Sydney Ideas

With the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency of the United States, it now seems climate change denial has reached into the most powerful political office in the world. In this special Sydney Ideas public lecture, world-renowned climate scientist Professor Michael Mann provides a somewhat light-hearted take on a very serious issue - the threat of human-caused climate change and what to do about it. Based on his recent collaboration with Washington Post editorial cartoonist Tom Toles, Professor Mann reviews the scientific evidence of climate change, the reasons we should care, and the often absurd efforts by special interests and partisan political figures to confuse the public and attack the science. Despite the monumental nature of the challenge this poses to human civilization, and the seeming inability of political leadership to respond to the climate crisis, Professor Mann highlights ways forward in mitigating future harm and reasons for cautious optimism. SPEAKER: Professor Michael E Mann, Distin

Since the smashing of labour’s collective bargaining power under neoliberalism, how is the transition to a postcapitalist society to be enacted? Are we currently witnessing the zombie state of neoliberalism in its death throes? What is the role of technology and automation, as well as human agency, in shaping the future? These issues and more animate Paul Mason’s talk. SPEAKER: Paul Mason, journalist and broadcaster A Sydney Ideas talk presented by the Department of Political Economy in the School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS), and the Greens Political Education Trust Presented by Sydney Ideas on 6 Feb 2017 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/paul_mason.shtml

Cancer and neurologial diseases are among the top 5 causes of death in Australia. However, there is some good news in this battle against these as new big data technologies now allow scientists to measure nearly every aspect of a cancerous tumor and take real-time scans of the active human brain. This big data may hold the key to understanding causes and possible cures for cancer as well as understanding the complexities of the human brain. Genevera Allen highlights how exactly is data science transforming medical research. Specifically, she demonstrates how networks can be used to visualize and mine big biomedical data, from genetic networks that have led to the discovery of new drug targets for cancer to brain networks that show how the brain communicates and how these communications are disrupted in neurological diseases. SPEAKER: Assistant Professor Genevera Allen, Statistics and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, USA For the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) Summer Sc

False memories, like true ones, have consequences for people, affecting later thoughts, intentions, and behaviours. Once planted, the false memories look very much like true memories – in terms of behavioural characteristics, emotionality and neural signatures. If false memories can be so readily planted in the mind, do we need to think about ‘regulating’ this mind technology? And what do these pseudomemories say about the nature of memory itself? SPEAKER: Professor Elizabeth Loftus, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior, Professor of Law, School of Law, University of California Presented by Sydney Ideas on 3 Jan 2017 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/professor_elizabeth_loftus.shtml

The recent review of the national Australian Curriculum has recommended reducing arts learning in our schools. Many in the sector see the recommendations as a direct challenge to decades of research and teaching that demonstrates that students who engage in an active, demanding, high-quality arts education are more likely to excel in their academic and non-academic lives. Sydney Ideas presents a robust forum that discusses the place of arts in our schools in response to this review. It draws on recent University of Sydney research and international research that demands that all young people everywhere must have access to a strong and sustained arts education. PANEL Michael Anderson (panel chair), Faculty of Education and Social Work Tom Alegounarias, President of the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES) Rob Carlton, a Silver Logie winning actor Andrea Connell, the Principal of Sydney Girls High School Robyn Ewing, Professor of Teacher Education Faculty of Education and Social

How might philosophical research into apparently non-practical matters be of general relevance to the community? What benefits might tax-payers expect to flow from public support of philosophical research? In the light of comments made in last year’s federal election campaign about research funding for philosophy projects, a panel of philosophers address different aspects of these pressing questions. Panel Professor Richard Eldrige, Swarthmore College USA Professor Paul Redding, University of Sydney Dr Dalia Nassar, University of Sydney A Sydney Ideas event on 25 March 2014 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/philosophy_in_the_age_of_democracy.shtml

