18:00 - 20:15 (AEDT) Sir John Clancy Auditorium

Humanity’s superpower is cooperation. We have found ways to collectively make decisions. It is the reason we have made so much progress. But now, when facing many global challenges, we are struggling to make collective decisions for the long-term benefit for all humanity. Polarisation is increasing. Conflict is bringing chaos. Democracy is under attack. A free press is threatened. How do we make better decisions? Who influences our decisions? Do we have free will?

Welcome remarks and Welcome to Country

Verity Firth and Sandra Brandin

Decision making for the greatest benefit to humanity

While the universe can continue to expand indefinitely, humanity's footprint on Earth cannot. Our decision making processes must evolve to deal with global challenges such as climate change, conflict, pandemics, and the risks from AI. Nobel Prize laureate Brian Schmidt will lay out the new risk landscape and how we might navigate it.

Brian Schmidt

Democracy reimagined: new thinking for the 21st century

Cooperation is our superpower, and democracy is a foundation of human progress. But we take them for granted at our peril. In some of the strongest democracies, democratic principles are being undermined while many voices are ignored. In this conversation Nobel Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman will tell her story of her determination to bring peace and democracy in the Middle East. Tawakkol will be joined by Megan Davis, a constitutional lawyer who is committed to greater indigenous representation in Australian democracy.

Tawakkol Karman and Megan Davis
Moderator: Owen Gaffney

Music performance

DOBBY

Facts, fictions and critical thinking

Facts matter. The scientific process matters. The ability to think critically is essential to navigate our world, to make good decisions and to solve some of the world’s most intractable problems. Nobel Prize laureate Saul Perlmutter believes everyone can learn the skills scientists use to think critically so that they don’t fool themselves. Saul will be joined by Tim Minchin, a writer, composer and fierce defender of facts, the scientific process and logic. Tim urges us all to embrace messy reality and be guided by our own creativity, curiosity and critical thinking.

Tim Minchin and Saul Perlmutter
Moderator: Verity Firth

The future of decision making

Some parting words from our Nobel Prize laureates Tawakkol Karman, Saul Perlmutter and Brian Schmidt about the evening and the future.
Moderator: Owen Gaffney