Be honest, do you ever really want to hear about someone else’s vacation? Agnes Callard argues that we have falsely imbued travel with a sense of virtue... and the fact that you privately zone out when hearing about a friend’s overseas adventure is proof that travel is not the transformative, metamorphic experience it’s commonly framed to be. The philosopher joins Megan Williams to make her case, as she first laid out in a viral and divisive essay for The New Yorker, and to reflect on the greater value of contrarian takes and public debate.

Hitting the brakes on the notion that travel transforms us

CBC Radio’s The Sunday Magazine is a lively, wide-ranging mix of topical long-form conversations, engaging ideas and more. Each week, host Piya Chattopadhyay takes time for deep exploration, but also makes space for surprise, delight and fun.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with Fort McMurray, Alta. residents new and old about their experiences with with wildfires, Canadian MSNBC correspondent Ali Velshi shares how his family's journey shaped his path in journalism, economist Jeff Rubin makes the case that inflation and sanctions are reshaping the global economic order, and science journalist Bethany Brookshire reflects on why we label some animals "pests." 
 Find more at at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Fort McMurray fires, Ali Velshi, Jeff Rubin, Rethinking 'pests'

In this American election year, Michigan is once again a must-win state. And whether it swings to Joe Biden or Donald Trump may again come down to the wants of its blue collar workers in industries like auto and steel. They're traditionally Democrats, but since Trump came on the scene, many have chosen to vote Republican. The Sunday Magazine producer Pete Mitton travels to Detroit to hear what's on workers' minds, and finds there's a new issue adding to the uncertain outcome this fall: EVs

Sunday Documentary: Detroit Takes the Wheel

Guest host David Common speaks with The Economist Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom about another dynamic week in the Israel-Hamas war, science and environment journalist Zoë Schlanger shines a light on the latest research around plant intelligence, CBC News senior reporter Evan Dyer shares his latest reporting about the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, our Sunday Documentary explores the role working class voters in Michigan may play in the U.S. election, and we trace the origin of Mother's Day. 
 Find more at at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Israel-Hamas war, Plant intelligence, Canada-India tensions, American working class voters, Mother's Day

In the latest edition of our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!, Piya Chattopadhyay competes against one familiar voice and one clever listener in a battle of brain games devised by puzzle master Peter Brown. Playing along this month are The Fifth Estate co-host Steven D'Souza and listener Jo Mather from Sydenham, Ont.

That’s Puzzling! For May 2024

Host Piya Chattopadhyay breaks down the week in politics with columnists Susan Delacourt and Matt Gurney, writer A.J. Jacobs shares what he learned living by an originalist reading of the U.S. Constitution for a year, ex-White House press secretary Jen Psaki reflects on media and politics, and we play another round of our monthly brain game That's Puzzling! 
 Find more at at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Hitting the brakes on the notion that travel transforms us

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