Ideas

4.4 (33)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED DAILY

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.

2 DAYS AGO

Puro Cubano: The Meaning of Tobacco in Cuba

For many people around the world, Cuban cigars are a luxury. But for Cubans, they’ve symbolized the country’s rich history and culture. Now as an economic crisis is gripping the country and people are leaving, the cigar is a bellwether of Cuba's uncertain future. *This episode originally aired on Feb. 5, 2024.

54 min
3 DAYS AGO

Our Bodies, Our Cells: An Audio Exploration of Life's Building Blocks

Our bodies are a great paradox. We are made up of trillions of cells that are both independent and interconnected units of life. IDEAS travels into the microscopic complexity of the human body to explore sophisticated nanomachines — and probe the deep mysteries of a subatomic world. *This episode originally aired on Jan. 31, 2024.

54 min
4 DAYS AGO

The UN at 80: Successes, Hopes, Failures, and Challenges

In 1945, as the Second World War ended, the United Nations brought together 50 nations of the world. Their historic charter aimed to uphold international peace, security, and human rights. Today, the UN faces a lot of criticism, but Canada’s UN Ambassador, Bob Rae, still believes in it.

54 min
5 DAYS AGO

Remember the Last Time Canada Feared the U.S. Would Swallow It Up?

Four decades ago, trade negotiations in North America prompted great trepidation in Canada. IDEAS revisits a 1986 documentary by the CBC's Carol Off exploring a flurry of Canadian nationalism and patriotism brought on by fears that the U.S. was about to absorb Canada — a threat, once again, on many Canadians' minds.

54 min
6 DAYS AGO

Say Yes: Improvisation in Art and Life

For many people, public speaking is horrifying. Imagine trying to make people laugh. Without a script. IDEAS explores the art of improv — a skill that isn't just for entertainment. It's tapping into a vast well of human potential, and maybe even making the world a tiny bit better.

54 min
21 FEB

How the Outdoors Inspired Women to Become Trailblazers

Harvard historian Tiya Miles believes the more girls and women are outdoors, the more fulfilling their lives will be. In her book, Wild Girls, Miles shows how girls who found self-understanding in the natural world became women who changed America. *This episode originally aired on April 10, 2024.

54 min
20 FEB

The Passion of Émile Nelligan: Canada's Saddest Poet

Broken violins, cruel love and absent fathers... At the end of the 19th century, Émile Nelligan wrote hundreds of tragic, passionate, sonnets and rondels on these subjects and more. And yet, most English-speaking Canadians seem never to have heard of the Quebec poet. *This episode originally aired on Jan. 9, 2024.

54 min
19 FEB

Naming Life: The Race to Classify Millions of Unidentified Species

In 2023, scientists discovered thousands of unknown life forms in the Pacific Ocean. The discovery highlighted an unsettling fact: 86 per cent of land species and 91 per cent of marine species remain undiscovered. Are we running out of time to classify the life around us?

54 min

See All (232)

Nahlah Ayed

Host

4.4

out of 5

33 Ratings

Depth with a light touch

03/10/2020

quotidianista

The hour length format of this podcast is excellent for getting into some real subtleties - and all done without pedantry!
Sound

16/07/2021

Lord_have_mercy

The sound is bad with one speaker loud cause I have to turn it up to hear the softer voice. Can’t they balance things sound wise? Why don’t they know?
Extraordinary quality

10/08/2017

Mike2780

For a balance of head and heart and sheer quality of content Ideas is without peer. If I was confined to one podcast only this would be it.

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.