Ideas

All podcast episodes

Use the links below to download a file.

How We Kill In War

What is permissible and what is ethical behaviour in war? The American military's use of drones brings with it uncomfortable moral questions. Journalist Naheed Mustafa visits Pakistan and explores the dilemmas posed by drone warfare.

Download How We Kill In War
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 4 - Rethinking Democracy

Highlights from ideacity: a three-day gathering of minds held each June in Toronto, produced and presented by Moses Znaimer. Guests in this episode: Daniel A. Bell, Conrad Black, Michael Nicula, and Robert J. Sawyer.

Download Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 4 - Rethinking Democracy
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

Fragile Freedoms - A.C. Grayling

British philosopher A.C. Grayling surveys the struggles for liberty and rights that formed the modern West. This lecture is presented in collaboration with the University of Manitoba's Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics.

Download Fragile Freedoms - A.C. Grayling
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

The Seduction of Scent

Scent has been used for millennia to enhance sexual attraction and mask body odour. Cindy Bisaillon examines the psychology and neurology of smell and the fine line between scented sophistication and our own primal animal musk.

Download The Seduction of Scent
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Dostoevsky's Gambler

Fyodor Dostoevsky was one of the world's most celebrated writers, and he had a debilitating gambling problem. Sociologist Lorne Tepperman examines Dostoevsky's life to understand what led to this addiction and draws comparisons to problem gamblers today.

Download Dostoevsky's Gambler
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 3 - Digital Romance

Highlights from ideacity: a three-day gathering of minds held each June in Toronto, produced and presented by Moses Znaimer. Guests in this episode: Marina Adshade, Amy Webb, Mike Merrill.

Download Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 3 - Digital Romance
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:01]

The Faces of Eve (Encore February 28, 2013)

She represents the first woman on earth in Christian and Judaic traditions. In Islam she's known as Hawwa. To many, she's the thoughtless vixen who tempted man away from God. Nicola Luksic explores the mystique of the woman so many claim to understand.

Download The Faces of Eve (Encore February 28, 2013)
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:01]

Mind and Machine, Part 2

Sixty years ago, Artificial Intelligence - "AI" - was in its infancy. Now it promises to transform our world beyond recognition. Dan Falk explores the new promise and peril of intelligent machines.

Download Mind and Machine, Part 2
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

Wachtel On The Arts - Bertrand Tavernier

Eleanor Wachtel speaks with French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier about his new film "Quai D’Orsay".

Download Wachtel On The Arts - Bertrand Tavernier
[mp3 file: runs 00:52:49]

Friedrich Nietzsche

"God is dead. And we have killed him." These notorious words were written by the 19th century German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. Through his brilliant and explosive writings, he became known as a severe critic of religion and conventional morality.

Download Friedrich Nietzsche
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 2

Highlights from ideacity: a three-day gathering of minds held each June in Toronto, produced and presented by Moses Znaimer. This episode deals with the latest ideas from a new breed of entrepreneurs.

Download Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 2
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

Mind and Machine, Part 1

Sixty years ago, Artificial Intelligence - "AI" - was in its infancy. Now it promises to transform our world beyond recognition. Dan Falk explores the new promise and peril of intelligent machines.

Download Mind and Machine, Part 1
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 1

Highlights from ideacity: a three-day gathering of minds held each June in Toronto, produced and presented by Moses Znaimer. This episode deals with the deluge of digital data in our lives with: Don Tapscott, Rick Smolan, and Bruce Duncan.

Download Moses Znaimer's ideacity, Part 1
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Moishe"Two-Gun" Cohen

Artful dodger. Edmonton real estate tycoon. Chinese revolutionary. Edmonton writer Paula Simonsunravels the unlikely tale of a not-so-nice Jewish boy who went from East End London pickpocket to Prairie con-man to Sun Yat-Sen's gun-running general.

Download Moishe"Two-Gun" Cohen
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

First Nations and the Future of Canadian Citizenship

Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, delivers the keynote lecture of The 2013 LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium.

Download First Nations and the Future of Canadian Citizenship
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

Alone Inside

Brett Story explores the roots of solitary confinement in North American prisons, and the profound and often devastating impact it has on people who are severed from social contact.

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[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

The Power of Colour, Part 3 (Encore December 5, 2011)

Red is passion and lust, courage and sacrifice. Blue is happy, or sad, or - in German - drunk. Cindy Bisaillon looks into the history, psychology, art, music and spirituality of colour.

Download The Power of Colour, Part 3 (Encore December 5, 2011)
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

The Power of Colour, Part 2 (Encore November 28, 2011)

Red is passion and lust, courage and sacrifice. Blue is happy, or sad, or - in German - drunk. Cindy Bisaillon looks into the history, psychology, art, music and spirituality of colour.

