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  • Friday December 16, 2016

    Seed Banks Listen 53:58

    Seed Banks: Re-sowing paradise

    In the face of climate change and declining biodiversity, one of humanity's oldest cultural practices – seed saving – has a new urgency. Maria Zytaruk explores how preserving seeds reflects the deepest of human fears and hopes, whether it's done in a high-tech seed bank in Britain, or a simple storage closet lined with jars at a convent in Kingston. More Dec 16, 3:32 PM ET read comments audio

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  • Thursday December 15, 2016

    George Orwell - BBC

    The Orwell Tapes, Part 3

    He was a brilliant, eccentric, complicated man; a colonial policeman, a critic and journalist, a dishwasher, a fighter in the Spanish civil war, a teacher and a shopkeeper - and one of the most influential writers of our time. His name was Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell. Who was the man who gave us 'big brother', 'thoughtcrime', 'doublethink', whose name looms so large in this era of mass surveillance?

    Posted: Dec 15, 2016 12:00 AM ET
    Last Updated: Apr 18, 2016 2:53 PM ET     read comments video audio
    Listen 53:59
    Full Episode

  • Wednesday December 14, 2016

    Sea Women

    The Sea Women

    South Korea's "sea women" have been harvesting commercial treasures from the ocean floor since the 4th century. With only a few tools and fishing baskets slung over their shoulders, these sunburnt and wrinkled grandmothers can dive up to 20 metres on a single breath. Their dives mix dexterity, desire and death. Vancouver writer and broadcaster Gloria Chang returns to the country of her birth for an intimate portrayal of these cultural icons and to unravel a matriarchal mystery: Why do only women take to the waters?

    Posted: Dec 14, 2016 3:31 PM ET
    Last Updated: Dec 14, 2016 11:17 AM ET     read comments
    Listen 53:59
    Full Episode

  • Tuesday December 13, 2016

    Writing in Worried Times

    Writing in worried times: GG Award winners share their anxieties

    They may be successful writers, but that doesn't mean the 2016 Governor General's Literary Award winners are immune from worry about the world around us. Five authors share some brand new work on that theme, and explain how they grapple with the cultural issues that make them most anxious. Presented by IDEAS and CBC Books, with the Canada Council for the Arts.

    Posted: Dec 13, 2016 11:59 AM ET
    Last Updated: Dec 13, 2016 12:45 PM ET     read comments
    Listen 53:59
    Full Episode

  • Monday December 12, 2016

    Cracking the Moral Code

    Cracking our moral code: How we decide what's right and wrong

    We all have a moral code -- a clear sense of what is right and what is wrong. But the reasons why we make certain decisions can quickly get fuzzy. Producer John Chipman explores why some people stick to their moral codes more stringently than others, and delves into the latest neuroimaging research to find out what it can tell us about what guides our moral decisions.

    Posted: Dec 12, 2016 1:33 PM ET
    Last Updated: Dec 12, 2016 2:57 PM ET     read comments audio
    Listen 53:59
    Full Episode

  • Friday December 09, 2016

    Messiah Revealed

    Messiah Revealed

    Handel's Messiah is possibly the most famous and popular piece of classical music of all time. Yet it's full of secrets and surprises -- it wasn't actually meant for Christmas and its words are largely drawn from the Old Testament, not the New. Ivars Taurins is the founding director of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, and has conducted Messiah over 200 times. Robert Harris is a veteran CBC Radio producer. In nine movements, they reveal the hidden treasures of this celebrated piece.

    Posted: Dec 09, 2016 12:00 AM ET
    Last Updated: Mar 24, 2016 8:00 AM ET     read comments
    Listen 53:59
    Full Episode

  • Thursday December 08, 2016

    The Orwell Tapes, Part 2 - Orwell in Spain

    The Orwell Tapes, Part 2

    He was a brilliant, eccentric, complicated man; a colonial policeman, a critic and journalist, a dishwasher, a fighter in the Spanish civil war, a teacher and a shopkeeper - and one of the most influential writers of our time. His name was Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell. Who was the man who gave us 'big brother', 'thoughtcrime', 'doublethink', whose name looms so large in this era of mass surveillance?

    Posted: Dec 08, 2016 12:00 AM ET
    Last Updated: Apr 11, 2016 1:33 PM ET     read comments audio
    Listen 53:59
    Full Episode
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