Monday, September 13
PASTA: THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT
Pasta, a simple amalgam of wheat flour and water, is one of the world's most popular staples. From Rome, Megan Williams explains how and when it was invented, where it got its shapes, and why it is so beloved.

Tuesday, September 14
THE TALE OF GENJI
It is considered the world's first novel, written in the 11th century by a 30 year-old Japanese woman. The Tale of Genji has been interpreted in hand scrolls, woodcuts, operas, manga and anime. There's even a PlayStation 2 videogame. Broadcaster Teresa Goff considers why the novel continues to fascinate.

Wednesday, September 15
TEN THOUSAND SPIRITS
A religion going back to the Stone Age is enjoying a newfound popularity in modern-day Korea. Once reviled and driven underground, shamanism today is thriving in temples and cafes. Clients pay mostly female shamans hefty fees to call spirits from the dead, settle old scores, and foretell their future. Vancouver broadcaster Gloria Chang, who was born in Korea, returns to her native land to investigate the amazing powers of knife walking, fortune-telling shamans.

Thursday, September 16
NOMAD
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali born activist and writer whose life has been threatened by radical Islamists. Wherever she speaks, she is protected by bodyguards. And they were there when she gave a Donner lecture in Toronto.

Friday, September 17
THE ORIGINS OF THE MODERN PUBLIC, Part 2
Publicity was once the exclusive property of men of rank. They alone, by virtue of their stations, could make things public. During the 18th century it became meaningful to talk about "public opinion" as something formed outside the state. Today anyone with a Twitter account can make a public. In this series IDEAS producer David Cayley examines how publics were formed in Europe, between 1500 and 1700, and how these early publics grew into the concept of "the public" that we hold today.