Download The Power of Colour, Part 2 (Encore November 28, 2011)
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

The Power of Colour, Part 1 (Encore November 21, 2011)

Red is passion and lust, courage and sacrifice. Blue is happy, or sad, or - in German - drunk. Cindy Bisaillon looks into the history, psychology, art, music and spirituality of colour.

Download The Power of Colour, Part 1 (Encore November 21, 2011)
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

Legends of the Cayuga (Encore February 29, 2012)

In their longhouses, the Cayuga tell stories of a world where hunters stalk a powerful bear in the sky, maple trees hold the secret to life, and a fearsome battle creates Niagara Falls.

Download Legends of the Cayuga (Encore February 29, 2012)
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:58]

Paying for Parking (Encore Jan 28, 2013)

We engineer our roads to accommodate traffic, but cars and other vehicles spend almost all their time parked. All those parking spaces - and finding them - cause huge economic, environmental, and even social problems.

Download Paying for Parking (Encore Jan 28, 2013)
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:58]

Legends of The Ahtahkakoop (Encore March 8, 2011)

These evocative stories from the Ahtahkakoop, a Plains Cree nation in central Saskatchewan, create a world where the buffalo once reigned supreme, animals protected each other, and the creator gave the world colour and life.

Download Legends of The Ahtahkakoop (Encore March 8, 2011)
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

The Visionary, Controversial Albert Schweitzer (Encore April 17, 2013)

Albert Schweitzer was one of the great visionaries and humanitarians of the 20th century. Writer and broadcaster Megan Williams looks back on his life and legacy.

Download The Visionary, Controversial Albert Schweitzer (Encore April 17, 2013)
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:58]

The Sword Brothers, Part 3 (Encore June 6, 2012)

The Crusades that began in the 11th century were wars for control of the Holy Land. The Knights Templar, the Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights held unparalleled power, enough to threaten whole kingdoms and the Papacy itself.

Download The Sword Brothers, Part 3 (Encore June 6, 2012)
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

When Families Start Talking, Part 2 (Encore Dec 5, 2012)

Even the best of families can run into trouble when grappling with the needs of aging parents, the demands of care-giving and the shifting dynamics between siblings over money and inheritance. Estates mediator Genevieve Chornenki explores these issues.

Download When Families Start Talking, Part 2 (Encore Dec 5, 2012)
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

The Sword Brothers, Part 2 (Encore May 30, 2012)

The Crusades that began in the 11th century were wars for control of the Holy Land. The Knights Templar, the Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights held unparalleled power, enough to threaten whole kingdoms and the Papacy itself.

Download The Sword Brothers, Part 2 (Encore May 30, 2012)
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]

Thucydides: The First Journalist (Encore June 7, 2011)

About 2,500 years ago, Thucydides travelled ancient Greece, gathering stories about a brutal war that plunged the ancient world into chaos. He set high standards for accuracy, objectivity and thoroughness in his reporting.

Download Thucydides: The First Journalist (Encore June 7, 2011)
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

When Families Start Talking, Part 1 (Encore Nov 28, 2012)

Even the best of families can run into trouble when grappling with the needs of aging parents, the demands of care-giving and the shifting dynamics between siblings over money and inheritance. Estates mediator Genevieve Chornenki explores these issues.

Download When Families Start Talking, Part 1 (Encore Nov 28, 2012)
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Wachtel On The Arts - Yoko Ono

A controversial, iconic figure, Yoko Ono is today regarded as a multi-media innovator. At 80, she remains an adventurous and committed conceptual artist and musician, celebrated internationally. Eleanor Wachtel talks to Yoko Ono.

Download Wachtel On The Arts - Yoko Ono
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:18]

Mur-Écran, The Windscreen

Fermont, Quebec was designed as the mining community of the future. Its 1.3 kilometre-long windscreen complex was built to shield residents from the sub-arctic climate. Simon Nakonechny heads north to find out what has become of this visionary town.

Download Mur-Écran, The Windscreen
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:39]

Riel's Revenge

A recent Supreme Court decision in favour of the Manitoba Metis Federation could fundamentally change the nature of Crown/Metis relations in Canada. We hear from interested participants, including Thomas Berger who argued this case for almost three decade

Download Riel's Revenge
[mp3 file: runs 00:54:00]

Sailing Alone Around The World

In 1895 Joshua Slocum set off to sail alone around the world. It had never been done, and it took 3 years. Since then, fewer than 200 people have sailed in his wake. Philip Coulter explores this greatest challenge sailors set for themselves.

Download Sailing Alone Around The World
[mp3 file: runs 00:53:59]