The Podcast For Inquiry

Centre For Inquiry Canada

A podcast for scientific, skeptical, secular, rational and humanistic inquiry. They've got answers? We've got questions.

  1. Aug 5

    ENCORE: Kelly Weinersmith asks: Are we ready to live off-planet?

    Dr. Kelly Weinersmith (@FuSchmu) is the co-author (with her husband Zach) of Soonish and A City on Mars. Kelly maintains that while having humans living off Earth would be awesome, we're simply not ready for it yet. She answers many of Leslie's questions: Why can't we go to Mars if we have the will? Why can't we all just get along? Why should we expand? Why is building a habitable space station harder than settling on Mars or the moon? What laws would apply in any off-Earth settlement? Where should we focus our space research efforts?  Kelly also goes on a rant about Helium 3.    There are two great conferences taking place in Ontario in August 2026:  World Humanist Congress August 7-9 in Ottawa https://www.worldhumanistcongress.org/  BAHACON August 21-23 in Sarnia https://bahacon.com/  Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by Zack Dumont, Martin Zielinski, and Leslie Rosenblood. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

  2. Jul 22

    ENCORE: Solomon, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Gandalf: All fictional! With David Fitzgerald

    After years of research, David Fitzgerald has come to a surprising conclusion: that all the main characters in the world's major religions are entirely the product of human imagination. While many have long doubted the supernatural feats that religious figures are purported to have done, the assumption that these are grounded in at least a kernel of historical fact is widely held. David explains how the stories we are familiar with today accreted over time, and the utter lack of evidence that any of the major figures of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, or Buddhism ever actually existed. There are two great conferences taking place in Ontario in August 2026:  World Humanist Congress August 7-9 in Ottawa https://www.worldhumanistcongress.org/  BAHACON August 21-23 in Sarnia https://bahacon.com/  Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by CFIC volunteers. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

  3. Jul 8

    ENCORE: Saving civilization is about more than climate change, says Professor Katherine Richardson

    All life on earth ultimately depends on energy and how it flows between biological and geochemical systems on the planet. Katherine Richardson and her team identified nine boundaries which need to be respected if our planet is to remain conducive to human thriving. Climate change is just one of them. We are exceeding six boundaries, and in recent years they are all getting worse. Katherine discusses how she and her team identified the nine planetary boundaries and why it is essential to consider how they interact, instead of viewing them as independent issues. The effects of exceeding planetary boundaries are affecting life today, disrupting air travel, causing severe flooding, and contributing to more frequent and powerful storms. (For the most up to date overview, read Planetary Boundaries guide humanity's future on Earth, published in Nature magazine on November 8, 2024.) We have the knowledge and technology to live within the planetary boundaries; the question remains whether we have the will, and the time, to implement them. The nine planetary boundaries are: Climate change Biosphere integrity Stratospheric ozone depletion Ocean acidification Phosphorus and nitrogen biogeochemical flows Land system change Freshwater change Atmospheric aerosol loading Novel entities There are two great conferences taking place in Ontario in August 2026:  World Humanist Congress August 7-9 in Ottawa https://www.worldhumanistcongress.org/  BAHACON August 21-23 in Sarnia https://bahacon.com/  Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by Zack Dumont, Martin Zielinski, and Leslie Rosenblood. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

  4. Jun 24

    We've been here before: Apocalypses past and present with Lizzie Wade

    Lizzie Wade is the author of APOCALYPSE: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures.  She is a science writer focusing on archaeology and anthropology, a contributing correspondent for Science, and her work has also appeared in Wired, Archaeology, National Geographic, and Slate. Follow her work via The Antiquarian newsletter at theantiquarian.email The conversation starts with how ancient Egypt, which was very hierarchical and funneled lots of resources to its ruling class, collapsed when a prolonged drought struck. Lizzie explains how the Mayan civilization still very much existed when it was first contacted by the Spanish, despite the centralized state dissolving centuries earlier. Lizzie ponders whether there are grand themes in the study of history, or if it's just one damn thing after another. According to Lizzie, contemporary society is facing its own apocalypse, but there are options available to us to address it.    There are two great conferences taking place in Ontario in August 2026:  World Humanist Congress August 7-9 in Ottawa https://www.worldhumanistcongress.org/  BAHACON August 21-23 in Sarnia https://bahacon.com/  Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by Zack Dumont, Martin Zielinski, and Leslie Rosenblood. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

