The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed

You probably know people who you think are irrational (and you’re certainly NOT one of them!).  They have views you don’t agree with and make decisions that make no sense. And maybe you even feel irrational people are on the rise.  And that makes you nervous.  But just who is a rational person?  What constitutes rational thinking?  And can we use this form of thinking to make better decisions and live better lives? Let’s turn to a philosopher for answers.  Duncan MacIntosh is a Professor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University in Halifax and teaches a course on the Theory of Rational Decision.  Info on Guest:Duncan MacIntosh is a Professor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University in Halifax and teaches a course on the Theory of Rational Decision.  To find out more about Duncan’s work: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/arts/philosophy/FacultyandStaff/our-faculty/duncan-macintosh.htmlCheck out this article on his involvement with the Center for Ethics and Rule of Law:https://www.dal.ca/news/2015/08/24/-in-the-tank---how-duncan-macintosh-brings-real-world-debates-to.htmlWe’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

There’s always excitement around the Academy Awards.  It could be the celebrities, their outfits, the sheer spectacle of the show,  and of course the movies.  Since the pandemic started, movie making and movie watching have changed dramatically -  just look at the popularity of streaming services.  But movies and the film industry have always been evolving - reflecting, imagining and even forecasting changes In our world.  And perhaps most importantly, they show us who we are and who we could be.Sarah Bay-Cheng is a lover of cinema.  Join us for an insightful and entertaining look at the meaning of movies and their impact from the 70’s to today.Info on Guest:Sarah Bay-Cheng is the Dean of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, and Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies at York University. For more on Sarah’s background: https://ampd.yorku.ca/profile/sarah-bay-cheng/   Her website:  https://sarahbaycheng.net/We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

What if I were to show you the face of someone and ask: “Do you think this person is beautiful?”  I bet you wouldn’t have a problem giving me an answer. But if I were to show that same picture to someone else, I might get a different answer.So how does our perception of beauty develop?  Why does it differ from one person to the next?  And how does it change over time?These are questions that Daphne Maurer, an experimental psychologist, has been exploring for over three decades with her husband, science writer Charles Maurer.  Hear about the fascinating studies she’s done that can help explain the way we see ourselves and the world.Info on Guest:Daphne Maurer is an experimental psychologist;  a Professor Emeritus in psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour with McMaster University.  She and her husband science writer Charles Maurer are the authors of “Pretty Ugly: Why We Like Some Songs, Faces, Foods, Plays, Pictures, Poems, etc. - and Dislike Others.”More about Daphne Maurer and her work: https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/maurerWe’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  And we’re bombarded with the message that true love means happiness forever after, right?   Sure the message is to sell chocolates, flowers and romantic cards.  But that idea that love equals happiness runs deep and goes way back in history - in literature, art, culture, even politics.  It’s become an accepted belief for many of us.  So is there anything wrong with that?Philosopher Carrie Jenkins thinks so.  She believes THAT romantic ideal can be limiting and even damaging to ourselves and our relationships.  In her new book called “Sad Love:  Romance and the Search for Meaning” she offers a new approach to the “happily ever after” tale.   Info on Guest:Carrie Jenkins is a professor in the Dept. of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia.  She’s the author of “Sad Love:  Romance and the Search for Meaning,” and other books including “What Love Is:  And What It Could Be” and the novel “Victoria Sees It.”  For more info on her research and work, check out these links:  https://www.carriejenkins.net/and https://philosophy.ubc.ca/profile/carrie-jenkins/We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.   And check out our literary podcast, Passage to Wonderland.  Compelling passages from books, old and new, about discovery, insight and revelation. To give you a sense of completion at the end of your busy day.  Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

How is it that a bunch of sounds in a particular order can evoke sadness, joy, restlessness, or some other emotion in you?  That is the power of music.  And if you’re a music lover, you will love this interview.Music is found in every culture around the world.  Are there universal aspects to the way music is expressed and in the way we respond? Why do some people love one kind of music, say jazz,  while others love pop?  Why do we feel the need to move or dance when we hear a particular piece of music?  And what is the potential of music to heal? So many fascinating questions to explore with cognitive neuroscientist Robert Zatorre who’sspent much of his life trying to solve some of the mysteries of music by studying its effects on the brain.  Info on Guest:Robert Zatorre is Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and a Professor in the Dept. of Psychology at McGill University.  For more on Robert and his work at McGill:    https://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/robert-zatorre-phd  For more on the Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory:  https://www.zlab.mcgill.ca/  We really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

