Preconceived

By Snack LabsSociety & Culture Education Self-Improvement Philosophy

Preconceived episodes

April 23, 2024 238. Iran - Ideology, Nuclear Capability, and Threat to the West
On April 13th, Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones over Israel. While Israel’s missile defensive system was able to mitigate most damage, the attack itself was unprecedented and a frightening development to the international community. When most of us think of modern-day Iran, we think of an oppressive authoritarian regime that suppresses the rights of its people and also deeply hates the West. But how did this situation come to be? Why does Iran hate the West so fiercely? What does Iran want? And how seriously must the Iran problem be taken? There have been concerns over their nuclear weapons program for many years, and now that Iran has launched an attack, how is the world, and Israel, supposed to respond? Mark Dubowitz, a leading world expert on the Iranian threat, joins the podcast.

Mark Dubowitz - https://www.fdd.org/team/mark-dubowitz/
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1 hr 6 min
April 16, 2024 237. 'Sickboy' - How to not be Awkward around Sick People!
We all know people who have been sick, whether with acute illness or chronic disease. But despite how common it is for people we know to be sick, we don’t always know how to deal with it in the best way. How do we support someone who is going through health troubles? How do you treat them normally, so to speak, while also acknowledging that what they’re going through is in many ways not normal and requires extra love and support? How do you navigate the situation without being awkward? Jeremie Saunders, co-host of the acclaimed podcast Sickboy, joins the podcast.

Check out Sickboy Podcast at https://www.sickboypodcast.com
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53 min
April 09, 2024 236. 'The Work Life Balance Myth'
‘Work-life-balance’ is a common phrase, a buzzword even, that refers to the way we find balance in our professional lives and personal lives. The goal for many is to achieve an equilibrium, where we devote sufficient time to our work, family, and personal lives, without letting one domain dominate the other. But is work-life balance truly attainable in the ways most of us think of it? Should we be focused on balancing all aspects of our lives at once, or is it natural that the balance be more heavily weighted toward certain domains at different time points of our lives? Author David Mcneff joins the podcast.

David Mcneff's book - The Work-Life Balance Myth: Rethinking Your Optimal Balance for Success
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33 min
April 04, 2024 235. Solar Eclipse - What You Need to Know!
As excitement grows regarding the upcoming solar eclipse, so do feelings of anxiety and fear amongst many people. What exactly is a solar eclipse, and how dangerous is it for your eyes? Ophthalmologist Dr. Tina Felfeli joins the podcast to prepare you for this once-in-a-lifetime event .
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30 min
April 02, 2024 My Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
In this episode, Zale opens up about his own experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. What is an obsession, and what is a compulsion? How does OCD extend far beyond the preconception of a pure focus on cleanliness? Zale gives a window into what it is like living with anxiety and sheds some light on psychiatric illness in general.
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1 hr 1 min
March 26, 2024 234. Why Empires Fall - Rome, America, and the Future of the West
The Roman Empire is thought of as one of the most powerful empires in human history. But as we all know, the Roman Empire did indeed fall after several centuries of domineering economic and political power. Many historians have tried to understand why exactly the Roman Empire fell, and many theories have emerged. In the present day, the United States, and ‘The West’ at large, has been seen for several centuries as the world’s superpower, similar in many ways to the power held by the Roman Empire. But with the current geopolitical landscape, it seems as if America may succumb to the same fate as Rome. So what is the phenomenon that is occurring here? Why do empires fall? And what will become of the West in the decades to come? Peter Heather joins the podcast.

Peter Heather's book 'Why Empires Fall' - https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Empires-Fall-America-Future/dp/030027372X
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45 min
March 19, 2024 233. Cannibalism
The idea of one human eating another human is almost unfathomable to most of us. Even when stories have surface of life and death situations when people were arguably forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive, the act still raised many eyebrows in society at large. But how abnormal really is the practice of cannibalism? From an evolutionary and survival perspective, how can the practice of cannibalism be better understood? How common has human cannibalism been over the course of civilization, and what have been the most common circumstances in which it developed? Bill Schutt, author of 'Cannibalism: A perfectly natural history', joins the podcast

Bill Schutt's book: https://www.amazon.ca/Cannibalism-Perfectly-Natural-Bill-Schutt/dp/1616204621
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44 min
March 12, 2024 232. How is Artificial Intelligence Transforming Education?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on the rise, influencing many facets of our lives. With the emergence of ChatGPT and other AI-related tools, the landscape of education is already changing. From the student's perspective, will certain skills such as writing and critical thinking fall by the wayside if AI can do the work for them? Have rates of cheating increased? And on a more optimistic note, how are teachers and professors using AI to create better educational environments for their students? Priten Shah joins the podcast.

Priten Shah's Website
https://pritenshah.com
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43 min
March 08, 2024 Predicting The Oscars
The Oscars is considered the most prestigious awards ceremony in the entertainment industry. There is a certain magic about the Academy Awards, where some of the greatest films and performances of all time have been recognized. Ben Zauzmer is the author of Oscarmetrics, a book that shares an in depth look at the predictive analytics of The Oscars over its 93 year history. What makes a movie most likely to win Best Picture? Which actors and actresses are most likely to walk away winners? And do the Oscars deserve to be as celebrated as they are?
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35 min
March 05, 2024 231. The SATs
The SATs have been a hallmark of the college admissions process for decades in the United States. But this popular standardized test has come under scrutiny the past several years, with many colleges eliminating the SATs as part of their admissions criteria. So why is the tide changing for the SATs? Is GPA a better predictor of college performance, or are both metrics fraught with bias and error? Eddie Comeaux joins the podcast.
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36 min

About Preconceived

From the publisher's feed

Preconceived, hosted by Zale Mednick, dives deep into the intricacies of human experience, challenging the assumptions that shape our understanding of the world. In each episode, Zale engages with…