Ideas

Water has been "a powerful teacher" for Nishnaabeg scholar Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, a member of Alderville First Nation north of Lake Ontario. With so much uncertainty about the kind of world that’s taking shape, her award-winning book Theory of Water draws on Anishinaabe creation story, Indigenous ethics of relationality and reciprocity, and the wisdom of water to chart a course for remaking a better, more sustainable and just world. Simpson's Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead won the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction in 2025.

Firstly, you might ask: What is the Monroe Doctrine? It's a U.S. policy created in the 19th century that opposes foreign interference in the affairs of the "Western Hemisphere." It was understood to be a defense of autonomy but its interpretation is mixed. Various presidents over time have used the doctrine for their own purposes, writing their own political agenda onto it. Now is no different, as Donald Trump's government turns to the policy as a way to control the Western Hemisphere.Guests in this episode:Richard Drake is the Lucile Speer Research Chair in politics and history at the University of MontanaMax Cameron teaches in the department of political science at the University of British Columbia and is president of the Latin American Studies Association

You've likely experienced it: that state of being in the groove, on a roll, lost in the process. It's what researchers call 'flow': a state intimately familiar to athletes and artists — or anyone who's been fully absorbed in a given task to the point where time seems to stand still. In this state there's a sense of self disappearing, presenting a paradox between a state in which you lose yourself, yet become yourself. Writer and triathlete, Suzanne Zelazo, delves into the mystery at the heart of flow in this documentary.*This episode originally aired on June 25, 2021.

"We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition," Canada's Prime Minster Mark Carney said in a recent speech at the World Economic Forum. The shift in international relations has Carney urging middle power countries to build coalitions and act together to counteract the great power strategy of the day: coercion. How? By flexing our "soft power" — assets a country has that appeal to other countries in international affairs. As it turns out, Canada and a majority of other countries have an opportunity to play a significant role on the international stage, if they choose to take it.This IDEAS episode is a discussion with Jennifer Welsh, McGill University’s Canada Research Chair in Global Governance and Security, moderated by Nahlah Ayed, at the University of Ottawa in the fall of 2025. We also hear from former high commissioner to Britain Janice Charette, former head of MSF Dr. Joanne Liu and climate campaigner Catherine Abreu.

Our justice system was developed under the assumption that both parties in a dispute would each have a lawyer. But the reality is most Canadian's can't afford a lawyer — which makes negotiations unequal. In some jurisdictions as many as 80% of people in family court are self represented. What about legal aid? Very few people are eligible. Our series continues to explore how the justice system is designed to favour people with money. *This episode originally aired on April 26, 2023.

Marcell Wilson knows how to game the criminal justice system. He's been charged upwards of 30 times for what he says were “mostly violent crimes" and yet to this day he doesn't have a criminal record. Why? He has money to pay the high fees for a good lawyer. Many scholars and legal commentators agree it’s easier for people with wealth to secure favourable legal outcomes — not just in criminal court but in custody disputes, civil litigation, and child protection matters. In a two-part series, IDEAS contributor Mitchell Stuart asks: is a system like that still capable of administering justice? *This episode originally aired on April 19, 2023.

It depends on who you ask. Until recently empathy was generally considered a positive thing. But a growing number of mostly conservative voices believe empathy can be extremely dangerous — even toxic. Their argument is that empathy can drive irrational thinking and behaviour in public life. The result is a growing battle over empathy in a world that has never seemed to need it more.If you like this podcast, you may want to listen to this: Why practicing empathy is far from simple.Guests in this podcast:Matt Richins – neuroscientist and psychologist, who did research on empathy at Exeter University, UK.Susan Lanzoni – author, historian of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience and professor at Harvard’s School of Continuing EducationMary Gordon – founder of Roots of Empathy program, TorontoMichael Slote – author, philosopher and professor of ethics at the University of MiamiMargaret Davidson – Roots of Empathy classroom facilitator, Chiganois ElementaryKourtney Simms – Chiganois Elementary teacherEllie – Grade 1 student, Chiganois Elementary

"You're awakening a dragon. Public anger is stirring." A warning from Rutger Bregman to Silicon Valley. The historian is sounding the alarm over the existential risks posed by unrestrained technology and artificial intelligence in his final BBC Reith Lecture. He calls on those in power to assume responsibility, and help shape a future worthy of hope. Bregman envisions 'moral revolutions' as the path forward and urges us all to come together to take on this task. "Small groups of committed citizens have bent the arc of history towards justice. And whatever the outcome, there is beauty in trying, beauty in every act of courage, in every spark of truth."

