Best So What Library And Information Science Podcast Podcasts (2025)

1
What it means to call your loved one a ‘corpse’ 54:08

12h ago54:08

54:08

In the hour’s following her mother’s death, Martha Baillie undertook two rituals — preparing a death mask of her mother’s face, and washing her mother’s body. That intimacy shaped her grief. She had learned earlier to witness death and be present, living with regret after she left the room to get a nurse when her father died. For Baillie her mother…

1
The limitless mind and body of an 83-year-old super-athlete 54:08

1d ago54:08

54:08

"Never let anyone tell you that you're old," says Dag Aabaye, an 83-year-old super athlete who defies age. He runs two to six hours daily in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley, where he lives alone on a mountain. For him, running is “life itself." Blizzards, heat waves, even running 24 hours straight Until he met Aabaye, Brett Popplewell used to dread growing …

1
How the American cowboy ignited the Republican movement 54:07

2d ago54:07

54:07

The cowboy — a symbol of the true American man who is anti-government, works independently and protects his family. Historian Heather Cox Richardson calls this rhetoric “cowboy individualism”, and says this myth is the basis for 40-year-old Republican ideology. In this public lecture, Cox Richardson argues that the current Trump administration has …

1
How horses shaped humankind, from wearing pants to vaccines 54:08

3d ago54:08

54:08

We have a lot to thank horses for in our everyday lives, from the Hollywood motion picture, to life-saving vaccines for diphtheria and tetanus, to a staple in our closets: pants. "Prior to riding horses, no one wore pants," says historian Timothy Winegard. He argues that horses are intertwined in our own history to the point that we overlook their …

1
Elections results are in. IDEAS recommends World Report 10:43

4d ago10:43

10:43

IDEAS listeners think deeply about the state of the world and how to improve it. To do that, you need to know what's going on. That's why we're recommending World Report. It's a daily news podcast that brings you the biggest stories happening in Canada and around the world, in just 10 minutes. Today you can get the latest Canadian election results …

1
Reality TV might be making you smarter 54:08

4d ago54:08

54:08

When reality TV first exploded in the early 2000s, the media panicked about the effect "unscripted" content would have on viewers. They found it difficult to distinguish between what was real and fake. But these days, people generally know better. Viewers now lean on the assumption that most of it is artfully manufactured. And according to experts,…

1
What it takes to become a ruthless tyrant 54:08

8d ago54:08

54:08

Looking back about 3,000 years, the playbook on authoritarianism remains pretty much the same as it is today. Back in the 5th century BCE, when Herodotus travelled the ancient world gathering stories, he became an expert in would-be tyrants. His groundbreaking tome, simply called The History, shared vivid descriptions of autocratic and tyrannical r…

1
Attacking our biggest fear — political polarization 54:07

12d ago54:07

54:07

Canadians’ biggest fear for the country’s future is “growing political and ideological polarization,” according to a 2023 EKOS poll. As part of our series, IDEAS for a Better Canada (produced in partnership with the Samara Centre for Democracy), host Nahlah Ayed headed to the fast-growing city of Edmonton to talk about the creative ways local resid…

1
Why PEI cares more than any other province about voting 54:08

12d ago54:08

54:08

PEI has the highest voter turnout of any other province in Canada. Voting is fundamental to this community. Residents see firsthand how their vote matters — several elections were decided by 25 votes or less. In this small province, people have a personal and intimate connection with politicians. MLAs know voters on an individual basis and they fee…

1
Has the housing crisis shaken your trust in democracy? 59:00

12d ago59:00

59:00

Like many cities in Canada, Nanaimo has a housing crisis. As rent prices have surged, so has homelessness. According to the city's last official count, there are 515 unhoused people in Nanaimo at any given time. By population, that is a higher homelessness rate than the city of Vancouver. Our series, IDEAS for a Better Canada (produced in partnersh…

1
Libraries are fighting for their freedom — and our democracy 54:08

12d ago54:08

54:08

Public libraries are the forum for intellectual freedom, a core value that librarians protect for the sake of democracy. Yet libraries have now become a target in the culture wars of the U.S. – and in Canada, too. It’s an urgent conversation to have, no matter where one sits on the political spectrum. Libraries exist to give everyone access to a wi…