Sugar Sweetened Schools: a supply chain to childhood obesity? With rates of childhood and adult obesity at all time highs, it’s time to reconsider the delivery of nutrition to children, but where should we start? Establishing a healthy lifestyle from a young age is essential for our children’s optimal physical and mental development. A school environment can provide a platform for learning the skills for healthy living, yet our schools are possibly doing more harm than good when it comes to combating childhood obesity. During this talk Dr Kieron Rooney explored the current guidelines for the delivery of healthy foods in NSW schools and identified weaknesses in the implementation of those guidelines, and finally proposed some potential steps forward. Kieron was joined on the night by Ms Jo Gardner, CEO of the Healthy Kids Association. A Sydney Ideas event on 26 March 2014 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/dr_kieron_rooney.shtml

What lessons should we draw from the First World War? Professor Glenda Sluga discusses the war's legacies from the perspective of its end, and the twinned principles on which a new postwar international order was to be established – namely nationality and the League of Nations. Her aim is to understand the relative significance of nationalism and of what contemporaries articulated as a 'new era of internationalism' in the last years of the war and in its wake. A Sydney Ideas event on 28 March 2014 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/professor_glenda_sluga.shtml

UNESCO’s 1972 Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage is the only international instrument for safeguarding the world’s heritage. Professor Lynn Meskell, Director of the Stanford Archaeology Center, examines how emergent rights to the past are now being presented, promoted and prevented by select groups. A Sydney Ideas event on 7 May 2014 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/professor_lynn_meskell.shtml

Find out how leading researchers are making a contribution to our understanding of creativity, while at the same time inspiring the next generation through their teaching. If the transformative potential of creativity in the education process is now acknowledged, how are our trainee teachers taught to teach creativity themselves? What are the realities of implementing creative practices in the classroom, and what is the latest research telling us about what teaching methods work and why? A panel of researchers and practitioners from a range of art disciplines explore how they teach creativity to their students and give practical examples of what works when they get into the classroom. Panel Dr Julie Dunn, Associate Professor and member of Griffith University's Applied Theatre team Kelly Freebody, Robyn Ewing and Michael Anderson , Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney Dr Miranda Jefferson, Teaching Educator in challenging pedagogy with the Catholic Education Office Parramatta Dioce

Why was the invention of the idea of 'global justice' in the 1970s, a sharp break from the theory of the social contract? Leading human rights scholar, Professor Samuel Moyn from Columbia University, traces the origins of the philosophy of global justice and examines where it stands now. Are the very principles the new philosophy global justice proclaims, further from reality than ever? A Sydney Ideas event on 22 July 2014 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/professor_samuel_moyn.shtml

Young people aged 12–25 are the highest at-risk group for experiencing mental health problems. They are also the group most likely to look for help and support online. Using the internet for social networking is their haven – but is it safe, reliable and helpful? Andrew Campbell from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Tracy Adams from Boystown discuss the issue. A Sydney Ideas event on 10 September 2014 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/andrew_campbell.shtml

Have you ever bought a pain reliever that ‘targets’ specific pain? Can pain relievers really target a part of the body? Are ‘natural’ medicines or supplements always better or safer than prescription drugs? Turns out, a lot of what we “know” about over-the-counter or prescription medicines isn’t true – and in a world where drugs have the capacity to heal or harm us, separating fact from fiction can be life-saving. Professor Andrew McLachlan, a pharmacist and noted researcher with a special interest in the appropriate use of medicines, addresses several important and widely-believed myths about medications. A Sydney Ideas event on 14 October 2014 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/professor_andrew_mclachlan.shtml

Professor Sharon Kilbreath and Ms Sally Crossing have a lot of things in common, but perhaps the most striking is their refusal to accept the status quo. When both women were diagnosed with breast cancer over 15 years ago, they discovered a significant gap in the knowledge and understanding of life after surgery and a lack of a united voice for cancer patients. This spurred them on to become leaders in their respective fields of research and consumer advocacy. In this talk Professor Kilbreath will present her latest research findings which challenge current treatment practices and beliefs around breast cancer rehabilitation. She will particularly focus on lymphoedema, the painful chronic swelling of the arm or chest which can occur post-surgery. Ms Crossing will discuss her own personal journey, and her passion for influencing the influencers to make a difference for people affected by cancer. She will also reflect on the anniversary of 20 years of the cancer consumer advocacy movement in Australia. Profess

