Ideas New Year's Levee | Stories we're working on in 2026
Jan 1, 2026
Nahid Mustafa, a producer focused on social media's intellectual influencers, shares how scholars are using platforms like TikTok to educate. Pauline Holdsworth highlights Labradorian author Elizabeth Gowdy’s work, celebrating local stories and songs. Tom Howell tackles long-term thinking, exploring urban cycling in winter and its sustainability. Chris Wadszkow investigates the cultural weight of the number 27, connecting it to sports and the '27 Club.' Pauline Dakin delves into empathy's complex history and its evolving role in society.
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Personal Lens On Societal Change
- Elizabeth Gowdy's memoir juxtaposes pre- and post-war Labrador and documents gains and losses of modernization.
- Her children embody that transition: four raised in the old life, four in the new.
Make Long Term Tangible
- Tom Howell frames long-term thinking by anchoring it to a specific year: 2081 as the century's long-term horizon.
- Fixing a date makes climate futures tangible and alters personal choices like car ownership.
Reduce Emissions By Changing Commute
- Tom Howell decided to give up his car and cycle through Montreal winter to reduce oil burning.
- He models active transport as a personal step toward a more livable 2081.
