IDEAS schedule for April 2025

* Please note this schedule is subject to change.

Tuesday, April 1

CARLO ROVELLI ON GALILEO
Think of some of the 20th Century science's most momentous developments — Einstein's theory of relativity, quantum physics, finding evidence of black holes. If you trace the chain of discoveries that led to these breakthroughs back far enough, you'll end up with the Italian astronomer, physicist and inventor, Galileo Galilei. Renowned Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli, author of best-selling books like Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, explains how Galileo's discoveries and insights revolutionized science and helped usher in modernity — and how we can still learn a lot from him today.

Wednesday, April 2

WALKING AMONG THE ANCIENTS: THE WABANAKI-ACADIAN OLD GROWTH FOREST  
To walk in an old growth forest is to be stunned by its untouched beauty, its otherworldliness — soaring ancient trees above, rolling thick ground underfoot, and astounding biodiversity all around. (Scientists are even researching its compound-rich air, for a potential role in preventing and treating cancer.) The Wabanaki-Acadian Forest, which stretches from parts of the Maritimes and Southern Quebec down into several New England states, is comprised largely of newer forests, already cut down and logged, over and over. Just one per cent of its old growth is left, and the World Wildlife Fund lists it as endangered. On this episode, accompany IDEAS to a secret old growth forest stand in Nova Scotia, to learn of its many wonders. *This episode originally aired on June 11, 2024.

Thursday, April 3 

PUTTING PRIDE ABOVE SHAME: LOVING YOUR COUNTRY IN THE 21st CENTURY (STEP THREE)
The first step to developing a healthy level of patriotism is to decide which country you in fact belong to. The second step is to understand what duties accompany that choice. Having taken those steps, a person can tackle what may be the toughest one, depending on the nationality in question: feeling proud. An ashamed patriot is theoretically possible, and to feel zero shame may be unhealthy as well as unlikely, but for countries to thrive and strive to be their best selves, their citizens must collectively find a sweet spot where positive feelings outweigh negative ones, just individuals need enough self-respect to overcome their inner demons. IDEAS producer Tom Howell gathers insights from Afghans, Israelis, and Americans in hopes of finding the key to doing patriotism right.

Friday, April 4

IDEAS FROM THE TRENCHES: THE CONSPIRACY PRACTICE  
Growing up, PhD student Sarah believed in the literal interpretation of the Bible. Born into a devout evangelical Christian community, she fully espoused creationism and the historical existence of Noah's ark, and she predicted that non-believers faced a doom in hell upon Judgment Day. She's now estranged from her family, but draws on her evangelical past to understand the visceral belief people acquire in conspiracy theories — from PizzaGate to the 'stolen' 2020 US election. *This episode is part of our ongoing series, IDEAS from the Trenches. It originally aired on Sept. 21, 2022.
 

Monday, April 7

THE RADICAL POSSIBILITIES OF RETURN
What kinds of return are possible when you can't return home? Author of A History of Burning, novelist Janika Oza looks at the ways in which the narrative arcs of ordinary lives are shaped by ruptures like colonialism, war, and the Partition of India — and what it means to continually seek to return through stories, memories and objects. The Radical Possibilities of Return — the fourth in a series this season from Crow's Theatre in Toronto.

Tuesday, April 8 

EXPOSING CRIME AND CORRUPTION IN THE WORLD: ICIJ DIRECTOR GERALD RYLE
It's estimated that a significant percentage of the world's wealth is held in secret offshore accounts — between $21 and $32 trillion. How much of the world's wealth is ferreted away is hard to know. However in the past decade billions of these hidden stashes have been uncovered through the thorough work of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ retains a network of more than 290 of the top investigative journalists around the work. Some of its major investigations include Offshore Leaks, Panama Papers, Paradise Papers, and Pandora Papers. These revealed the secrets of the rich and powerful and led to multiple arrests and official inquiries in more than 70 countries, and the resignations of the leaders of Pakistan, Iceland, and Malta. For the 2025 Dalton Camp Series, ICIJ Director Gerard Ryle is in conversation with IDEAS Host Nahlah Ayed. 

