Shows / The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The CRAM Podcast features engaging and thought-provoking interviews that explore innovative ideas and exciting new research that’s shaping our lives - whether it's the evolution of the work world, the transformative ways we connect, the re-imagining of home and place, or the dramatic changes in our identity and community. We interview leading researchers and big thinkers about the human condition and the possibilities of tomorrow.
Episodes
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Sex, Murder, Power ~ The Badass Women of Antiquity
When we think of bad behaviour, we often think of men and the dirty deeds they’ve done. But what about women? Women, like men, are also capable of bad…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Are we heading towards the END of civilisation?!
*Special Edition* Do you have a feeling that all is not right with the world? There’s war, racial conflict, huge economic disparity, political extremism…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
How often should you see your doctor for a check-up?
Remember when you used to see your doctor every year for a “physical?” He looked at you from top to toe, did a full blood workup and maybe sent you for other…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
How to deal with a narcissist
It’s a hot topic lately. Narcissism. You’ll find it everywhere – on social media, online articles, talk shows, documentaries. And it seems everyone knows…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Why a total solar eclipse is a MUST-SEE event!
It’s a once in a lifetime event: a mesmerizing, soul-stirring experience. At any given point on earth, the ability to see a total solar eclipse happens only…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What do our nightmares tell us? Exploring the dark side of sleep
We’ve all had nightmares. Some are worse than others and can haunt us for days. Whether it’s a nightmare, a night terror or sleep paralysis, they all happen…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What are the most dangerous personality traits?
Have you heard of “The Dark Triad?” It sounds like a mysterious crime syndicate in a James Bond movie. But it’s real. The Dark Triad refers to the worst…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Faster, higher, stronger: Improving how we move whether we’re disabled or Olympic athletes
Humans are complex beings. And one of the most perplexing puzzles that John McPhee is trying to figure out – is how we move. It’s a question that’s fascinated…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Does psychotherapy REALLY work? What you should know
Are there some things about you - habits or behaviours you’d really like to change? Maybe you’re dealing with anxiety? Or depression? Or you’ve been in one bad…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
People behaving badly - what's going on?!
I bet if you took a random poll, many would say people’s general behaviour has deteriorated. - a lot. And you can witness this just about anywhere. On the…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What do your dreams mean - and how do you control them?
It occupies a significant chunk of our life. But we pay little or no attention to it at all. Dreaming. There are scary dreams, happy dreams, erotic dreams…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Hope for the new year: A repeat of our interview with Dr. James Orbinski
We hope you're enjoying the holiday season with family and friends. It is a time meant for peace and goodwill and yet, for many, this has been a time of…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Do you know what makes you happy? You could be wrong
It’s the holiday season – a time for family, friends and happy times together. But then the season’s over and we’re back to the worries and grind of everyday…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
How stress changes the brain and why it’s contagious
Are you stressed? Who isn’t! We seem to be faced with constant demands at work and at home. Obligations to family, responsibilities at work, commitments to…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Delusions: Why do people believe almost anything?
There are all kinds of delusions. Here’s one: You believe you’re the star of a movie and that your life is being watched and recorded. Every second of it. And…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Are we our memories? How we lose them and how we keep them.
What is the meaning of memory? Imagine waking up one day with no memory from the time you were 15. That’s what happened to a woman in the Maritimes. She went…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What REALLY haunts us?
It’s almost Hallowe’en. Sure it can be a scary time of year with ghosts and goblins, witches and warlocks, not to mention the living dead. (yuck) But what is…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Men Behaving Badly – the World’s WORST Tyrants
Tyrant. A word that can instill fear in millions of people. A monster capable of mass murder to achieve his own ends. But could one person’s tyrant actually be…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What foods can INCREASE your risk of cancer?
Here’s a startling fact. Lifestyle factors such as what you eat and whether you exercise can affect your risk of cancer by as much as 50%!! But there’s so much…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The Anxious Generation: Why are today's children so anxious and what can we do?
Do you feel there’s a general anxiety that’s been on the rise in our society – especially among young people? Many seem worried, unsettled, fearful. And their…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Why is serendipity important in life?
As more and more of our lives become increasingly online, what happens to those chance encounters, moments of discovery, and unexpected but meaningful…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
WHO are WE? The characteristics of every living generation
How do you define a generation? Think about it. What do you think of when you hear the term baby boomers, millennials or any other generation? They bring to…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Our TRIBAL instinct: the powerful force that shapes who we are
Me against you. Us against them. As humans, we form tribes or groups we belong to. And they can be divisive and lead to rejection, isolation, and violence to…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Lessons for Living… and Dying
*A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE CRAM PODCAST Very few people have led the life that Thupten Jinpa Langri has experienced. At 11 years of age, he entered a Buddhist…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The Pain of It All: Conquering Chronic Pain
Many people live with constant pain. They’ve seen all kinds of specialists. They’ve tried all kinds of therapies and drugs. They’ve even had surgery. But they…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Why do we say I DO?!
Why do we STILL get married? We can live together – cohabit. Or we can live apart but have some kind of commitment, or understanding, or arrangement. There are…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The worst and best of human behaviour
This is an interview that will stay with you. It’s difficult, unsettling, and absolutely inspiring. There are very few people who’ve experienced life like…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
A.I. – friend or foe?
Admit it, you’re nervous about A.I. There’s all the talk around chatbots like ChatGPT. These LLMs (large language models) can write code, lawyer a document…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Can you be healthy no matter what your condition?
