What on Earth is Going on?

Chemistry is often considered the 'central science', because it serves as a bridge between so many disciplines: physics, biology, engineering, computers and the environment. And chemists are also on the forefront of some exciting research that could change our world.

Joining Ben is Professor Cathy Crudden, award-winning chemist and head of the Crudden Research Group. They discuss the cutting edge of chemistry research as well as Cathy's mentoring philosophy, traveling and working in Japan, and more.

About the Guest

Cathleen Crudden was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Patrick and Linda Crudden. Shortly thereafter, her family emigrated to Canada, where they settled in Toronto and gave Cathleen two younger sisters, Mary and Sarah, and her only brother, Patrick.

Cathleen grew up in Toronto attending Notre Dame high school in the Beaches before starting her B.Sc. at the University of Toronto. After this, she stayed on at the U of T to complete a master's degree with Professor Mark Lautens.

Ottawa was the next stop where Cathleen completed her Ph.D. under the supervision of Professor Howard Alper. During this time, she had the pleasure of an extended stay in Japan, doing research with Professor Shinji Murai and Naoto Chatani at Osaka University.

After completing her Ph.D., she was an NSERC postdoctoral fellow with Professor Scott E. Denmark at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. In 1996, she started her own research group at the University of New Brunswick.

After 5 years at the University of New Brunswick, where she learned to canoe, pick fiddleheads and tell the difference between hostas and skunk cabbage, she was offered a job at Queen's University, where she moved in 2002 as a Queen's National Scholar.

In 2006, Cathleen and the distinct pleasure of taking part of her sabbatical back in Japan, this time in Nagoya in the Noyori Research Labs, with Professor Kenichiro Itami as her host. In addition to learning some great chemistry, she experienced an earthquake, improved her Japanese (すこしだけ) and enjoyed a few nights out at local karaoke bars. In 2007, it was off to Spain for a half sabbatical with Elena Fernandez, enjoying the fabulous Catalan hospitality, chemistry and food.

In 2010, Cathleen became Mom to her beautiful daughter Caitlin, and shortly after her return from maternity leave, became head of an NSERC CREATE award in Chiral Materials. For 2011-13, she was Vice President, President and Past President of the Canadian Society for Chemistry.

In 2013, Cathleen was offered a position at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules in Nagoya Japan as a Research Professor. With the help of her very talented Assistant Professor Masakazu Nambo, she runs a satellite group there year round.

Learn more about Cathy and the Crudden Group.

Alex Huntley is a writer and editor for The Beaverton, Canada's foremost source of satirical news, as well as co-author of The Beaverton Presents Glorious and/or Free: The True History of Canada.

Alex joins Ben for a fascinating, wide-ranging and provocative conversation about how he got his start in comedy writing, the purpose of satire, the danger as well as opportunity of fake news, and why William Lyon Mackenzie King is the one person he'd like to chat with (maybe through a séance).

About the Guest

Alex Huntley is an editor and senior writer with The Beaverton. Born and raised in Niagara, he earned a BA with Honours in politics and history and a Master's in Public Administration from Queen's University, and has an expired basic first aid certificate from the distinguished school of St. John's Ambulance. Since joining The Beaverton in 2012, this government policy analyst turned comedy writer has expanded the publication's presence in Canada by living in Montreal, Whitehorse, and exotic Winnipeg while recruiting local writers. Having a love affair with Canadian history since childhood, he created The Beaverton's Moments in Canadian History in 2013. Writing a book satirizing the nation's story is a dream come true. He lives with his wife in Kingston.

Learn more about Alex and follow him on Twitter.

Uncertainty and doubt are central to the human experience. Yet in the 'post-truth' era, when you can curate your own experience of the world, our democracy seems under threat from such relativism. And making things black-and-white could be just as bad. Theatre and, ironically, the "theatre of the real" (stage performances based on actual events) could be a way for us to grapple with the unknown.

Joining Ben is Jenn Stephenson, theatre writer and Professor at the Dan School of Drama & Music.

About the Guest

Jenn Stephenson is a Professor at the Dan School of Drama and Music at Queen's University, where her principal areas of research interest are contemporary Canadian drama, participation, metatheatricality, "theatre of the real," autobiographical performance, and performativity in fictional worlds-within. She studied at the University of Western Ontario, University of Victoria and University of Toronto before taking on her current role at Queen's University in Kingston.

As Associate Dean (Studies) for Queen's, Dr. Stephenson's portfolio includes oversight of the undergraduate operations in the Faculty of Arts and Science, as well as the oversight and implementation of undergraduate academic regulations. The Associate Dean also reviews student appeals or academic integrity cases, and manages complex academic cases involving individual students and faculty members. Dr. Stephenson participates in all committees of the Faculty relative to students or programs and liaise with the division of Student Affairs, Student Wellness Services, the Human Rights Office and the Office of the University Ombudsman. The Associate Dean's portfolio also includes Admission and Recruitment, Orientation, and the implementation of the Senate Policy on Academic Consideration for Students in Extenuating Circumstances.

