The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed

Mary Ito
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  • Updated Weekly

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. 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

    49 min

  2. Jun 4

    How to solve life’s everyday dilemmas!

    Ahhh, life’s everyday dilemmas… How should I deal with my horrendous sister-in-law?   Do I have to tell my new boyfriend about my past infidelity? Can I cut ties with a friend who helped me through a hard time?   Do any of these questions resonate with you?   They probably do as we all deal with various forms of these issues at various times in our lives.  These moral and ethical dilemmas can weigh us down.  It feels like we’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t! So what SHOULD we do? We can ask Kwame Appiah.  He writes The Ethicist column in the New York Times.  People write to him about their problems and he answers them with what kind of action they might take.   So how does he arrive at his answers?  Take a listen… INFO ON GUEST: Kwame Appiah is a Professor of Philosophy and Law at New York University,  and  the author of numerous books including his most recent:  Captive Gods: Religion and the Rise of Social Science.” He also writes the weekly column The Ethicist in the New York Times. https://as.nyu.edu/faculty/kwame-anthony-appiah.html https://www.nytimes.com/by/kwame-anthony-appiah https://appiah.net/ 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

    55 min

  3. May 14

    How to stop procrastinating!

    Leonardo da Vinci, Frank Lloyd Wright, Margaret Atwood, even the Dalai Lama – they all had something in common.   Procrastination.  Surprising right?  Because they all had such impressive achievements.   But procrastination is common - maybe so common that we take it for granted.  But there could be a stiff price to pay when you put off studying for that exam, getting your car checked, leaving a project to the last minute.. even worse, delay seeing your doctor.   And there’s not only a personal cost to procrastination but there can be a larger social and economic cost as well.   Find out how to get to that task or job and get it done from an expert on procrastination.   GUEST INFO: Piers Steel is a Professor and Brookfield Management Chair with the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.  https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/piers-david-gareth-steel He’s also the author of “The Procrastination Equation:  How to stop putting things off and start getting stuff done.” https://www.amazon.com/Procrastination-Equation-Putting-Things-Getting-ebook/dp/B003ZSHUP2?ref_=ast_author_mpb 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

  4. Apr 30

    To conceive or not to conceive: the facts on fertility

    So you want to have a baby? It used to be there was only ONE way to achieve this.  One might call it the “old fashioned way.”  And that went on for hundreds of thousands of years!  But with technological advancements, there are many ways to have a baby today.   And one of them is in vitro fertilization.  In Canada, about 15% of couples, or 1 in 6, can experience infertility and many pursue IVF.   It’s the most common procedure among reproductive technologies to help couples and individuals get pregnant.   It’s been an area of interest and research for Dr. Shirin Dason who’s passionate about spreading awareness on issues around fertility, IVF, and what people should know about getting pregnant.  INFO ON GUEST: Dr. Shirin Dason is a reproductive, endocrinology and infertility specialist.   For more info on her work:  https://www.drshirindason.com/     https://triofertility.com/team-member/dr-shirin-dason-md-obgyn-rei/ She’s also an Ass’t Professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Toronto.  https://obgyn.utoronto.ca/faculty/shirin-dason.   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

    53 min

  5. Apr 16

    Is there life BEYOND Earth in the universe?

    Splashdown!  Artemis 2 was a success!  It took humans the farthest they’ve ever been from earth.   The mission also increased deep-space capabilities required for a permanent presence on the moon – and even more exciting – the possibility of sending humans to Mars. A professor who spent his career bringing space research to the public is Paul Delaney.  He’s even  been recognized for his life’s work by having an asteroid named after him – the Asteroid Pauldelaney.  Pretty cool!  Listen to this fascinating astronomer who still wonders about the universe and the possibilities of space exploration.   INFO ON GUEST: Paul Delaney is a professor emeritus in the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy and former Director of the Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory.  https://news.yorku.ca/experts/?mid=3594 Asteroid Pauldelaney:  https://www.yorku.ca/yfile/2024/11/19/york-university-professor-emeritus-gets-asteroid-named-after-him/ 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

  6. Apr 2

    The BIG debate: Is being single BETTER than being a couple?

    Living your BEST life.  Does that mean staying single?   Should the well worn phrase “happily ever after” be used for single people and THEIR lives?   You might think so based on the movement by some academics, celebrities, influencers, and the public, who embrace the single life, also known as the “solo or single at heart movement.”  Many say life’s actually BETTER when you’re single compared to being coupled.   Is this true?  What’s the evidence behind this?   Geoff MacDonald is a psychologist who says there are benefits to both:  being single or being partnered.   But when you tally it up, which way of living comes out on top?   INFO ON GUEST:  Geoff MacDonald is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. He’s also a Fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the Int’l Assoc. for Relationship Research:  https://www.psych.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/geoff-macdonald He runs the MacLab whose aim is to better understand wellbeing in singlehood:  https://www.macdonaldlab.ca/ On CBC TV’s The National -  2026 Relationship Goal:  Stay Single? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9XaQC7-i6Q 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

    59 min

  7. Mar 19

    How can GLP-1s like Ozempic affect your mental health and relationships?

    Can you think of a “gamechanging” drug – a drug that’s had a profound impact on humanity?   How about penicillin discovered in the late 20's marking the beginning of the antibiotic era?  Or insulin, a Canadian discovery that changed the lives of people with diabetes?  Also vaccines, oral contraceptives.. aspirin? And then there’s Ozempic, or more broadly GLP-1's – THE most talked about drugs today. Tens of millions of people around the world are on a GLP-1 like Ozempic or Wegovy.  A recent survey found 3 million Canadians are currently taking them.   Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam of CAMH shares the latest research on how these drugs can affect our brain, our behaviours, and our relationships. INFO ON GUEST: Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam is the Chief Medical Officer and Sr. Vice President, Education at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.  https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/about-camh/leadership-team-directory/executive-leadership-bio-sanjeev-sockalingam He’s also Vice-Chair and a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto: https://psychiatry.utoronto.ca/faculty/sanjeev-sockalingam And Scientific Director of Obesity Canada: https://obesitycanada.ca/news/new-leadership-dr-sanjeev-sockalingam/                      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. Mar 5

    EVERY woman goes through this misunderstood condition!

    If you’re a woman in your 30’s or older,  please listen to this interview What I learned was surprising - and disturbing.   It’s about perimenopause – the stage before menopause – that can begin in women as early as their 30’s.  And it’s often misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated according to endocrinologist Jerilynn Prior who has studied this field for decades.   She says there’s a lot of confusion and lack of awareness about what perimenopause is – even with many medical doctors.  And that’s despite the research and evidence that exists on what happens during this stage and what treatments can actually help.   Actually our conversation covers a lot more than perimenopause.  It’s about the chemistry of being female and understanding what happens to our bodies - and our brains - at an important stage of life.   INFO ON GUEST: Dr. Jerilynn Prior is an endocrinologist and a professor emerita of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the Dept. of Medicine at UBC.  https://medicine.med.ubc.ca/jerilynn-c-prior/ She is the founder of the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research:  https://cemcor.ubc.ca/  She’s the author of the award winning book Estrogen’s Storm Season:  Stories of Perimenopause: https://cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/estrogens-storm-season/ For more info and support on perimenopause: https://womenlivingbetter.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
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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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