1
430 The Comeback Kid 40:14

14d ago40:14

40:14

The Army had mounted another coup, and its Committee of Safety now sought to carve out yet another form of the Republic in the face of the Rump's defiance - and the deep weariness of most of the ordinary people of England and Wales. But all eyes turned to General George Monk. Would his army march for Rump, or Committee of Safety - or some other fut…

1
In the face of violence, do you radically 'turn the other cheek'? 54:08

15d ago54:08

54:08

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's 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 logic of Christian non-violence, beginning with Jesus' counsel to 'tu…

1
New to IDEAS? Start here 2:23

15d ago2:23

2:23

IDEAS is a place for people who like to think. We value curiosity and deep conversation. And we work hard to bring you the ideas that shape and re-shape our world. No topic is off-limits. New episodes drop Monday through Friday at 3 pm ET.

1
How Hitler's 'favourite' reptile became a geopolitical symbol 54:08

16d ago54:08

54:08

1
Love or hate Elon Musk, 'we empowered him' 54:08

17d ago54:08

54:08

It’s been a few months into Donald Trump’s second presidency, with the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk, overseeing government operations. The U.S. has been a platform for him, a source of money, resources and leverage, says historian and author Quinn Slobodian who has studied Musk's global history. Slobodian points out that Musk is “the symp…

1
Spyware abusers can easily hack your phone and surveil you 54:08

18d ago54:08

54:08

We are all vulnerable to digital surveillance, as there’s little protection to prevent our phones from getting hacked. Mercenary spyware products like Pegasus are powerful and sophisticated, marketed to government clients around the world. Cybersecurity expert Ron Deibert tells IDEAS, "the latest versions can be implanted on anyone's device anywher…

1
Do you truly live in a ‘free’ society? It’s complicated 54:08

19d ago54:08

54:08

There's no universal definition for the word freedom, according to American historian Timothy Snyder. He divides the word into two categories for people — the freedom "from" and the freedom "to" various things. In the U.S., Snyder calls oligarchs like Elon Musk and President Donald Trump "heroes of negative freedom,” focused on being against things…

1
429 The Good Old Cause 40:12

21d ago40:12

40:12

The transfer of power between the first Protector and the second was smooth and uneventful; in December 1658 it appeared that England was, and would remain, a republic. But when parliament reconvened, it quickly became clear that the fissures running through the political nation remained unhealed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf…

1
Why world maps illustrate an artificial reality 54:08

22d ago54:08

54:08

The Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico controversy reminds us that maps may appear authoritative, but are a version of reality. At the same time, they can be rich, beautiful and informative, as Vancouver’s Kathleen Flaherty explains, in this 2005 documentary made before Google Maps changed mapmaking forever.…

1
Need some Stompin' Tom right now to celebrate being Canadian? We thought so. 54:08

23d ago54:08

54:08

At a time when Canadians are rallying around the flag, IDEAS thought we could all use a little Stompin’ Tom Connors to keep us going. Famous for his black cowboy hat, he was an original, writing hundreds of songs about what it means to be Canadian. He may have died 12 years ago, but his songs live on, and resonate today.…

1
Democracies 'stay true to your values' tackling borders, says U.S. expert 54:08

24d ago54:08

54:08

A German, a Canadian, and an American meet to discuss national borders — crossing them, defending them, and reimagining what they could become before the century is out. Our three experts dig into what’s happening to the concept of borders, how they work, and how border policies have changed in the past 10 years.…

1
How a network of journalists uncovered billions and toppled world leaders 54:07

25d ago54:07

54:07

Between $21 and $32 trillion is hidden in offshore accounts. These secret stashes have been uncovered by the work of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) — a network of almost 300 investigative journalists. Their findings have led to multiple arrests and official inquiries in more than 70 countries, and the resignations …

1
Can you return home? This author says revision offers radical possibilities 54:07

26d ago54:07

54:07

"The first kind of return before language or story is a return to one another," says novelist Janika Oza. She 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. This episode i…

1
How a conspiracy theory becomes 'real' 54:09

29d ago54:09

54:09

1
Loving Your Country in the 21st Century (Step Three) 54:08

30d ago54:08

54:08

Patriotism’s back in style. Along with it comes reasonable questions about when a love of your country is a good thing, and when it can lead you astray. Our series on the art of national pride continues with IDEAS producer Tom Howell gathering insights from Afghans, Israelis, and Americans in hopes of finding the key to doing patriotism right.…

