Big Ideas

Is it too late to escape the rage bait machine? And why are its roots ancient and evolutionary? Leading strategist Ed Coper has used all the tricks of the trade to change hearts and minds. He's run some of Australia's and the world's most effective campaigns, advised change-makers like Sir Richard Branson, Shakira, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai and other Nobel Laureates. Now Ed is ringing an alarm bell in a new book called Angertainment: How Social Media Outrage Ruined Everything.
This event was held at The Wheeler Centre, Australia's first dedicated centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, and was supported by RMIT University. Explore more discussions like this one on The Wheeler Centre podcast — available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @wheelercentre on the socials for updates.
Speakers:
Ed CoperCommunications strategistCEO, PopularesAuthor, Angertainment: How Social Media Outrage Ruined Everything (2026), Facts and Other Lies: Welcome to the Disinformation Age (2022)
Sushi Das (host)Journalist, lecturer, and former Chief of Staff of RMIT Fact Check, RMIT University

Globalisation has powered the extraordinary economic rise of Asia. But the same components that built this success — open trade, deep supply chains, interdependence — are now fuelling the rivalries threatening to pull the region apart. Globalisation and geopolitics are now moving in different directions, and it will define the future of Asia and the role Australia plays in the region.  
Speakers 
Professor Nick Bisley Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University Author of the book Asian Crucible, Globalization, Geopolitics and the Contest for the Future
Dr Michael Green (host) CEO United States Studies Centre

From Robodebt to the banks, KPMG to the NDIS, whistleblowers have exposed egregious cases of corruption and misconduct. But it's often come at great personal cost, including risks to personal safety, liberty, relationships and reputations. So how could Australia's whistleblower protections be strengthened so that more people speak up when they witness wrongdoing?
This event was recorded at the Centre for Ideas at the University of New South Wales on 16 June 2026.
Speakers:
Kieran PenderAssociate Legal Director of the Human Rights Law CentreFounder, The Whistleblower Project
Gabriel ShiptonFilm maker, storyteller, human rights advocate, co-leader of the campaign to free WikiLeaks founder Julian AssangeFounder, The Information Rights Project
Lenore Taylor (host)Former editor, Guardian Australia

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants AI in Australia's interests, and has announced steps to regulate the technology. So can Australia get the balance right between the opportunities offered by AI, and the risks? Australia's former Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, a serial tech entrepreneur, has some ideas — and argues governments have been asleep at the wheel on AI regulation.
This event was recorded at the Woodend Winter Arts Festival on 7 June 2026.
Speakers:
Professor Alan FinkelFounder, Proudly HumanFormer Chief ScientistFormer Chancellor Monash UniversityFounder of biotech and edtech companies Axon Instruments and Stile EducationFormer President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE)Co-founder, Cosmos Magazine

Jack Toohey was flying high. Then he crashed. But from despair came renewal, and a rebellious hope. In 2023, when his social media post about housing affordability attracted over 20 million views — he knew he was onto something. He joins BIG IDEAS host Natasha Mitchell at the Make Good Festival at Bundanon, NSW to talk about the big ideas in his new book Better Things Are Possible: How Rebellious Hope Can Change the World. He wants to help you stop doomscrolling and reclaim the possibilities for creating a more just world.
Speaker
Jack TooheyCreative director, strategist, film-maker, and activistAuthor, Better Things Are Possible: How Rebellious Hope Can Change the World (2026).Jack on SubstackJack on Instagram
Thanks to the Bundanon team and guest curator of the Make Good Festival Danielle Harvey