Best David Langton Podcasts (2025)

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The €1 Breakthrough: Scaling Smart Labels for Impact 54:07

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13h ago54:07

54:07

Smart cities are making headlines—but what’s driving real ROI behind the scenes? In this episode, we explore how consultative IoT strategies, not just new tech, are reshaping urban infrastructure and logistics. The conversation centers on smart labels, AI, and sensor-driven solutions that turn everyday operations into measurable value. You’ll hear …

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ABC's CITIZEN JURY — Fixing salmon farming's environmental harms in Tasmania 1:11:15

7m ago1:11:15

1:11:15

ABC Radio National's CITIZEN JURY takes hard, hot-button issues affecting a community — and places citizens at the centre of finding solutions. It's citizen-driven democracy in action! Tasmanian salmon is on dinner plates across Australia. It's a 1.4 billion-dollar industry producing jobs for Tasmanians, and more than 70, 000 tonnes of fish annuall…

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Anne Summers — 50 Years of Damned Whores and God’s Police 54:35

9h ago54:35

54:35

In 1975, aged just 29, she wrote a bestselling book that changed Australia. Since then, she's courted controversy and acclaim, but Anne Summers has never given up the fight for gender equality. This conversation was recorded live at the 2025 Sydney Writers' Festival. Speakers Dr Anne SummersAuthor, Damned Whores and God's Police, Ducks on the Pond:…

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Why we need to cancel cancel culture — with defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou 54:34

1d ago54:34

54:34

When people say or do the wrong thing, we have laws and a legal system that should be able to deliver consequences and, hopefully justice. But in this digital age, the human instinct to inflict punishment in the court of public opinion has reached fever pitch. So do we want to live by mob rule, or the rule of law? The 2025 James Merralls Fellowship…

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Out of this world — with Booker Prize winning author Samantha Harvey 54:09

5d ago54:09

54:09

For all of human history, space has been a place of mystery, awe and fascination. But unless you're an astronaut, a billionaire, or a pop star, most of us will never have the opportunity to travel there — except in our minds. This conversation features two writers who've used the perspective of space to explore our humanity, Earth's place in the un…

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What Artists See? Critic Quentin Sprague helps you get to the messy human heart of art 54:34

6d ago54:34

54:34

Have you ever visited an art gallery full of wonder, ready to be inspired, only to leave feeling like it was all a bit over your head? You're about to meet one writer whose new book of essays rejects the over-complication and gets to the messy, human heart of art. What Artists See is a collection of essays from award-winning arts writer and critic …

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Matrescence — on the metamorphosis of motherhood 54:58

7d ago54:58

54:58

When a child is born, so too is a mother. This idea, known as "matrescence", was first conceived in the 1970s by American medical anthropologist Dana Raphael. Parenting in 2025 looks very different in many ways, the scientific evidence now supports the theory that women undergo radical physiological, psychological and social changes during pregnanc…

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Alexander the Great — A genius? A tyrant? A visionary? A killer? A maniac? 42:52

8d ago42:52

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He was undefeated in battle and established one of the largest empires in history. But his legacy goes beyond his military conquests. He increased trade between East and West, spread the Greek civilisation and founded cultural centres that still thrive today. Learn more about Alexander the Great's life, personality and impact with a fresh perspecti…

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Nobel laureate Donna Strickland on her life in lasers 57:39

12d ago57:39

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She became the third ever woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, and the first in 50 years. This is the story of how Donna Strickland became a "Laser Jock", and why she's now on a mission to restore trust in science. This event was recorded at the Centre for Ideas at the University of New South Wales. Speakers Donna StricklandProfessor in t…

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Ziggy Ramo’s latest project asks what makes us human? 54:34

13d ago54:34

54:34

Ziggy Ramo is an award-winning musician and author whose latest book titled Human?: A lie that has been killing us since 1788 weaves song, visual art and personal history to present a new way of looking at this country’s past. Led by Mparntwe and Alice Springs-based poet Laurie May, Ziggy reflects on the project and where it took him at the Byron W…

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New legislation to protect you against invasion of your privacy 54:36

14d ago54:36

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2025 is a landmark year for Australian privacy law. The new statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy came into effect in June this year. This could be a breakthrough providing you with a better way to protect your privacy interests through the court system. Big Ideas digs deep into its origins, its inspirations, and its potential future. Pre…

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How to build a stock exchange — the past, present and future of finance 58:35

15d ago58:35

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This rollicking history traces the evolution of the London stock exchange, from the Transatlantic slave trade to modern day missions to Mars, arguing that the financial markets wield the power to bring down governments, and shape our societies, for better and for worse. This lecture was recorded at the Australian National University. Speakers Phili…

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IoT and Agentic AI Power Tomorrow’s Smart Hospitals 40:08

