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. FEB 19

    Oh BROTHER! The surprising impact of siblings

    You love them.  You hate them. They can be your best friend one day - then your arch enemy the next. Your brother.  Your sister.  Your sibling. A lot has been studied and written about the parent/child relationship as well as the influence of peers and friends on a developing child.   But what about siblings?  They’re usually an integral part of home life. How important is the sibling relationship on how a child grows - into teenhood and beyond?  And how does the sibling relationship affect friendships - even romantic partners? Psychologist Ryan Persram has some fascinating answers! INFO ON GUEST: Ryan Persram is psychologist and Ass’t Professor in the Dept. of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University.  For more info on Ryan and his work:  https://www.torontomu.ca/psychology/about-us/our-people/faculty/ryan-persram/ He also directs the ASPIRE Lab at TMU:  https://psychlabs.torontomu.ca/aspirelab/ 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

    47 min

  2. FEB 5

    Here’s an incredibly simple strategy for wellbeing!

    It’s not too often I come across research that’s this simple AND effective – according to the evidence. Based on the results of a number of studies, this simple strategy can elevate your mood, make you feel connected, happier… and even give greater meaning to your life.  You can do it almost anywhere and maybe best of all, it doesn’t add any significant time to your day.   The strategy is called “Noticing Nature.”  And the researcher behind it is Psychologist Holli-Anne Passmore.  Try this practice and see if it works for you!   INFO ON GUEST: Holli-Anne Passmore is an Assoc. Prof. and Chair of the Dept. of Psychology at Concordia University of Edmonton.  https://concordia.ab.ca/faculty-arts/departments/psychology/faculty/full-time-faculty-psychology/holli-anne-passmore/ She’s also Director of the multi-university Nature-Meaning in Life Research Lab and an editor at the Int’l Journal of Well Being. https://nature-mill.org/ Here’s a CBC article on her “Noticing Nature Intervention:”  https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/noticing-nature-experts-1.7434315 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

    50 min

  3. JAN 22

    “I think I’m losing my mind!” How gaslighting works

    You’ve probably come across this word:  gaslighting.     It was Word of the Year in Mirriam Webster’s dictionary in 2022.  Maybe you’ve even experienced it.  Definitions of gaslighting vary but it’s a form of manipulation and can go on for years.   What’s shocking is that it can be the very people whom you trust and love, who are trying to manipulate you.    “You must be crazy to think that” or “you probably imagined that” or “there’s no reason to be upset” are common lines that are used.  More women than men are affected and the consequences can be damaging and long lasting. How do you know if you’re being gaslit?  What effect can it have? And who are the perpetrators?  Willis Klein of McGill University fills us in on the latest research.   Info on Guest: Willis Klein is a PhD candidate in Experimental Psychology at McGill University.  For more info on Willis:  https://willis-klein.com/  Article on Willis’ research on gaslighting:  https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/researchers-delve-how-gaslighting-works-367747   “A Theoretical Framework for Studying the Phenomenon of Gaslighting” by Willis Klein, Suzanne Wood, and Jennifer A. Bartz was published in Personality and Social Psychology Review.   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

    43 min

  4. JAN 8

    Is Canada still a SAFE place?

    *NOTE:  This interview was recorded in late Nov. of 2025. Canada is generally regarded as a safe and peaceful country.  But is that changing? For the first time, the head of CSIS Dan Rogers, addressed the public last year with these stats:  1 in 10 terrorism investigations in Canada involves at least one minor under the age of 18. There have been 20 violent extremist attacks in Canada resulting in 29 deaths since 2014.  He also warned about Chinese and Russian interference in Canada, and the weaponization of Canadian data and information.  As we enter a new year, we thought it important to take stock of where we are with national security and the complex threat environment we face with international relations and security expert Stephanie Carvin. INFO ON GUEST: Stephanie Carvin is an Associate Professor of Int’l Relations at the Norman Paterson School of Int’l Affairs at Carleton University.  https://carleton.ca/npsia/people/stephanie-carvin/ Her most recent book is “Stand on Guard: Reassessing Threats to Canada’s National Security” which was nominated for the 2021 Donner Prize. https://utppublishing.com/doi/book/10.3138/9781487524517 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

    1h 16m

  5. 12/11/2025

    Why do families become estranged?

