Ideas from CBC Radio (Highlights)

Recent recipient of the Friesen Prize in Health Science Research, Dr. Marc Tessier-Lavigne identified important mechanisms for the formation of the normal human brain, which ultimately opened new frontiers in the world of neuro-degeneration, and spinal ch

In 1905, George MacMartin, Treaty Commissioner for Ontario, accompanied by federal commissioners and native guides, journeyed through rapids and hiked through the wilds to meet with First Nations leaders. The result was James Bay Treaty Nine. The treaty p

People hate parasites. They're slimy and repulsive - worms emerging from blisters on the body, mites breeding in skin folds. They hold wild parties in our guts. They bring pestilence, misery...even death. But wait: parasites can also be good - really, rea

Michael Enright speaks with celebrated writer Andrew Solomon about his latest book, Far From the Tree. In his book, Solomon examines the extreme form of differences that exist between many parents and their children, and tells the stories of how they've c

On the simplest level, we take risks to derive benefits. If the benefit outweighs the risk, we've made a good decision. But decisions are subject to bias, even those of experts. How do we live with uncertainty and make good decisions? Vancouver broadcaste

On the simplest level, we take risks to derive benefits. If the benefit outweighs the risk, we've made a good decision. But decisions are subject to bias, even those of experts. How do we live with uncertainty and make good decisions? Vancouver broadcaste

In a cluster of quiet mountain villages in Sardinia, Italy, something unusual is happening. A remarkable number of people are living into their hundreds. And in this global hotspot for longevity, there are nearly as many male as female centenarians. Susan

The War of 1812 wasn't the only important event that year in nascent Canada. That fall, the Earl of Selkirk established a small colony in what would become southern Manitoba. IDEAS host Paul Kennedy tells the story of how that tiny settlement changed Cana

That is how the poet Sylvia Plath referred to the mirror, an important artifact in science and art, literature and philosophy, magic and folklore. Karen Virag explores the history and cultural significance of the mirror, and rediscovers the wonder inheren

In the spring of 2012, Canadian film-maker James Cameron made headlines with a solo submarine dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench - the deepest place in the world's oceans. Also on the expedition were a core group of Canadians, including Dr. Joe MacI

In an IDEAS exclusive, James Cameron talks about his recent expedition to Challenger Deep, in the Mariana Trench - the deepest place in the world's oceans. Shortly after he returned to the surface, he recorded this conversation on board the Mermaid Sapphi

Eleanor Wachtel speaks with legendary Greek-born director Costa Gavras, whose latest film, Capital, takes on the world of high finance. Known for his biting and indicting movies like Z, Missing, and Amen, Gavras is credited with 'almost single-handedly cr

The Maya are famous for their calendars, which they created to try to understand the shape of history - the patterns of the past and the future, how things might begin and end. The Mayan "Long Count" calendar began in 3114 BC. It runs out at the end of 20

Women have been increasingly identified by economists, social scientists, politicians and pundits as key to moving forward on issues like poverty, violence and conflict. Award-winning journalist Sally Armstrong takes us around the globe, to places where l

There's a secret at the heart of our modern economy: standards. Standards frame every aspect of our lives, according to Karl Turner, from the nuts and bolts that hold our material world together to life's genetic blueprint.