Do you realize you’re at the start of a new year that will be filled with hundreds of thousands of decisions you’ll make!  Small decisions and big decisions – many regarding your health.  And what exactly are these decisions based on?  Listen to this eye-opening interview with Timothy Caulfield who looks behind our everyday decisions – like brushing our teeth, drinking coffee, going on a diet, and yes even wearing underpants – and examines the evidence. Info on Guest:Timothy Caulfield is the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, and professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. He’s the author of five books including his latest “Relax: A Guide to Everyday Health Decisions with More Facts and Less Worry.”  For more on Tim’s work:  https://www.ualberta.ca/law/faculty-and-research/health-law-institute/people/timothycaulfield.html*And congratulations to Tim who was recently named a Member of the Order of Canada!We really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

This is a special edition of the CRAM Podcast - a recording of “Big Ideas at U of T: Celebrating 50 Years of the Connaught Fund.”  Three remarkable researchers at the University of Toronto spoke about their innovative work:  evolutionary biologist Maydianne Andrade, political scientist Ronald Diebert and cosmologist Renee Hlozek.   Should scientists be activists?  How are you affected by cyber surveillance?  And when will the universe end?  They discuss some BIG questions with BIG ideas behind them, and then take part in a round table with host Mary Ito. Info on Guests:Renee Hlozek is a cosmologist with the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at U of T.   She studies the greatest puzzle of all - the universe, its structure and eventual fate.  Renee is also an Azrieli Global Scholar with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and a Senior TED Fellow.  For more on Renee’s work: https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/dunlap-people/prof-renee-hlozek/Watch her TED-ed video “The Death of the Universe:”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSzCS_5qtVY Maydianne Andrade is an evolutionary biologist in the Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto – Scarborough who’s an expert on black widow spiders.  She’s also the founder of The Toronto Initiative for Diversity and Excellence (TIDE), and the cofounder and president of The Canadian Black Scientists Network.  For more on Maydianne’s work:  https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/biosci/maydianne-andrade  The Toronto Initiative for Diversity and Excellence:  https://www.toronto-tide.ca/about-us/Canadian Black Scientists Network:  https://blackscientists.ca/ Ronald Diebert is a political scientist and Director of The Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, U of T.  Their work has been at the forefront of landmark research into cyber espionage, commercial spyware, internet censorship and human rights.   For more on Ron’s work:  https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/person/ron-deibertThe Citizen Lab:  https://citizenlab.ca/His latest article “The Autocrat in your iPhone:  How mercenary spyware threatens democracy:  https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/autocrat-in-your-iphone-mercenary-spyware-ronald-deibert We appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

It’s been three years of living with the coronavirus – and the world has changed.  We spoke with popular sci-fi writer Rob Sawyer a year ago to get his predictions on the pandemic.  Where would we be with covid a year later?  How would our lives and relationships change? And where is technology taking us?  Now we’ve invited him back to see whether those predictions held true.  Hear what one of Canada’s big thinkers has to say about where we are now and what’s to come.  Info on Guest:Robert Sawyer is one of Canada's most popular and prolific science fiction writers. He’s the only Canadian to have won all three top international awards for science fiction:  the Nebula, the Hugo, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. His most recent book is The Oppenheimer Alternative.   Rob is releasing his 25th book called The Downloaded in March of 2023 on Audible.   The print version will be out in the fall.  For more info on Rob’s book and other work, visit his website at https://www.sfwriter.com/.We appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

Step into the incredible mind of Nina-Marie Lister! She looks at our streets, our communities, our world, as places full of potential to live harmoniously with nature.  This has been her life’s work - from designing wildlife crossings (including the world’s largest) to implementing systems that will connect green spaces and communities to changing city bylaws to support biodiversity. You’ve probably heard the arguments before for biodiversity and sustainability but Nina-Marie has a uniquely compelling way of addressing these issues. She’ll change the way you look at the world!Info on Guest:Nina-Marie Lister is a Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning,  and Director of the Ecological Design Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University.  She’s also a Visiting Professor with the Graduate School of Design at Harvard.  For more information on her work: https://www.torontomu.ca/school-of-urban-and-regional-planning/about/people/faculty/nina-marie-lister/  Her Ecological Design Lab:  https://ecologicaldesignlab.ca/ Plandform:  https://plandform.com/  We appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

