IDEAS is a place for people who like to think. If you value deep conversation and unexpected reveals, this show is for you. From the roots and rise of authoritarianism to near-death experiences to the history of toilets, no topic is off-limits. Hosted by Nahlah Ayed, we’re home to immersive documentaries and fascinating interviews with some of the most consequential thinkers of our time. With an award-winning team, our podcast has proud roots in its 60-year history with CBC Radio, exploring the IDEAS that make us who we are. New episodes drop Monday through Friday at 5pm ET.
What this show covers
authoritarianismtechnologydemocracyCanadian doctorswar and healthcaremedical ethicshumanitarian medicineGazaconsumer historymedia criticismAIconvenience cultureglobal politicspolitical historyresistance
What listeners will find here
Five Canadian doctors reflect on what Gaza changed in them
This episode follows five Canadian doctors who have spent nearly three years providing urgent medical aid in Gaza. They describe working where resources are so scarce that bearing witness can feel like the only thing left, and how those experiences reshaped their lives back home.
When convenience becomes the highest value, what gets lost?
Convenience culture shapes everything from mid-century kitchens to smartphones and AI. This episode examines how ease became a dominant social ideal, why powerful companies thrive on it, and what forms of inconvenience might still be worth choosing.
Why authoritarian politics is back—and what history says can stop it
This episode examines the resurgence of authoritarianism in the 21st century, from Trump and Putin to Orban, Duterte, and beyond. Nahlah Ayed and a panel of political scientists explore how these leaders gain power, why authoritarian politics returns, and what tools can resist it.
Hanif Abdurraqib on grief, love, and refusing to outsource feeling
Grief and emotional risk sit at the center of this conversation with Hanif Abdurraqib. He reflects on loss, his commitment to loving deeply, and why letting machines do our thinking and feeling can leave our hearts and minds diminished.
Can democracy still outmaneuver the billionaire age?
This episode turns from diagnosis to solutions, asking how democracies can push back against oligarchic power and extreme wealth. With economists, legal scholars, and philosopher Ingrid Robeyns, it explores concrete ideas that argue the fight is difficult but not hopeless.
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