in keeping ourselves and the community safe? Facilitated by ABC’s Tegan Taylor (co-host of Australia's chart-topping health podcast, Coronacast), this discussion is grounded in the science, with insights from experts from the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, including: – Professor Cheryl Jones, paediatric infectious diseases physician and Head of School and Dean of Sydney Medical School, who is also an ATAGI member; – Professor Kirsten McCaffery, Principal Research Fellow at the Sydney School of Public Health; – Professor Ramon Shaban, Professor of Infection Prevention and Disease Control; – Mustafa Dhahir, a current Doctor of Medicine student and Pharmacy graduate, with experience in community vaccinations and he uses social media to empower the public's understanding of health. We hope this discussion will help

What does lockdown 2.0 mean for younger people and how does it impact on their mental health? Hear from our panel of passionate mental health experts and leaders including: – Dr Marlee Bower, Research Fellow at the Matilda Centre, whose work explores social determinants of mental health and understanding loneliness; – Lucinda (Lucy) Brogden AM, Chair of National Mental Health Commission – Swapnik Sanagavarapu, University of Sydney Student Representative Council President and Arts/Law student; – Dr Pranita Shrestha, Research Associate in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, expert in housing affordability; and – Professor Maree Teesson AC, Director of the Matilda Centre, and Chair of Australia's Mental Health Think Tank, moderates the conversation. We discuss the “shadow pandemic” of deteriorating health, impacts of social connection and disconnection, government interventions and directions for reform, as well as practical advice to cope with such challenging times. This conversation was hel

Hear from Kate Crawford, Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney and one of the world's foremost scholars on the social and political implications of artificial intelligence. Timed for the Australian launch of her new book, 'Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence', Kate speaks with Fenella Kernebone to explore how artificial intelligence is not objective or neutral but a technology of extraction. Hailed in Nature as an essential read, Kate's book "exposes the dark side of AI success" by taking us on a journey that uncovers how planetary computation is fueling a shift toward undemocratic governance and increased inequity. For further links and resources, including a transcript for this podcast, visit our website: https://bit.ly/3yLBV4P This conversation was recorded on 6 July, 2021.

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the world we live in. Moving forward, how might we navigate work, health and wellbeing, and safety with COVID as an ongoing and evolving factor in the long-term? Hear from academic experts at the University of Sydney, as they share insights into lessons from the pandemic and what it might mean for us all into the future. We discuss: – What we’ve learned about COVID-19 in the past 18 months – Australia’s approach to managing the health crisis – What a long-term COVID-normal looks like The panel: – Professor Julie Leask, Faculty of Medicine and Health – Professor Ramon Shaban, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Faculty of Medicine and Health – Professor Tania Sorrell, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Faculty of Medicine and Health – Professor Maree Teesson, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use – Fenella Kernebone (Moderator), Head of Programming at the University of Sydney This disc

During the pandemic last year, many of us delayed our health check-ups, from going to the dentist to cancer screenings, and much more. This has major flow on effects across all parts of society. So this discussion is the health check we need today: What issues were left unaddressed by Australia's pandemic response? How do we reset the agenda, and rethink the health system - to provide better care, and prevent further strain? Hear from experts in oral health, ethics, lifestyle and chronic disease, and government and policy. Featuring: –Associate Professor Melody Ding, The University of Sydney School of Public Health – Dr Kathryn MacKay, Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney School of Public Health – Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Health – Professor Heiko Spallek, Head of School and Dean, The University of Sydney School of Dentistry – Professor Robyn Ward (Moderator), Executive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor Medicine and Health, University of Sydney For further links and resource

It's been a big year. We’ve put together a few of our key talks, with leading thinkers from the University of Sydney and beyond to reflect on 2020 and what might lie ahead in 2021. Take a listen, and dive into the longer talks. Sydney Ideas will be back with more talks and ideas in the new year! FEATURING: – Mark Scott AO, The road ahead [00:00:00] – Professor Tim Soutphommasane, Combating viral panic [00:00:27] – Professor Ian Hickie, COVID-19 and mental health [00:0035] – Professor Julie Leask, The vaccination gap [00:00:57] – Professor Jaky Troy, In this together [00:01:10] – Sam Mostyn, Rebuilding Australia's future [00:01:35] – Mariam Mohammed, What will the future of women's work look like? [00:01:50] – Roxanne Moore, Raising the age of criminal responsibility [00:02:08] – Dr Gareth Bryant, The asset economy [00:02:34] – Professor Guy Standing, The basic income imperative [00:02:51] – Minister Matt Kean, Charging ahead with clean energy [00:03:00] – Professor Dianne Wiley, Running out of water [00:03:

Black holes are the most mysterious objects in the universe; matter and space folded into an enigmatic knot from which not even light can escape. The 2020 Nobel Prize awarded research into black holes, thinking about the unthinkable, and seeing the unseeable. But just what did these extraordinary scientists do? Tune in as we try to unravel the puzzle. FEATURING – Professor Geraint F. Lewis, University of Sydney. Geraint's research focuses on cosmology, gravitational lensing and galactic cannibalism, all with the goal of unravelling the dark-side of the universe. – Professor Peter Tuthill, University of Sydney. Peter is an expert in astrophysical imaging; studying stars and their immediate environments with unprecedented resolution. This public talk was held virtually and recorded on 2 December 2020. For further resources, including the transcript, visit our website: https://bit.ly/36wwXfZ