1
Walk with us through a rare old-growth forest in peril 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

The World Wildlife Fund lists the Wabanaki-Acadian old-growth forest as endangered — with only one per cent remaining. The Wabanaki-Acadian forest stretches from parts of the Maritimes and Southern Quebec down into New England states. IDEAS explores the beauty and complexity of this ancient forest with 300-year-old trees. *This episode originally a…

1
How Galileo revolutionized science to make way for modernity 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

Einstein’s theory of relativity, quantum physics, and finding evidence of black holes — trace the chain of discoveries that led to these breakthroughs and you'll end up with the Italian astronomer and inventor, Galileo Galilei. Renowned Italian theoretical physicist and author Carlo Rovelli says we can learn a lot from Galileo today. He explains ho…

1
Joyce Wieland's art of nationhood embodied Canadian pride 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

1
Oliver Cromwell: Life and Times with Miranda Malins 1:06:47

1M ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Miranda Malins is an historian, author, novelist and a member of the Cromwell Association. She takes a look back at Cromwell, his life, times, achievements and failures, and the myths and opinions which have grown up around him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Montreal's Confederate past revealed, from sympathizers to raids 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

Montreal was a hotbed of spies and conspirators during the U.S. Civil War. IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed and investigative journalist Julian Sher, author of The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots Against Lincoln, tour Montreal’s past and present, tracing the city’s hidden Confederate past.

1
Protecting childhood innocence is a disservice to kids, argues expert 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

We should move away from this idea that childhood should be filled with innocence, safe from the knowledge of difficult things argues Critical Cultural Theorist of Childhood Julie Garlen. Kids do experience difficulty, even in the best of circumstances, and she suggests they need the tools and language to navigate the lives they are living. Constru…

1
Why a small town newspaper is thriving in a declining industry 54:07

1M ago54:07

54:07

Need a babysitter? Phone Cindy. That's just one of the ads in The Inverness Oran, a small town newspaper in Cape Breton with a circulation of 3,000. For almost 50 years, the paper has kept the community updated on local news, many opinions, and letters to the editor. IDEAS offers a snapshot of what people are talking about in Inverness County, what…

1
A School that Feels like Home: Revitalizing Mi’kmaq Language in Cape Breton 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

In 1997, the Mi’kmaq Nation took over on-reserve education in Nova Scotia. It was the first time in Canadian history that jurisdiction for education was transferred from the federal government to a First Nation. One year later, Eskasoni First Nation high school opened, and since then, the school has become an epicentre for Mi’kmaq language revitali…

1
How Iqaluit's learning institute gave a generation of Inuit adults a path back to Inuktut 54:07

1M ago54:07

54:07

Younger generations in Nunavut today are less likely to grow up immersed in Inuktut. At a language school in Iqaluit, Inuit adults who didn’t grow up speaking Inuktut now have the chance to learn it as a second language at the Pirurvik Centre. By learning the words for kinship terminology, they’re also discovering things about their families they n…

1
428 Make Haste to be Gone 36:47

1M ago36:47

36:47

In 1658, the year started with hopeful clarity. There was a new constitution om a firmer footing, and a new parliament was about to sit. There was little sign any more of royalist rebellion, the Commonwealth name was feared and respected abroad and surely now the Protectorate could build from these foundations. But parliament displayed continuing d…

1
The 2024 CBC Massey Lectures | # 1: Why we need to have a conversation about conversations 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

Ever felt that no one is really listening? In the first of his 2024 CBC Massey Lectures, novelist and poet Ian Williams explores why we need to have a conversation about conversations. His five-part lecture series confronts the deterioration of civic and civil discourse and asks us to reconsider the act of conversing as the sincere, open exchange o…

1
The 2024 CBC Massey Lectures | # 2: Public conversations 54:07

2M ago54:07

54:07

In his second Massey Lecture, Ian Williams explores the power of conversation with strangers. He says humanity comes out when interacting with them. But how do we open ourselves up to connect with strangers while safeguarding our personal sovereignty? Williams believes we can learn a lot from our conversations with strangers and loved ones alike.…

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