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5 DEC

Cleveland’s ancient car-sized sea monster had bony fangs, and more…

Scientists are shedding light on the strange, car-sized, armoured fish that lived 360 million years ago in what is now Cleveland. Plus: The cosmic collider that gave us our moon came from our own solar system, soccer fanatics' brains are wired differently than regular fans, industrial chemicals are hurting our microbiome, and scientists are using our brains to build a better computer.

5 Dec

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54 min
1 DAY AGO

How Jeremy Hansen is prepping for the moon, and more…

Next stop - the moon! Jeremy Hansen stops by our studio to chat about how he’s prepping to be the first Canadian to go to the moon. Plus: Santa’s reindeer may be losing their antlers –– and climate change could be the culprit Reindeer are the only animal in the deer family where the females also grow antlers, and they typically have a full rack over the wintertime and drop them in June when they give birth. University of Guelph PhD student Allegra Love was monitoring reindeer on Fogo Island in Newfoundland, when she made a surprising discovery that female reindeer are losing and growing their antlers much earlier than usual. This can put more stress on the animal during a crucial part of their pregnancy, and the researchers think this could eventually lead to the reindeer losing their antlers altogether. The work was published in the journal Ecosphere. Pterosaur brains reveal clues about why these mighty fliers took to the skies Flight has only evolved among vertebrates three times — in bats, birds, and first in pterosaurs. How pterosaurs first took to the skies was always a mystery to scientists, until the discovery of a fossilized 230-million year old pterosaur relative in Brazil. An international team, including Ohio University professor Lawrence Witmer, used an MRI for detailed analysis of the fossilized skull, to pinpoint the miniscule brain changes that happened as the animal developed the capacity to fly. The research was published in the journal Current Biology. Scientists are using AI to find life in 3 billion year old rocks Earth’s earliest signs of life are often incredibly difficult to detect. An international team of researchers have developed a new tool that uses AI to find “whispers” of life locked inside ancient rocks. Using this tool, the researchers, including astrobiologist Michael Wong from Carnegie Science, were able to detect fresh chemical evidence of life in rocks that are 3.3 billion years old. This tool can not only be used to explore the origins of life here on Earth, but also on Mars and other planetary bodies. The work was published in the journal PNAS.

1 day ago

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54 min
5 DEC

The best — and worst — ideas of the last six decades

Sometimes the universe hands us a gift. Over the past year, our podcast listeners spent a total of 526,915 hours listening to our program. That's 21,954.8 days and that translates to 60 years of listening to us. So what better way to mark IDEAS' 60th year then to look back on the highlights and lowlights of the past six decades. To give you a hint on some of the picks, on the bad list: online identity management. Trickle down economics. On the good: Free Trade. Girl Bosses. Apparently open borders is still an open question. Panelists Jamie Liew, a University of Ottawa law professor and novelist; University of Toronto philosopher, Joseph Heath; and the Canadian Shield Institute’s, Vass Bednar, joined IDEAS producer Mary Lynk on stage, in front of a live audience at the Isabel Bader Theatre for this episode — the last in our special series celebrating our 60th anniversary. Listen to more episodes: The time when a guest said, "I love you!" How an IDEAS episode on traffic changed a doctor's practice CBC Massey Lecturers reveal how the talks changed them How IDEAS saved a listener from sending a regrettable email

5 Dec

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54 min
2 DAYS AGO

Your tomatoes have a backstory and it’s not always pretty

In fact, author and journalist Marcello Di Cintio argues Canadians are complicit. After four years investigating the lives of migrant workers, he found that many temporary foreign workers are trapped working in precarious, exploitative conditions. These jobs are essential to our economy and society, yet invisible. Each migrant worker has a story to tell, says Di Cintio. He joined IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed on a visit through the tomato capital of Canada to hear their stories and talk about what his investigation reveals about Canada. Marcello Di Cintio's book is called Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers.

2 days ago

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54 min
5 DAYS AGO

Pt 1 | The architecture that brought Frank Gehry to tears

Rebel architect Frank Gehry believed architecture IS art. He strived to evoke emotion in every design. Last Friday, Gehry died at 96 but he never stopped creating. In 2017, IDEAS producer Mary Lynk had a rare opportunity to spend two days with Gehry at his LA studio. Their wide-ranging conversation covers many aspects of his life and career, including a moment at 40 when the sight of an ancient piece of art from 500 BC led him to weep. "I think if you went and looked at it, you would cry too," he told Lynk. *This conversation is a two-part series that delves into Frank Gehry's infusion of humanity into his designs. Listen to Part Two: Architect Frank Gehry on how to exit life

5 days ago

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54 min
4 DAYS AGO

Pt 2 | Architect Frank Gehry on how to exit life

There’s a constant mantra Frank Gehry would always hear from his mentors who have since died – “Don’t you dare ever stop working.” It’s a sentiment he lived by right until his death at 96. In fact his last major cultural building, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, will open in 2026. So how does his fierce, creative drive square with his mortality? In an expansive conversation from 2017 with IDEAS producer Mary Lynk, Gehry shares his thoughts about death and his life, from growing up Jewish in Toronto, to his complicated relationship with his father, to his move to L.A. at 18, to how his career flourished. *This is the second episode in a two-part series. Listen to Part One: The architecture that brought Frank Gehry to tears

4 days ago

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54 min
3 DAYS AGO

Bringing a farm — and its philosophy — back to life

Growing up with food insecurity, Julian Napoleon yearned to be a farmer. His great-grandparents once farmed on the Saulteau First Nations reserve in northeastern B.C. Over the decades, the farm was replaced by the bush, and the ideas of communal, seasonal living started to fade away. Five years ago, Julian moved to Amisk Farm to bring it back to life. This year the farm has produced food for over 300 Indigenous households, free of cost. IDEAS visits Amisk Farm to learn about rural food security, Indigenous food sovereignty, farming in the north, and what it means to come home and grow a new home in a radically transformed landscape.

3 days ago

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54 min
28 NOV

The environmental costs of nation-building, and more…

On this week’s episode: a mini tyrannosaur is a new species, ants redesign to avoid illness, toxic lead gave humans the edge over Neanderthals, invasive fish are evolving to avoid eradication attempts, and how big mining projects — and attempts to hurry them along — can spell bad news for the environment.

28 Nov

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54 min
4 DEC

How IDEAS saved a listener from sending a regrettable email

"IDEAS is often a surprise" says Cathy Pike. It's why she's been a longtime listener. To our delight, IDEAS was there for her just at the right time. After listening to an episode about Friedrich Nietzsche and his philosophy about "the art of passing by," Cathy says she decided not to send an email that she realized she would have regretted. "The program gave me pause and I’m grateful for that.” And we're grateful to hear from Cathy and other listeners who share their personal encounters on how IDEAS shows up for them, as we continue our 60th anniversary series. *This is the fourth episode in our special programming. Listen to other episodes in this series: The time when a guest said, "I love you!" The best — and worst — ideas of the last six decades How an IDEAS episode on traffic changed a doctor's practice CBC Massey Lecturers reveal how the talks changed them

4 Dec

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54 min
21 NOV

The mystery of the drunken trees, and more…

This week: bees trained to keep track of time, eating small amounts of plastic can kill ocean animals, scientists spot winds blowing from our black hole, a "one-two punch" earthquake may be coming for the Pacific coast and what “drunken trees” can tell us about our warming climate.

21 Nov

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54 min

Expand your knowledge and satisfy your curiosity with podcasts exploring the topics affecting us all — from science, climate, and tech news to history and human nature. Award-winning series that enlighten, entertain and inform.

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