The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed

Mary Ito
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The CRAM Podcast features engaging and thought-provoking interviews that explore innovative ideas and exciting new research that’s shaping our lives - whether it's the evolution of the work world, the transformative ways we connect, the re-imagining of home and place, or the dramatic changes in our identity and community. We interview leading researchers and big thinkers about the human condition and the possibilities of tomorrow.

  1. Sep 24

    Should the rich get RICHER?

    You’ve heard about the ultra wealthy in Canada?  The top 1%? Did you know this small group represents 24% of Canada’s total net wealth.  That’s right.  1% controls almost a quarter of our national net wealth.  And if that isn’t scary, consider this.  In the U.S., the top 1% controls almost 32% of the wealth of the entire country! That’s a lot of money.  And a lot of power.   How did we get into this situation where so few have so much while so many have so little?  What can we do about it?   We get answers from an eminent researcher who’s been studying the wealth divide for years.  INFO ON GUEST:   Miles Corak is a Canadian labour economist.  He was Director of Research for Statistics Canada and later helped develop Canada’s first poverty reduction strategy.  His theory known as “The Great Gatsby Curve” was adopted by President Obama in 2012 as part of his political agenda.  He’s currently a professor of economics at the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York.   https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/miles-corak His website:  https://milescorak.com/ His article:  “Inequality is the root of social evil,” or Maybe Not? https://utppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3138/cpp.2016-056 We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

  2. Sep 10

    Is there always a WINNER and LOSER in negotiations? Repeat episode

    In light of the trade war between Canada and the US, we thought it would be a good idea to bring back a podcast on the topic of negotiation. It aired over a year ago, but we feel it is just as relevant today. There’s been intense scrutiny over the way Trump has approached tariffs. His negotiation strategy seems unpredictable, but is it?   What’s behind Trump’s tactics?  How effective are they?  What can we learn from his actions and how can we better understand different styles of negotiation?    Shai Dubey is an expert on negotiation and conflict management.  He’s got valuable insight on an issue that’s affecting all of us.     INFO ON GUEST: Shai Dubey is a professor in the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University with a focus on negotiation and conflict management.    https://smith.queensu.ca/faculty_and_research/faculty_list/dubey-shai.php How to be a better negotiator:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I_9aA5SBD4 TEDx talk on the biggest barrier to negotiation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG9PezyQ0Lo We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

  3. Aug 27

    Would you know if the world was ending?

    One of our most popular guests is back!   Luke Kemp, also known as “Dr. Doom,”  has written a book on his favourite topic – how and why civilisations end.   Not the best ice breaker at a party but his novel theory on how civilisations develop and end is riveting listening.   His new book “Goliath's Curse:  The History and Future of Societal Collapse” is an ambitious exploration of human societal development packed with research and theories on how we got to where we are today.  He offers three scenarios for the future of humankind. His message is unsettling even unnerving.  But it will definitely have you thinking. INFO ON GUEST: Luke Kemp is a research affiliate with the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the U of Cambridge.  https://www.cser.ac.uk/team/luke-kemp/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath%27s_Curse He’s the author of “Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse”  https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/282747/luke-kemp We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

  4. Aug 13

    Is it actually better for us to forgive - and forget?

    You’ve probably heard the phrase… “It’s better to forgive and forget.” And maybe we take that to heart and try to live our lives accordingly. But is it actually BETTER for us to forgive and forget a wrong that’s been done to us?  Forgiveness can be a very difficult thing to do.   And to forget may be even harder.  What does the research say about these actions?  Do they actually improve the well-being of the person who forgives – and the person who’s forgiven? Listen to this powerful and thought-provoking conversation with philosopher Kathryn Norlock who’s been studying forgiveness and the issues around forgiveness for decades.  We talk about betrayal, apology (what makes a good apology and what makes a bad one?), and perhaps one of the hardest things we can do – self-forgiveness.  I truly believe her knowledge and insight may help you improve your relationships with others…  and yourself.  INFO ON GUEST: Kathryn Norlock is a Professor of Philosophy and the Kenneth Mark Drain Chair in Ethics at Trent University.  She’s also the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences:  https://www.trentu.ca/artsci/humanities-social-sciences/dean-humanities-and-social-sciences She’s the author of “Forgiveness from a Feminist Perspective.” https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/forgiveness-from-a-feminist-perspective-9781498591218/ Her website:  https://www.kathrynnorlock.com/ We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

  5. Jul 30

    CODE RED: What’s going on in hospital ERs?