Serial killers.  You probably know the names of some of the world’s most infamous.  Charles Manson, Ted Bundy.  Robert Pickton and Paul Bernardo.  If roughly 1% of the world’s population has psychopathic personality disorder, most of them live among us.  Who are they?  What distinguishes them from others?  Psychologist Stephen Hart is an expert on this condition and has spent years studying it and working with the people who interact with them.  It’s a fascinating and eye-opening conversation about a condition that’s often misunderstood. Info on Guest:Stephen Hart is a Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University and Director of the Terrorism, Risk and Security Studies Program.  His expertise is in the field of clinical-forensic psychology, with a special focus on the assessment of violence risk and psychopathic personality disorder.  For more info on his work: http://www.sfu.ca/psyc/faculty/hart/Hart,_SFU_Website/Book recommendation:   “Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us” by Robert D. HareWe appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

In Part I, psychologist Kang Lee talked about the development of lying in children – when it starts, why kids lie, and whether you can tell if a child is lying.  (No you can’t tell a lot of the time!) In part 2, we continue our discussion on what actually works to prevent lying, and what happens as kids get older and become teens, then adults.  How and why do adults lie?   Dr. Lee has some research that’ll have you squirming.   A not to be missed conversation!Info on Guest:Kang Lee is a professor in applied psychology and human development at the Ontario Institute For Studies in Education.  He studies moral development and the development of lying in children and young adults.  For more on his work:  https://www.kangleelab.com/Check out this video that’s had more than 11 million views on whether you can tell if a child is lying:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6diqpGKOvicWe appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

Hallowe’en is around the corner – and you may think magic is all about witches, warlocks, and wizards.  But did you know that hundreds of years ago, magic was practiced by people known as cunning folk – or as Prof. Sharon Wright likes to call them everyday magicians.  Find out how these everyday magicians used magic to solve the everyday problems of life.   Sharon Wright is a professor of late medieval history and the Director of Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies at the Univ. of Saskatchewan.Info on Guest:Sharon Wright is a professor of late medieval history and the Director of Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies at the Univ. of Saskatchewan. For more on Sharon’s research https://artsandscience.usask.ca/profile/SWright  Publications include: “Everyday Magicians: Legal Records and Magic Manuscripts from Tudor England”https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-09393-2.html“The Magic of Rouges: Necromancers in Early Tudor England”https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-08929-4.htmlWe appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

Adam Kahane has been involved in some of the world’s most enduring and disruptive conflicts as a peace or progress facilitator:  Colombia’s civil war, South Africa’s transition from apartheid,  Northern Ireland and Guatemala after genocide.When former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos received the Nobel Peace Prize, he referred to a meeting with Adam Kahane as one of the most significant events in the country’s search for peace.  Former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela also credited Kahane’s work in helping his country post-apartheid.  How do you collaborate with the enemy?  How do you work with people you don’t like or trust?Adam Kahane talks about how it’s possible for organizations, governments, and workplaces to achieve this.  Info on Guest:Adam Kahane is a Director of Reos Partners, an international social enterprise that assists people in moving forward together on important and intractable issues.  For more info on Adam and the work that Reos does:  www.reospartners.com  Adam’s books include:  “Facilitating Breakthrough” and “Collaborating with the Enemy.”            We appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

What is serendipity?   You may think of it as a happy accident or an unexpected outcome that’s good. And though it gives you pleasure, you may see it as random and something not worth thinking about.  But sociologist Anabel Quan-Hasse says serendipity plays a very important role in our lives. And she’s concerned that we’re losing opportunities for serendipity – especially in our online lives.  Why is this happening?  And what exactly do we lose?  Info on Guest:Anabel Quan-Haase is a Professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies and the Dept. of Sociology at Western University.  For more information about Anabel and her work:  https://sociology.uwo.ca/people/profiles/Quan-Haase.htmWe appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support. And check out our literary podcast, Passage to Wonderland.  Compelling passages from books, old and new, about discovery, insight and revelation. To give you a sense of completion at the end of your busy day.

