Ideas

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How Houdini fought the misuses of magic Oct 30, 2026

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Magician Harry Houdini crusaded against for-profit psychics and séances in the years before his death. He deplored the tools of his own art being used to exploit grief, says author David Jaher. Now those same tools are being used in politics, marketing, and scams, say psychologists Massimo Polidoro and Alice Pailhès.

Why 'body horror' helps us confront the fears within us Oct 29, 2026

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"We are the monsters" — that's the premise for the genre of film known as body horror — movies that fixate on monstrous and grotesque changes to the body. There have been good body horror films and bad ones, but "The Fly" starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis was perhaps the most consequential. The movie captured anxieties around bodily autonomy and physical decay, just as the AIDS epidemic was becoming catastrophic. Forty years later, body horror is back with films like "The Substance" and "Together." Producer Matthew Lazin-Ryder examines what these films reveal about our bodies, our minds and our sense of who we are. *This episode originally aired on Dec. 18, 2025.

How being curious and confused drives scientific progress Oct 28, 2026

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Math may be the language of the universe, and brilliant minds and technology may have unlocked many of the secrets of the universe. But the pursuit of knowledge and insight always starts with the same thing: curiosity. Asimina Arvanitaki, a groundbreaking researcher with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ont., reprises a talk she recently gave in her native Greece about the role of curiosity has played in the history of scientific discovery and in her own passion for science. And, in a wide-ranging onstage interview with Nahlah Ayed, she discusses the importance of fundamental research, the responsibilities of scientists to the public, and the appropriate role of AI in scientific research.

Why background music is everywhere Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

Erik Satie’s music is everywhere: in advertisements, coffee shops, and elevators. His iconic compositions like Gymnopédies have been streamed millions of times and become staples of background music worldwide. But Satie’s relationship to "background music" goes far deeper than simply having a knack for writing it. Over a century ago, he began composing what he called "furniture music" – pieces designed to fit into an environment just like a table, or chair. It was the beginning of a background music revolution, paving the way for everything from Brian Eno to Muzak. In "Satie’s Furniture," contributor Craig Desson tells the story of why Satie created furniture music, and how his radical idea transformed the way we listen today.

What's for dinner in 2050? Oct 26, 2026

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For most of human history there was one problem with our food: there wasn’t enough of it. But the food system we built to solve that problem — the one capable of feeding eight billion people — is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also made poor diet the leading cause of early death globally — ahead of smoking. Producer Mitchell Stuart spent a year asking: what should we be eating instead?

How the Humanities can pull down the screens between us Oct 23, 2026

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From the earliest days of cinema to our era of streaming, zooming, and scrolling, the screen has become a central part of our lives -- so central that it actually impedes our lives, erasing our bodies, and to hiding from one another. Kim Nelson, film professor and director of the Humanities Research Centre at the University of Windsor, argues in a public talk that remaining connected entails protecting and treasuring the enduring wisdom of the humanities -- literature, history, philosophy, art, and drama. This event was held at the University of Windsor and features an onstage interview between Kim Nelson and IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed.

AI as the new Delphic Oracle? Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

For more than a thousand years the Oracle of Delphi sat on a stool at the ‘navel of the universe.’ Under a mystical trance, she would offer cryptic predictions of the future. People would wait months, even years, for their chance to ask the Oracle for guidance on matters ranging from reproductive challenges, to family tiffs to when and how to wage war.

While the ritual around her remains shrouded in mystery, her predictions were – strangely – always right. Today our urge to predict the future mirrors the same psychological need that drove leaders to the Oracle at Delphi -- discomfort with uncertainty and deep seeded desire to control the unpredictable.

The 2,000-year-old travel list to complete before you die Oct 21, 2026

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More than 2,000 years ago, someone sat down and wrote a travel bucket list for the ancient world — suggesting must-see places that we now call The Seven Wonders of the World. It was kind of a Lonely Planet guide of its time, and included the Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Temple of Artemis, among others. Historian Bettany Hughes brings monuments and archaeological discoveries back to life in her book,"The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World." *This episode originally aired on Nov. 6, 2024.

How a natural catastrophe 8,000 years ago may have fueled Brexit Oct 20, 2026

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For the first two billion years, the Earth didn't have oxygen. That's just one of the many fascinating details Peter Frankopan reveals in his book, "Earth Transformed: An Untold History." The Oxford professor of global history takes us on a multi-million year tour, illustrating the breathtaking ways climate has shaped the Earth and human civilization. How the collapse of a sediment shelf 8,000 years ago isolated what's now Britain from Europe, and its potential influence on the Brexit vote in 2016. Or how climate fluctuations correlate to periods of antisemitic violence. There's a lot to learn in this podcast. Have a listen. *This episode originally aired on Feb. 9, 2026.

How the Moon shaped humanity — and defined life on Earth Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Without the Moon, the Earth would be unrecognizable. Across the eons, it has shaped our seasons, our calendars — and even the evolution of life itself. Producer Annie Bender traces our nearest neighbour's powerful influence over humanity — and the planet we call home.

Guests in this podcast:

Charlie Duke is a retired NASA astronaut who walked on the Moon as part of the Apollo 16 mission.

Rebecca Boyle is a journalist, historian and author of "Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are."

Christopher Cokinos is aprofessor emeritus of English at the University of Arizona, and author of "Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon from Antiquity to Tomorrow."

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