Festival of Dangerous Ideas

Revisit Vandana Shiva's speech from FODI 2013 on globalisation and its impacts on environment and society alike. This impassioned rebuttal of modern economic dogma forces us to reframe how we think of healthy economies and communities.   A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival's history. Sign up at...

We highlight the work of a FODI favourite, Jon Ronson. Enjoy his unique brand of reporting as he investigates psychopaths at work, at home and in hospitals in 2011's Psychopaths Make the World Go Round , and uncovers social media's savage culture of shame in 2015's Shame Culture . **This podcast contains strong language and themes that may offend some listeners** A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 y...

Revisit Hanna Rosin's talk from the Festival of Dangerous Ideas 2013. Documenting the tectonic shifts in gender equality taking place across America, this is both an inspiring recap of what we have achieved, but also a reminder of how far we still have to go. A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival...

In 2014 Swedish Journalist Kajsa Ekis Ekman presented one of most divisive and dangerous talks in the festival's history. Her talk Surrogacy is Child Trafficking came at a time when the case of Baby Gammy was front of mind in the Australian media. A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival's history....

Revisit Sam Harris' life-changing presentation from the 2012 Festival of Dangerous Ideas. This deconstruction of the illusion of free will is challenging and confronting, but Harris makes the  argument thoroughly entertaining and accessible for all who are willing to look at life differently. A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable...

We revisit Naomi Klein's powerful presentation at The Festival of Dangerous Ideas 2014. This meticulous critique of capitalisms impact on climate change remains one of the most important, impactful and popular talks from FODIs history. A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival's history. Sign up at f...

Former law professor Ayelet Waldman saved her marriage and her life by taking LSD. Now she's fighting for microdosing's wider use. Waldman shares her story and issues a call-to-commonsense at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The session is chaired by Natasha Mitchell.

Around the world, we are seeing the rise of nationalism, racism and authoritarian regimes. Will democracy survive the century? Or has freedom has become too heavy a burden to bear in our uncertain world? Pankaj Mishra, Angela Nagle and Tim Soutphommasane discuss the future of our political societies at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The panel is chaired by Fauziah Ibrahim...

Populist tribes around the world have increasing political sway. Can this movement sustain itself? What comes next? Award-winning author and conservative historian Niall Ferguson presents a keynote at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The session is chaired by Ann Mossop.

Does the arrival of sex robots mean the end of intimacy or the next sex revolution? Will humanoid dolls regulate sexual perversity or provoke greater harm? Rob Brooks, Dr Nikki Goldstein and Xanthe Mallett give their independent take on the issue at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The panel is chaired by Natasha Mitchell.

What we don't understand often looks dangerous. But if we're going to be able to cope with inevitable and accelerating change, we need to go beyond technophobia and moral panic. Haris Aziz, Khandis Blake, Lee Rollins and Martina Stenzel present a series of short talks at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island, covering specialist topics from nanoparticles to genome manipulation. The se...

Big data reveals the sad truth that we all lie, almost all of the time. Except, that is, when we're online. Why do we treat the internet like a confessional box? What secrets do our searches contain? 'Data whisperer' Seth Stephens-Davidowitz reveals the vulnerabilities and insecurities, the patterns and potential, and the ugly prejudices that our Google searches disclose. This keynote talk was pre...

Anarchy, resentment and an urge to smash the system are spreading. What caused this age of anger? How can we understand it? And what kind of transformative thinking will help us find our way out of it? Author and academic Pankaj Mishra presents a keynote at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The session is chaired by Simon Longstaff.

Insights from big data can cure diseases, control epidemics, end congestion in our cities and aid the just distribution of natural resources. If withholding access to personal data undermines these social goods, does that make privacy selfish? Zeynep Tufekci and Seth Stephens-Davidowitz hash it out at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas 2018 on Cockatoo Island. The panel is chaired by Marc Fennell. 

In the internet culture wars, the ascendant alt-right confronts a complacent left obsessed with identity politics. Has the worst of the internet become reality? Author and writer Angela Nagle presents a keynote at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The talk is chaired by Kym Middleton.

Australian politics is in a maelstrom, fake news has taken root and increasingly, democracy is looking decidedly unwell. Does this have anything to do with our highly concentrated media ownership and vigorous partisan players? What are the costs of a polarised, opinion-driven media and the 24-hour news cycle? Dee Madigan, John Hewson and Rebecca Huntley discuss at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Id...

As China's rise continues and the US retreats, do our strategic interests lie in a positive alignment with our region's traditional power? Could an alliance between Australia and China be founded on shared interests – despite underlying cultural and political differences? Zhao Hai, Linda Jakobson, Adam Ni put these questions to debate at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The...

Addictive technology is on the march – from poker machines to smartphones. And it is stealing something even more valuable – our attention – in order to sell it to the highest bidder. Is it too late to get it back? Techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci presents a keynote at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The talk is chaired by Ann Mossop.

Controversial feminist Germaine Greer, LSD advocate Ayelet Waldman and ex-Westboro Baptist Church member Megan Phelps-Roper discuss the ethics of free speech in the age of growing intolerance. Their talk was recorded on Cockatoo Island at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas. The panel was chaired by Hamish Macdonald.

AI will bring about a seismic shift in politics, equality, work and the psyche of mankind. How brave is our new world going to be? Australian AI expert Toby Walsh presents a keynote at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. The talk was chaired by Lyria Bennett Moses.

Stephen Fry conjures the lost art of fabulous disagreement at a special Sydney Town Hall event. Presented as part of the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas, the keynote talk was given in honour of the first ever FODI speaker and Fry's late friend, Christopher Hitchens. The event was welcomed by Uncle Allen Madden.

Author, writer and pop culture expert Chuck Klosterman presents a keynote talk at the 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Cockatoo Island. If retrospect teaches us how clueless humankind has been over most of its history, he asks, how can we be so sure about anything in the present? The session is chaired by Marc Fennell.