The Big Question

Our microbiomes — the trillions of micro-organisms that live in, on and around us — are vital to our health. They program our immune systems from the moment we're born, and they affect every system in our bodies for the rest of our lives. But so far, much of the focus has been on our gut microbiomes, and the connection between our brains and our guts. But what about the microbiomes in other parts of our bodies? How do they behave differently from our gut microbiomes, and what impacts do they have on our health? We're talking to Dr. Laura Sycuro, a professor in UCalgary's Cumming School of Medicine, about studying the microbes that live with us in places we often don't want to talk about.

We tend to think of disease as an invasion of foreign microbes. But the microbes we live with all the time — our microbiome — play a huge role in determining our health, or lack of it. In this episode of The Big Question, we look at how our microbiomes influence our immune systems and what we can do to influence them back.

We've all been taught that microbes are unsanitary and bad for us. But it turns out the microbes that live in and on our bodies, called our microbiome, are crucial to our health. In this episode of The Big Question, we look at what we can do to help our microbes grow and thrive instead of bombarding them with sanitizers and antibiotics.

Why do we hate carbon taxes? Many policy analysts agree that carbon pricing is an effective and fair way to curb emissions and change behaviour. Yet political resistance is fierce, with growing opposition among voters to carbon taxes and other policies. We talk to Dr. Harrie Vredenburg, PhD, a sustainable development professor in the Haskayne School of Business, about why carbon taxes are so unpopular.

When we think of climate change, we usually think of the environmental impact — melting ice caps, rising sea levels, more and more extreme weather. But what about our health? A changing planet affects our bodies just as much as it does the ecosystems we live in. In this episode of The Big Question, we look at how climate change harms our physical and mental well-being. We'll also talk about how health and well-being could be the catalyst that helps people overcome their hesitation to do something about climate change.

In this episode of The Big Question, we talk to Steven Bryant, a professor of chemical and petroleum engineering in UCalgary's Schulich School of Engineering, about the possibility of "greening" oil and gas production.

What's Canada's place in a changing world? With the erosion of traditional partnerships, new external threats, and growing internal changes, Canada must find its way through these changes. Political Science assistant professor Rob Hubert joins us in the studio to discuss.

How do we right the wrongs of over 100 years ago? The signing of land treaties between the Government of Canada and Indigenous peoples have consequences to this day. Political science prof Gina Starblanket joins us in the studio to discuss.

Where have all our female premiers gone? In this episode of The Big Question, we're talking to Melanee Thomas, an associate professor of political science at the University of Calgary, about why there are so few female leaders in Canadian politics.