19d ago40:08

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Hospitals don’t run on hope—they run on data. Today’s healthcare systems are under pressure to do more with less. From equipment shortages to long wait times, inefficiencies are everywhere. But what if AI agents could fix them in real time? In this episode, we explore how a new class of IoT-driven intelligence is transforming hospital operations fr…

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Is Jane Austen the greatest English novelist of all time? 1:00:55

19d ago1:00:55

1:00:55

She's on a bank note (British 10 pounds), and a bath soap (Suds and Sensibility), and she also wrote some of the most beloved novels in English literature. Why has Jane Austen become such an enduring cultural force, and what makes us return to her works time and time again? This event, celebrating 250 years since Jane Austen's birth, was recorded a…

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We’re F**ed! It’s too late to avoid civilisational collapse. 2025 Beaker Street Festival Great Debate 52:49

20d ago52:49

52:49

Is the end of the world nigh, or just the end of the world as we know it? Are we set to doom-scroll our way to apocalypse? Or is this the moment we wake up to ourselves, change course, and save the planet? Don't miss this hilarious battle of brains and bravado when two teams join Big Ideas' host and science journalist Natasha Mitchell at Hobart Cit…

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Who killed the liberal international order (and what comes next)? 55:37

21d ago55:37

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Conflict and great power rivalries are on the rise, democracy is in retreat, and multilateral institutions created to maintain global cooperation appear increasingly toothless. So is the world as we've known it coming to an end? And if so, what will replace it? This speech was recorded at the University of Queensland on 17 September 2025. Speaker A…

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Can the Democrats save democracy in the US? 54:36

22d ago54:36

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The Democratic Party in America is in an identity crisis. It's shifting priorities to claw back grounds from the Republicans. But is it too little, too late? How can the Democrats respond to a radicalising and increasingly authoritarian-minded Republican Party? The Future of America's Democratic Party presented by the American Academy in Berlin Spe…

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Maria Ressa on what Donald Trump learnt from Rodrigo Duterte and other strongman rulers 55:35

26d ago55:35

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From Rodrigo Duterte, to Narendra Modi, to Donald Trump, strongman leaders around the world are harnessing big tech to consolidate their power. Social media is also being used to energise and organise resistance movements, but is the bad increasingly outweighing the good? The 2025 Southeast Asia Oration Media Freedom and Democracy in Southeast Asia…

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Prove It! Elizabeth Finkel's Scientific Guide for the Post-Truth Era 1:01:11

27d ago1:01:11

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By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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John Lennon and Paul McCartney — a partnership that changed cultural history 54:35

28d ago54:35

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By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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'Militarism gone mad' — Labor firebrand hits out at party’s support of AUKUS 54:02

29d ago54:02

54:02

The world feels more dangerous and unpredictable, but with Australia wedged between our traditional ally, America, and our biggest trading partner, China, does our most expensive ever defence project make us more secure, or less? The 2025 Laurie Carmichael Lecture, Australian Sovereignty and the Path to Peace, was recorded on Wednesday 10 September…

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Genocides are everyone's business, not no-one's business — Gareth Evans, Yassmin Khadra, Daniel Abot's urgent plea for peace 54:35

1M ago54:35

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A frank and impassioned plea for peace by Gareth Evans. As Australia's former Foreign Minister and former president of the International Crisis Group, he's spent most of his career forging real paths to peace globally. From Sudan to Gaza, Myanmar to Ukraine - who can we rely on to stop "forever" wars and genocides? Does Australia have a unique role…

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Vale Dr Jane Goodall — why the renowned primatologist and environmentalist held onto hope 27:02

1M ago27:02

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Primatologist Jane Goodall once said: "It actually doesn't take much to be a difficult woman. That's why there are so many of us." She spoke up. For all the species who go unheard, or unnoticed by humans. She was a giant in the global environmental movement. She first walked into the wild forests of Tanzania as a young woman with no science trainin…

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Is AI the new coloniser? How to create more life-centred AI before it's too late 57:00

1M ago57:00

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AI is an incredible tool, but is AI also a new coloniser? Is there actually anything new or artificial about artificial intelligence? Join Natasha Mitchell at the 2025 Now or Never Festival to meet two big thinkers building a bridge between First Nations and Western knowledge to disrupt and reimagine the who, what, and why of AI? This conversation …

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Condoleezza Rice on how to fix the break-up of global cooperation 54:35

1M ago54:35

54:35

Former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice assesses the break-up of globalisation and the world order. The way in which countries such as the United States or Germany focus on sovereign goals is part of the problem. And that's likely not to stop any time soon. But she also comes up with practical ideas for creating a common economic and security…

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The rise of Spotify and the costs of the perfect playlist — with music journalist Liz Pelly 58:26

