UNSW Centre for Ideas

Kind by Design with Dr Gabi Nudelman | One Big Idea

In an era of increasing productivity, efficiency and automation it’s important not to lose sight that education – the learning and teaching that we all pursue – is about human connection and transformation. Tune in to learn from Dr Gabi Nudelman, a Senior Lecturer in business sustainability and ethics, on how kindness could be our secret weapons against disconnection in our work and school environments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unpicking the Lock to the Blood-Brain Barrier with Dr Alexis Minchaca Acosta | One Big Idea

The blood-brain barrier prevents 98% of medicines from reaching the brain. This prevents the effective treatment of neurological disorders, from cancer to Alzheimer’s. If we knew how to create drugs that could pass through this barrier, then we’d be able to create targeted, effective treatments. But doing so requires a lot of trial and error, and there aren’t a lot of effective, ethical, targeted treatments. Until now. Tune in to learn from Dr Alexis Minchaca Acosta, a Research Officer at the Children’s Cancer Institute, on how her work in lab-made blood brain barriers could change the game for neurological disorders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reframing Rescue with Communities at the Heart with Dr Regina Jefferies | One Big Idea

As natural disasters increase in frequency and severity, we are all at risk of one day having our homes and our lives being in danger from fire or flood. Right now, we are seeing an unprecedented level of people needing rescue in the midst of disaster. But rescue shouldn’t just be after the point of no return, when people must evacuate their homes because hazardous conditions overwhelm communities. Listen to Dr Regina Jefferies, a human rights and refugee lawyer, on how recognising the broad scope of who tends to be a first responder in a disaster, and what it means to truly save people, could offer a fairer, kinder chance of rescue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grand Designs for our Oceans' Habitats with Ann Flemming Nielsen | One Big Idea

Our coastal marine habitats are suffering from the man-made degradation of climate change. From coral reefs to seagrass meadows, oyster reefs and kelp forests, these ecosystems are vital nurseries for marine life and natural coastal buffers against storms and we’re losing them at a rapid pace. But all is not lost. We have the tools and the know-how to restore these environments. Tune in to learn from Ann Flemming Nielsen, a PhD student at the Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, on how we can use human engineering to build back the coastal environments in severe decline and give nature a chance to recover.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Power of Light with Dr Alison Goldingay | One Big Idea

Light has unlocked many technologies over the course of human history. The more we learn about what light is and what it can do, the more applications we find to advance our lives. When we study light at the smallest scale possible, at the atomic level, we can unlock some pretty amazing, pretty weird capabilities. Find out from Dr Alison Goldingay, an award-winning Postdoctoral Fellow at UNSW in the School of Physics, about how the study of light is making quantum computing a reality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.