How will a changing climate affect global food production and global hunger? What do we know and what needs to be done? In March 2014, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change released the 5th Assessment Report of Working Group II, responsible for considering human adaptation to climate change. The Report presented a sobering, state-of-the-art assessment of how forecasts of climate change might affect global food systems. This is a complex area for future-gazing. Key assumptions about the interactions between climate change, agricultural production and the broader food system remain subject to considerable doubt. The panel will address this important set of issues. PANEL Professor Elspeth Probyn, Professor of Gender & Cultural Studies Associate Professor Bill Pritchard, Associate Professor in Human Geography Dr John Ingram, University of Oxford Debbie Hunt, NSW & ACT State Campaign and Engagement Coordinator for Oxfam Australia A Sydney Ideas and Sydney Environment Institute Food@Sydney event http:/

At a global level, the people who produce most of the world’s food – smallholder farmers – are also the people who suffer the most food and nutrition insecurity. Why is this so? And what needs to happen to make smallholder agriculture more nutrition-sensitive? In this seminar, three University of Sydney experts from different areas – public health, veterinary science and human geography – review the problem of food and nutrition insecurity among smallholder communities of the developing world. PANEL Dr Alana Mann (panel chair), a senior lecturer in the Department of Media and Communications; Associate Professor Robyn Alders, Faculty of Veterinary Science and the Charles Perkins Centre and a Director of the KYEEMA Foundation; Fyfe Strachan, Food Justice Program Coordinator at Oxfam Australia. A Sydney Ideas and Sydney Environment Institute Food@Sydney event http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/food@sydney_series_2014.shtml

Why Don’t we Eat Enough Fruit and Vegetables? This seminar will address the question of why Australians are eating too few fruits and vegetables. National and State governments and NGOs have invested in health promotion programs to increase fruit and vegetable intake over the past couple of decades. However, the most recent national survey shows about half of the Australian population eats their 2 serves of fruit daily but vegetable consumption of 5 serves per day is met by less than 10%. PANEL Dr Brian Jones, Faculty of Agriculture and the Environment Associate Professor Margaret Allman-Farinelli, School of Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science Associate Professor Robyn McConchie, Head of Department, Plant and Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment A Sydney Ideas and Sydney Environment Institute Food@Sydney event http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/food@sydney_series_2014.shtml

Too much of the world’s food goes to waste. Wasted food represents a burden on our scarce environmental resources that we can scarcely afford, and loss of product that could (indeed, should) be made available for those in need. The three panellists presented different and distinctive perspectives on why we should treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves. PANEL Associate Professor Bill Pritchard (Chair), Human Geographer, School of Geosciences Dr Brian Jones, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Alexandra Iljadica, Founding director of Youth Food Movement Ronni Kahn, CEO and founder OzHarvest A Sydney Ideas and Sydney Environment Institute Food@Sydney event http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2014/food@sydney_series_2014.shtml

Lives versus Livelihoods? fumigants, farmworkers, and biopolitics in California’s strawberry industry 23 November, 2015 There’s been great debate over the years about pesticide use in the production of our fruit and veggies. California’s lucrative strawberry industry has been a clear example of where there have been regulatory battles over the use of chemical fumigants - two, in particular, methyl iodide and chloropicrin. One side of the argument, from the activists, is that they would harm the body while industry focused on how no pesticide use would affect its trade. Professor Julie Guthman will discuss these debates and note how farmworkers were notably marginalised. Drawing on her recent research, she will discuss the distinction between lives and livelihood. Professor Julie Guthman is a geographer and professor of social sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Her publications include two multi-award winning books: Agrarian Dreams: the Paradox of Organic Farming in California, and Wei

In recent years, we have seen an explosion in the number of community organisations that orient themselves around the production and distribution of food. These food justice groups often focus on improving the availability and quality of food in urban environments, on reducing food waste, and on building local economies. How, though, does the “justice” of food justice manifest itself in practice? How do groups articulate, value and embody social and environmental justice concerns? And how is it that we can best achieve these goals? This event draws together academic and community perspectives on these questions. Panel David Schlosberg is Professor of Environmental Politics in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney, Luke Craven is a PhD student at the University of Sydney and the Sydney Environment Institute. Sharelle Polack, Community Gardens Team Leader at Cultivating Community A Sydney Ideas and Sydney Environment Institute event in the Food@Sydney series h