Wednesday, April 9
RE-IMAGINING THE BORDER
A German, a Canadian, and an American walk onto the stage of the Centre Mont-Royal in Montréal, and try to agree on what's happening to the concept of a national border. They then set their imaginations to the task of picturing what borders should become, before the century is out. These conversants are Peter Altmaier, the German cabinet minister who ran his country's response to the 2015 "refugee crisis;" Julian Castro, U.S. secretary for housing under Barack Obama and current head of the U.S. Latino Community Foundation; and Ayelet Shachar, Canadian professor and author of The Shifting Border and The Birthright Lottery. IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed poses the questions.

Thursday, April 10 

MY STOMPIN' GROUNDS
Stompin' Tom Connors was a Canadian original — a singer with a voice that sounded like gravel in a bucket, and who wrote songs that celebrated everything about what it means to be Canadian: the glory of hockey, Sudbury on a Saturday night, picking tobacco in Tilsonburg, Ont., beautiful potatoes from PEI. Prolific — writing an estimated 600 songs — and charismatic, Tom died 12 years ago. But we need him now more than ever, just to remind us who we are, who we are not, and what keeps us together. A refresh of a programme first broadcast in 2013.

Friday, April 11

UNFOLDING VISIONS
Maps are shaped by those who make them, as events from colonialism and conflict, to the "Gulf of America" controversy tell us. Yet maps can also be informative and beautiful. Vancouver's Kathleen Flaherty travels the rich world of cartography in this 2005 documentary from the Ideas archives.
 

Monday, April 14

TIMOTHY SNYDER ON FREEDOM
Historian Timothy Snyder (On Tyranny) speaks to Nahlah Ayed about his newest book, On Freedom. In a political era where the word freedom is defined and redefined by whichever faction needs to evoke it, Snyder argues that — more than the freedom from various things — we actually need the freedom to thrive, for the sake of our common future. Recorded in front of an audience at the Toronto Reference Library.

Tuesday, April 15

RON DEIBERT: STAYING AHEAD IN A WORLD OF CYBERTHREATS
In his latest book, Chasing Shadows: Cyber Espionage, Subversion, and the Global Fight for Democracy, Ron Deibert, founder of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, details the unseemly marketplace for high-tech surveillance, professional disinformation, and computerized malfeasance that threatens our world  today. In a public interview with Nahlah Ayed at the Toronto Reference Library, he discusses his own journey to where he is today, the threats we all face as a society, and the possible road forward to a more secure future.

Wednesday, April 16

A GLOBAL HISTORY OF ELON MUSK: QUINN SLOBODIAN
The strange career of this unusual American oligarch has fascinated Slobodian, who views Musk's rise to power in terms of a larger, global story — the development of a new ideology based in video gaming, engineering, and technological futurism, and fed by a lust for both dominance and chaos. Examining Musk's life story alongside the arrival of artificial intelligences capable of infiltrating the public sphere, historian Quinn Slobodian, and author of Crack-Up Capitalism, presents his ideas to a packed house of concerned students, upstairs at McGill University's Faculty Club.

Thursday, April 17

Please note: IDEAS will be preempted in all time zones for the election debate. Our podcast and the 4 a.m. radio broadcast will feature the episode below.

THE ODYSSEY OF SATURN THE ALLIGATOR: HITLER'S FAVOURITE
Saturn, an alligator that was supposedly Hitler's favourite animal was 'liberated' from the Berlin zoo when the Red Army invaded Germany at the end of the Second World War. The reptile was relocated to Moscow where it died in 2020. But with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Saturn's story has become once again a symbol in wartime geopolitics. Contributors David Zane Mairowitz and Malgorzata Zerwe bring us this documentary with voices from Louisiana swamps, and zoos in Berlin and Moscow. *This episode originally aired on Jan. 10, 2023.

Friday, April 18

TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
Jesus sees the crowds, climbs the mountain, sits down, and begins to teach. Actually, he begins to turn everything upside down. Or is it right-side-up? All of a sudden, the meek, the poor and the heartbroken are the blessed ones – and our enemies are the ones we should pray for. The Sermon on the Mount is one of the greatest gifts of scripture to humanity; just ask Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Leo Tolstoy. But who is making any use of it today? In a time when an eye for an eye still seems to hold sway, IDEAS producer Sean Foley explores the seemingly bizarre logic of Christian non-violence, beginning with Jesus' counsel to 'turn the other cheek.' *This episode won a Wilbur Award for excellence in communicating spiritual themes. It originally aired on Oct. 14, 2022.

