The Solutionists, with Mark Scott

Deanna D’Alessandro is the director of the University of Sydney’s Net Zero Institute ... So why does she want it dissolved?   “In 2051, my goodness, I hope we do not need the Net Zero Institute,” she says. “We should have solved this problem by then.”  So what needs to happen in the meantime? Deanna shares the personal connection to the planet that sparked her passion for climate science, and expl...

“When I say what I do for a living, most women have a story,” says Rae Cooper. “Women have a way of being able to understand what it is pretty easily. I think men find it a little bit more... academic.”   Rae Cooper is Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney. She says Australia hasn’t come nearly far enough in the fight for gender equality at work, and there’...

Why do you live where you live?   If you’re lucky, it’s by choice. Maybe you love the solitude and sprawling nature of the bush. Maybe you can’t get enough of the coffee, cuisine and culture that makes your dense inner-city neighbourhood special.   Many of us don’t get to choose, though. People are forced into tiny living spaces as their cities grow in population, while others are pushed to the ou...

If you’re concerned about eating disorders or body image issues, whether you need support for yourself or someone you care about, you can call the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673.  Picture something that absolutely terrifies you. Now, imagine you’re forced to confront it multiple times a day – and nobody understands why it makes you feel distressed.  Dr Sarah Maguire , the director of the Ins...

As the climate changes and populations boom, water supplies are under increasing pressure.  The idea of drinking water that was once swirling down your toilet bowl or kitchen sink may make you feel squeamish, but it could hold the key to future water security.  University of Sydney Professor Stuart Khan explains the promise of purified recycled water, and how it can future-proof water supplies in...

When Sophie Gee’s husband was suddenly rushed to hospital, her life was plunged into uncertainty.   Amid the chaos, she discovered a surprising source of strength: her study of classic literature, and in particular, the works of Jane Austen.  Sophie, who was Associate Chair of the English Department at Princeton until she came to the University of Sydney as a Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, says stories...

“If you’re going to have a breakdown, try not to have it in a top secret secure naval dockyard.”  You might know Alastair Campbell as the formidable former press secretary of British prime minister Tony Blair and co-host of popular podcast  The Rest is Politics .  But back in 1996, when Alastair was a high-flying tabloid journalist, his mind suddenly unravelled. “I was hearing voices and seeing th...

If you had a clone of yourself, what would you want it to do?  Professor Danny Liu pictures a classroom in the not-too-distant future where teachers work alongside AI ‘clones’ to help their students learn.  “It’s not about replacing them as teachers. It’s about empowering them and making them more effective.”  The role of artificial intelligence in education has been hotly debated, with concerns a...

If you go into your backyard right now, you’ll be able to find a species of insect that is new to science. Tanya Latty guarantees it – even if you live in the inner city.  Tanya has loved creepy crawlies since she was little, and is now an entomologist at the University of Sydney. “You would be surprised how many things we don't know. There are all sorts of critters, most of which are probably uni...

After her son died of SIDS, Dr Carmel Harrington left her job as a lawyer to devote her career to finding answers. “You blame yourself. You must have missed something. How can such a catastrophic event occur without any sign or symptom?” Her groundbreaking research into SIDS opened up another mission: to wake society up to the critical importance of sleep. Carmel is the managing director of Sleep...

Neonatologist Adrienne Gordon helps save the lives of tiny babies in intensive care. They constantly amaze her. Their unique personalities. How fast they learn. The way they can be so close to death and yet go on to thrive. Adrienne shares what parents need to know about the first 1,000 days, the critical period from conception to the age of two. “Some of the most important aspects of life are bef...

Andrew Scott was born in 1965. His identical twin died within the first few days of life. Decades later, Andrew looked through the stats, and got a surprise. "I found that the first year of life was the most common age of death in England at that time. Today, the most common age of death is 87,” he says. We’re all living longer, and in many countries, a baby born today could easily live to 100. An...

In the dark of night, through the mud and the monsoon rain, Richard Harris and a group of cave divers band together for a risky mission to rescue a group of boys from a flooded cave in Thailand. Her country split down the middle, Julia Gillard negotiates for 17 agonising days to win the support of crossbench politicians and become Australia’s first female prime minister. To achieve big and lasting...

“She started to explain to me about rhythms and melodies and harmonies and how they all fit together in a beautiful symmetry. And I said to her, ‘That is all mathematics.’” An infectious smile flashes across Eddie Woo’s face as he recalls meeting singer-songwriter Odette backstage at a TED Talk. She told him she didn’t like maths; he found a way to connect it to her world. “Mathematics is like mus...

Picture the towering waves of a tsunami rolling in. The ground cracking open in an earthquake. Fiery red embers raining down during a bushfire. Heatwaves kill more people than all natural disasters combined – but because they’re not visually dramatic, we underestimate how dangerous they are. “On the day of a heatwave, it will look very much like it does today. The people dying during heat waves ar...

We’re at the crossroads of uncertainty and innovation. From global warming to tech addiction, huge demographic shifts and geopolitical tensions – it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But some incredible people are putting their minds toward solving the most pressing issues of our time. They’re working to make our world a better place to call home. Join Mark Scott, the Vice Chancellor and President at th...