Ideas from CBC Radio (Highlights)

Once long past, listening gave clues for survival. Now we listen unconsciously, blocking noise and tuning in to what we want to hear. Yet the unwanted sounds we filter out tell us a lot about our environment and our lives. Broadcaster Teresa Goff listens

Eleanor Wachtel talks to American singer-songerwriter, poet, and visual artist Patti Smith.

The rich oral tradition of the Mi'kmaq is highlighted in four fascinating stories - stories of power and magic that provide insight into the culture of this First Nation from Canada's east coast.

IDEAS producer Mary O'Connell explores the short and troubling history of the antidepressant.

Economist Jeff Rubin and environmentalist David Suzuki might seem an unlikely pairing. But they've been touring Canada together, talking about the natural limits to growth from their very different perspectives. We listen in as they try to convince a Calg

Philosophy doesn't have to be an arcane subject. It's about people thinking, and like Socrates, asking simple questions. Meet Nigel Warburton who wants to take philosophy off its pedestal and make it lucid and enjoyable. His A Little History of Philosophy

Depression. It has been called the mean reds. The blue devils. The black dog. And through history, treatments for depression have varied wildly. In the Middle Ages, depressives were caged in asylums. In Victorian England, wealthier patients were sent to s

Times have changed. So has the study of wisdom. Philosophers, make room for the scientists! In this two-part series, Marilyn Powell talks to psychologists, sociologists, neuroscientists - and the wise that dwell among us - about a very old topic. What th

As the cardinals gather in Rome to pick a new Pope, Michael Enright speaks with Garry Wills, who explains why his rejection of the Vatican hasn't shaken his Catholicism, and with legendary New York newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin, about his break from t

Lapsed cellist Eitan Cornfield enters a world of exotic materials, pirates, forgers and geniuses. Master bowmakers, dealers, collectors and musicians reveal a passion for the bow that rivals their passion for Strads and Guarneris.

She represents the first woman on earth in Christian and Judaic traditions. In Islam she's known as Hawwa. To many, she's the thoughtless vixen who tempted man away from God. But a closer look shows a daring champion of human ingenuity and equality. Nicol

Times have changed. So has the study of wisdom. Philosophers, make room for the scientists! In this two-part series, Marilyn Powell talks to psychologists, sociologists, neuroscientists - and the wise that dwell among us - about a very old topic. What th

The book has stayed pretty much the same for over 500 years: a bunch of paper pages between covers. It's been both finite and easily grasped. But our digitally-connected world is forcing us to re-imagine what books could be.

Eleanor Wachtel speaks with Taryn Simon whose art mixes camera-work, writing and graphic design to raise questions about truth and certainty.

From the 19th century freak show to the East African black market in body parts to the modern cinema, the image of the albino has seized the popular imagination. Garth Mullins is a person with albinism and at six feet, four inches tall, he stands out in a