An international roll call of big thinkers will debate sexuality, morality, the dangers of artificial intelligence and the search for trust in a post-truth world at events presented with UNSW Sydney.
Louise Caldicott
UNSW External Communications
0435 800 395
l.caldicott@unsw.edu.au
The ninth Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) today releases the line-up of international speakers and artists who will converge in Sydney to dissect the dangerous ideas informing our future.
Taking place on 3-4 November 2018, the Festival is a collaboration between UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Ideas and The Ethics Centre (TEC). This year’s sessions explore data, AI, morality, sexuality, inequality, politics and more.
Ann Mossop
Director of UNSW Centre for Ideas and Co-curator Ann Mossop said: “UNSW and the Centre for Ideas champion the public discussion of ideas, so co-presenting FODI is a perfect fit. In 2018, when we are talking about dangerous ideas, qualities like critical thinking and credibility that universities exemplify are vitally important. FODI will bring these qualities to the big conversations that audiences are hungry for.”
The Festival will take place at Cockatoo Island and there's a special event at Sydney Town Hall with the formidable Stephen Fry.
Scientia Professor Toby Walsh has been elected a 2020 Association for Computing Machinery Fellow.
International speakers will include conservative historian Niall Ferguson and his historian rival, author Pankaj Mishra. Ex-Westboro Church member Megan Phelps-Roper will share her shocking personal story, and writers Zeynup Tufecki and Seth Stephens-Davidowitz will dissect the pros of big data. Former public defender and law professor Ayelet Waldman will reveal the benefits of LSD microdosing, while local speakers include provocateur Germaine Greer, rock star of AI, UNSW’s Toby Walsh, sexologist Dr Nikki Goldstein, criminologist Xanthe Mallett and many more.
See the full program at festivalofdangerousideas.com.