Jacques Picotte used to drive 16 hours straight, with only water and a bag of chips in the cab before resting at a pit stop. That was 20 years ago. He pushed his limits then, but now he's known as the toughest truck driving instructor — a reputation he's proud of. He believes it's vital schools take pride in putting highly-skilled truck drivers on the road. An Ontario trucking union predicts a shortage of 30,000 truckers in Canada as old hands retire faster than new ones take on the job. IDEAS producer Tom Howell visits Jacques Picotte at his trucking school in northern Ontario, where recruits consider living a trucker's life and the road ahead.*This episode originally aired on March 4, 2024.

The potato and the Irish Famine of 1845 will forever be linked. But what's often overlooked is how deeply connected the potato was to British colonial policies during that time. To Britain it was a symbol of Irish backwardness. In the book Rot, a new history of Ireland's Great Famine is revealed, showing how the British Empire caused the infamous disaster. Author and historian Padraic X Scanlan paints a complex and compelling picture of the Irish Famine of 1845, in which the potato — and the blight — played but a part in a broader story of colonialism, capitalism, and collapse.

We are all born. Birth is the story of us all. So why aren’t we more curious about its history? That's what historian Lucy Inglis wanted to know. She's spent 15 years researching birth — around the globe, and across the centuries. “When you go into labour, you are a ship on the sea," says Inglis, referring to an ancient Assyrian chant acknowledging the physical perils of giving birth. While medical advances and greater freedom of choice inform birth in countries like England and Canada today, her book Born: A History of Childbirth argues that birth has a deep global history that proves it has always been a highwire act, shaped by both nature and culture. IDEAS explores the visceral, intimate realities of childbirth that have always been in evidence.

What's the secret weapon to make political change happen? It's not a trick question, it's simple: perseverance, says BBC Reith Lecturer Rutger Bregman. The historian envisions a "realist utopia" in this lecture and asks listeners to join what he describes as a “conspiracy of decency" — a world where Universal Basic Income, fairer taxation and stronger tech regulation can start to build a more just and resilient future. A great movement Bregman says needs radicals who push the fringes but also moderates "who are actually able to make compromises and get things done." There's a role for everyone just find a small group of committed, determined, morally-serious people and "then you can move mountains."

We live in an "age of immorality," argues historian and author Rutger Bregman. "The moral rot runs deep across elite institutions of every stripe," Bregman says in his first BBC Reith Lecture. His series of lectures describes why he is calling for a moral revolution to counter the culture of cynicism and un-seriousness among global elites. Bregman says history has proven how small determined groups have catalysed profound moral change, and that legacy should be an inspirational guide for all of us today. IDEAS is featuring lectures from the BBC Reith Lectures, this is the first episode.

This podcast seeks answers to the question. If you are left-handed then you are part of the 10 per cent of humankind that detested craft time in elementary school that involved scissors. Left-handed people often have to accommodate their difference in our dominant right-handed world. But that can get tricky if you are training to be a surgeon. Operating rooms and surgical instruments become big obstacles for left-handed people as IDEAS contributor Mark Dance finds out in his documentary exploring the history and mystery of left-handers. *This episode originally aired on May 6, 2022.

Think of science's most momentous developments in the 20th century — Einstein’s theory of relativity, quantum physics, finding evidence of black holes. If you trace the chain of discoveries that led to these breakthroughs back far enough, you’ll end up with the Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei. Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli says we can learn a lot from Galileo today. He explains how 400 years ago, the renowned inventor was discovering new facts about the Universe to understand ourselves better — and so are we.

"This is a hopeless situation but we are not helpless." This is what drives Sudanese journalist Yousra Elbagir's reporting on her homeland's forgotten war. She uses what she calls "human reporting" to let the world know Sudan is more than conflict and suffering. "Sudanese generosity is our lifeblood. That's what's keeping us alive right now. We are actually surviving in forced starvation through generosity and kindness and care."Yousra Elbagir delivered the 2025 Stursberg Foreign Correspondents Lecture at Carleton University. She spoke to host Nahlah Ayed about her work and her lecture: Human reporting from Sudan and beyond — a remedy for selective empathy?