1M ago58:26

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American music journalist Liz Pelly interrogates the ways Spotify and other streaming giants are reshaping music, not just for listeners, but also for the people who make it. This conversation was recorded on 28 August 2025 in partnership with The Wheeler Centre and Now or Never Festival. Discover more talks and bold conversations by following The …

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Yolngu power — art, culture, country, law — with Marcia Langton and Clare Wright 54:33

1M ago54:33

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Australian Indigenous art is celebrated around the world – but how much is understood about its pivotal role in Indigenous culture, country, politics and law? For the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land, art is more than just aesthetic, it is a means of cultural diplomacy, and a respectful assertion of power in its diverse forms, from sovereign…

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Nobel scientist Jennifer Doudna with Natasha Mitchell — the gene editing revolution, radical ethics, and what's next? [Archive episode] 54:33

1M ago54:33

54:33

Join a full house at the Sydney Opera House with Nobel winning scientist Jennifer Doudna and Big Ideas' presenter Natasha Mitchell to discuss the huge social, ethical, and scientific implications of the CRISPR gene editing revolution her groundbreaking discovery with Emmanuelle Charpentier and colleagues kicked off. From curative therapies to gene …

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Helen Vatsikopoulos — when the stories of migrants in Australia are silenced it's bad for all of us 54:34

1M ago54:34

54:34

Stories help us to understand what is happening in the world and how it impacts us. Stories help us to relate to the experience of 'the Other' and their suffering building an emotional understanding. Journalist and academic Helen Vatiskopoulos describes the power of stories to share information to the masses and the problems that arise when the nar…

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The power of essays — with David Marr, Esther Anatolitis, Brooke Boland and Ashleigh Wilson 55:04

1M ago55:04

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For 85 years, Meanjin has published the essays of Australian writers. The magazine's founding editor, Clem Christesen, wanted Meanjin's writers 'to reveal and clarify our life by showing it to us though a vision different from ours and deeper." In the wake of the news the magazine is closing, Big Ideas explores and celebrates the essay in all its f…

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Fleeced — unravelling the history of wool and war 54:35

2M ago54:35

54:35

It's water and fireproof, versatile, warm and tough wearing. Wool not only expanded the British Empire, and created prosperity in the colonies, it also changed the nature of war and warfare. But wool's fortunes didn't last forever. This is the story of the rise and fall of wool. This conversation was recorded at the National Library of Australia on…

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What's up with dieting Doc? Rethinking the obesity obsession in healthcare 54:30

2M ago54:30

54:30

Has your doctor ever told you to go on a diet? Does that conversation put you off going to them in the first place, even if you need treatment for something not related to your weight? Has being in a larger body ever meant you can't access surgery or IVF? Some are pushing for a weight-inclusive approach to healthcare, which de-centres obesity, and …

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Doing business ethically in turbulent times — with Helen Clark 54:34

2M ago54:34

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In a world where rules are increasingly being broken, what role should business play in upholding human rights, international and domestic law, and environmental protection? And what are the rules and responsibilities of business to ensure supply chains, hiring practices, workplace safety, environment and social governance practices abide by global…

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Jimmy Barnes – tells it all 54:35

2M ago54:35

54:35

Rock star and maverick Jimmy Barnes celebrates heritage, family, friends, music and the adventure of a grand life on stage. Get up close to the lead singer of Cold Chisel, author of Working Class Man and Working Class Boy. Learn how terrible experiences of family violence, but also a close bond to his brother shaped him into the performer he is now…

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Hanna Rosin on what’s happened to the end of men in Trump’s America 54:30

2M ago54:30

54:30

Thirteen years ago, US political journalist Hanna Roisin wrote a book called The End of Men: and the Rise of Women. Since then, there's been President Donald Trump x 2, the manosphere, the broligarchy, and more. So what happened? This event was recorded at the 2025 Women in Media Conference on 15 August 2025. Speakers Hanna Rosin — Senior Editor, T…

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Nuked or not? The politics and power play over nuclear energy as a climate fix 58:38

2M ago58:38

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Nuclear power is banned in Australia, and has been for decades, whilst some countries tilt towards nuclear energy again. Should or could Australia? The politics and power play over nuclear in the Sunburnt country, why the Coalition failed with the nuclear card at the last federal election, and what next? Join Big Ideas host and science journalist N…

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Heart-to-heart with John Wamsley and David Lindenmayer — why these trailblazing environmentalists won't back off 54:29

2M ago54:29

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Meet two men on a lifelong mission. They've ruffled a lot of feathers along the way. Some revere them, others revile them. John Wamsley set up Australia's first wildlife sanctuary, but he's perhaps best known as the "cat-hat-man" (sorry, cat lovers!). World renowned forest ecologist David Lindenmeyer has copped heat from Australia's forestry indust…

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Are the reading wars really over? 54:35

2M ago54:35

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It's estimated that one third of Australian school children can't read proficiently, and debates about the best way to teach reading have raged for years. Now, for the first time, explicit instruction is official policy in all states and territories - so can it turn things around? This speech was recorded at the Advancing Effective Education Summit…

