Satisfy your curiosity.

CBC Discover & Learn

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Channel • 21 Shows

Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated daily
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated 26/11/2024
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated 22/12/2023
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Series
Business

Business

Updated weekly
History

History

Updated 16 Jan
News

News

Updated weekly

02/03/2024

So long, winter. Hello, wildfires.

What to do about a world that’s on fire all the time? Texas is facing the biggest wildfire in state history, Alberta has declared the start of wildfire season earlier than usual, and zombie fires are burning in B.C. John Vaillant has written about a future where "fire weather" is the only weather in a warming world; he says Canada needs to prepare. Then, we hear how Metis citizens and firefighters in Alberta are getting their communities and the forests ready for what this year’s season could bring.

02/03/2024

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40 min
21 MAY

Where did modern news culture come from? Think Shakespeare

It might seem like the vast, turbulent ocean of information we call news has always existed, but that's not the case. Theatrical plays in Elizabethan England set the stage for our modern news culture, argues Stephen Wittek in his post-doctoral work. He says the cross-pollination between theatre and news developed the norms for our contemporary public conversations. *This updated episode of Ideas from the Trenches was originally broadcast in 2014.

21 May

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55 min
06/12/2024

The Secret Life of Canada Introduces | Personally: Short Sighted

People don’t think Graham Isador is losing his sight. They think he’s an asshole. Short Sighted is an attempt to explain what vision loss feels like by exploring how it sounds. Written and hosted by master storyteller Graham Isador, the show’s mini episodes are an intimate and irreverent look at accessibility and its personal impacts. Get lost in someone else’s life. From a mysterious childhood spent on the run, to a courageous escape from domestic violence, each season of Personally invites you to explore the human experience in all its complexity, one story — or season — at a time. This is what it sounds like to be human. More episodes of Personally are available at: lnk.to/SASSIAq9

06/12/2024

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17 min
03/02/2024

Could 2024 be the year China becomes a climate…leader?

China emits a third of the world’s greenhouse gases. But it’s also a leader in renewables. We hear from people inside the country about its paradoxical – and controversial – energy mix. Plus, you’ve maybe weighed the option of buying a new EV, but one listener asks: can you retrofit a gas car? We find out. And, in Alberta, severe drought in the middle of winter is forcing difficult conversations about who gets less water come spring. We check in with a rancher and learn how monitoring is helping landowners manage their wells. Finally, why one B.C. university is trying out spiritual care as a balm for climate anxiety.

03/02/2024

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54 min
17/02/2024

Tiny forests everywhere

It all started in Japan, now it’s a worldwide craze. Trees planted at industrial sites by botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s were a way to resist deforestation. Today, community groups around the world have joined the tiny forest movement as a way to store carbon in pockets of cities. Then, we hunt for winter across Canada, and find out how a lack of snow and ice are affecting everything from ice fishing to the Ontario Winter Games. The co-creator of Black Climate Week shares how a stark realization sparked a campaign to build a more inclusive environmental movement. We head to the hardware store to answer a listener’s question about the most climate-friendly light fixtures. And, American climate scientist Peter Kalmus reflects on his high-profile protest outside a bank in 2022 and the role of civil disobedience as a climate solution.

17/02/2024

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54 min
10/02/2024

How to sell people on climate action instead of fossil fuels

Advertising can contribute to the climate crisis, but it can also be a force for change. We hear about efforts underway here in Canada to strengthen rules around fossil fuel advertising. And how some European cities and towns are banning “high carbon advertising” altogether. Plus, a former ad executive shares the personal story of how he stopped selling soap and credit cards and is now using his skills to find marketing messages that motivate climate action. Spoiler: it's all about love. What On Earth's climate justice columnist Chúk Odenigbo discovers gaps in how Black communities in Hamilton, Ontario understand and experience climate change. Also, we explore the magical world of mushrooms as a climate solution.

10/02/2024

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54 min
08/06/2024

How to save summer fun

People are switching up plans to avoid fire, smoke and heat. And that includes festival organizers, powwow planners and camp directors. We get advice on navigating our changing summers.

08/06/2024

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26 min
11 JUL

What rights do we need for our future?

If the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were rewritten today, what rights would we add to strive for a more just world? In the final episode of our five-part series, IDEAS looks beyond our fractured present and tries to imagine what new rights we need for the new millennium. *This episode originally aired on Sept. 6, 2025.

11 Jul

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54 min
01/06/2024

Snap! Crackle! Pop! Climate?

As climate change transforms the sonic landscape around us, it also proposes new solutions. Listen in on the surprising sounds of a changing world. We talk to the executive director of the new Institute for Climate, Sound and Society at the MetaLab at Harvard University about how sound can shape how we talk about climate change.

01/06/2024

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16 min
25 JAN

How to become a better public speaker

Donald Trump, Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland and Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde all gave speeches in recent days that captured at least national attention. So what makes a great speaker? What about those who have an anxiety about public speaking? We spoke to two guests about ways to overcome those fears. Dr. Martin Antony is a psychologist who says he's seen people turn down jobs to avoid public speaking, and students who avoid taking classes where they have to talk in front of their peers. Plus, Suzannah Baum is an author, speaker, and executive speech coach. We also spoke to Joze Piranian who is a lifelong stutterer turned International Keynote Speaker and Stand-up Comedian.

25 Jan

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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.