"Those who remember the disappeared would also disappear." Under dictator Bashar al-Assad, grieving publicly in Syria was punishable. Now the silenced stories of lost loved ones are emerging and there are public spaces to grieve. Syrian architect Ammar Azzouz's friend and colleague Taher Al Sebai was killed on his street in 2011. After 14 years in exile, Azzouz returned home and says it's not just a right but "a duty to remember." IDEAS hears about Azzouz's classmate from architecture school, the lives of a father, a brother, and a singer who became the voice of the revolution.Guests in this podcast:Jaber Baker is a novelist, researcher, former political prisoner, human rights activist, and filmmaker. He is the author of Syrian Gulag: Assad’s Prisons, 1970-2020, the first-ever comprehensive study of Syrian political prisons.Ammar Azzouz is a British Academy Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. He studied architecture in Homs, Syria and is the author of Domicide: Architecture, War and the Destruction of Home in Syria.Noura Aljizawi is a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. She was a prominent figure in the Syrian uprising and a survivor of abduction, detention, and torture.When civil war broke out in his home country in 2011, Hassan Al Kontar was a young Syrian living and working in the UAE. A conscientious objector, he refused to return to Syria for compulsory military service and lived illegally before being deported to Malaysia in 2018. He became trapped in the arrivals zone at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Exiled by war and trapped by geopolitics, Al Kontar used social media and humour to tell his story to the world, becoming an international celebrity and ultimately finding refuge in Canada.Khabat Abbas is an independent journalist and video producer based in northeastern Syria. Since 2011, she has extensively covered the developments that have shaken her country starting with the popular demonstrations, to the fight against the so-called Islamic State and its aftermath.

Prior to riding horses, no one wore pants. There's a lot to thank horses for in our daily lives. From the Hollywood motion picture to life-saving vaccines for diphtheria and tetanus. Historian Timothy Winegard argues horses are intertwined in our own history to the point that we overlook their importance. His research explains how they shaped societies, economies and cultures. Without us, horses would be nowhere, and vice versa. It was a partnership — our brains and their braun — that truly changed the world. *This episode originally aired on Sept. 10, 2024.

It's getting pretty difficult to read any article online without a paywall in the way. What happened to the internet's great promise to democratize knowledge? On an individual basis, artists, writers and scientists can create without fear of theft thanks to copyright laws. But in practice copyright laws set up barriers, stifle production and prevent equal access to art and research. In this podcast, producer Naheed Mustafa explores the fate of “open access” — all in the ever-expanding universe of copyright laws, paywalls and old-fashioned bureaucratic sludge.Guests in this podcast:John Willinsky is emeritus professor of education at Stanford University with an appointment at Simon Fraser University.Lokesh Vyas is pursuing a PhD at Sciences Po in Paris working on the history of international copyright law.Thea Lim is a Toronto-based novelist, creative writing teacher, and cultural writer focussing on the intersection of power, art and personhood, and technology.

We gorge ourselves on the internet, smartphones, social media, information overload — all of it constantly sap us of our emotional and intellectual vitality. Authors Pico Iyer and Jonathan Haidt argue it's vital we disconnect from our addictive online world to pursue a fulfilling, and richer life. By curtailing the noise of technology, media and other worldly distractions there's space to reconnect with the things that matter. "Humans were never designed to live at a pace determined by machines. The only way we could begin to do that is by becoming machines ourselves," says Iyer. Pico Iyer and Jonathan Haidt were two of the marquee speakers at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival. The theme this year was 'What Makes Life Good.'

Holmes Rolston III began his career as a Presbyterian minister. But his love of the natural world — and his belief in evolution — didn't sit well with his congregation. He was ultimately fired. The late philosopher spent much of his career working to bridge the gap between science and religion because he said "the future of Earth depends on it." Rolston is the pioneer of environmental ethics, a turning point in philosophy. His ultimate goal was to define the moral worth of the planet. Rolston died in 2025 at the age of 92. In this episode, IDEAS explores his legacy and the continuing resonance of his work.Guests in this documentary:Christopher Preston is a professor of environmental philosophy at the University of Montana, Missoula. His books include Tenacious Beasts and Saving Creation: Nature and Faith in the Life of Holmes Rolston III.Stephen Scharper is an associate professor in the department of anthropology and the School of the Environment at the University of Toronto.Kerry Bowman is a Canadian bioethicist and environmentalist who teaches bioethics and planetary health at the University of Toronto.Nathan Kowalsky is an associate professor of philosophy at St. Joseph's College at the University of Alberta.Karen Beazley is a professor emerita in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University.Simon Appolloni is an assistant professor in the Teaching Stream at the University of Toronto's School of the Environment.

