Ideas
CBC
IDEAS is a place for people who like to think. If you value deep conversation and unexpected reveals, this show is for you. From the roots and rise of authoritarianism to near-death experiences to the history of toilets, no topic is off-limits. Hosted by Nahlah Ayed, we’re home to immersive documentaries and fascinating interviews with some of the most consequential thinkers of our time.With an award-winning team, our podcast has proud roots in its 60-year history with CBC Radio, exploring the IDEAS that make us who we are. New episodes drop Monday through Friday at 5pm ET.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 14, 2026 • 54min
Work: Loving it, hating it, and getting through the shift
Aaron Williams, BC-born former logger, firefighter and fisheries worker turned memoirist. He recalls the grit of logging, fish-plant and wildfire crews. Short scenes explore family labour traditions, the grind of piecework, rites of toughness, shifting workplace rhythms, and how he balances heavy work with nightly writing.
Apr 13, 2026 • 54min
Confronting the escalating attacks on universities
Davide Panagia, UCLA political scientist who studies media and democratic life; Randy Boyagoda, novelist and U of T professor who advises on civil discourse; Malinda S. Smith, University of Calgary leader focused on equity and inclusion. They discuss rising legal and surveillance pressures on campuses, politicized attacks on inclusion and humanities, cross-border spillover to Canada, and threats to academic freedom and access.
8 snips
Apr 10, 2026 • 54min
A machine that could save us from war — and global warming
Mustafa Bahran, Yemeni-born physics professor and nuclear scientist, reflects on fusion's promise. He describes fusion basics, the 2022 ignition milestone and its limits. He covers fuel hurdles like tritium scarcity and sustaining reactions. He surveys global approaches from tokamaks to laser and magnetized target methods and the engineering, funding and timeline challenges for making fusion practical.
Apr 9, 2026 • 54min
The complex legacy of the first European 'slave castle'
Sarpong Osei Asamoah, Ghanaian poet who writes about memory and loss. Bayo Holsey, Emory scholar of the slave trade and community memory. Ato Quayson, Stanford scholar of colonial architecture and urban history. Philip Amoa-Mensah, longtime Elmina tour guide. They explore Elmina’s bustling harbor, the imposing castle’s architecture and dungeons, inscriptions and the Door of No Return, and the town’s resilient, living culture.
Apr 8, 2026 • 54min
Worst marriage ever! The story of Jason and Medea
James Clauss, a classics professor, gives scholarly context on Jason and the Argonauts. Rosie Wyles, a classical history lecturer, analyzes Medea's role and adaptations. Edith Hall, a classics scholar, traces the tradition and tragic logic. They unpack the voyage for the Golden Fleece, Medea’s betrayal and revenge, colonial tensions in the myth, and how later artists and performances reshape the story.
Apr 7, 2026 • 54min
How Stephen Lewis helped changed the world's mind about AIDS
Stephen Lewis, former UN envoy and tireless AIDS advocate, reflects on the moral emergency of HIV/AIDS in Africa and lambasts global indifference. He recounts harrowing scenes from hospitals and orphaned children. He criticizes IMF/World Bank policies, phantom aid, and low G8 commitments. He pushes bold remedies: debt relief, accountable aid, women's leadership, and universal treatment targets.
Apr 6, 2026 • 54min
Legends and facts of the shapeshifting Queen of Sheba
Safia Aidid, historian of modern Africa, Shahla Haeri, anthropologist of gender and Islam, and Kamala Sulayli, journalism professor and documentary narrator, explore the Queen of Sheba's many afterlives. They trace portraits from biblical and Quranic retellings to Ethiopian and Yemeni claims. Conversations cover medieval reinventions, nationalist contests over her origins, and how her image fuels contemporary movements for women's authority.
12 snips
Apr 3, 2026 • 54min
The final days of Jesus as 'heard' by J.S. Bach
Robert Harris, music broadcaster and commentator who analyzes and interviews musicians, guides listeners through Bach's St. John Passion. He and Ivars Taurins probe how conductors turn notes into drama. They trace chorales, recitatives, arias and crowd choruses, explore instrumentation and rehearsal choices, and reflect on the work's intense emotional arc and unresolved Good Friday ending.
Apr 2, 2026 • 54min
The ultimate to-do list for living a good life
John Dadosky, a professor of philosophy and theology and Lonergan scholar, guides listeners through Bernard Lonergan’s ideas. He explores consciousness and a five-step pattern for authentic knowing. He discusses questioning as the spark of inquiry, different biases that distort understanding, and how authority, technology, and love shape personal and cultural development.
Apr 1, 2026 • 54min
How Hitchcock's 'The Birds' speaks to 21st-century anxieties
W. Scott Poole, historian of modern horror; Lynn Kozak, scholar of ancient literature and fear; Catherine Wynne, literary critic of du Maurier. They explore why birds became terrifying: migrations and environmental loss, Hitchcock’s shift to domestic and psychological dread, ancient ornithophobia and group behavior, and the story’s resonance with nuclear, technological and ecological anxieties.
