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Updated 01/10/2018

25 MAR

Canada is slipping in global happiness rankings. Should our policymakers care?

Tips to be happier often read like a self-help menu: make friends, meditate, spend time in nature. But governments are increasingly looking at happiness as a collective goal. There’s even a ‘World Happiness Report’ that ranks well-being across nations. A decade ago Canada ranked fifth in the report, but over the last 10 years has slipped to 18th. Garvia speaks with Felix Cheung, who worked as a researcher on the Canadian and World Happiness report, and is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. They discuss why our collective happiness matters, the decline in youth happiness, and how our society can improve everyone’s well-being.

25 Mar

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23 min
30/07/2024

How to Hack Democracy

Last year, the venture capitalist Marc Andreesen published a document he called “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto.” In it, he argued that “everything good is downstream of growth,” government regulation is bad, and that the only way to achieve real progress is through technology. Of course, Silicon Valley has always been driven by libertarian sensibilities and an optimistic view of technology. But the radical techno-optimism of people like Andreesen, and billionaire entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, has morphed into something more extreme. In their view, technology and government are always at odds with one another. But if that’s true, then how do you explain someone like Audrey Tang? Tang, who, until May of this year, was Taiwan’s first Minister of Digital Affairs, is unabashedly optimistic about technology. But she’s also a fervent believer in the power of democratic government. To many in Silicon Valley, this is an oxymoron. But Tang doesn’t see it that way. To her, technology and government are – and have always been – symbiotic. So I wanted to ask her what a technologically enabled democracy might look like – and she has plenty of ideas. At times, our conversation got a little bit wonky. But ultimately, this is a conversation about a better, more inclusive form of democracy. And why she thinks technology will get us there. Just a quick note: we recorded this interview a couple of months ago, while Tang was still the Minister of Digital Affairs. Mentions: “vTaiwan” “Polis” “Plurality: The Future of Collaborative Technology and Democracy” by E. Glen Weyl, Audrey Tang and ⿻ Community “Collective Constitutional AI: Aligning a Language Model with Public Input,” Anthropic Further Reading: “The simple but ingenious system Taiwan uses to crowdsource its laws” by Chris Horton “How Taiwan’s Unlikely Digital Minister Hacked the Pandemic” by Andrew Leonard Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

30/07/2024

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37 min
3 SEPT

The first wave of AI layoffs

Artificial intelligence in the workplace is here to stay. But what does that mean for the job market? While many Canadian companies are embracing the technology, in a few notable cases, this has led to mass layoffs. In other workplaces, it has meant a revolution in workflow, company culture and hiring practices. The Globe’s Joe Castaldo, who covers AI, and business reporter Sean Silcoff, spoke to executives who are welcoming AI in workplaces. They join us to talk about what this all means for businesses, jobs, and the future of work. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

3 Sept

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23 min
18/11/2024

How remote work changed our grooming habits

When the pandemic hit, nearly 40 per cent of Canada’s workforce went remote. More than four years later, that number has dropped by more than half. In a moment when bosses push for a return to the office – and workers cling to hybrid schedules – we’re learning just how much remote work has changed our habits, routines … and personal hygiene. Globe reporter Zosia Bielski recently turned her focus to examining our relationship with time: time use at work, unpaid labour and our hours off the clock. She joins the podcast to explain what researchers have learned about productivity in Canada and abroad, and how the fight over remote work is about how we use our time and what power our employers have over it. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

18/11/2024

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22 min
17 JUN

Israel-Iran conflict escalates as death toll rises

The long shadow war between Israel and Iran is now out in the open, as pressure mounts over a nuclear peace deal pushed by the U.S. and President Donald Trump. The growing conflict reached its fourth day – Israel continued its bombardment of Iranian cities and infrastructure, while Iran’s missiles evaded Israel’s aerial defence system and hit targets in the country. More than 200 Iranians have been killed so far, while at least 24 Israelis have died, as the two nations trade attacks. The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent, Mark MacKinnon, joins The Decibel to break down the latest developments of an escalating war, how Iran is facing its most serious security breach in nearly 50 years, and what role the U.S. plays in the combustible situation brewing in the Middle East. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

17 Jun

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20 min
05/12/2024

How life as an Olympic sprinter prepared Adrienne Power for a career in financial planning

Adrienne Power is an Olympic sprinter turned financial advisor from East Jeddore, N.S. Raised by a family that fostered a love of competition, Adrienne excelled at sports from a young age and starred for the Dalhousie University track and field team while she pursued her commerce degree. Following university, Adrienne focused on track and field full-time, representing Canada at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She also competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, winning bronze medals in the 200 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay. After retiring from track at age 35, she returned to finance and now works as an advisor at Edward Jones in Bedford, N.S. Adrienne talks about dreaming of the Olympics from a young age, a life-altering event in her teens that shaped her views around money, and the qualities that she carried over from professional athlete to financial advisor.

05/12/2024

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22 min
22/07/2024

How Biden’s exit fits into American political history

After weeks of pressure, speculation and open questions from political leaders about his age and health, U.S. President Joe Biden has dropped his re-election campaign ahead of the 2024 election. Biden’s decision now clears the way for a younger candidate to pursue the Democratic Party’s nomination, to run against Donald Trump. Globe contributor and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Shribman joins the podcast to explain this historic moment in American politics, and the crucial days ahead for the Democrats, as they seek to rally behind a new presidential candidate. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

22/07/2024

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19 min
05/05/2023

Why Charles III won’t be the last King of Canada

On Saturday, King Charles III will be crowned in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London. This is the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years and it’s brought up questions from Canadians about why a democratic country like Canada still maintains ties with the monarchy. A recent Angus Reid Poll found that 52 per cent of respondents do not want to continue as a constitutional monarchy. But leaving isn’t that easy. Errol Mendes is a lawyer, author and constitutional and international law professor at the University of Ottawa. He’s on the show to explain how Canada’s constitution makes leaving the monarchy almost impossible. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

05/05/2023

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19 min
18/08/2023

Connie Walker’s latest investigation: Her own family's history

Journalist Connie Walker has been reporting on Indigenous stories for most of her career. From missing and murdered women to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, she has covered on some of the biggest stories in Canada in the last few decades. But it wasn’t until last year that she decided to look into her own family’s past. The urge to dig into her deceased father’s past appeared after her brother shared a story in the wake of the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C. Connie talks about the importance of healing through sharing the truths, what she found out about her own family’s secrets and her new podcast, Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s. This episode originally aired on May 24, 2022. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

18/08/2023

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20 min
21 FEB

Trump warms to Russia, cools support for Ukraine

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump had a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the end of the war in Ukraine. That call ended three years of U.S. isolation of Russia – former President Joe Biden hadn’t spoken to Putin since before Russia invaded Ukraine – and caught Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky by surprise. Days later, U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a plan for the end of the war, once again, without Ukraine. Mark MacKinnon is a senior international correspondent for the Globe. Today, he’s on the show to talk about how the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine is deteriorating as the three-year anniversary of the war approaches, and what that signals for Ukraine’s future. Enter this Decibel survey: https://thedecibelsurvey.ca/ and share your thoughts for a chance to win $100 grocery gift cards Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

21 Feb

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22 min

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