As vaccine rollout is well on its way in many countries around the world, we can begin to consider a return to “normal life” in perhaps the not too distant future. But what does “normal” actually look like? After over a year of this pandemic, our lives have drastically changed. As we begin to look to post-pandemic life, is it realistic to think that things will simply go back to the way they were? Or has covid changed the way we look at the world and the way we wish to live within it? How might introverts and extroverts respond differently to the re-openings of society? Why is anxiety on the rise? And how can we all prepare ourselves for the changes that will inevitably come? Therapist Dr. Lauren Cook joins the podcast.

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There has been debate in the sports world over the last month, as Laurel Hubbard was recently selected as the first transgender weightlifter to ever compete in the Olympics Games. On the one hand, this is a huge moment of progress for the LGBTQ+ community and reflects a society that is embracing more liberal views of gender. On the other hand, many question the fairness of Laurel Hubbard’s inclusion, citing concerns of inherent biological advantages that a trans female would have over a cis female in the context of athletics. So what are the actual physiological differences between cis and trans females? And are the differences significant enough that people’s concerns are warranted? Researcher Joanna Harper joins the podcast.

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With more worldwide attention being brought to issues of global warming, poverty, and human rights violations over the last few decades, more light has been shed on the role that corporations play in our societies. And as large corporations have been called out for some of their questionable actions, it often seems as if they have risen to the challenge of becoming more socially responsible. The way many corporations now present themselves to the world can make it seem as if we have witnessed the dawn of a "new", more socially responsible corporation. But how much progress has truly been made? Joel Bakan, author of "The New Corporation", joins the podcast.

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For much of human history, being left-handed has had a certain taboo associated with it. The word for left in Italian, for example, is “sinistra”, which shares roots with the word “sinister”, meaning “evil” in English. Such terminology reflects a long-held view in many societies that left-hand dominance is inferior to right-hand dominance. When you dig beneath the surface on this topic, however, there is much more to dissect than you initially might consider. Why are people still left-handed, when the majority of the population has evolved to be right-hand dominant? Is handedness an isolated biological feature, or is it associated with a complex of other traits in such individuals? Are left-handed people, in some ways, fundamentally different than right-handed people? David Wolman, author of "A Left-Hand Turn Around the World" joins the podcast.

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A year into the pandemic, almost everyone knows someone who has tested positive for covid-19. While the emphasis has rightly focused on the mortality rate, there is another side of covid that is perhaps less talked about – recovery. While many do recover quickly, there is also a large proportion of people who are suffering from longer-term symptoms and require ongoing rehabilitation weeks to months after diagnosis. In fact, the morbidity of this virus will unfortunately affect the physical well-being of some of those affected for years to come. So how exactly is covid impacting the lives of those who have become sick from the virus? And how can society best support rehabilitation efforts? Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician Dr. Ali Rendely joins the podcast

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This is the second of a two episode mini-series regarding the situation in Israel and Palestine. We continue to examine the historical roots of the conflict, picking up the story from the aftermath of the 1967 war up until the present day conflict. What attempts at peace have been sought over the past fifty years? What were the circumstances that led to this most recent outbreak of war? Tour guide and educator Yoav Biller joins the podcast.

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With the conflict in Israel and Palestine reaching new heights over the past month, we explore the roots of the conflict in this two-part series. In this first episode, we examine the complicated history of the territories in question, from ancient times up until 1967. Tour guide and educator Yoav Biller shares perspectives from both the Israeli and Palestinian narratives.

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In the wake of the Me Too Movement, much more needed attention in society has been focused on the issue of sexual violence. It goes without saying that sexual violence is a bad thing that society needs to address. But it is also a complicated topic. Sexual violence can take shape in many forms, some perhaps less obvious than others. People might have different versions of what constitutes sexual consent. People’s memories and interpretations regarding a sexual encounter may not always align. Tim Mousseau is an International Speaker on Sexual Violence Prevention and Masculinity. He joins the podcast to discuss his own experience as a survivor of sexual violence and to address the issue at large.

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The universe is so vast that it is quite literally impossible to comprehend. Yet with so much unknown, there is also so much room for hypothesizing and pontificating. What is the likelihood that other earth-like planets exist? What are the chances of extraterrestrial life? What is the practical purpose of studying the universe? Dr. John Johnson, a Harvard Professor of Astrophysics, has discovered over one hundred planets. He joins the podcast to share what we do know, what we don't know, and what we can postulate about the cosmos.

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Many fairy tales capture people’s imagination from the time they are kids and then resonate in their hearts even into their adult years. When we think about fairy tales, most of us probably think of the Disney films that tell their stories. But many of these stories existed long before Walt Disney transformed them into films. Fairy Tales are not new. They have been told, albeit in various forms, for many centuries. So how has the fairy tale evolved over the years, both in terms of purpose and content? How did Disney’s new take on the fairy tale transform the genre, and what have been the positive impacts, but perhaps also negative ramifications that have resulted? Professor Jack Zipes, one of the world's foremost experts on fairy tales, joins Preconceived.

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