 
IDEAS FOR A BETTER CANADA
We live in an era of eroding democracy where polarization is increasingly fracturing our sense of a shared reality. With another federal election approaching, there's a growing sense that our political system prioritizes short-term gains over the long-term health of our democracy. To address this, IDEAS hosted cross-Canada discussions to focus on local solutions with the potential to inspire national change. The series is part of CBC Collab fund and in partnership with the Samara Centre for Democracy.

Monday, April 21

IDEAS FOR A BETTER CANADA — EDMONTON

WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS? 

In a politically polarized world, conversation across divides can go one of three ways: screaming from our silos, retreating into them, or patiently building bridges between them to allow for civil debate. From fostering deep empathy to role-playing games to re-defining community, we explore how to nurture healthier democracies by encouraging conversation. IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed hears from Edmontonians about how they make it work.

Tuesday, April 22

IDEAS FOR A BETTER CANADA — NANAIMO

DO I COUNT? A CANADA THAT LEAVES NO ONE BEHIND  

Housing affordability is reaching a crisis point across Canada. The affordability crisis brings debate to local communities, stokes conflict, between generations, and contributes to a crisis of homelessness. IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed visits Nanaimo, British Columbia to ask: What does it mean for society when owning or renting your own home is out of reach for so many? How do you build a community when it's so hard to find a home near work, schools, and social lives? What obligations does a society have to ensure safe and stable housing is accessible to everyone?

Wednesday, April 23

IDEAS FOR A BETTER CANADA — CHARLOTTETOWN

WHERE CONFEDERATION BEGAN, AND WHERE DEMOCRACY COULD GO
 
In an ideal democracy, every citizen has a voice. Critics of Canada's first-past-the-post electoral system have long decried what they say is unfair representation in our halls of power. And for that and other reasons, voters are increasingly disengaged. As residents of Confederation's birthplace, Prince Edward Islanders have thought hard about the democratic exercise, engaging its citizens, and what can be done to reinvigorate our democracy. IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed hears from Prince Edward Islanders about how to can get the most out of our electoral system.

Thursday, April 24

IDEAS FOR A BETTER CANADA — BURLINGTON

YOUR LIBRARY IS OPEN (AND BELIEVES IN DEMOCRACY)

Libraries are a target in the culture wars raging across the continent. Yet they exist to give everyone access to a wide variety of expressive content: even when those books, events, and materials may offend others. As upholders of the sometimes unpopular concept of intellectual freedom, can inclusive yet open library guidelines help remind us what democracy upholds? IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed visits the Burlington Public Library in Ontario, to speak with local librarians, author Ira Wells (On Book Banning), and a community audience, about what can be learned from our libraries.

Friday, April 25 

HERODOTUS: EROS AND TYRANNY
In the 5th century BCE Herodotus traveled the ancient world -- from what's now Greece, through Persia to Turkey to Egypt to Italy -- gathering vibrant stories from a wide range of sources. One of his many prescient observations was how given the right circumstances a political strongman can emerge and seize control -- a forewarning for us today *This episode originally aired on Sept. 9, 2024.

Monday, April 28

ELECTION DAY

Please note: IDEAS will be preempted due to election coverage

Tuesday, April 29

MARTHA BAILLIE ON GRIEF (WRITER'S TRUST)
The death of a family member can stir up both fond and bitter memories and a complicated stew of conflicting feelings — grief, loss, resentment, guilt, bewilderment, solace. In her memoir, There Is No Blue, acclaimed Canadian writer Martha Baillie probes the meanings and mysteries of death and family relationships through contemplations of three losses — her 99-year-old mother; her father; and her sister who suffered from schizophrenia and died by suicide shortly after her mother's death. There Is No Blue was the 2024 winner of the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Award for Nonfiction.

Wednesday, April 30

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN: HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
Historian and award-winning author Heather Cox Richardson delves into decades-long changes inside the Republican Party as well as the rise of authoritarian leaders addressing the growing fragile state of democracy in the U.S. and worldwide. In her talk, What it Means to Be American, Ms Cox Richardson uses the lens of both American and world history to explain how President Donald Trump came to be serving his second term in office.