Maria Chapdelaine: A Tale of French Canada is one of the most widely read works of fiction ever written in French. It's considered the world's highest-selling French book. Yet today, the 1913 novel remains far less known in English Canada and the English-speaking world. Translated into over 20 languages, the book's character Maria and her story has inspired four film versions, several plays, an opera, and even a pop song.Contributor Catherine Annau examines the many lives that Maria Chapdelaine has lived, and continues to live. *This episode originally aired on Feb. 4, 2024.

Would you 'doo-be-doo' if you know it would help bridge divides? Try vocal improvisation — singing sounds, rhythms and melodies. PhD candidate Erwan Noblet teaches the practice and says it's a great way to open up and connect at another level being together. He believes the human voice has the power to communicate creatively when it's released from everyday verbal tasks. We asked three former politicians from different political parties to communicate through vocalization, without words. Their conversation may inspire you to take on vocal improv.*This episode is part of our ongoing series Ideas in the Trenches, which showcases fascinating new work by Canadian PhD students. 

What do you get when you take some of the classic Enlightenment values like reason, fairness, and justice, and substitute them with opinion, privilege and power: The Dark Enlightenment — a movement that is a deliberate oxymoron with a vision to dump democracy and replace it with start-up cities run by CEOs. American blogger Curtis Yarvin, also known by the pen name Mencius Moldbug, is the founder of this movement that advocates for the return of traditional hierarchical societies and monarchy-like governance.

Bioethicist Arthur Schafer has thought a lot about life and death. He's helped shape policy on medically assisted death (MAID) in Canada. The philosophy professor argues that an ideal end-of-life legislation would respect individual choice and the wishes of individuals to die according to their own values. "The best ethical argument is that patient autonomy is a fundamental value," Schafer told host Nahlah Ayed. He discusses the role of philosophy in addressing complex ethical dilemmas confronting individuals, and society as a whole. *This episode originally aired on May 16, 2024.

Today we bring you our annual New Year's Levee looking ahead at episodes in the works to keep your curiosity satiated. You can anticipate a fresh roster of IDEAS programs to inspire new ways of understanding our world. From the phenomenon of the ‘27 Club’’ to exploring literature from Labrador, to social media influencers who push their intellectual pursuits, find out what our producers are cooking up for the 2026 season.

Kritika Vashishtha has been pursuing a cure for jet lag and it's possible she's found the answer. The Canadian aerospace engineer recently invented a variety of light that fools human bodies into switching time zones while aboard an aircraft. She shows two IDEAS producers around her laboratory inside an airplane to explain how the process works. Kritika plans to direct her discoveries towards making space travel easier on astronauts. *This episode is part of our series Ideas from the Trenches, which showcases fascinating new work by Canadian PhD students. It originally aired on April 29, 2024. 

If we weren't so used to having books, we would think of them as a "miracle." That's how historian Irene Vallegoviews what she says is humankind's greatest and most influential invention: the book. "With their help, humanity has undergone an extraordinary acceleration of history, development, and progress," she tells host Nahlah Ayed. Vallego has traced written texts back to their earliest origins and she's written a book of her own, Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World.  

When Darren Hamilton began university, he was shocked to find that there were no Black music courses and Black music professors. He grew up singing spirituals every Sunday in church. Now at the University of Toronto, Hamilton teaches Gospel Choir, U of T's first credit course in Black gospel music. Students of all backgrounds and ages come to learn and sing songs rooted in faith, freedom and joy. He says he started the course because he wanted Black music to be valued in music education, and he wanted Black students to have a music classwhere they "feel they belong." *This episode originally aired Feb. 29, 2024.

