America is just not that into you anymore, says historian Marci Shore. It's not us — it's them. The Yale professor blames the U.S. for the failed relationship and warns the world that her own country can no longer be counted on to defend democracy, not even within its own borders. Shore has been studying the history of totalitarianism for nearly 30 years. She tells Nahlah Ayed why she relocated to Canada and how her knowledge of Eastern Europe informed her choice.

It might seem like the vast, turbulent ocean of information we call news has always existed, but that's not the case. Theatrical plays in Elizabethan England set the stage for our modern news culture, argues Stephen Wittek in his post-doctoral work. He says the cross-pollination between theatre and news developed the norms for our contemporary public conversations. *This updated episode of Ideas from the Trenches was originally broadcast in 2014. 

It's not them, it's you. That's what fans of the cormorant argue, pointing out how people see the gangly aquatic bird all wrong. This common bird has gained a bad reputation by irritating communities with its large colonies, extreme fishing habits and tree-killing excrement. But defenders suggest maybe it's humans and their cultural assumptions that are the source of the problem. They say it's time for people to re-evaluate their perception of cormorants and acknowledge their beauty and worth. *This episode originally aired on October 6, 2021.

Music is joy declares Daniel Chua. The renowned musicologist says music and joy have an ancient correlation, from Confucius to Saint Augustine and Beethoven to The Blues. Of course there is sad music, but Chua says, it's tragic because of joy. Chua delivered the 2025 Wiegand Lecture called Music, Joy and the Good Life.

There are three components that could end constitutional democracy as we know it, says scholar Peter L. Biro — fear and its weaponization, habituation which involves the consequence of not noticing, and the 'stupidification' of our minds and of our discourse. He argues that we, as law-abiding average citizens, have the power to save our democracy and defend against backsliding forces. Biro recently delivered a keynote address at the ominously titled conference, Liberal Democracy in the Rearview Mirror? at Massey College in Toronto.

There are just three ingredients in the recipe that could end constitutional democracy as we know it, says scholar Peter L. Biro — fear, habituation and what he calls 'stupidification.' He argues that we, as law-abiding average citizens, have the power to save our democracy and defend against backsliding forces. Biro recently delivered a keynote address at the ominously titled conference, Liberal Democracy in the Rearview Mirror? at Massey College in Toronto.

In 1859, an American shot a pig that belonged to the Hudson’s Bay Company. Suddenly, the U.S. and British Empire were on the brink of war once again. The incident became known as The Pig War, and it claimed one casualty: the pig. Over the years, tales about the conflict have been embellished and exaggerated, conspiracy theories invented, and lessons derived. But underneath all the folklore is a story of peace, diplomacy, and how we make meaning out of history. *This episode originally dropped on Oct. 15, 2024.

More than ninety years ago, led by “Boomer” Harding, “Flat” Chase, and King Terrell, the Chatham Coloured All-Stars became the first all-Black team to win the Ontario baseball championship. Now the story of their historic 1934 season, including the racist treatment they endured and their exploits on the field has resurfaced in an online project, and they’re getting their due as trailblazing Black Canadian athletes. *This episode originally dropped on Nov. 25, 2024.

Historian Sergei Radchenko revisits the Cold War, focusing on what the idea of global power meant to the Soviet Kremlin. He argues that Soviet leaders, from Joseph Stalin to Mikhail Gorbachev, have always had a strong desire to be recognized as a superpower on the world stage, especially from the U.S. For decades, this desire could never be satisfied, resulting in frustration, and leading to outsized consequences throughout history. Radchenko’s call for a rethink of Moscow’s motivations has made him one of the most-read scholars on Soviet history today.

Métis archeologist Kisha Supernant was sometimes called a 'grave robber' when she started her line of work. With an eye to restorative justice, she tries to help Indigenous communities locate the graves of children who died at residential schools. Now, she's called on to find children's graves. In this public lecture, Supernant explains how the use of traditional knowledge systems, as well as cutting-edge ground radar techniques helps families find their loved ones. The work also allows communities to begin healing. It’s a science, she says, of the heart and head.