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Is our university system broken? 54:05

2M ago54:05

54:05

Students are dropping out, academics are burning out, so is enough being done to save higher education? It's a multibillion-dollar sector, employing and educating millions, with expectations it can deliver the solutions and the workers Australia needs. But Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner says universities are in serious trouble. This conversation …

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The radicalisation of boys — Jess Hill, George Megalogenis, Thomas Mayo with Natasha Mitchell at Byron Writers Festival 1:05:15

2M ago1:05:15

1:05:15

Some boys are being radicalised by misogynist online subcultures like the 'Manosphere' and the 'incel' (involuntarily celibate) scene. Parents are anxious and boys are confused. What's happening, why, and what can be done? Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell and guests at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival for an insightful exploration with three inf…

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From Shark Tank to Smart Home Game-Changer 32:39

2M ago32:39

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The kitchen is the home's heart—but also its greatest fire risk. In this IoT Leaders episode, Nick Earle explores how technology can make cooking safer without changing how people cook. Unattended stoves remain the top cause of house fires, but smart retrofits and better standards promise a shift from reactive to proactive safety. Akshita Iyer expl…

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The AI Con — unpacking the artificial intelligence hype machine 55:03

2M ago55:03

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Is the world really in the midst of an AI revolution, or is it all just clever marketing, powered by immense amounts of money, capital and hype? This episode arms you to spot AI hype in all its guises, expose the exploitation and power-grabs it aims to hide, and push back against it at work and daily life. The conversation with Emily M Bender was r…

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Barry Jones and Kerry O'Brien — on complexity, politics and love 54:00

2M ago54:00

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Barry Jones and Kerry O'Brien - Two titans of Australian political and social commentary share insights into how to think well, how to act well and how to make sense of politics, history, the fragility of civilisation, science and love. Presented at the Byron Writers Festival Speakers Barry JonesFormer science minister, Labor member of the Victoria…

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Tradwives — cosy cottage core fantasy, or something more sinister? With Megan Agnew, Rosie Waterland, Beverley Wang and Nakkiah Lui 53:44

2M ago53:44

53:44

They cook, make babies, and look impossibly perfect while doing it.Tradwives are using social media to redefine femininity and womanhood… or are they just setting it waaaayyy back? The Tradwives Club was presented by the Sydney Opera House at the 2025 All About Women Festival. Speakers Megan Agnew — Senior Features Writer (New York), The Times of L…

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My Sister and Other Lovers — Esther Freud with Natasha Mitchell at Byron Writers Festival 53:48

2M ago53:48

53:48

Esther Freud’s first semi-autobiographical novel Hideous Kinky became a film starring Kate Winslet and told the wild story of two little girls living in Morocco with their bohemian mother. More than 30 years on, those girls are back and growing up fast in her sequel, My Sister and Other Lovers. Esther joins Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the By…

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When dreams speak truth — exploring the relationship between our realities and the subconscious 49:42

2M ago49:42

49:42

What happens when the harsh realities of our daily lives — death, war, illness, hardship — invade that most private of realms — our sleep? Four poets and writers explore how things show up in dreams that otherwise can't be expressed, and how they've used the subconscious to inspire their creative work. This conversation was recorded at the Addi Roa…

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The US was meant to pivot to Asia — has Donald Trump changed course? 54:34

2M ago54:34

54:34

With Donald Trump mediating conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, what has become of the United States' strategy in the Asia Pacific region? The event Asia Disrupted: Trump's First Six Months was recorded at La Trobe Asia on 1 August 2025. Speakers Daniel Flitton — Managing Editor, The Interpreter The Lowy Institute Dr Lupita Wijaya — Research f…

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Alison Lester and Jane Godwin on how children’s books change lives 53:54

3M ago53:54

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Even years later, children's books can hold a special place in our hearts, and they also teach, comfort, inspire, and grow young minds, and set kids up for life. Two of Australia's best loved children's authors explore the importance of storytelling for children, and reflect on the books that have changed their lives. This talk was recorded at the …

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From devil horns to deep listening — Maxine Beneba Clark, Debra Dank, Damon Young on the power of communication 53:54

3M ago53:54

53:54

From finding the right language to connect to Country, making the world a more poetic place for kids, to a Vulcan salute between two lovers — communication makes the world go round. Three brilliantly creative communicators join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival to consider ways we communicate and how we can do it be…

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How a picnic started the fall of the Iron Curtain 54:36

3M ago54:36

54:36

A brass band, goulash cooking in giant pots over open flames, people dancing around a bonfire — a pan-European picnic at the border between Hungary and Austria in 1989 was the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Suddenly hundreds of East Germans stormed the border into the West and freedom. It's a moment in history where the power of ordinary peo…