If you think you've never heard Jerry Granelli play drums — you likely have. Think of a comic strip holiday special and an iconic soundtrack: A Charlie Brown Christmas. Jerry was 22 years old when he became a member of the Vince Guaraldi Trio, the jazz band behind the popular 1965 album. His long career was legendary, accompanying many of the greats like Mose Alison, Sly Stone and The Grateful Dead. Producer Mary Lynk was lucky to meet with Jerry on the eve of his 80th birthday for a wide-ranging conversation. The gifted composer and jazz giant died in Halifax in 2021. *This episode originally aired on December 21, 2020.

Handel’s Messiah is one of the best-loved pieces of Christmas music. Only it was meant for Easter. But it draws on far more from the Old Testament than the New. There are more surprising facts about this 18th-century masterpiece that IDEAS explores with Ivars Taurins, founding director of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir who has conducted Messiah over 200 times, and veteran CBC Radio broadcaster Robert Harris. In nine movements, they reveal the hidden treasures of Handel’s celebrated work. *This episode originally aired in 2015.

The nativity story that Christians believe is that God took the form of a baby named Jesus who was born to save the world and bring about an enduring peace. So what happened? Did we miss it? And what happens next? These are questions Trappist monk Thomas Merton grappled with in his own meditation on the Christmas story. His version "The Time of The End is the Time of No Room" was published in 1966. At the time he called it a sober statement about the climate of our time, a time of finality and fulfillment.

In an era of political polarization and fatigue from ongoing crises, hope is critical. But it's not something you have; it's something you do, argues education scholar Kari Grain. "Critical hope" in action is not just the belief that transformation is possible — it's necessary. In her book, she explores seven principles for practicing hope that confront toxic positivity, social injustices, and gives anger and grief a seat at the table.Kari Grain is a professor at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Education, where she leads the Masters program in Adult Learning and Global Change Program. She delivered the University of Prince Edward Island’s 2025 Shannon K Murray Lecture on Hope and the Academy.

Indigenous math isn't just about numbers and equations, it involves culture, spirituality and more. Math professor Edward Doolittle, a Mohawk from Six Nations in Ontario, sees math as something embedded in Creation itself. In his Hagey Lecture at the University of Waterloo, he describes Indigenous mathematics as being grounded in cognition, emotion, the physical world and community. Indigenizing math, Doolittle hopes, will make it more approachable and meaningful to Indigenous students — show them how entwined it is with everyday life and something much bigger than ourselves.

"We are the monsters" — that's the premise for the genre of film known as body horror — movies that fixate on monstrous and grotesque changes to the body. There have been good body horror films and bad ones, but "The Fly" starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis was perhaps the most consequential. The movie captured anxieties around bodily autonomy and physical decay, just as the AIDS epidemic was becoming catastrophic. Forty years later, Body Horror is back with films like "The Substance" and "Together." Producer Matthew Lazin-Ryder examines what these films reveal about our bodies, our minds and our sense of who we are.

In 2024, 'polarization' was Merriam-Webster's word of the year. That division still grows, making it increasingly difficult to connect to one another. But there are people having important conversations and they have advice for us all. From fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in Colombia, championing human rights in Southern Africa and working for a two-state solution post Oct. 7, the winners of the The Global Centre for Pluralism awards tell host Nahlah Ayed about how minds can and do change, and why we need to not only talk, but listen.

The yellow traffic light is a perfect example of imperfection — with intention. While driving you have to think fast. Do you speed up or stop, whether that means easily or slamming on the brakes? Every driver has their answer and what lies in the middle is a vast perceptual field. A great deal of thought has gone into the engineering of the ambiguous yellow light, as IDEAS producer Seán Foley found out. He had his own encounter with what he was sure was the shortest yellow light in the world. It resulted in a traffic fine, and gave voice to so many questions.

Tech billionaires are on a mission to make the stories of science fiction a reality: space colonization, human/machine bio organisms, and living forever in a state of unhindered bliss. This version of a far future utopia may come of as a "billionaire boys and their toys" but experts warn such a dismissive attitude is naïve and dangerous. *This episode originally aired on Jan. 22, 2025.

This isn't a wrap or best of 2025 kind of list. This IDEAS podcast is packed full of all kinds of recommendations from our smart, insightful contributors. We asked them to suggest a work of nonfiction that recently made them think — maybe even think differently — about a particular topic. Their answers cover several genres and varied subjects. Some may surprise you.Don't worry about writing any titles or names down, we have that covered on our website. The online list also includes a bonus: added recommendations from IDEAS producers. Enjoy!

