The TREE Podcast: Random Rantings on Science & Philosophy

Nicole Walker Lyons joins the TREE Podcast to talk about writing, traveling, and finding your path to doing things you love while still taking care of your responsibilities. She and Jordan Flagel talk about exploring new places, visiting familiar places, life in Jamaica, and what it’s like to have travel as part of your job. You can visit Nicole’s dual inked project (pen ink and tattoo ink) at www.inkedbynicole.com

Anand Pandit, a brain surgeon in the UK, joins the podcast to talk about operating rooms, advances in surgical techniques, and some of the things he has seen in the OR. The conversation then shifts towards philosophy, allowing Jordan Flagel and Mike Dane, a software engineer from the US, to offer thoughts on the human mind.

Software engineer Mike Dane joins the pod to discuss how much he loves the human race. Him and Jordan Flagel get into human impacts, emergent properties, dinosaurs, physics, and why we should look at humans are part of the earth rather than apart from it.

Grant X. Storer joins the pod to discuss everybody’s most accepted vice: coffee. Grant is from Seattle, WA and is researching coffee in grad school. He sat down with Jordan Flagel in beautiful Medellin, Colombia to talk about sustainability, production, and the importance of enjoying coffee - in a very fitting setting.

He’s back! Taylor Dalke returns with some hot takes on the current state of the political spectrum, with sometimes differing and sometimes agreeable input from Jordan Flagel. The two discuss the shifting nature of liberal and conservative attitudes, extremes on both ends, and how each of them views the issues - and potential solutions - facing society today. Then, Jordan outlines his vision for how to usher in clean energy and how to lose the carbon emissions without unnecessarily stranding infrastructure and assets.

The TREE Podcast is back once again! Joining Jordan Flagel in the studio is Eric Fitterer, a travel enthusiast and co-creator of the Instagram account discover.your.motive. Eric and his girlfriend Jade use this platform to explore what an average couple does to stay motivated in everything from working out to enjoying each other’s company. Eric and Jordan spoke about their travels, the importance of first-hand experience, the beauty in going with the flow, and explored a bit of the significance and meaning of personal ancestry.

After a long break the TREE podcast is back with a special guest in a special location. Bryan Ogden joins host Jordan Flagel to discuss blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence - and how he is using them both to pursue sustainability and affect climate policy. The two former grad school classmates sat down in the jewel of an island known as Malta, where they completed their studies together in the MSc. Sustainable Environmental Resources Management program. 

After a relatively long hiatus, the TREE podcast is back. Nick Martin and Travis Bek join host Jordan Flagel for the most unorthodox episode to date. Nick is a Policy Analyst at the Canada West Foundation specializing in electricity policy, and Bek works for Club Med resorts in the Caribbean. This podcast was recorded as the trio made their way to 17th Avenue in Calgary's Uptown area - while attempting to board a train and eventually hopping in an Uber - and covered a wide variety of topics from initial settlement in the Americas to differences in Canadian and American politics.  Subscribe to the TREE Podcast on Apple Music or Google Play Music!

Ethical + sustainable lifestyle blogger Zandra Thomson from Life With Zandra joins the TREE podcast to talk about the recent vegan-themed TREE trip that she participated in. She joins host Jordan Flagel, the leader of the vegan Belize trip, to share their experiences in the jungle and talk about what these trips teach about sustainability, as well as how they contribute to conservation. The two discuss wildlife sightings, the oil and gas industry, and what it was like going vegan for the entirety of a trip where barbecue reigns supreme.  Check out Zandra's blog at www.lifewithzandra.com and follow her on Instagram @lifewithzandra

Dustin and Isaac from Calgary-based FloatLife join the TREE Podcast to discuss the benefits of sensory deprivation tanks, psychedelics, and how mindfulness can lead to becoming a better person - as well as a better society. The crew is also joined by Isaac's girlfriend Marlene, who shared insights on ceremonies like ayuhuasca and cacao. The podcast took place immediately after a float session, allowing all five participants to share what they had just experienced inside the tanks.

Addictions counselor Julie Douglas joins the podcast to discuss causes of certain behaviours, helping those in need, paths forward, and some of her experiences dealing with people in the deepest reaches of addiction. She and co-host Taylor Dalke also share some of their personal stories on the subject.

Hosts Jordan Flagel and Taylor Dalke discuss the importance of creative outlets, determinism versus free will, moral blameworthyness, archetypes, and the limits of physical possibilities.

Former CFL lineman Josh Symons joins high school and university football teammate Jordan Flagel to discuss brain development, athlete stereotypes, hyper-masculinity, and challenges associated with helping at-risk youth. The two also reminisce over some meathead moments and share similar stories on how they found their paths after sports.

Taylor Dalke joins Jordan Flagel on the first TREE podcast of 2018 to discuss the morality of breeding, finding purpose in life, the science of meaning, robot workers, and the feeling of accomplishment compared to the neuro-chemical feelings induced by drug use. The two also discuss the initial, impromptu Jamaica trip that helped spark the creation of TREE.