We live in a time of big, era-defining questions. What if Trump wins the US election - again? What if deepfakes kill the news? What if AI kills the arts? What if tech bros kill democracy? What if another pandemic hits? What if we miss our climate targets? And the biggest question of all: What if we refuse to learn from our mistakes?

What if? What if? What if? What are the big ideas on the table? How do we turn our fears into possibilities? Is there a case for hope?

Join a stellar panel of thinkers for a night of reflection and reckoning.

Featuring: Mark Kenny, David Lindenmayer, John Lyons, Katherine Mansted, Amy Remeikis, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts and Senator David Pocock.

Hosted by Emma Shortis.

Dr Emma Shortis is Senior Researcher in the International & Security Affairs Program. Emma is historian and writer, focused on the history and politics of the United States and its role in the world. She uses her expertise in history to interpret and explain what is happening in the world today, and what it means for Australia, in a compassionate and accessible way. In a conversation often dominated by the same voices, Emma offers a fresh perspective on international relations grounded in moral questions about how we might imagine a post-American future.

Professor Mark Kenny is Director at the ANU Australian Studies Institute, where he hosts the popular podcast series 'Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny'. Mark is the Canberra Times political analyst and a regular on the ABC's Insiders program, Sky News Agenda, and radio programs across the country.

Professor David Lindenmayer AO is a world-leading expert in forest and woodland ecology, resource management, conservation science, and biodiversity conservation based at The Australian National University. David Lindenmayer has led some of the largest scale environmental research programs in Australia for over four decades. He is the author of more than 925 peer-reviewed scientific articles as well as 49 books on forests and biodiversity, including The Great Forest. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the American Academy of Sciences, and the Ecological Society of America.

John Lyons is one of Australia’s most experienced journalists and the Global Affairs Editor of the ABC. Previously he was Head of Investigative Journalism at the ABC, responsible for Four Corners, 7.30, Foreign Correspondent, Insiders, Australian Story, Q&A and the Investigative Reporting Team. For six years, John was The Australian’s Middle East correspondent, based in Jerusalem, an experience that led him to write the bestselling Balcony Over Jerusalem. He has interviewed everyone from former Israeli prime ministers Shimon Peres and Ehud Olmert to key figures from Hezbollah and Hamas. John has won many awards, including the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year Award, three Walkleys and UN awards. He now lives in Sydney.

Katherine Mansted is a Senior Fellow in the Practice of National Security at the ANU National Security College. She is also the Executive Director of Cyber Intelligence at CyberCX, Australia and New Zealand’s largest cyber security services company. Katherine regularly briefs government officials, business leaders and public audiences on national security issues, especially cyber security, disinformation and foreign interference. Her work has been featured in Foreign Affairs, The Australian, Nine/Fairfax, Sky and on the ABC, and she has testified before parliamentary committees including the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

Amy Remeikis is the political reporter for The Guardian. She writes on the major political issues in Australia, crime, the courts and the environment. She is a regular panellist on the ABC's Insiders program and was the inaugural nominee for the Young Walkley awards.

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts is an advocate for Human Rights, a lawyer, and has recently been appointed as the Inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. From experiences in Out Of Home Care and facing injustices to becoming a Commissioner, Vanessa has devoted her life to empowering Indigenous self-determination and fighting for justice for First Nations people and children in Australia and worldwide.

​David Pocock is a former professional rugby player. He is currently an independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory in the Australian Parliament. He is a co-founder of Rangelands Regeneration.

Ticket Purchase includes cocktail reception post-event