No one likes to be lied to, right?  But face it, we all lie probably more often than we’d like to admit. How does lying actually start in life?  Why do children lie and can we tell if they’re lying?Kang Lee is a world renowned expert on lying and some of his research was so unexpected, it even startled his lab assistants.  Here’s what he discovered about children and lying.Info on Guest:Kang Lee is a professor in applied psychology and human development at the Ontario Institute For Studies in Education. He studies moral development and the development of lying in children and young adults. For more on his work: https://www.kangleelab.com/Check out this video that’s had more than 11 million views on whether you can tell if a child is lying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6diqpGKOvicWe appreciate your support! Please rate our podcast. And subscribe and follow us on social! @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

It's been a super busy summer for us and we've had to extend our break just a little longer. Our apologies, but we'll be back on our new date of Thursday, September the 8th.We'll have a brand new season of podcasts on some of the most innovative, exciting and eye opening research that's happening across Canada. So please join us on Thursday, September the 8th, when we drop our first episode of the new season.See you then!

How do you achieve a life as good as it can be?  Jim Davies, a cognitive scientist has thought a lot about this.  Changing your life can mean changing bad habits and that's not an easy thing to do. And it can take more than willpower.  So how do you change bad habits into good ones?  Jim Davies looks at research that helps answer this question.  Jim is a cognitive scientist and Director of the Science of Imagination Lab at Carleton University in Ottawa.  https://carleton.ca/cognitivescience/people/davies-jim/He’s also the author of several books including “Being the Person Your Dog Thinks You Are” and the cohost of the award winning podcast “Minding The Brain.”For more info on Jim and his work: http://www.jimdavies.org/We appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support. And check out our literary podcast, Passage to Wonderland.  Compelling passages from books, old and new, about discovery, insight and revelation. To give you a sense of completion at the end of your busy day.

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?An eye-opening exploration of black beauty culture in North America – and its ties to colonialism, slavery, political unrest, power and money.  Communications researcher Cheryl Thompson gives us a fascinating and unique lesson in history – examining social, political and economic influences on black women and what’s been perceived as “beautiful.”  What is beautiful and why?  Thompson wants us to examine our own beliefs about beauty and where they come from.  Cheryl Thompson, is an Ass’t Professor in the School of Performance at Toronto Metropolitan University.  She’s the author of Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture as well as Uncle: Race, Nostalgia and the Politics of Loyalty.  For more on Cheryl and her work:  https://www.drcherylthompson.com/aboutWe appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support. And check out our literary podcast, Passage to Wonderland.  Compelling passages from books, old and new, about discovery, insight and revelation. To give you a sense of completion at the end of your busy day.

Do you have a philosophy of life? Is there some kind of philosophy or belief you have about life and how you should live it?  Do you think about the choices you make and the actions you take?  What is of most value to you?Some of us rarely think about these questions – if ever.   Others have pondered them deeply over the millennia.  Like philosopher Chris Howard.   He believes there is value in the examined life.  Info on Guest:Chris Howard is an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Philosophy at McGill University.  https://www.mcgill.ca/philosophy/chris-howardFor more on his research and work, check out his website: http://www.chrismhoward.com/We appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.

Do you know who you are? You may see yourself as being shy and reserved – or social and the life of the party. But maybe other people see you differently. And perhaps there are aspects of your personality that you wish you could change.  Could you?  We delve into the fascinating world of personality and its possibilities with Brian Little, a pioneer in the study of human personality and well-being.  Info on Guest:Brian Little is a Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at Carleton University, and has taught at many schools including Oxford, Cambridge, McGill, and Harvard where graduating classes voted him Favourite Professor.  He is the 2020 winner of the Henry A. Murray Award for distinguished research on the study of lives awarded by the Assoc. for Research in Personality. For more info check out his website:  https://www.brianrlittle.com/Carleton University:  https://carleton.ca/psychology/people/brian-little/We appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast.  And subscribe and follow us on social!  @CRAMideas.   Our thanks to the Temerty Foundation for their generous support.