In fact, author and journalist Marcello Di Cintio argues Canadians are complicit. After four years investigating the lives of migrant workers, he found that many temporary foreign workers are trapped working in precarious, exploitative conditions. These jobs are essential to our economy and society, yet invisible. Each migrant worker has a story to tell, says Di Cintio. He joined IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed on a visit through the tomato capital of Canada to hear their stories and talk about what his investigation reveals about Canada.Marcello Di Cintio's book is called Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers.

Growing up with food insecurity, Julian Napoleon yearned to be a farmer. His great-grandparents once farmed on the Saulteau First Nations reserve in northeastern B.C. Over the decades, the farm was replaced by the bush, and the ideas of communal, seasonal living started to fade away. Five years ago, Julian moved to Amisk Farm to bring it back to life. This year the farm has produced food for over 300 Indigenous households, free of cost.IDEAS visits Amisk Farm to learn about rural food security, Indigenous food sovereignty, farming in the north, and what it means to come home and grow a new home in a radically transformed landscape. 

There’s a constant mantra Frank Gehry would always hear from his mentors who have since died – “Don’t you dare ever stop working.” It’s a sentiment he lived by right until his death at 96. In fact his last major cultural building, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, will open in 2026. So how does his fierce, creative drive square with his mortality?In an expansive conversation from 2017 with IDEAS producer Mary Lynk, Gehry shares his thoughts about death and his life, from growing up Jewish in Toronto, to his complicated relationship with his father, to his move to L.A. at 18, to how his career flourished. *This is the second episode in a two-part series.Listen to Part One: The architecture that brought Frank Gehry to tears

Rebel architect Frank Gehry believed architecture IS art. He strived to evoke emotion in every design. Last Friday, Gehry died at 96 but he never stopped creating. In 2017, IDEAS producer Mary Lynk had a rare opportunity to spend two days with Gehry at his LA studio. Their wide-ranging conversation covers many aspects of his life and career, including a moment at 40 when the sight of an ancient piece of art from 500 BC led him to weep. "I think if you went and looked at it, you would cry too," he told Lynk.*This conversation is a two-part series that delves into Frank Gehry's infusion of humanity into his designs.Listen to Part Two: Architect Frank Gehry on how to exit life

Sometimes the universe hands us a gift. Over the past year, our podcast listeners spent a total of 526,915 hours listening to our program. That's 21,954.8 days and that translates to 60 years of listening to us. So what better way to mark IDEAS' 60th year then to look back on the highlights and lowlights of the past six decades. To give you a hint on some of the picks, on the bad list: online identity management. Trickle down economics. On the good: Free Trade. Girl Bosses. Apparently open borders is still an open question.Panelists Jamie Liew, a University of Ottawa law professor and novelist; University of Toronto philosopher, Joseph Heath; and the Canadian Shield Institute’s, Vass Bednar, joined IDEAS producer Mary Lynk on stage, in front of a live audience at the Isabel Bader Theatre for this episode — the last in our special series celebrating our 60th anniversary.Listen to more episodes:The time when a guest said, "I love you!"How an IDEAS episode on traffic changed a doctor's practiceCBC Massey Lecturers reveal how the talks changed themHow IDEAS saved a listener from sending a regrettable email

"IDEAS is often a surprise" says Cathy Pike. It's why she's been a longtime listener. To our delight, IDEAS was there for her just at the right time. After listening to an episode about Friedrich Nietzsche and his philosophy about "the art of passing by," Cathy says she decided not to send an email that she realized she would have regretted. "The program gave me pause and I’m grateful for that.”And we're grateful to hear from Cathy and other listeners who share their personal encounters on how IDEAS shows up for them, as we continue our 60th anniversary series. *This is the fourth episode in our special programming. Listen to other episodes in this series:The time when a guest said, "I love you!"The best — and worst — ideas of the last six decades How an IDEAS episode on traffic changed a doctor's practice  CBC Massey Lecturers reveal how the talks changed them 

