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Ideas

CBC
Canada
Artificial Intelligence
Climate Change
Human Rights
Indigenous Rights
Gaza
Oslo Accord
Bureaucracy
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Grief
Red Tape
Brutalism
Middle East Peace Process
Egg Freezing
Humanitarian Crisis
Empathy
Irish Famine
Democracy
Indigenous Peoples
Bullshit Jobs

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 a... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes248Founded21 years ago
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Society & Culture

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Latest Episodes

Magician Harry Houdini crusaded against for-profit psychics and séances in the years before his death. He deplored the tools of his own art being used to exploit grief, says author David Jaher. Now those same tools are being used in politics, marketi... more

"We are the monsters" — that's the premise for the genre of film known as body horror — movies that fixate on monstrous and grotesque changes to the body. There have been good body horror films and bad ones, but "The Fly" starring Jeff Goldblum and G... more

"We are the monsters" — that's the premise for the genre of film known as body horror — movies that fixate on monstrous and grotesque changes to the body. There have been good body horror films and bad ones, but "The Fly" starring Jeff Goldblum and G... more

Math may be the language of the universe, and brilliant minds and technology may have unlocked many of the secrets of the universe. But the pursuit of knowledge and insight always starts with the same thing: curiosity. Asimina Arvanitaki, a groundbre... more

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Recent Guests

David Huckvale
Author of Terrors of the Flesh, The Philosophy of Body Horror
Episode: How 'body horror' helps us confront the fears within us
Xavier Aldana-Reyes
Teaches English literature and film at Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Episode: How 'body horror' helps us confront the fears within us
Kim Nelson
Film professor, documentarian and director of the Humanities Research Centre at the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
Episode: How the Humanities can pull down the screens between us
Julia Kindt
Professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
Episode: AI as the new Delphic Oracle?
Michael Scott
Professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
Episode: AI as the new Delphic Oracle?
Carissa Véliz
Associate professor at the Institute for Ethics and AI and author of Prophecy
Institute for Ethics and AI
Episode: AI as the new Delphic Oracle?
Peter Frankopan
Professor of Global History at the University of Oxford and author of 'The Earth Transformed, An Untold History'.
University of Oxford
Episode: How a natural catastrophe 8,000 years ago may have fueled Brexit
Christopher Cokinos
Professor emeritus of English at the University of Arizona and nature and science writer
University of Arizona
Episode: How the Moon shaped humanity — and defined life on Earth
Rebecca Boyle
Science writer and author of Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Episode: How the Moon shaped humanity — and defined life on Earth

Host

Nahlah Ayed
Host associated with immersive documentaries and long-form interviews; lead host of the series.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 4k ratings
  • Too ideological

    I used to have CBC Ideas but too ideology driven. Episodes begin with a list of experts in the field who refuse to give interviews to the CBC. Ideas isn’t credible journalism anymore, sadly.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    elaltraveler
    Canada22 days ago
  • The Billionaire Age = the best enjoiner to reflection

    Keep it up. Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ha! Politics
    Canadaa month ago
  • Your latest episode on art and fascism

    The best analysis of the current socio-political zeitgeist. Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ha! Politics
    Canada2 months ago
  • Absent ideas

    Ideas was once a challenging hour of exploration. Now it’s an hour of constructing straw men to knock over. Critical engagement is absent. I say this as someone who generally agrees with many of the positions - but people want genuine engagement not Sunday school indoctrination. I want to wrestle with ideas not be spoon fed a perspective.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Blaine oh
    Canada5 months ago
  • Work in progress

    I never missed Ideas back when Paul Kennedy was host. He left and the series changed considerably: from riveting and informative to ridiculous topics and presenter’s growing pains. I stopped listening for a while but have returned hoping quality has returned. Not horrible but it’s such fluff. Wish CBC would make entire Ideas (and “Q” for that matter) archive accessible; I’d re-listen to the old episodes in a heartbeat.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Mag 101
    Canada5 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise depth, intelligence, and thoughtful examination of ideas.
Some critics note a perceived lack of pushback or challenging viewpoints in certain episodes.
Fans value accessibility of in-depth journalism and documentary storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How the Moon shaped humanity — and defined life on Earth
Q: How might the Moon's tides have helped vertebrate animals move onto land?
Rebecca Boyle explains that strong tidal changes in shallow water may have pressured lobe-finned fish to breathe air and move across exposed or shallow terrain, helping their descendants adapt to land.
How the Moon shaped humanity — and defined life on Earth
Q: Has the Earth always had a moon?
Christopher Cokinos says the Moon formed very early in Earth's history, likely from debris after a Mars-sized body struck the young planet.
AI as the new Delphic Oracle?
Q: You, of course, connect the growth and the sway of AI and our belief in it to the strain it's having on our democracy. Can you elaborate on that?
Carissa Véliz says AI can weaken trust in truth, citing fabricated AI-attributed quotes in journalism. She argues that predictions are not facts about the future, and that treating them as certainty can undermine democratic debate.
AI as the new Delphic Oracle?
Q: What do you think the thinking would have been to put a female in this very responsible role, given that she was operating in such a patriarchal society?
Julia Kindt explains that the priestess was understood as Apollo's mouthpiece, with the god speaking through and possessing her body. The role gave a woman authority to deliver prophecies, including ones that could challenge powerful people.
How the Humanities can pull down the screens between us
Q: I am curious how much you really believe an individual can do to fight against this onslaught.
Nelson acknowledges the challenge but says withdrawal is not the answer. She recommends joining groups, building community and learning how to engage sincerely with people who hold different views.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Ideas

What is Ideas about and what kind of topics does it cover?

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Where can I find podcast stats for Ideas?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Ideas. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Ideas and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Ideas get?

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What are the audience demographics for Ideas?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Ideas, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Ideas have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Ideas has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Ideas?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Ideas:

1. The Sunday Magazine
2. Front Burner
3. The Current
4. Quirks and Quarks
5. Two Blocks from the White House

How many episodes of Ideas are there?

Ideas launched 21 years ago and published 248 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Ideas?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Ideas?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Ideas from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Ideas?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Ideas. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Ideas?

Recent guests on Ideas include:

1. David Huckvale
2. Xavier Aldana-Reyes
3. Kim Nelson
4. Julia Kindt
5. Michael Scott
6. Carissa Véliz
7. Peter Frankopan
8. Christopher Cokinos

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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