Wait, so addiction might not be a brain disease?
That’s what Hanna Pickard argues. After analyzing the scientific research, and working with those who’ve stopped self-destructive drug and a...
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Ideas
IDEAS is a deep-dive into contemporary thought and intellectual history. No topic is off-limits. In the age of clickbait and superficial headlines, it's for people who like to think.
Ideas Podcast Guide
Listen to Ideas, a Society & Culture podcast by CBC. Stream 279 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.
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20 of 279 episodesAre psychopaths real? A review of the science says, no
Thanks to Dexter and Hannibal Lecter you may think you know what a psychopath is. But a critical review of the science suggests that 'psycho...
Why we should 'fight like hell' against Big AI
"We need to separate AI from empire," says tech journalist Karen Hao who used to work in Silicon Valley as an engineer. Now she’s an outspok...
With a decline in reading is our capacity to think eroding?
Thanks to AI, it's easier than ever to avoid reading books — but that convenience may come with a cost. IDEAS explores how our digital lands...
What if AI had empathy and 'maternal instincts'?
If AI continues to develop without appropriate guardrails, a worst-case scenario could lead to human extinction, warns the 'godfather of art...
Artificial Intimacy: Love, Grief, and AI Chatbots
Millions of people are using AI to “talk” to the dead. The phenomenon has left cyberpsychologist Elaine Kasket asking what happens when we r...
Can the fierce wars of today end in peace?
If intractable conflicts in the 90s could end in peace agreements, is there hope for the ongoing wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond? Wh...
How leaders in the former Yugoslavia forged peace in 1995
For almost four years, the Bosnian War in the former Yugoslavia was characterized by ethnic hatreds, atrocities, and a refugee crisis. So wh...
Lessons from last century’s failed Mideast peace deal
When Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat met in Washington to sign the first Osl...
Buttons give the illusion of power but hide the consequences
Whether mechanical or digital, a button delivers the promise of power — but it's far from simple. The small and mighty technology has a rive...
Blue jeans have a dark secret
Jeans are a quintessential fashion staple for the Canadian tuxedo — and a symbol of rebellion. But the world's most popular garment comes at...
Love or hate math, geometry is embedded in daily life
"Geometry is the cilantro of math. People are not neutral about it," says Jordan Ellenberg. The mathematician is aware not everyone loves ma...
How casino culture plays with our brains
If the house always wins, why do we play? This documentary asks experts and observers to reflect on the casino as reality and metaphor. Skil...
How Brutalist architecture goes beyond aesthetics
Brutalism has become the subject of architecture tours, a coffee-table art book darling, and a highly sought-after living environment. But c...
Redeeming swamps from their wasteland reputation
Bogs, marshes, and swamps have long been cast as toxic wastelands, from the dead marshes in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings to the vegetal monst...
The fear of fire is taking control of us
Humans used fire as a tool. Now we fear its destruction. But we're responsible for changing the climate, argues John Vailliant, "in a way th...
Suzuki's Survival Guide | How We Got To This Point
In 1989 the Canadian government was set to spring into action to address climate change. “If we don’t move now, it will be a disaster,” said...
Suzuki’s Survival Guide | A Warning
In 1989 David Suzuki hosted a radio series called “It’s A Matter of Survival,” which addressed the climate crisis head-on. He and other scie...
Why oil is a 'complicated saviour' to the world
Oil has delivered warmth, mobility, freedom and ruin all at the same time. "It's a very hard religion to ditch," says Don Gillmor, author of...
A witch, a demon and an exorcism? Welcome to life in 1660
When you're a historian and learn about Canada’s earliest reported ‘demon possession caused by witchcraft’ case, you dig right into the stor...