Monday, September 27
GAME SET AND MATCH
Human loves and fears, and office politics too, are what drive the world of espionage in Len Deighton's great novels. A profile by Philip Coulter of one of the masters of the modern spy thriller.

Tuesday, September 28
THE NEXT BIG QUESTION, Part 1
What are the biggest questions facing our world today? Listen in as some of the brightest minds and leading researchers from a variety of disciplines debate The Next Big Question, in a national series of public meetings sponsored by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research--CIFAR. IDEAS host Paul Kennedy moderates. Part 2 airs on Tuesday, October 5.

Wednesday, September 29
TO BE OR NOT TO BE, Part 1
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated one million people kill themselves every year. In Canada alone, three thousand people die by their own hands. Traditionally, almost all religions have condemned suicide, and many people prefer not to talk about it, shrouding the final act in mystery and stigma. Today, suicide is viewed as a major health crisis that devastates families and friends. Freelance writer Hassan Ghedi Santur speaks to psychiatrists, researchers and grieving families to explore the enigma of suicide. Part 2 will air on Wednesday, October 6.

Thursday, September 30
SEEING RED, Part 2
They are misfits. Witches. Children. Just a few of the labels used to portray menstruating women over time. The Bible has described the bleeding woman as undergoing "customary impurity". In the Middle Ages, it was thought that women menstruated to release "sexual overflow". Their counterparts in the Victorian era were told that a period would deplete their body's precious resources. Twentieth century feminists worked hard to reclaim menstruation as a vital and positive part of womanhood. IDEAS producer Mary O'Connell explores menstruation from a cultural and historical perspective. Part 2 airs Thursday, September 30.

Friday, October 1
THE ORIGINS OF THE MODERN PUBLIC, Part 4
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.