Women’s bodies are a battleground for beauty capitalism with a constant pressure to reach unachievable beauty standards. Writer, presenter and entertainer Lucinda Price (aka Froomes) spent 30 years striving to fulfil those standards, which she unpacks in her debut memoir, All I Ever Wanted Was To Be Hot: Self image, beauty ideals and desirability. Nutritionist and lecturer Rebecca Reynolds teamed up with mental health author Bev Aisbett to write Beyond the Body Bully: How to love the body you’re in to improve the way we think about our bodies. And writer and researcher Chloe Elisabeth Wilson satirises the cult-like world of beauty by turning it into a real cult in her debut novel Rytual. Lucinda, Rebecca and Chloe discuss how they are helping to rewrite women’s relationships with beauty and their bodies, in conversation with Yumi Stynes. This event was presented by the Sydney Writers' Festival and supported by UNSW Sydney. Please be aware this podcast discusses eating disorders and body image issues which may be distressing for some people. Resources and support can be found here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Philippe Sands: 38 Londres Street
In 1998, at the beginning of his esteemed career as an international human rights lawyer, Philippe Sands was invited to advise Augusto Pinochet as the Chilean dictator faced arrest in London. Instead, Philippe chose to act as a barrister for Human Rights Watch, where he uncovered the well-hidden connection between Pinochet and former SS commander Walther Rauff. In his latest book, part memoir and part detective story, Philippe draws on interviews and archives to link two of the most brutal regimes of the 20th century at the infamous 38 Londres Street in Santiago. This event was presented by the Sydney Writers' Festival and supported by UNSW Sydney.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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STEMMinist Book Club
The STEMMinist Book Club was founded in 2018 and is dedicated to reading and discussing books related to feminism and STEMM (science, technology, engineering, medicine and maths). The book club has over 5,000 members from 25 countries. As well as discussing great books, the book club provides a virtual discussion forum and support network for women and non-binary people working in these sectors. Come along to this special Festival edition of the STEMMinist Book Club to discuss the phenomenon of GPs who write. Hosted by Caroline Ford with guests Jumaana Abdu (Translations), Melanie Cheng (The Burrow) and Sarah Sasson (Tidelines), all of whom are doctors with brilliant new books. This event was presented by the Sydney Writers' Festival and supported by UNSW Sydney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Karen Hao: Empire of AI
Programs like ChatGPT have become ubiquitous with AI, promising to kick start the next industrial evolution. But the scale of resources needed to support AI are staggering, with the cost largely being levied on the marginalised. From energy demands eclipsing whole cities, to labour exploitation in the global south, this behaviour bodes poorly for an equitable future. In Empire of AI, award-winning investigative journalist Karen Hao unpacks the rise of OpenAI and their race for global dominance – prompting the question, what will it take to reign in this laissez-faire approach to growth? Answers are needed and UNSW legal expert Mimi Zou is exploring the possibilities surrounding the regulation of AI, along with UNSW neuroscientist Joel Pearson who is scrutinising the human impact of AI at an individual and societal level. Hear Chief Scientist of UNSW AI Toby Walsh in conversation with Karen Hao and then Mimi Zou and Joel Pearson on what it will take to usher in a sustainable, equitable AI revolution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Sherine Al Shallah and Lucas Lixinski on Cultural Objects
The Parthenon Marbles. The Benin Bronzes. Grandma's jewellery that she smuggled in her clothes, never to return. What if taking an object is the best way to keep a community's culture alive? Legal experts Sherine Al Shallah and Lucas Lixinski engage with old and new arguments about cultural objects. Bringing together perspectives from decolonisation and refugee practices, Sherine and Lucas dare us to think beyond our preconceived notions, showing that ‘whether’ to return can be an even more complicated question than we thought.If we think about cultural objects not as objects, but as conduits for human connection and identity, they argue, then we may have a chance of solving these complex ethical problems. This event was presented by the Sydney Writers' Festival and supported by UNSW Sydney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.
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