    There’s ONE experience that nearly everyone in Canada - and other developed countries -  has:  a visit to a hospital emergency room.  But the commonality ends there as the QUALITY of that ER experience can differ greatly according to Dr. Brian Goldman.   Brian has been an ER physician for over 40 years.  From broken limbs to broken hearts to broken minds, he’s seen it all.  But perhaps the most disturbing thing he’s seeing,  is the critical situation that many ERs in the country are facing.  Long wait times.  A shortage of hospital beds. Patients being treated in hallways and waiting rooms.  Even ERs being shut down because of lack of resources.   Brian reveals what really goes on in the ER (great stories),  what’s good and bad with our healthcare system, and what we need to do to improve patient care. It’s a must-listen-to conversation!!  INFO ON GUEST: Dr. Brian Goldman has been an ER physician for over four decades with Sinai Health System in Toronto.  https://doctorbriangoldman.com/ He’s host of the popular medical show White Coat, Black Art, on CBC Radio. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat Dr. Goldman is the author of The Casino Shift: Stories From An ER On The Edge.   https://doctorbriangoldman.com/#about We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

  6. Jul 16

    How to GET and KEEP a job in the Age of A.I.

    Whether you’re an employee or a business, large or small, you’ve probably been wondering if you can keep up with AI.    And that’s because “today, AI is the least powerful it will ever be in our lifetime.”   Those prophetic words are from researcher Simon Blanchette.  So how we prepare for the jobs we want, keep the jobs we have,  and maintain the viability of the businesses we run?  And how do students educate themselves for the future?  He believes there’s no job that won’t be affected by AI.   Listen to what Simon says about the future of work and our evolving relationship with artificial intelligence  INFO ON GUEST: Simon Blanchette is a Faculty Lecturer with the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University. https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/simon-blanchette His article on Canada’s “A.I. for All” strategy:   https://theconversation.com/canadas-ai-for-all-strategy-has-ambitious-growth-targets-but-it-falls-short-on-workers-and-the-environment-284648 We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

  7. Jul 2

    Why are GenZ’s unhappy (and how do we change that)?

    How happy are you? If you’re under the age of 25 and you live in Canada, the U.S., Australia or New Zealand, you are among the unhappiest of generations. That’s according to the latest World Happiness Report.  At an age that’s seen as the launchpad to adulthood and usually associated with hopes and dreams for the future - this is deeply concerning. Why are young people in Canada and a number of western countries, unhappy? What’s causing this decline? When most of the world’s young people are on an upward trajectory, why are GenZ’s in these countries becoming unhappier? We look into this issue as well as what actually makes us happy. INFO ON GUEST: John Helliwell is one of the cofounding editors of the World Happiness Report that’s released every year. He’s a Professor Emeritus of the Vancouver School of Economics at UBC. For more info on John https://economics.ubc.ca/profile/john-helliwell/ Check out the 2026 World Happiness Report: https://www.worldhappiness.report/ed/2026/ We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

  8. Jun 18

    Do you trust your neighbour? A stranger? The government?

    How trusting are you of other people these days?   According to the Environics Inst. for Survey Research, current politics is dividing Americans more than any other time since that country’s Civil War over 150 years ago. Here in Canada, our divisions are not quite as dramatic, yet we see what’s happening with our neighbours to the south amidst own dilemmas of immigration, Quebec sovereignty, Alberta separatism just to name a few.   And all these issues are heightened by what we hear in the media and read online.   Are we losing trust with one another?  And with our public institutions - our governments, law enforcement, health agencies, and so on?  We speak with one of our country’s most prominent researchers in public opinion – Keith Neuman who’s had nearly 40 years of experience in this field. INFO ON GUEST: Keith Neuman is a public opinion researcher and cofounder of The Environics Inst. for Survey Research.  He now runs his own consulting firm KNeuman Survey Insights.   For more on Keith Neuman: https://environicsinstitute.org/keith-neuman/ Environics survey on social trust in Canada and the U.S.A:   https://environicsinstitute.org/social-trust-in-canada-and-the-usa/ Other surveys discussed in the podcast: https://environicsinstitute.org/reports/ We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast! Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support. CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993

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The CRAM Podcast features engaging and thought-provoking interviews that explore innovative ideas and exciting new research that’s shaping our lives - whether it's the evolution of the work world, the transformative ways we connect, the re-imagining of home and place, or the dramatic changes in our identity and community. We interview leading researchers and big thinkers about the human condition and the possibilities of tomorrow.

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