For years, Michael Pollan's books have changed minds.

Pollan’s books, like The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto – and Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, the latter now also a successful Netflix series – have strongly influenced contemporary ideas about agriculture, nature, nutrition and ethics. He's sparked debates on genetically modified organisms, and even on the definition of 'food' … and he's done it with charm, imagination and gusto, bringing serious scientific heft and optimism to all his work.

Michael Pollan and Christine Kenneally at Melbourne Town Hall — Photo: Scott Limbrick

Pollan’s latest investigation is more explicitly concerned than ever with changing minds. This time, he’s turned his attention to psychedelic drugs; their history and their potential. Pollan wants us to look beyond the myriad misconceptions and clichés to understand the groundbreaking new science around hallucinogens. In How To Change Your Mind, he discovers how they can help us learn more about human consciousness – as well as the benefits they may offer in the treatment of many illnesses.

A reviewer for the New York Times wrote that ‘[Pollan] makes losing your mind sound like the sanest thing a person could do’. Listen in as this icon of science journalism joins Christine Kenneally for a conversation about his most personal work yet.

Son Vivienne, Zac Collins-Widders and Bobuq Sayed — Photos: Johnboy Davidson / José Eveline

An increasing number of parents are choosing to raise their children gender-neutral. What could happen if the movement grows, and we raise whole generations of people who are not assigned a binary gender at birth? What would be the flow-on effects in health and education, and for our institutions of law and citizenship?

Is it possible to shield a child from ideas of gender entirely? Is altogether abolishing gender actually feasible, or desirable? Featuring Son Vivienne, Zac Collins-Widders and Bobuq Sayed.

Presented in partnership with Melbourne Knowledge Week.

Photo: Jon Tjhia

More than a billion people live with some form of disability. That’s about 15% of the world's population and yet across the globe, people with disabilities face regular contraventions of their basic rights. These range from egregious abuses – such as being put in shackles – to basic barriers to education, employment, safety and inclusion.

'Having people around you think that you have no future … that's the challenge that people with disabilities face.'

Nujeen Mustafa

In this conversation, presented in partnership with Human Rights Watch, we focus on some key issues and priorities relating to disability rights in the region and in conflict zones. Hear from Shantha Rau Barriga from Human Rights Watch, and from author and disability rights advocate Nujeen Mustafa. Nujeen's book, Nujeen: One Girl's Incredible Journey from War-torn Syria in a Wheelchair, tells the story of her extraordinary journey from Syria to Germany in a wheelchair – a journey she undertook in 2014 at the age of 16.

The pair discuss Nujeen’s personal story and speak more broadly on issues of displacement, detention, disability and human rights. Hosted by David Manne.

 

Sally Warhaft, Ranjana Srivastava and Gustav Nossal

There's much to celebrate in the history of Australian medicine and medical care – from the famous breakthrough in penicillin to the development of the Gardasil vaccine. Our Medicare model is the envy of many countries.

But have we become complacent? What are the pre-existing and emerging gaps in our system? And how might we adapt our healthcare and research models in line with changes in demography and technology?

In this Fifth Estate discussion, Gustav Nossal and Ranjana Srivastava join Sally Warhaft for a long, hard look at Australian healthcare today. Where do we need to direct our investment? Join us for a conversation about who’s getting adequate care, who’s missing out and what we can learn from care and research models overseas.