    The holidays can be a joyous time for many families.   But  it can also be the saddest time for those who are experiencing estrangement. It’s something many parents don’t talk about.   The pain and the shame that a child is no longer in their lives can be enormous.  But estrangement is common.  One U.S. study found a significant number of families will undergo some type of estrangement.   So how do you deal with it?  And not just on a personal level but in a broader social context – especially during the holiday season when getting together with family and friends is expected? Denise Whitehead knows a lot about conflict in families and teaches a course on it.  I found this to be a valuable, insightful interview on parent/child relationships - whether you’re going through an estrangement or not.   I learned a lot.   INFO ON GUEST: Denise Whitehead is an Associate professor in the Dept. of Sexualities, Relationships, and Families, at St. Jerome’s University, the University of Waterloo.  Denise recommends this book:  Rules of Estrangement by Dr. Joshua Coleman. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/622584/rules-of-estrangement-by-joshua-coleman-phd/9780593290644 and Fault Lines by Dr. Karl Pillemer: https://a.co/d/5HBC3jI 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

    46 min

  6. 11/27/2025

    Would you ruin your shoes to save a drowning child?

    Of course you’d ruin your shoes to save a drowning child!   What a question, right? But if that’s the case, why wouldn’t you donate a few dollars to save the life of a child?  Doesn’t it come down to the same thing?  This is the question that a global movement called Effective Altruism asks. EA does research on where you should donate your money so it has the biggest impact.  The EA approach is to gather data and use specific criteria to determine which charities are saving or extending lives, dollar for dollar.   Does this sound like a good approach to giving?  Economist Calum Carmichael a retired professor formerly with the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University explores the pros and cons of Effective Altruism.   INFO ON GUEST: Calum Carmichael is a retired professor formerly with the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University.  https://carleton.ca/sppa/people/carmichael-calum-m/ Carmichael’s articles on Effective Altruism:   “What the Philanthropic Sector can take from the downfall of Sam Bankman-Fried and his ties to EA.”   https://carleton.ca/panl/closer-takes/ The Centre for Effective Altruism. https://www.centreforeffectivealtruism.org/   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

    45 min

  7. 11/13/2025

    Stealing Mona Lisa: the loss of art and our identity

    It was fast and brazen.   In less than eight minutes, thieves stole jewellery worth over 130 million dollars from the Louvre in Paris.  It was a daytime job while visitors were admiring the very jewellery that would soon be taken.   You may think crimes of art don’t happen very often because we don’t hear about them.  But in fact art and cultural property worth billions of dollars are stolen annually.  It’s a significant and costly issue.   Why do we feel a sense of loss, sadness – even anger – when we lose art?  How does art reflect who we are and our identity?  Sally Hickson, an art historian, explores our complex relationship with art.  INFO ON GUEST: Sally Hickson is an Assoc. Professpr of Art History in the School of Fine Art and Music at Guelph University.   She’s also the Director of the School of Theatre, English and Creative Writing at Guelph.  For more on Sally and her work:  https://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/sofam/people/sally-hickson Her article on eco-activism and art:  https://theconversation.com/eco-activist-attacks-on-museum-artwork-ask-us-to-figure-out-what-we-value-193575 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

    48 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    Violent crime is on the rise. What should we be doing?

    Is violent crime actually going up in Canada?   According to Stats Canada, it is.  Violent crime has increased by about 50% in the last decade.   And a new report that compares the rate of police reported violent crime in Canada and the U.S. says the gap between the two countries has narrowed.  It’s the result of decreases in violent crime in the US and increases in Canada over the last 25 years.   What’s going on and what should we be doing about it?   Irvin Waller knows what the evidence-based solutions are to reduce violent crime.  He’s consulted with int’l organizations like the United Nations and governments around the world.  Hear what he has to say.   INFO ON GUEST: Irvin Waller is Emeritus Professor in the Dept. of Criminology at the University of Ottawa.  https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/view/profile/members/885?lang=en He’s the author of a number of books including “Science and Secrets of Ending Violent Crime” and Rights for Victims of Crime.” https://www.linkedin.com/in/irvin-waller-225b7b10/?originalSubdomain= An article on what Canada should do to reduce violent crime:  https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2025/05/23/How-Carney-Can-Reduce-Violent-Crime/ 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

    44 min
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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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