Three Nobels! Are we backing young minds today to pull off what Brian Schmidt, Peter Doherty, Rolf Zinkernagel did?

from Big Ideas · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Nobel Prize winning work often happens in a young scientist's 20s or 30s — early in their careers. Are the conditions right in Australian universities today for young, hungry minds to do what Nobel laureates Brian Schmidt, Peter Doherty and Rolf Zinkernagel did in the 1990s and 1970s at the Australian National University in Canberra? The three join Big Ideas presenter Natasha Mitchell and a huge crowd at the ANU to talk curiosity, discovery, the future of science, and more.This event was organised and hosted by the Australian National University and the Embassy of Switzerland in AustraliaSpeakersProfessor Peter DohertyImmunologist and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine University of MelbourneProfessor Brian SchmidtAstrophysicist and winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize for PhysicsAustralian National UniversityProfessor Rolf Zinkernagel Immunologist and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine University of Zurich, SwitzerlandWith thanks to Swiss Ambassador His Excellency Mr Nikolas Stürchler, ANU Deputy Vice Chancellor (academic) Professor Joan Leach, and ANU's Jamie Kidston, Dharmesh Panvelkar, and technical team.Further readingBrian Schmidt on securing Australia's sovereign research capability, National Press Club, 2025Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt is ‘scared’ about Australia’s research capacity – this is why (The Conversation, 2025)Brian P. Schmidt's submission in response to the Australian Universities Accord Discussion PaperThe Knowledge Wars by Peter Doherty (Melbourne University Publishing, 2025)

What this episode covers

Nobel Prize winning work often happens in a young scientist's 20s or 30s — early in their careers. Are the conditions right in Australian universities today for young, hungry minds to do what Nobel laureates Brian Schmidt, Peter Doherty and Rolf Zinkernagel did in the 1990s and 1970s at the Australian National University in Canberra? The three join Big Ideas presenter Natasha Mitchell and a huge crowd at the ANU to talk curiosity, discovery, the future of science, and more. This event was organised and hosted by the Australian National University and the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia Speakers Professor Peter Doherty Immunologist and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine University of Melbourne Professor Brian Schmidt Astrophysicist and winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics Australian National University Professor Rolf Zinkernagel Immunologist and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine University of Zurich, Switzerland With thanks to Swiss Ambassador His Excellency Mr Nikolas Stürchler, ANU Deputy Vice Chancellor (academic) Professor Joan Leach, and ANU's Jamie Kidston, Dharmesh Panvelkar, and technical team. Further reading Brian Schmidt on securing Australia's sovereign research capability, National Press Club, 2025 Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt is ‘scared’ about Australia’s research capacity – this is why (The Conversation, 2025) Brian P. Schmidt's submission in response to the Australian Universities Accord Discussion Paper The Knowledge Wars by Peter Doherty (Melbourne University Publishing, 2025)