For more about Jenn, check out her blog, Upsurges of the Real.

The Mafia is one of the most successful threads of pop culture—so successful that many real mobsters take their cues from it. The Godfather, The Sopranos and even Narcos have built a mythology we all recognize. But when it comes what's really going on, these touchstones are dwarfed by actual organized crime.

Joining Ben is Antonio Nicaso, whose life is dedicated to demystifying a Mafia that prefers to remain romanticized. He is a bestselling author of books such as Made Men: Mafia Culture and the Power of Symbols, Rituals, and Myth, and executive producer of the Netflix true crime drama, Bad Blood.

About the Guest

Professor Antonio Nicaso is a bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, a researcher and an internationally recognized expert on organized crime. He has published 30 books on Mafia and Mafia-type criminal organizations.

He is a regular consultant to governments and law-enforcement agencies around the world. Beside his appointment at Queen's University, where he lectures on the social history of organized crime in Canada, and mafia culture and the power of symbols, rituals and myth, Antonio is also a lecturer at several other universities: Italian School of Middlebury College in Oakland, Califronia, and St. Jerome's University in Waterloo, Ontario.

He sits on the Advisory Board of the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security at York University in Toronto, on the International Advisory Council of the Italian Institute of Strategic Studies "Niccolò Machiavelli" in Rome (Italy), and on the Expert Advisory Committee on Bullying, Intimidation and Gang Violence in Montreal.

He is also the President of Centro Scuola e Cultura in Toronto.

Learn more about Antonio Nicaso.

The 2018 US midterm elections were historic: increase in voter turnout (50%), victory for the Democrats (40 seats), and the 'Pink Wave' (a record 127 women elected to Congress). Other firsts, such as the youngest woman in the House and the first-ever Native American congresswomen, mark an election that was seen as a rebuke to President Trump. But the US political landscape remains angry, divided and precarious.

Ben chats with political scientist Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant to get underneath the headlines.

About the Guest

Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant (Ph.D. McGill) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Studies at Queen's University, and the Director of both the Queen's Institute of Intergovernmental Relations (IIGR) as well as the Canadian Opinion Research Archive (CORA). Her research focuses on Canadian and comparative politics, with particular interests in electoral politics, voting behaviour, and public opinion; news media; and the political representation of women. She is the author of Gendered News: Media Coverage and Electoral Politics in Canada (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2013), which won the 2016 Pierre Savard Award from the International Council of Canadian Studies, and was one of three books shortlisted for the Canadian Political Science Association's 2014 Donald Smiley Prize.

In Gendered News, Goodyear-Grant presents compelling evidence that gender structures certain aspects of news coverage of candidates and politicians – not how much they're covered, but certainly how they're covered – and demonstrates that these differences can impact negatively on female candidates' and leaders' electoral prospects and political careers, contributing to the persistent under-representation of women at all levels of politics. Goodyear-Grant has also published work on attitudes toward democracy and political representation, attitudes toward the use of referenda, and so on, all part of a larger research agenda that concentrates on representation and political behaviour published in venues such as Political Behaviour, Politics & Gender, Electoral Studies, Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, and the Canadian Journal of Political Science.

In the Department of Political Studies at Queen's, Goodyear-Grant teaches courses on campaigns and elections; women, gender, and politics; Canadian politics more generally; and empirical methods.

Learn more about Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant.

Cixin Liu's novel, The Three-Body Problem, is a hallmark of modern Chinese writing. When it was first published in 2006, it took readers, critics and even scientists by storm. And when it was finally translated into English in 2014, it became the first Asian book to win the Hugo Award for science fiction. A piece of scientific imagination (folding protons, communicating with aliens, VR suits, and more), Liu's book continues to stir big questions today.

Ben gets to the bottom of it with Andrew Miller.

About the Book

"Wildly imaginative, really interesting." — President Barack Obama on The Three-Body Problem trilogy

The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience the Hugo Award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin.

Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.

The Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy The Three-Body Problem The Dark Forest Death's End

Other Books Ball Lightning (forthcoming)

Learn more about The Three-Body Problem.

Despite the constant flux and disruption of politics, the wheels of government continue to turn. And the professionals who keep those wheels greased (squeaky or otherwise) are often the backbone of civil society. But there are thousands of voluntary organizations who contribute to the public life as well -- the so-called Third Sector. How do they interact?

Ben chats about all of this and more with Queen's University Associate Professor Rachel Laforest, Director of the school's MPA program.