  5. Jun 10 ·  Bonus

    Leslie's Diatribes #5: The Arc of the Moral Universe

    Leslie spoke about CFIC for a few minutes at the 2026 WeCanReason conference in early May. The brief talk wasn't recorded but seemed to resonate with many attendees, so today's bonus episode is Leslie recreating the speech for Podcast for Inquiry subscribers.  As with all Diatribes, the opinions expressed are Leslie's alone and do not represent CFIC or any other organization. Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by Zack Dumont, Martin Zielinski, and Leslie Rosenblood. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

  6. Jun 3

    Everyone - including you! - is intensely creative. Dr. Caroline Brookfield explains.

    Dr. Caroline Brookfield is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Caroline helps "non-creatives" connect with a creative mindset to build confidence in change, buffer against burnout, and leverage individual originality for adaptability and problem-solving, even when facing the most perplexing challenges. Today's conversation starts with a definition of creativity. Caroline distinguishes between Big C, small c, and mini-c creativity. Can AI be creative? Is scientific investigation a creative act? Caroline delves into her DANCE model - the five habits that will allow anyone to harness their creative energy. Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by Zack Dumont, Martin Zielinski, and Leslie Rosenblood. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

  7. May 20

    Rooting out biases in medical studies and health advice with Dr. Christopher Labos

    Dr. Christopher Labos is a cardiologist and an affiliate member of the Department of Global and Public Health of McGill University. He is a columnist with the Montreal Gazette and Medscape, featured on the Sunday Morning House Call on CJAD radio, and has a regular TV segment with CTV Montreal and CBC Morning Live. He hosts the award-winning podcast "The Body of Evidence."  He is the author of "Does Coffee Cause Cancer?" a story about food epidemiology and why food headlines are usually wrong. Occasionally, he finds time to practice as a cardiologist so he can buy groceries.   Christopher starts by answering the question his book asks - Does coffee cause cancer? We then talk about how nonexperts can reasonably interpret studies, and whether there is any benefit to listening to health advice beyond "Don't smoke, exercise, and eat lots of fruit and vegetables." Leslie shares one of his favourite xkcd web comics when Christopher describes various sources of bias in studies and the difference between frequency and Bayesian analysis when interpreting results.   Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by Zack Dumont, Martin Zielinski, and Leslie Rosenblood. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

  8. May 6

    Religion, theism, and race: The Black Practice of Disbelief with Dr. Anthony Pinn

    Dr. Anthony Pinn is a professor, prolific author and much sought-after lecturer committed to academic rigor. Known internationally as a leading expert in the field of African American religion, Dr.  Pinn's teaching and research interests span liberation theologies, black religious aesthetics, religion and popular culture, and African American humanism.    On today's episode, I speak with Dr. Pinn about his book The Black Practice of Disbelief. We start with how he defines religion, which might differ slightly from what many Inquirers understand. We talk What distinguishes Black Humanism from Humanism in general, and the need to partner with progressive theists to achieve the social change Humanists strive for. Black Humanists are often considered outsiders even within the Black community, a minority within a minority. Nonetheless, according to Dr. Pinn, Black Humanism is always about what we can do to reduce suffering in this world. Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Join today! Produced by Zack Dumont, Martin Zielinski, and Leslie Rosenblood. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

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About

A podcast for scientific, skeptical, secular, rational and humanistic inquiry. They've got answers? We've got questions.

Information

  • Creator
    Centre For Inquiry Canada
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    124
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Centre For Inquiry Canada
  • Show Website
    The Podcast For Inquiry

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