Is it possible to feel healthy no matter what? Yes!! “You are equipped with the versatility and the tools to overcome practically any obstacle that prevents…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
How BIG things get done (and small things too!)
Think about building an airport.. a bridge.. a museum.. even staging the Olympics! Why is it these mega projects often end in failure? Bloated budgets. Massive…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
I Didn’t Learn This in School: a shocking part of Canadian history
One of the fundamental questions of humans has been “who am I?” To know our identity and where we came from has been a powerful driving force. And it was a…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Are you a rational person?
You probably know people who you think are irrational (and you’re certainly NOT one of them!). They have views you don’t agree with and make decisions that…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The Meaning of Movies: Looking back half a century at film
There’s always excitement around the Academy Awards. It could be the celebrities, their outfits, the sheer spectacle of the show, and of course the movies…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? How we determine what is beautiful (and what is ugly)
What if I were to show you the face of someone and ask: “Do you think this person is beautiful?” I bet you wouldn’t have a problem giving me an answer. But if…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Happily NEVER after? Re-thinking romantic love
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And we’re bombarded with the message that true love means happiness forever after, right? Sure the message is to…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The mysteries of music explained
How is it that a bunch of sounds in a particular order can evoke sadness, joy, restlessness, or some other emotion in you? That is the power of music. And if…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What you don’t know about the things you do every day
Do you realize you’re at the start of a new year that will be filled with hundreds of thousands of decisions you’ll make! Small decisions and big decisions –…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Special CRAM Podcast! What happens when a biologist, cosmologist and political scientist walk into a room?
This is a special edition of the CRAM Podcast - a recording of “Big Ideas at U of T: Celebrating 50 Years of the Connaught Fund.” Three remarkable researchers…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Our future with covid, virtual relationships, and the dark side of AI with sci-fi writer Rob Sawyer
It’s been three years of living with the coronavirus – and the world has changed. We spoke with popular sci-fi writer Rob Sawyer a year ago to get his…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Re-designing our world: Creating harmony between cities and nature
Step into the incredible mind of Nina-Marie Lister! She looks at our streets, our communities, our world, as places full of potential to live harmoniously with…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The psychopaths among us – who are they?
Serial killers. You probably know the names of some of the world’s most infamous. Charles Manson, Ted Bundy. Robert Pickton and Paul Bernardo. If roughly 1% of…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Part II: The Truth about Lying
In Part I, psychologist Kang Lee talked about the development of lying in children – when it starts, why kids lie, and whether you can tell if a child is…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The magic of everyday magicians – who were they and what did they practice?
Hallowe’en is around the corner – and you may think magic is all about witches, warlocks, and wizards. But did you know that hundreds of years ago, magic was…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
How do you work with people you don’t like or trust?
Adam Kahane has been involved in some of the world’s most enduring and disruptive conflicts as a peace or progress facilitator: Colombia’s civil war, South…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The “surprising” role serendipity plays in your life
What is serendipity? You may think of it as a happy accident or an unexpected outcome that’s good. And though it gives you pleasure, you may see it as random…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
The truth about lying – what it is, how it starts and can you detect a liar?
No one likes to be lied to, right? But face it, we all lie probably more often than we’d like to admit. How does lying actually start in life? Why do children…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
We're extending our summer break!
It's been a super busy summer for us and we've had to extend our break just a little longer. Our apologies, but we'll be back on our new date of Thursday…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Good habits for a good life
How do you achieve a life as good as it can be? Jim Davies, a cognitive scientist has thought a lot about this. Changing your life can mean changing bad habits…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? An eye-opening exploration of black beauty culture in North America – and its ties to colonialism, slavery, political…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What is a life worth living?
Do you have a philosophy of life? Is there some kind of philosophy or belief you have about life and how you should live it? Do you think about the choices you…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Who am I… REALLY?
Do you know who you are? You may see yourself as being shy and reserved – or social and the life of the party. But maybe other people see you differently. And…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Brave new world of dating – mid-life and beyond!
It can be scary - dating, relationships, intimacy - especially when it’s been a loooong time since you’ve been single and wanting to meet someone. And then…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Brave new world… of dating
It’s spring! Restrictions have eased. You’re eager to get out and meet someone. But the last two years have changed how people engage and form relationships…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
When nothing is perfect
Are you a perfectionist? Do you want everything to be perfect and berate yourself if something falls short of your expectations? Are you hard on yourself – and…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Romantic love - when one partner is not enough
Many of us dream of finding our one true love. But what if that one true love turned into two, three or more loves - all happening at the same time? Polyamory…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
How the dead speak
No one likes the thought of dying. But once we’re dead – what then? What happens to our bodies when we “shuffle off this mortal coil” as Shakespeare said?…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What does an astrophysicist think about?
It’s the final frontier of imagination – space. The possibilities are mind boggling and Sarah Gallagher is thinking about them. Sarah is an astrophysicist and…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
Lessons on War and Sex
You will NEVER look at an ant the same way again after hearing this interview! You may think of them as pests but they’re far from that. Ants have an…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
A puzzling metaphor for life
Puzzles have existed since the dawn of humankind. And they’ve evolved and thrived in every culture around the world. According to linguist Marcel Danesi it’s…
- The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed
What's the truth behind fake news?
“Fake news” is a term we hear all the time – whether in mainstream media, social media or day to day conversations. But what is it really? How do we determine…