About the Guest

Rachel Laforest is Associate Professor and head of the Public Policy and Third Sector Initiative in the School of Policy Studies, Queen's University in Canada. Her areas of expertise are the study of governance and inter-sectoral collaboration. Her current research interests focus on poverty reduction strategies, mental health and addictions, and education policy. She is also interested in intergovernmental relations and Canadian politics.

Rachel is the author of Voluntary Sector Organizations and the State (UBC Press), which won the ANSER-ARES best book award in 2014. She is also the editor of Government-Nonprofit Relations in Times of Recession (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2013) and The New Federal Policy Agenda and the Voluntary Sector: On the Cutting Edge, (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2009). She is currently Visiting Professor in the Institute for Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology, Sydney. She has held Visiting appointments at the Centre for Nonprofit Management, School of Business, Trinity College Dublin and the School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy, University of Ulster.

Learn more about Rachel Laforest.

The subtitle of Yascha Mounk's powerful and chilling book is, "Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It". Mounk describes populism and the current disruptions in our politics with a sweeping look at polarization, economics, social media and more. But he also exposes something deeper: the rot in our democratic institutions. Individual rights and the world rules-based order are not the same thing as democracy. Now, they may be in opposition.

Joining Ben to discuss the book is Alex Slusar.

About the Book

"We can no longer assume that liberal democracy is the wave of the future… This splendid book is an invaluable contribution to the debate about what ails democracy, and what can be done about it."—Michael J. Sandel, author of Justice

"Everyone worried about the state of contemporary politics should read this book."—Anne-Marie Slaughter, President of the New America Foundation

The world is in turmoil. From Russia, Turkey, and Egypt to the United States, authoritarian populists have seized power. As a result, democracy itself may now be at risk.

Two core components of liberal democracy—individual rights and the popular will—are increasingly at war with each other. As the role of money in politics soared and important issues were taken out of public contestation, a system of "rights without democracy" took hold. Populists who rail against this say they want to return power to the people. But in practice they create something just as bad: a system of "democracy without rights." The consequence, as Yascha Mounk shows in this brilliant and timely book, is that trust in politics is dwindling. Citizens are falling out of love with their political system. Democracy is wilting away. Drawing on vivid stories and original research, Mounk identifies three key drivers of voters' discontent: stagnating living standards, fear of multiethnic democracy, and the rise of social media. To reverse the trend, politicians need to enact radical reforms that benefit the many, not the few.

The People vs. Democracy is the first book to describe both how we got here and what we need to do now. For those unwilling to give up either individual rights or the concept of the popular will, Mounk argues that urgent action is needed, as this may be our last chance to save democracy.

Learn more about The People vs. Democracy.

People don't just get their news, entertainment and friend fixes from social media. In the digital age, there are whole universes in which to learn, shop, explore, broadcast, develop tastes and be creative -- to influence and be influenced. There is enormous space not just for individuals and enterprises to grow, but for whole new forms of business. What's happening in this brave new world?

Ben has a fun, unplifting chat with Kingston-based influencer and serial entrepreneur, Claire Bouvier.

About the Guest

Claire Bouvier's work is dedicated to the hashtag, #SpreadYourAwesome. She believes that life should be about dedicating moments of your day to creativity and curiosity.

Claire has a background of teaching, music, sports, fashion, design, travel, photography, art directing and creative design. She has dedicated the last ten years to helping women reach their full potential through the arts and entrepreneurship. Her goal is to help thousands of women around the globe become strong women, entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities.

One of Claire's newest project is a TV show. In the summer of 2018, Claire was approached by Bell Canada - Bell Fibe TV1 to create a TV Show for 2.8 million Canadians!

The TV Show is called FEiST-Y. It's about a young female entrepreneur that travels through her town interviewing other interesting entrepreneurial characters. Through her conversations she learns how they have struggled and succeeded by selling hot dog carts, winning the Olympic silver medal, becoming top 10 on the country music charts and selling out beer festivals.

Follow Claire on Instagram or visit her website.

Whether it's energy for electricity, gas for cars or ships or militaries, fuel for heating, or plastics pretty much everywhere -- petroleum is the key ingredient for modern society. The politics of oil and gas influence any government or business, yet the headlines only tell part of the story. What's really going on?

Joining Ben is John Foster, an energy economist who spent 40 years with organizations like the World Bank. His new book, Oil and World Politics, attempts to unmask the real forces at play.

About the Guest

John Foster is an international petroleum economist, who has worked on staff of the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and two oil companies (BP and Petro-Canada). His work has taken him to more than thirty countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Born in London England, he graduated from Cambridge University in economics and law. He served in the Royal Navy and went to Suez. He has worked in London, Montreal, Washington DC (twice), and Ottawa. His interests include current affairs, Canadian Club of Kingston, and Kingston Choral Society. He has been writing and talking across Canada on petroleum geopolitics and recent conflicts. His articles have appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and the online magazine Open Canada (Canadian International Council).

For more information about John, visit johnfosterwrites.com.