This podcast features an all-star, and bestselling, lineup of CBC Massey Lecturers from the past decade: Payam Akhavan (2017) and the police officer who pulled over to the side of the road to keep listening; Sally Armstrong (2019) and the women’s rights groups listening to her talks in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and China; Ron Deibert (2020) and his conviction that ‘philosophical’ radio is more crucial than ever; Esi Edugyan (2021), Tomson Highway (2022) feeling astonished when a stranger recognizes his voice after hearing him on the radio; Margaret MacMillan (2015); Tanya Talaga (2018) and her surprise when an older white man in the audience declares Indigenous activists should “go forth and conquer”; Astra Taylor (2023) and how her secret desire is to work at IDEAS; Jennifer Welsh (2016) comforting an audience member who’d served in Afghanistan; and Ian Williams (2024) on how his lectures have more meanings than he realized — so much so, that he’d like a “second date” with IDEAS.*This is the third episode in our special programming marking our 60th anniversary.Listen to other episodes in this series:The time when a guest said, "I love you!"How an IDEAS episode on traffic changed a doctor's practice  How IDEAS saved a listener from sending a regrettable emailThe best — and worst — ideas of the last six decades

That's not something you expect to hear in an interview. But the Harvard historian and author of All That She Carried, Tiya Miles did not hesitate to say these words to IDEAS host, Nahlah Ayed. What prompted the bold statement comes down to a question — seemingly for Miles the perfect one to ask.Their conversation resonated with many listeners, including a potter in Australia who shares how this story sustains him after the loss of his wife. Also in this podcast, we find out how IDEAS inspires everything from sonnets, to art, and to recreating historic feasts. *This is the second episode in our 60th anniversary series. There's more to listen to here:How an IDEAS episode on traffic changed a doctor's practiceCBC Massey Lecturers reveal how the talks changed them How IDEAS saved a listener from sending a regrettable emailThe best — and worst — ideas of the last six decades

Not many people like to think about traffic but Joanna Oda says this very topic on IDEAS in 2005 permanently changed the way she views medical care as a doctor. "It helped me understand how things that make sense for you as an individual contribute to a collective problem." She adds, the episode introduced her to the idea that one car has a big impact.This episode is part of a week-long celebration to mark our 60th anniversary. IDEAS is giving the mic to listeners like Oda to share their stories on how our program led to life-altering moments. *This is the first episode in our special programming marking our 60th anniversary.Listen to other episodes in this series:The time when a guest said, "I love you!"CBC Massey Lecturers reveal how the talks changed themHow IDEAS saved a listener from sending a regrettable emailThe best — and worst — ideas of the last six decades

For Afghans, listening to a traditional song can bring them back "home." In 2021, when the Taliban seized power again in Afghanistan, orchestras disbanded and musicians fled for their lives. They brought with them their distinctive and storied music, embedded with notes hailing from classical music from Iran and India. IDEAS takes a journey to Afghanistan with members of the Afghan diaspora, and asks how the idea of home is encapsulated in music and how conflict has played a role in reshaping Afghan music.*This is the final episode in a five-part series called The Idea of Home exploring the multiple and contested meanings of home. This episode originally aired on June 16, 2022.Guests in this episode:Mir Mahdavi is a poet, a writer, and a researcher in the area of art, literature and poetry, originally from Afghanistan. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario and holds a Ph.D. in cultural studies from Trent University and a MA of cultural studies from McMaster University. He was the publisher and the editor in chief of Atab, a weekly newspaper published during 2002-2003 in Kabul.Hangama is one of the most renowned female Afghan singers of her generation. Born in 1962 in Kabul, Hangama's stage name was chosen by her mother when she decided to pursue a career in music. She left Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation and now lives in the Greater Toronto Area.Sara Soroor is an Afghan-Canadian singer-songwriter and childhood educator in the Greater Toronto Area. She is Hangama's daughter and started singing and playing the piano at age four.Wares Fazelyar was born and raised in Toronto, and plays the rubab. He is an advisory board member for the Afghan Youth Engagement and Development Initiative. He and his brother Haris perform Afghan folk music in the Greater Toronto Area.Wolayat Tabasum Niroo is a researcher and Fulbright scholar currently based in the United States. She has a PhD in Education from Old Dominion University and a MPhil in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oxford. She grew up in Afghanistan and has studied how Afghan women's folk music creates an alternative space for political expression, grief and imagining other possibilities.